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Be careful with your decorations

Year after year, the biggest surge in property market activity happens around the Christmas period, making January the optimal time to buy or sell.

If you’re thinking of moving shortly after the new year or currently have your home for sale, then you might be wondering what to do about Christmas decorations.

Adding decorations can further clutter your property and detract from its core USPs, as well as date any marketing material that your agent may take.

We’ve put together some decorating guidelines ahead of the big day, so you can continue to enjoy the festive period without overwhelming any potential viewers or buyers.

Keep things to a minimal

Remembering that ‘less is more’ can be key to securing a fast winter sale.

Try and keep to a small palette of colours when adding decorations to your rooms, ideally opting for colours that complement the surroundings – this can be especially important for items like baubles and tinsel.

Festive scents

A great way to bring the cosy, festive feeling into your home is using festive scents.

Cinnamon, mulled wine and gingerbread are some of the most popular smells to have filling your house this Christmas.

White lights are the way forward

Not everyone will prefer multi-coloured flashing lights when it comes to Christmas, in fact, it can even put people off.

Therefore, try and avoid these for areas like your tree, instead using warmer white lights to create a more neutral, sophisticated tone.

Think about scale

It’s important to keep floor standing decorations – like trees – to scale in your property.

Make sure they don’t dominate your rooms and hide any additional space, as potential buyers still need to be able to visualise themselves living in your home.

Be careful with exterior decorations

Adding lights to the exterior of your property is a great way to get into the Christmas spirit, however, avoid large inflatable decorations on your roof or surrounding your home.

Again, try and opt for white, warm lights to give your home a classier look, and you may even want to add a Christmas wreath as a finishing touch.

Are you thinking about putting your property on the market over the festive period or in the new year?

Request a valuation with us today and see how much your property could be worth.

Best seller's market in a decade

Over the past year, the housing market has had its fair share of ups and downs.

A lot of people were worried about buying and selling, leaving the market vulnerable at times. Yet despite this, market conditions are keeping to a continual high and exceeding expectations, making it the ultimate market for sellers.

Why is December a good month for home sellers?

The main reason is because the quality of buyers looking to find a home is higher than any other time during the year. If you also combine that with the low supply in available properties on the market, you’ve got the perfect opportunity to grab the attention of potential buyers.

This time of the year is a hectic one, with people spending quality time visiting family and friends. On the property front, it’s also busy, especially with homeowners keen to move within the first few months of the new year.

The main catalyst behind this is that people experience a change in their property priorities, pushing them to seek a new home.

In fact, 78% of UK sellers felt certain that they would sell their property within the next three months and purchase a property during that same length of time.*

Are you eager to match your home with serious buyers?

Get in touch with our team today to make sure your property journey is a valuable one.

*OnTheMarket 

City rental demand up with the return of offices and students

During the height of the pandemic, we saw many tenants moving out of busy city centres and towards rural and quiet locations, but why?

Just like homeowners, tenants began to quickly change their property priorities over the course of the pandemic, and a good number within the rental sector reflected on where and how they were living.

Now that normality continues to spread across the country, a large proportion of tenants have begun to make their way back to the cities.

With both the return of people going back to office work and students thriving with university life, properties have been in short supply due to the incredible demand from eager tenants.

In fact, the demand for rental properties in London has risen by 60% compared to the same period last year!*

It’s not surprising that London is in high demand, especially given the wide range of employment opportunities it has on offer, which a lot of people will still be prioritising following the effects of COVID-19.

It’s highly likely that with the new year approaching and people discovering new ways of living, rental demand will to continue outstrip supply, further demonstrated by a predicated 3.5% rental growth for 2022 in London.**

Are you looking to maximise your returns as a landlord? Talk to us today.

*Letting Agent Today

**Estate Agent Today

Make the most of your garden all year round

As we are officially in winter, we typically spend less time in our outside spaces. But now more than ever, Brits are looking for new ways to make the most of their gardens all year round.

With these tips, you can make your garden look and feel more inviting for the colder months, whether you decide to brave the cold or not!

Keep those green fingers busy

You wouldn’t assume you can work on your gardening skills in December, but we have just the thing for our keen gardeners out there.

Are you looking to brighten up your drive or balcony? Why not plant the following shrubs to add a splash of colour:

- Holly: a Christmas favourite. Choose a female variety to get the bright red berry.

- TIP: why not try a self-fertile variety such as Ilex aquifolium ‘JC van Tol’ to guarantee you a crop.

- Spindle euonymus europaeus: plant these bright pink lantern-shaped flowers to liven up your doorway.

- Crab apple: varieties such as Malus x robusta Red Sentinel burst with gorgeous red fruits all the way through to January, so get planting.

