Category: Blog Archives

Flying Homes – 6 amazing tips to sell your home in Autumn

Early autumn is widely regarded as one of the best times of year to sell your house. With summer over and kids back at school and holidays a distant memory, this is a time when home buying once again becomes a priority for many people. Christmas is still several weeks away, and people are more likely to find the time and money required for buying a house.

If you’re planning on selling your home during the autumn months there are a few steps you can take to ‘stage’ your property for the market.

1. Tend to Your Garden

Autumn is a time of real change. The temperatures can fall rapidly as winter approaches, and the trees start to lose their leaves. To ensure your garden always looks it’s very best, ensure you are raking up dead leaves on a regular basis. Your lawn and the weeds in your garden will continue to grow until the latter stages of the autumn, so it’s important to keep on top of the situation. Take the time to ensure that any dead flowers and plants removed and that any trees and hedges trimmed – particularly if they are blocking the flow of light into your home.

2. Create ‘Kerb Appeal’

Despite the changing weather and the falling temperatures, you can still take steps to ensure that your home looks fantastic during the autumn months. Planting some chrysanthemums will add a splash of colour, and marigolds also thrive at this time of year. The autumn is usually a good time to attend to any repairs, so remember to check your roof, brickwork, windows and guttering for damage. There will probably be hundreds of similar properties for sale in your area, so spend a little time ensuring yours looks fantastic from outside.

3. Maintain a Comfortable Temperature

Autumn in the UK is notoriously changeable, and temperatures can fluctuate significantly from day to day. Before the worst of the weather arrives, ensure that your heating system has received its annual servicing. Try to maintain a constant temperature of 20C in your home, and pay particular attention to this on days when you’re hosting viewings. Prospective property buyers will be acutely aware of a home that is sweltering or cold.

4. Take Some Eye-Catching Photos

The colours of autumn are often spectacular particularly if trees surround your house. Take some photos of your property with the oranges and browns of autumn as the backdrop. Estate agents will usually take care of this, but you may need to give them a little nudge.

5. Light Up Your Home

The days get shorter very quickly during the autumn, so it’s important to make the best use of light wherever you can. When the sun lowers in the sky, wider shadows cast and they can leave the rooms in your home looking dull, and in some cases, smaller. Ensure all your curtains and blinds are opened completely to make the best use of natural light and give all your windows a thorough clean. You should also utilise all the lights in your home to create bright and vibrant living areas. If necessary, you should consider the addition of some extra lamps and spotlights to brighten up shadier areas of your property. Selling houses requires careful staging, so make sure your entire property is bright and welcoming throughout.

6. Add Some Autumnal Tones

It’s always a good idea to add colours to your home that are appropriate to the season. Autumnal colours include deep reds, browns and oranges, so introduce them either through a little redecoration or the addition of some soft furnishings and fixtures. You could also create an autumnal centrepiece for your mantel or table with orange and red candles, pine cones and nuts.

Autumn is an excellent time of year for home sellers to market their property. However, if you need to sell your house in the autumn, staging it in a way that complements the season could deliver a quicker sale at a higher price. For tips on selling during the seasons of Spring, Summer & Winter, click here.

How the Brexit effect is impacting on the UK property market

The Brexit effect has the potential to create opportunities for small businesses, but can the same be said for the UK property market? Ramifications have been visible across the sector since the referendum in 2016, and the short-to-mid-term forecasts appear to be on the bleak side.

While the UK property market, both domestic and commercial, experienced a dip after the Brexit vote, those in the industry remained hopeful as they quickly showed signs of recovery. Brexit is looming closer, and fears are resurfacing over its impact on the UK property market. Unsurprisingly, this concern is affecting buyers as many are considering delaying buying a home until after Brexit, while hesitation is also starting to become apparent amongst investors.

So, what does this mean for the UK property market? Even if there is a successful and favourable Brexit, many are asking how Britain’s property market will fare and which areas of the country are expected to see the biggest knock on effects.

Growth will fall over the next four years

According to Business Insider, during the last five years, the UK has seen a property price increase of 28% – a positive figure after the financial crash of 2008. While it’s expected that house prices throughout the country will continue to grow, the current rate is set to drop dramatically.

Predicted to plummet by 50%, experts are forecasting a 14.2% increase over the four years between 2018 and 2022. It’s believed that Brexit – combined with a rise in interest rates and mortgage restrictions – will be the biggest culprit of this stunted growth.

Perhaps, as expected, the market is predicted to experience the slowest level of growth in 2019 coinciding with concerns surrounding the economy and the impact this may have on household finances as Britain exits the EU.

The impact here could be two-fold. In the first instance, investors may begin to turn to more stable property markets overseas. In the second, a recent survey from the Telegraph highlighted that Brexit could also pose problems for businesses within the property industry due to low buyer confidence, potentially stalling buyers and challenging times ahead for estate agents.

