If It Sounds Too Good to Be True…
Selling your home is a big decision, and choosing the right estate agent is one of the most important choices you’ll make.
Most agents work hard, act professionally and genuinely want the best outcome for their clients. But, like any industry, you’ll sometimes hear claims that sound too good to be true.
Now, they might well be true.
The point is not to dismiss them. It’s to ask a few sensible questions before taking them at face value.
Here are five common claims that … Continue Reading…
Beat the Rush: Five Jobs Every Landlord Should Book Now
Right now, your rental property is probably behaving itself. Tenants are happy, the sun’s out, nothing’s leaking. Enjoy it while it lasts, because it usually won’t last long.
The moment the weather turns, so does everyone’s diary.
Come October/November, that changes fast.
Heating engineers get booked solid. Roofers stop taking new jobs until spring. Electricians and decorators start turning things down because they’re already up to their eyes in it.
Sort these five jobs now, and you’ll thank yourself later, plus it’ll keep tenants … Continue Reading…
Why the Best Agents Tell You the Truth, Even When It’s Hard to Hear
The Conversations That Save Clients Thousands
There are some conversations in property that nobody enjoys.
Telling a seller their home isn’t worth quite as much as they hoped.
Explaining to a landlord that spending a little money now could help attract a better tenant and reduce costly void periods.
Or gently telling a buyer that, despite falling in love with a property, it’s probably beyond their budget.
They’re not easy conversations to have.
But they’re often the ones that save people the most time, money and … Continue Reading…
How Home Buyers Have Changed over 10 Years
Think back to 2016.
Leicester City were Premier League champions, the iPhone 7 had just been launched, and if your home had a conservatory and a decent kitchen, many buyers were impressed.
Fast forward to today. Leicester City’s fortunes are very different, iPhones have evolved beyond recognition, and home buyers expect far more than they did a decade ago.
Back then, floor plans weren’t always included, broadband speed rarely came up in conversation, and few people gave any thought to charging an electric … Continue Reading…
FAO Landlords: Would YOU Rent Your Own Property?
Here’s a question every landlord should ask themselves from time to time.
Would you be happy to rent your own property?
Not as an investor looking at the monthly figures. Not as the owner who already knows every quirk and compromise. But as someone collecting the keys tomorrow and planning to call it home for the next year.
It’s a surprisingly useful exercise because landlords and tenants don’t look at a property in the same way.
As a landlord, you might focus on rental … Continue Reading…
From Air Con to Shade Gardens: How Homes Are Adapting to a Changing Climate
Not so long ago, air conditioning in a British home was considered a bit extravagant. Something for hotels, maybe. Or offices. Not for a three-bed semi in our neck of the woods, perhaps.
Things have changed. Summers are hotter. Winters are wetter. And homeowners across the UK are quietly starting to adapt.
Here are five ways the changing climate is already reshaping how people think about their homes.
Air conditioning is no longer a luxury
Sales of home air conditioning units have risen sharply … Continue Reading…
FAO Homeowners: Fix It or Forget It? What You Should Repair Before Selling
You’ve decided to sell. Great news. But then you start looking at your home through fresh eyes and suddenly notice the cracked ceiling, the sticky kitchen drawer, the damp patch nobody has mentioned for three years.
The question every seller asks is this: Should I spend money fixing these things, or should I drop the price and let the buyer deal with them?
The honest answer is it depends. But here is a straightforward way to think it through.
Repairs worth doing
Some repairs … Continue Reading…
When Can a Landlord Actually Enter a Rented Property?
It is your property. You own it. Surely you can pop round whenever you like?
Not quite. Once a tenant moves in, the rules change. And getting them wrong can land you in serious trouble.
Here is a clear guide to what you can and cannot do.
The right to quiet enjoyment
From the moment your tenant moves in, they have a legal right to quiet enjoyment of the property. That is not about noise levels. It means they have the right to live … Continue Reading…
Government Home Selling Plans: Doomed or Daring?
Just over a week has passed since the Government unveiled plans to modernise the home buying and selling process in England and Wales.
As is often the case with major property announcements, reactions were mixed. Some commentators claimed the proposals could transform the moving process, while others questioned whether they would make much difference at all.
Now the initial headlines have faded, a clearer picture is beginning to emerge.
What Is the Government Proposing?
The reforms are designed to tackle some of the frustrations … Continue Reading…
June Market Update
The month of June has proved to be a difficult month for the property market. The cost of mortgage borrowing is limiting activity as first time buyers, in particular, are being priced out of the market by higher interest rates. Despite the Bank of England holding rates at 3.75%, many first time buyer two year fixed rate mortgages are over 5%, they peaked in March at 5.90%
According to the property portal Zoopla, 60% of properties listed for sale since January remain unsold, this … Continue Reading…