Make it cosy!

Even if you have only a balcony or a small patio garden, you must still utilise it! If you have a larger garden, then focus on warming just a small, more intimate area rather than tackling the whole space.

To better that, add shelter to shield you from the cold nights and lights to enhance a cosy atmosphere by creating strong shadows, framing your designated winter garden beautifully.

Repurpose old cushions and throws

You don’t need to have designated furniture for outdoor use only. Grab some spare cushions, throws and blankets that you already own and repurpose them for the garden.

Don’t leave them outside, have a basket that you bring out with you when you do happen to sit outside.

Have you thought about a fire pit?

Having a fire pit will be sure to get everyone using your garden during winter. You can find a wide variety of firepits suitable for all garden sizes.

Firepits have many great benefits. They keep you warm and create opportunities for fun activities for your family like roasting marshmallows.

Entice the wildlife

Plants are great ways to add colour to your winter garden, but have you ever had a beautiful robin or a goldfinch spread their wings in your outside space?

Invest in a bird bath to entice birds in.

Birds need water for drinking and to clean their feathers, especially in the winter months when most water sources may be frozen over. Make sure the bath is no deeper than 5cm deep and add stones or gravel for some grip.

Adding bird feeds around your outside space will also bribe these beautiful birds around your home.

Are you looking for more outside space? Why not browse our properties today.

Market predictions for the new year

The trio of low mortgage rates, the stamp duty holiday and changes in buyers’ priorities have all contributed to the incredible demand within the housing market in 2021. That is why we’ve managed to see an incredible leap of 30% in buyer interest across the five-year average.*

As the new year draws closer, we explore a few factors that are in store for the property market for 2022.

1. The return of first-time buyers

Whilst the demand is there, the range of buyers has changed.

At the start of the pandemic, most buyers were in the wealthier bracket of society and owned higher valued properties. Now that we’re seeing an improvement in mortgage affordability, the door has opened back up to first-time buyers!

If you’re a first-time buyer, we don’t expect the market to slow down anytime soon, so you’ll need to ensure you’re prepared to move quicker than normal when you find a property you like.

A good way to stay ahead of the game is by getting a mortgage in principle before you start house hunting.

Mortgage in principle (MIP) = this is a statement from a lender that they would lend you a certain amount and can assure a seller of your financial standing.

2. Race for space continues

Another domino effect from the pandemic is how homeowners began to prioritise space as one of their main needs in a property.

The combination of being cooped up inside, as well as businesses moving to remote working meant that people naturally discovered how much they valued space.

If you’re thinking of moving to find a property with more room, the time is now to get a move on with the process – especially with demand being high and surpassing supply.

Stay one step ahead of the game and book your up-to-date property valuation with us this month.

One in five landlords are making EPC improvements

With new rules coming into force from 2025 for rental properties, landlords must make sure their property’s EPC rating is C or above, or risk not being able to take on new tenants.

As a result, around 17% of landlords have made a conscious effort to improve the energy efficiency of their property. With a further 23% of portfolio landlords also taking action to ensure their properties meet the criteria.*

Changes by landlords include: 22% that had replaced their boiler and heating system, 23% looked to replace windows and 18% had installed new white goods.

Common green home improvements also include improving insulation, fitting solar panels and replacing gas boilers with a more sustainable alternative.

With such changes being implemented to properties, many tenants have stated they would pay more if this was the case for their rental property.

One in 10 private renters have also said they would stay in their current property longer if their landlord made changes that would benefit the environment – a popular consideration now emerging in the lettings market.

However, the main concern is that for many older properties, updates like changing the boiler simply won’t be enough. As a result, more serious changes may need to be made, making the entire undertaking a costly job.

In some cases, landlords can look to gain support from both lenders and the government to make the changes financially feasible. The hope is that with landlords making the effort to better improve the EPC of their properties, more favourable terms on mortgages will become available to them.

This has caused several lenders to introduce ‘green’ mortgages, rewarding those landlords that have an EPC rating of ‘A’ or ‘B’.

Landlords already making changes have been welcomed by many in the industry, as a positive step towards making sure properties are compliant from 2025.

Are you a landlord and needing to make changes to your property ahead of 2025? Get in touch with us today to discuss your portfolio needs further.

*Shawbrook Bank

Your essential checklist as a landlord this winter

With the countdown to Christmas on, it’s essential that landlords prepare their properties for the colder months.

We’ve put together the following checklist so you can keep your property in the best condition for your tenants this winter, right through to spring.

Boiler

With boilers working extra hard over the winter months, it’s essential to make sure that they have been serviced ahead of time.