The imminent London property crisis

London’s property market has long operated independent from the rest of the country, with prices and demand continuing to soar – this despite the fluctuations that have occurred across the rest of the UK. However, with Brexit months away, it appears that the London property bubble has burst, with property prices in the capital now falling at the fastest rate in the country.

In May of this year, the governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, revealed the UK’s current property crisis. As reported in the Evening Standard, since the referendum announcement in 2016, the average property price has fallen by £900. However, property value has decreased at a much faster rate in London, at around £3,500 (or 0.7%).

Looking at individual boroughs, the wealthiest areas experienced the biggest drops in value, with the City of London coming out at a colossal 13.1%. But what does this mean for the London property market and the sector as a whole?

As reported in The Guardian, these decreases in value have subsequently lead to a slower market and resulted in lower asking prices across the capital. This means that many luxury properties are now being listed with huge discounts – up to 20% in some cases.

Again, the most affluent boroughs have taken the brunt, with decreases of more than 10%. As of January this year, Victoria and St James’s had seen the largest reductions, with an average of 14.1%, followed by 12.1% in Knightsbridge. Unfortunately for property owners and investors, the uncertainty surrounding Brexit means these price drops appear set to continue.

The Brexit effect – potential for an investors market?

While the London property market had experienced slower growth in recent years – which may have contributed to the increase in stamp duty in 2015 that could have deterred investors overseas – Brexit is expected to continue to reduce both prices and demand.

Despite this uncertainty surrounding Brexit, with reduced growth and lower prices, we could experience a buyers’ market. Whether for first time buyers or for those interested in investing in property, it could prove to be a good time to buy. Knowing accurate valuations in today’s fast-moving market is easy thanks to real estate agents such as GVA Worldwide, whose expertise includes corporate acquisition and strategic review.

Elsewhere outside of London, the property market is precited to remain buoyant. As discussed, growth will in all likelihood, decline, but experts expect this to increase after 2020 when the Brexit effect has settled and the property market recovered.

Where can I find a list of charming towns which are also some of the cheapest places to live in the UK?

We look at 10 charming but affordable towns in the UK. While house prices may not be rising quite as quickly as they were a few years ago, the average property value in the UK is still more than £226,000 according to the Land Registry. In April 2018, UK house prices were 1.2% higher than they were the previous month and 3.9% higher than at the same time the previous year.

According to the Office for National Statistics, the average wage in the UK is only around £27,000. It is clear that most people earning the average salary can’t afford the average price for properties. Banks are typically lending between three and five times a mortgage applicant’s annual salary, while at least double that rate is required.

As a result of this phenomenon, a lot of homebuyers are moving farther and farther afield. In fact, some people are leaving their region of origin entirely in search of affordable towns.

Thankfully, however, the property price boom in the UK hasn’t affected all areas equally. Some charming residential neighbourhoods, villages and towns boast surprisingly low house prices — here are 10 of the more interesting.

1. Bideford

According to Choose.co.uk, Bideford’s averaged house price was just £206,000 in June 2016 —a full £9,000 lower than the national average. Located along the River Torridge’s estuary in Devon, the quaint port town enjoys a relatively high standard of living. Indeed, the Office for National Statistics rates Bideford at 7.93 out of 10 for “life satisfaction”.

This small town has mostly been untouched by modern developments and retail zones. It’s 15 minutes from the nearest mainline railway station, but this only adds to its charm. There’s a local charm here that has mostly remained unspoilt since the turn of the century. Bideford is home to beautiful coastlines, fishing communities, traditional local pubs and a warm community spirit.

It’s true to say that Bideford lacks some of the modern amenities and transport links that young professionals want. But if you’re after the quiet life — away from the rat race — this is a great place to live. And the area is perfect for raising a young family too. All of the schools receive “Good” or “Outstanding” ratings from OFSTED, and there are plenty of large terraced homes in the town, most of which have extensive gardens.

2. Pendle

Pendle is a borough located in Lancashire which is close to North Yorkshire, the Manchester conurbation, the West Yorkshire conurbation and the Lake District. Vast swathes of the countryside are always just a 10-minute car journey away, yet Pendle residents still enjoy all the trappings of modern life.

Zoopla data shows the average house price in Pendle a little over £92,000. The district of Colne is located in Pendle, and it’s possible to buy a three-bedroom home here for less than £100,000.

3. Melton Mowbray

If you’re looking for a high standard of living on a tight budget, it might be worth your while moving to Melton Mowbray. Its stunning architecture and historical landmarks characterise this idyllic market town. Located in Leicestershire, Melton Mowbray scores an 8.05 out of 10 on the ONS’ life satisfaction scale.

