How to Avoid a DIY Disaster!
The Do it Yourself industry in the UK is valued at around £7billion a year.
But according to a survey from consumer champion Which? DIYers are worth considerably more to tradespeople who are called in to rectify and repair some of the calamities left behind by household ‘Have a go’ heroes.
Check out these horror shows as reported by Which? Trusted Traders.
Plumbing the Depths
‘Many people try and fit their bathroom suite and then wonder why the water isn’t draining away. It’s usually … Continue Reading…
Ten simple things you can do to celebrate Random Act of Kindness Day
Monday 17 February is recognised as Random Act of Kindness Day.
It’s a chance to do something positive, and what’s not to like about that?
Its origins are in America, but the feelgood factor has spread much further afield and has made its way to Northamptonshire.
At Richard James we’ll be getting involved.
It doesn’t have to be grand gestures because when it comes to paying it forward, small things can have big impacts.
Below are ten simple things you can consider doing to get … Continue Reading…
Negotiate The Deal
Good negotiation is a skill that adds real value to the service you receive from your estate agent. After all it can be the make or break of a sale.
Many agents focus on “getting the maximum price” for their client, the property vendor. So do we. However, we also recognize that the vendor’s main objective is actually to move house! There is no point in losing a sale by trying to force an unreasonably high figure out of a buyer … Continue Reading…
It must be love – What makes your home irresistible
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and with romance in the air, we thought we’d share what makes people in Wellingborough, Irthlingborough & Rushden love about their homes.
According to a news article based around a national survey by a conveyancing company, here are the top three things people loved most about the homes they bought.
In our experience, people get passionate about the same things.
1) A lovely location. 58 % of those surveyed said that being near good schools, transport … Continue Reading…
Will Brexit have an impact on the value of your home?
Love it or loathe it, or simply sick to the back teeth of it, Brexit is happening.
But what impact will the UK leaving the European Union have on the property market in Wellingborough, Irthlingborough & Rushden?
Like most long-term forecasts, no one knows with absolute certainty, how things will pan out, especially when it comes to the housing market. It would be disingenuous of us to suggest otherwise!
However, the immediate impact since the General Election has been to see buyer confidence … Continue Reading…
February 2020 Market Comment
Last month we reported a sense of renewed optimism in the air. Well we were right! The post-election-post-Brexit surge means that the property market is once again buzzing with activity. And it’s not only our own agents who are working flat out to service our clients – Rightmove reported a 15% uplift in buyer enquiries to estate agents generally in the month immediately after the election compared to the previous year. This coincided with a 7.4% increase in sales agreed.
The … Continue Reading…
Generate Offers
One of the most important aspects of your estate agents role is not only to negotiate a price (or ideally secure the full asking price of course) but actually to generate an offer in the first place! Too many agents simply see themselves as people who show buyers around property, hoping that an offer will be forthcoming as a result. It probably won’t!
Purchasing a property is potentially such a big decision that even if a buyer prefers your property to … Continue Reading…
Accompanied Viewings
The layman’s view of an estate agent is simply someone who shows prospective buyers round properties. Whilst understandable, this simplistic perspective belies the fact that the well-trained agent knows how to maximize the viewing opportunity with the specific objective of prompting a sale.
Whilst “showing someone round” might appear straightforward, vendors who do this themselves as opposed to allowing their agent to do so may be missing out on opportunities on several fronts.
Firstly, a good agent recognizes that they cannot “force” … Continue Reading…
Are you wasting your money?
“What a waste of money.”
It’s something we’ve all heard someone say. And if we’re honest with ourselves, something we’ve all done at some point.
Buying that jumper that never saw the light of day.
The gym membership that got about as much use as a sun lounger in Antarctica.
Or forgetting you were subscribed to that ‘it’ll change my life’ monthly service you never ended up using.
But don’t feel too bad because your money spending mistakes probably pale into insignificance compared to the … Continue Reading…
What Will Homes Look Like in 2030?
Back in 1989 the BBC technology show Tomorrow’s World looked at what the average UK home of 2020 would look like.
Its predictions were hit and miss, but they did forecast technology would play a huge part in how we lived.
They said we’d be able to control our lighting, music and heating by voice commands (Alexa, Google
Assistant, etc.). That our homes would be more energy efficient (we’re getting there) and that our windows would be able to turn into TV screens … Continue Reading…