You may want to consider putting a service plan in place to minimise future breakdowns and disturbances.

Water pipes

Frozen water pipes are a common problem when the weather starts to turn colder.

Ensuring pipes have been properly lagged and insulated will prevent them from freezing or splitting – an expensive job to repair as a landlord.

Advising tenants to keep the heating on, even at a low temperature, may be worth considering to further prevent any problems with pipes.

Guttering

Whether your property is rented out or vacant this winter, clearing out your gutters is important to avoid potential leaks.

A build-up of leaves or debris in your gutters can stop rainwater or snow from draining away.

If not cleared away properly, this can cause several problems, including leaks, damp and cracked drainpipes.

Insulation

If the insulation in your property is properly checked, then it can go a long way to helping reduce your heating bills.

A better-insulated property will reduce the amount of heat lost and can therefore be a lot more attractive to tenants. Investing in your property’s insulation can also fetch you a higher rent too.

If you own older buildings or houses with a loft conversion, it’s important to make sure these are well insulated, it’s also worth noting that grants can be available to help improve insulation.

Windows and doors

Before the cold weather really sets in, you should take the time to inspect your seals on both windows and doors.

Draft excluders can often be a popular and cheap method to tackle drafts coming through doors.

As your leading local agent, we know how important it is to carry out a winter inspection on your properties to ensure the comfort of your tenants and avoid future repair costs.

For more information on any of the above or to talk with a member of our team, contact us.

Winter energy costs for homeowners and tenants

According to new data released by Uswitch, almost 60% of households have reported that they are concerned about how they will meet energy bills this winter.

It’s estimated that half a million more households will owe money to their providers compared to 2020.

With the continued rise of inflation across England causing the cost of essential goods to go up, such as food and energy, it is predicted that many will keep their heating off to keep bills down.

The concern is that many poorer households may find themselves not being able to meet payments and will turn to borrowing more or falling behind in an attempt to meet their essential needs.

Data from The Money Charity has revealed that households in the UK spend a total of £120 million a day on water, electricity and gas, with a rising proportion starting to experience arrears on their energy bills.

Consequently, charities such as StepChange Debt Charity have seen a 388% monthly increase on their gas and electricity arrears web page.

As UK households are now going into the coldest time of the year, further research has shown that £510 million will be owed in total to suppliers. This is an increase of £77 million since 2020, as many feel the pressure of the rising cost of energy.*

With recent budget announcements introducing measures to help those that need it, StepChange are still concerned that many lower income households will experience a lot of debt problems over the next few months.

Are you concerned about paying your energy bills this winter?

Charities like StepChange can provide extra guidance for those experiencing financial difficulties, as well as ways you can keep your home warm this winter.

There is also further support available through the winter fuel payment, cold weather payment and warm home discount; schemes that involve a contribution of between £100 to £300 from the government towards electricity and heating bills.**

Whether you’re a homeowner, landlord or tenant, we’d like to help you with your property needs this winter. Contact us for more information.

*Uswitch

**GOV.UK

Why January is a great time to sell

It’s a common misconception that market activity lulls in January, ready to resume in the spring. But with demand levels still on the rise, this couldn’t be more wrong for 2022 predictions.

Many see the new year as a chance for a fresh start, and that can mean homeowners are on the hunt to physically change or improve their surroundings.

The number of people window-shopping on Rightmove on Boxing Day last year was 50% higher than the year before.*

To help you decide whether to take action, here are some of the top reasons why you couldn’t pick a better month than January to sell.

People are on the move

Statistics indicate that January is the busiest time of the year for employee redistribution or staff members moving around.

With many of us spending Christmas at home, it can also be the final push needed for first-time buyers looking to move out or a household to decide they need somewhere with more space for the year ahead.

There is less competition

After the holiday season has come to an end, conditions are optimal for serious sellers, as many homeowners tend to take their time listing their property.

This means that if you work with an agent over the next month, you could get ahead of the competition and really stand out on the market.

Show off your home

Intelligent buyers house hunt in winter, as properties tend to look their worst in these months.

So, if your home looks spectacular and is well presented by your agent, then it will impress viewers as they will assume your property looks even better in the summer! This mentality will draw in potential buyers.

Placing your home on the market in January shows confidence in your home – a fantastic starting point in convincing people to buy the property.

If you are looking to take advantage of the lucrative new year market, please book your valuation today.

*Rightmove

The key home trends across 2021 and 2022

With 2022 on the horizon, you might already be thinking ahead to next year, whether that’s re-decorating a room, renovating a property or simply wanting to add some finishing touches to a space in your home.