This part of the world is subject to very tight planning restrictions to maintain its unique aesthetic. Nevertheless, the average price of a home in Melton Mowbray is just £210,000, which is a full £9,000 less than the national average.

Melton Mowbray is home to a range of quintessentially British foods, including Stilton cheese and pork pies and is also a great place to run a tourist-based business. Other tourist attractions include the Regal theatre and the Stapleford Miniature Railway.

4. Lytham St Annes, near Blackpool (one of the cheapest places to live in the UK).

If you’re looking for a bustling affordable town at the seaside without all of the attractions and crowds major resorts attract, Lytham St Annes could be the place for you. Located on the Fylde coast of Lancashire just a few miles south of Blackpool, Lytham enjoys stunning coastal stretches and a much more laid-back seaside atmosphere. The town is also home to the Royal Lytham and St Annes Golf Club, which regularly hosts The Open Championship.

Scoring an impressive 8.03 out of 10 on the ONS’s life satisfaction scale, Lytham St Annes has a reputation for providing quality homes at affordable prices; and is a great place to raise a family, as the air pollution is low. There are lots of open spaces in the area, and there are several schools with an “Outstanding” OFSTED rating.

As of December 2016, the house price averages in this quaint Lancashire town were just £185,000 — around £30,000 less than the national average.

5. County Durham

When it comes to having everything on your doorstep, County Durham takes some beating. Not only do you have the North Yorkshire Moors and the Northumberland National Park just around the corner, but the cities of Sunderland, Durham and Newcastle are also within an hour’s drive. Durham is also fortunate to have some of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in the British Isles.

With so many options for leisure, sightseeing and business, you might think that house prices in County Durham are high. However, according to Zoopla, the average property value in the county is just under £92,000. But act quickly to take advantage of these prices. Between 2015 and 2016, house prices rose by more than 5% — and they’re still rising fast. Get an overview of the housing market in the North East here.

6. Beeston

Beeston is a picturesque and reasonably affluent town in Nottinghamshire, and it’s currently home to the headquarters of Boots the chemist and the main campus of the University of Nottingham.

The area is blessed with several leafy suburbs and a thriving town centre that hasn’t changed all that much in the last 50 years. And thanks to the presence of businesses such as Siemens, Atos and Changan, the local employment rate is significantly higher than the national average. Among the landmarks in Beeston are the Anglo Scotian Mills, Wollaton Park and St. John the Baptist Church.

Beeston is the perfect place for young families. Public transport links into Nottingham, Derby and the rest of the Midlands are excellent, while the region’s motorways are just a few minutes’ drive away.

The town boasts lots of green space, low crime rates, excellent public amenities and several schools with an “Outstanding” OFSTED score. And here’s the best bit: the average price for houses in Beeston is less than £170,000 — around £50,000 less than the national average property value.

7. Belper

Belper is a local government district located in Amber Valley, Derbyshire. Just a few miles from Derby, the area is home to the villages of Milford, Bargate, Blackbrook and Makeney. The urban centres of the Midlands are just a short car journey away, but so are swathes of stunning countryside.

Belper recently scored 8.13 on the ONS’ life satisfaction scale, and nearly 8 for happiness. Once an industrial town, Belper is now a mostly residential area that is home to Georgian and Victorian architecture, an unusually busy high street and part of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.

The popularity of Belper has a commuter town in this part of England has proliferated in recent years. But despite an influx of new residents, the average home price in the town as of December 2016 was still less than £160,000.

8. Sleaford

[Photo: By Bedoyere at English Wikipedia [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons]

Sleaford is a picturesque market town in Lincolnshire that dates back to Roman rule. Just 11 miles from Grantham and 16 miles from Boston, the town benefits from an excellent location, equidistant from the economic heartlands of the Midlands, the South East and the North West. Sleaford also benefits from reasonably good transport links, including the A17 and the A15.

This idyllic town has a population of around 20,000, yet it possesses a village-like feel that is welcoming. Thanks to a selection of good schools, lots of open space and some magnificent architecture, Sleaford and the surrounding area boasts a stunning 8.31 life satisfaction score with the Office for National Statistics.

Sleaford isn’t close to a major city, however. While this works against the town concerning employment, it’s as a significant advantage among retirees. But if you do want to raise a family in Sleaford, you won’t have to worry too much about keeping your loved ones safe. The wider district of North Kesteven had the lowest crime rate in the UK during 2014.

Sleaford is home to quaint cottages, modest terraced dwellings and lavish detached properties. Planning restrictions are tight, so the majority of the available homes in the area are period properties. But despite all of this, it’s still one of the cheaper place to live in the UK, the average price for homes in Sleaford as of December 2016 was less than £185,000.

