February Market Review

After an encouraging start to the year with more enquiries, more viewings and stronger sales than in recent years, this month the market has simmered down with sales slightly declining. Nationally, January saw a 23% increase in sales agreed compared to January 2023 and the number of new properties coming to the market was the highest for eight years.

In the first two weeks of January many mortgage lenders reduced rates which brought more activity to the market as the cost … Continue Reading…

Five Top Reasons Home Sales Collapse and How to Avoid Them

The journey of buying or selling a property is often filled with anticipation and excitement.

However, it can also be fraught with unexpected challenges that might cause a sale to fall through.

As experienced local estate agents, we’ve seen our fair share of transactions fall by the wayside.

This article shares insights on why these issues arise but, more importantly, how to avoid them.

Financial hiccups

One of the most common deal-breakers is financial issues. This could be anything from a buyer’s mortgage falling through … Continue Reading…

Top Renovation Tips for Landlords

Planning to renovate your rental? There’s one thing you should know before you start pulling up carpets or ripping out cabinets.

It will help you avoid a costly and avoidable mistake that many landlords make, and it’s this.

Don’t let your emotions cloud your decision-making.

It sounds simple, but you’d be surprised how many landlords lose sight of the fact that they’re supposed to be making business decisions. As a result, they do one or more of these things:

Spend more than they need … Continue Reading…

Not Happy with Your Estate Agent? Here’s How to Switch

They say selling a home is a marathon, not a sprint, but what happens if your sale is progressing at a snail’s pace or going nowhere?

How can you get things back on track and find a buyer who will go the distance?

One option – and it’s a big move – is to switch agents.

Sellers usually take this step when they’ve grown frustrated with a lack of progress and feel that a fresh start is needed.

If your agent has gone from … Continue Reading…

Top Five Landlord Blunders (and How to Avoid Them)

Being a landlord is rewarding, but it comes with its own set of challenges and responsibilities.

Over the years, we’ve seen and helped solve most of the mistakes landlords can make.

To help you navigate this complex terrain, here are the five most common mistakes we’ve encountered and how to avoid them, ensuring a more profitable and stress-free experience.

Neglecting property maintenance

One of the gravest errors is failing to maintain the property. This leads to disgruntled tenants and costly repairs down the line. … Continue Reading…

Love at First Sight: Knowing Your Home’s Admirers This Valentine’s

This week, we couldn’t write an article that ignored Valentine’s Day, complete with love themes and romantic puns. So, here goes.

Knowing what sort of property a buyer will fall head over heels for is a skill any good, experienced agent has honed from years of matchmaking.

With that in mind, below we look at the five most popular property types in the area and the type of buyers who are often smitten by them.

The charming semi-detached

Young families and professional couples … Continue Reading…

What You Should Know before You and Your Partner Live Together

If talk between you and your partner this Valentine’s Day turns to living together, there are a few practical things you should know first.

Here at Richard James we pride ourselves on being as helpful as possible.

But dishing out relationship advice is a step too far – even for us.

So, if you’re considering moving in with your partner, we’ll leave the big decisions and lovey-dovey stuff down to you.

However, if you decide to co-habit, we have some useful, albeit unromantic, advice for … Continue Reading…

Things Are Looking Up in the Property Market – Here’s Why

Good news: the latest data on buyer demand shows that the number of property hunters out in force is up by 14%*.

So, what’s driving this increased demand? And what does it mean if you plan to buy or sell in 2024?

Let’s take a look.

Interest rates

For a good chunk of 2023, interest rates were high (relative to recent years), and the possibility loomed that they could go even higher.

Many buyers, uncertain about where it would all end, were spooked and put … Continue Reading…

Renters Reform Bill: An Update for Landlords

After years in the making, it looks like the Renters Reform Bill – the biggest shake-up of the private rental sector in decades – will become a reality in 2024.

So, how much do you know about this wide-reaching set of proposals, and are you ready for them?

Be prepared

Perhaps you’ve read a few articles about the bill but have put off getting to grips with the details (after all, politicians put forward all sorts of proposals, many of which never happen).

Or … Continue Reading…