In order to plan ahead, we’ve put together some of the key interior home trends that have emerged out of 2021 and what we think you’ll begin to see in the following few months.

Top trends of 2021

Looking back over this year, we saw many choose to add eye-catching furniture and bold murals, as well as snippets of more traditional materials like gingham and linen.

Going bold

With countless lockdowns, many of us were bored of being boring and wanted to bring the brightness inside.

Bold colours, feature walls, textured walls and neon lightings were all popular choices, adding a pop of colour to bring our homes to life.

Panelling

One of the biggest trends to make its way through 2021 was adding panelling walls, giving a more traditional charm to rooms.

Using architectural panels helps featureless walls stand out from the rest in a subtle yet stylish way.

Bringing the outside in

We filled our homes with plants and gave our furniture a natural makeover.

In came more natural materials, including bamboo, wicker, rattan and cane, with many favouring bringing outside elements into their homes.

Emerging trends for 2022

With sustainability a high focus at the end of 2021, it’s no doubt that this will run into 2022 and is reflected in our behaviour and elements when looking to decorate our homes.

Italian icons

Marble and granite were the standout surfaces of choice for 2021, but moving into 2022, terrazzo has seen a surge in demand, predicted to be hot next year.

Black accents

A great way of adding edge and depth to minimal spaces is black accents and hardware.

Choosing light and neutral colours for the main elements of your space and then adding black to certain features such as lamps, handles, radiators and tables is a great way of adding contrast to space.

More vintage than ever

With many shifting their focus to the environment, vintage finds are a greener choice.

Not only is shopping vintage a more efficient and sustainable option, but they can add personality to your home too.

Looking to make a change next year?

There’s no doubt that all the trends we’ve seen over the past year and those to come are great ways of bringing spaces to life, but it’s clear that the environment and sustainability will play a huge part in people’s decisions and choices in 2022.

Have you been thinking about moving house? Contact us to get started.

Surge in parents acquiring buy-to-lets for students

Going to university is a big step and the hardest part can be finding the right accommodation. It was very popular at one time for parents to buy property for their children to use whilst studying away from home.

Over time, this became less common as more student accommodation blocks were built and heavy-duty buy-to-let regulations and reductions in tax breaks came into play.

What’s interesting is that we are now seeing a resurgence, with 66% of parents thinking of purchasing a buy-to-let property to help their children financially.*

Is it reliable to purchase a buy-to-let right now?

Yes! Whilst there are changes to the stamp duty tax, it’s an effective way of pulling through some extra income throughout the year.

Rent collection is an example of the short-term benefit, but the long-term benefit is the potential to gain further profit from your investment over time.

However, not all households have the disposable income to acquire a new property, which is why 53% of the 2,000 homeowners who took place in the survey said they’d consider downsizing to help their children at university.

What sort of property should I choose?

It’s entirely dependent on your financial situation, as well as what you think will pay off in the long run.

Location is also paramount. Choosing somewhere that’s near the campus as well as local amenities such as shops and bars will mean that your child’s quality of life won’t suffer.

When it comes to buy-to-let properties, there are some rules and restrictions to keep a close eye on.

If you’re reading this and thinking of going down this route, please get in contact with our team so we can make sure you’re fully informed before making any decisions.

*Letting Agent Today

Property prices likely to continue rising

After the rollercoster year of 2020, 2021 was a difficult year to predict in the housing sector. With a return of stability to the market, we can look at the forecast for the new year.

More than 22% of homeowners plan to move in the next 18 months, due to direct results of the pandemic. In a recent survey, it has been revealed that those most likely to move were younger people who live in cities, suburbs or large towns, and those who have had working patterns shift from COVID-19.*

According to Zoopla, the main drivers for the sector will be “an ongoing re-evaluation of housing needs, increased housing equity and moves in parts of the labour force to more hybrid working.”

The portal forecast a 3% increase in house prices across the UK in the next 12 months, which is predicted to affect around 1.2 million property transactions.

With the expected house price gains, it is likely that we are going to see more sellers coming to market in the coming months, but a continued low supply will support price inflation.

Housing remains affordable in many markets and competition with mortgage lenders will keep rates low, leading to a sturdy appetite in the sector for 2022.

There will always be waves of demand across the country, with the biggest price increase expected to continue in the North West’s flourishing market at +4%.

Zoopla has also suggested that because mortgage rates are at a record low of 0.1%, buyers are becoming accustomed to these low rates. It has been predicted that rates will reach an average of 3% by the end of 2022, giving buyers a push to act sooner rather than later to secure cheaper borrowing conditions.

If you are looking to take advantage of current property conditions, book your valuation now and put yourself in a good position for 2022.

*Zoopla