9. Newark-on-Trent

If you want to live your life surrounded by historic buildings, castles and beautiful swathes of countryside, Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire is ideal. Located on the River Trent, this peaceful settlement on the banks of the River Trent is home to the ruinous Newark Castle, a bustling Marketplace, a lavish, Georgian Town Hall and the famous Newark County Showground.

Scoring an impressive 8.11 out of 10 on the ONS’s life satisfaction scale, this sleepy town is characterised by green space, Georgian architecture and centuries of history. The way of life here is laid-back and comfortable, but the bright lights of Nottingham are just a short car journey away. Newark is located right on the A1, so London can be reached by car within three hours.

Thanks to an excellent network of schools, a booming tourism trade and some stunning family homes, this part of the world is in high demand. Nevertheless, the average property value is a mere £170,000 — £50,000 less than the UK average.

10. Pershore

Setting foot in the town of Pershore in Worcestershire is like taking a giant leap back in time. This idyllic rural settlement is well known for its beautiful Georgian architecture and its archaeological significance. Indeed, the Council for British Architecture recently listed Pershore as one of 51 British “Gem Towns”.

Pershore delivers a village-like ambience that is well suited to young families and retirees alike. However, it still boasts a wealth of shopping, dining and leisure outlets. Perhaps this is why the local population has grown significantly during the last decade. Nevertheless, the average property price in this charming English town is still a modest £250,000.

There are many more beautiful areas of the British Isles where idyllic living is eminently affordable. If you’re flexible about where you live and prepared to move away from the UK’s biggest cities, you can make your house buying budget stretch to the way of life you’ve always dreamed by choosing one of the cheapest places to live in the UK.

Should First Time Buyers Purchase New Build Homes?

New build homes, should 1st-time buyers consider buying them? When buying your first home, there are hundreds of decisions to make – location, style, budget, décor, financing – the list goes on and on!

One thing you may not have considered is whether or not buying a new build home is a good idea for a first-time buyer? New builds are typically less popular amongst first time buyers, but could you be missing out on a potentially life-changing purchase?

Here’s an argument in support of first-time buyers buying a new build home

As a first time buyer, you are probably (not always, but mostly) working with a smaller budget than someone who has been on the market for a long time, building up capital as they go.

With a small budget, you have to be creative when it comes to making that stretch that bit further. Here are some reasons why, as a first-time buyer, you should be considering a new build home.

There’s No Old Work to Undo

When buying an older house, you’re likely to have to set aside some time and money to undo old work that doesn’t suit your taste. Whether that’s as simple as re-painting or stripping old wallpaper or as drastic as structural repair, it all costs time, effort and money than you may not have.

With a new build, there is none of that – you have a blank canvas to start from, saving you a lot of time, effort and money! Working with the developer on colour schemes, the finishing and the fixtures can save you a small fortune in the long run.

Developers Will do Deals!

A house purchase is like any other purchase – there are deals available. Look around at similar older properties and get an estimate as to property values and what you should be paying before negotiating with a developer, find out more on house values here.  If you are interested in a property, a developer may be willing to listen to offers. They want to sell houses as much as you want to buy them. A willing buyer and a motivated seller are a match made in heaven when it comes to negotiating deals!

Speak to a new homes developer like Anwyl Homes and see what kind of offers there are if you buy off-plan or get in early. These are offers that don’t exist with other types of property, so take advantage!

You Can Personalise Your Property

When you commit to a purchase, many developers will give you a choice of the fixtures and fittings you can have on your house.

If you are a first-time buyer with a limited budget, this can prove utterly invaluable as it saves time, effort & money that would be used replacing fixtures and fittings that you don’t like.

Speak to developers and see what options you have once you’ve committed to the purchase of a house from them. You may be amazed at how much say you can have over the property before it’s even finished!

Financial Deals Count Towards New Builds

As a 1st time buyer, you might be aware of government savings help such as the Help to Buy ISA or the Lifetime ISA. You should be using them to save if you aren’t already!

The good news is that the government help applies to buying new-build homes too, meaning that they are open as an option for you to buy. Historically new build properties didn’t always benefit from the best deals or help schemes, but they do now, opening them up as an option for you.

Should First Time Buyers Be Buying New Build Homes? Conclusion

With money saving benefits, time-saving benefits and an ability to personalise a house without undoing other people’s work first, there isn’t a reason why a first-time buyer shouldn’t be at least considering a new build home.

Typically new build homes aren’t seen an option for many first time buyers, but they may be the perfect option to make your budget stretch further than it would with an older property. With the money saved on decoration, structural change and even potentially on the purchase price, you can squeeze more value out of every single penny!

With Help to Buy ISA’s and the Lifetime ISA’s utilised on new build properties, there’s no financial penalty towards the purchase of a new build.

The decisions you make when buying a home can affect yours and your family’s financial future, so making a carefully considered house purchase can dramatically improve your future wealth! Making money go further is never a bad thing when it comes to property!