In an Active Market, the Pre-Qualified Buyer has the Advantage

The UK property market remains very active, though tempered slightly from the high rates of price appreciation and market urgency experienced earlier in the year. Most property experts predict annual home values for 2022 will have grown between 5 – 10 % compared to last year. Limited stock as well as active first time-buyers continue to push demand and pricing.

How best to win the competition as the ‘buyer of choice’ in this active market? One solution is to come to … Continue Reading…

The Interior Styles That Buyers Love – And Are Willing to Pay Thousands for

Here at Richard James, we’ve been telling our clients for years to ditch the clutter and get the décor spot on to secure a top sale. Well now a survey has proved us right!

The study* found that two in five buyers look for a property that matches their own personal taste in interiors. (The split was 46% of men and 36% of women, dispelling the myth that women are the fussier sex.)

Now, you may be wondering why buyers get so … Continue Reading…

Introducing the winner for Wellingborough

Richard James Estate Agents, Wellingborough have just won the British Property Award for Wellingborough, for the second successive year.

Their team performed outstandingly throughout the extensive judging period, which focused on customer service levels.

Richard James Estate Agents, Wellingborough have now been shortlisted for a number of national awards which will be announced later in the
year.

The British Property Awards provide agents throughout the UK with an
invaluable opportunity to compare the service that they provide against
the service provided by their local, regional and … Continue Reading…

Top Tips for Finding the Best Tenants

The secret to a smooth-running tenancy is good tenants. Here’s how to find them.

There are few guarantees in life, but we promise you this: let your property to a bad tenant, and your job as a landlord will get much more complicated.

Expect to be out of pocket (due to missed rent payments and damage to your property) and stressed (dealing with nightmare tenants is, to state the obvious, a nightmare!).

The key to avoiding this kind of turmoil is to find … Continue Reading…

Don’t Try This at Home: Three of the Dumbest TikTok DIY Hacks

The DIY hacks you see on TikTok may be entertaining to watch, but they can also be dumb and even downright dangerous. 

TikTok is awash with amateur handymen and women dishing out tips, but just how practical and accurate is this advice?

When confused.com asked an expert handyman to rate the quality of DIY videos on TikTok, he deemed 39% of the content to be ‘rubbish’ or ‘poor’.

Meanwhile, Toolstation surveyed 100 experts – professional plumbers, carpenters, painters and the like – who … Continue Reading…

What Landlords Need to Know about Their Legal Responsibilities

This two-minute read explains how landlords can navigate their way through an ever-growing list of rules and regulations.

There’s one rookie mistake that many first-time landlords make when they invest in property – and it can cost them dearly further down the track.

While most newbie landlords mull over the obvious financial stuff – like rental income, repairs, mortgage costs and tax – they overlook one other crucial factor in the buy-to-let (BTL) equation: legal responsibilities.

As landlords today must comply with more … Continue Reading…

Nifty High-Tech Gadgets for Your Home

Save time and stress by investing in these four gadgets for your home. A three-minute read.

The world’s richest entrepreneurs may be obsessed with building fancy spaceships, but we’re more interested in tech that makes everyday life easier.

Thankfully, there is an array of useful new household gadgets on the market. Here are four of the best.

Robo-mop
With iRobot’s Braava Jet M6, you’ll never have to mop up spilt milk or sweep up biscuit crumbs again. This nifty robot can wet mop or … Continue Reading…

Downsizers: What Do They Want in a Property?

What do downsizers, a growing force in the housing market, want? Check out this two-minute read to find out.

Downsizers are emerging as increasingly influential players in the property market, with a growing number of over-55s selling up and buying less expensive properties.

Last year, 181,000 people downsized* – the highest number in five years (source: Hamptons, 2021).

Why downsizers are important
Downsizers help keep the property market ticking over as they tend to free up bigger family homes. Given the shortage of good … Continue Reading…

Guide to Switching Letting Agents

Did you know that lots of people pay more for their phone bills, car insurance or Wi-Fi simply because the thought of changing providers is too stressful? This is like a lot of landlords – they stick with the same letting agent they’ve used for years just because it’s easier to stay put.

We hate change. Why rock the boat? Sure, the boat may be leaking and have a dodgy fish smell, but is it really that bad?

Well, dodgy boat clichés … Continue Reading…

Mortgage Jargon Explained

If you’re new to mortgages, you’ll be forgiven for feeling a little bit overwhelmed. There’s a lot to sort out before applying for one and there are so many different types – it’s hard to know what to go for.

Whether you choose a high street lender or a more specialist one, it’s always worth talking to a mortgage broker to understand what you can afford to borrow and how much you’ll be repaying monthly.

When looking for a mortgage, you’ll need … Continue Reading…