How to Wow Buyers with a Spacious-Looking Home

Find out how you can impress buyers by making each room in your home look as spacious as possible.

Whether you’re marketing a one-bedroom flat or a seven-bedroom mansion, the same rule usually applies – big is beautiful.

We’re talking about big rooms, of course! It’s well known that a home that feels spacious will always fetch a higher price than a similar property that comes across as cramped and crowded.

The good news is you don’t need to go crazy with a … Continue Reading…

All You Need to Know about Double Glazing

Before you were a property owner, chances are windows were something you just looked out of to take in the view. You probably didn’t give them much thought and you might have cleaned them occasionally. That was it.

Now, as a homeowner, your single, double, or triple glazing means so much more. And if you’re about to renovate a property or upgrade your windows, it’s worth diving into the fascinating world of double glazing to find out more. (Honestly, it’s pretty … Continue Reading…

Can Nice Smells Help Sell Homes?

Have you got a big one? A small one? Maybe you’ve got a wonky one.

Whatever its shape or size, we’ve all got one.

We’re talking about your hooter. Smack bang in the middle of your face; the nose is a great tool when trying to sell your home.

Known as ‘scent branding’, businesses all over the world are investing in signature scents to harness the power of smells, memories, and emotion.

In simple terms, a nice smell can help your property stand out … Continue Reading…

The Key to Getting Top Price for Your Home (Hint: Choose a Great Estate Agent)

What separates a mediocre estate agent from an exceptional one? It’s not what they say; it’s what they do.

While some agents talk a big game, in reality they just go through the motions. But great agents (and we like to think that here at Richard James we fall into that category) go all out to get the very best deal.

That’s because top agents know that now, more than ever, every extra pound added to a sale price matters to sellers … Continue Reading…

What You Need to Know Before You Buy Your First Property

Taking that first step on the property ladder is simultaneously exciting and terrifying. No matter how old you are, buying your first property will make you feel like a proper grown-up.

Before you even find the right property, there’s lots to learn, so in this quick read, we’ve pulled together our top five tips for first-time buyers.

Be mortgage savvy
There are so many different options when buying a first home – whether you’re getting a loan from the bank of mum and … Continue Reading…

Top Tips for Managing Joint Tenancies

Joint tenancies are a great way for friends or couples to live together and share the rental burden.

And joint tenancies can also be good news for landlords, providing steady long-term income and low tenant turnover.

But sometimes, the relationship between tenants turns sour and things can get complicated. Before we look at managing tenant relationships, here’s a quick recap on joint tenancies.

• As a general rule*, all tenants in a joint tenancy are liable for the rent. This means that if … Continue Reading…

What’s a Green Mortgage and How Do You Get One ?

If you’re taking out a new mortgage or about to refinance your property, have you considered a green mortgage? No? Never heard of it? Well, that’s what we’re here for.

A green mortgage is not actually new. In fact, the concept was first launched about 30 years ago but wasn’t used much. However, in the last few years, green mortgages have been gaining momentum, and are being offered by more and more high-street lenders.

What is it?
It’s basically a mortgage that rewards … Continue Reading…

How Sellers Can Make Their Next Move a Success

Many people predicted that the robust demand seen in early 2021 would fizzle out when the Stamp Duty holiday ended – but they were wrong!

2022 kicked off with a bang. Over the New Year period, UK housing demand rose by 49% compared to the same period in the previous three years* and asking prices were up in January.

Pressure on stock
Running parallel to this strong demand has been a shortage in housing stock (in other words, there are not enough properties … Continue Reading…

Banking on Mum and Dad

There’s one financial institution that never seems to go out of fashion, and that’s the dear old Bank of Mum and Dad (or BOMAD for people who like acronyms).

About half of all first-time buyers (FTBs) last year relied on BOMAD, with parents dishing out a record £9.8 billion to help their offspring get on the property ladder.1 The average contribution was £58,000.

And in the past ten years, BOMAD has coughed up £54 billion, assisting 1.4 million buyers.2

What’s driving the trend?
There’s … Continue Reading…