Chancellor stamps on duty
It was perhaps the property market’s worst-kept secret but the Chancellor’s Emergency Budget granted many home buyers in England and Northern Ireland a nine-month stamp duty holiday. Rishi Sunak faced no easy task in the current climate. A disgruntled public is
Back to work for estate agents – but what does that mean?
Although, naturally, we’re delighted to be back in business, the Government’s decision to lift lockdown restrictions on estate agents hasn’t been welcomed by everyone. It’s understandable really. Let’s face it, there are so many people still confined to quarters or having
Why we’d urge vendors to Keep Calm and Carry On…
If you were thinking about selling your home this spring, few would probably question you if you decided to put those plans on hold right now. The coronavirus is having a major impact on how we live our daily lives and,
Balancing the Brexit boom
Well so much for Brexit sounding the death knell for the UK property market. If you’ve been keeping an eye on the media, you’ll have already read about Rightmove’s busiest ever month in January – and, so far, there’s been
Old or new – Which is the best when buying property?
One thing you won’t be short of when you announce you’re considering buying property is advice. Whether it’s directly from friends and family or indirectly from the internet, there’s so much information out there, sometimes it’s easy to feel a little
GET A MOVE ON, KIDS!
“But Mum … we don’t want to move!” It must be one of the sentences parents dread when it comes to moving to a new home but, if you’ve lived in the same house pretty much all your children’s lives then,
House blocking
If you’d worked hard all your life and earned the right to enjoy your retirement in a comfortable four-bedroom home with sprawling gardens, surely it would be pretty tough to have a couple of normally reputable organisations suddenly accuse you
Land of confusion
It’s pretty tough to gauge which way the property market is swinging, even for those who watch it avidly. A lot of estate agents will tell you how that’s why they’re worth the thousands of pounds they charge in fees -
Selling and the sexes
In the PC society we live in today, it’s not always wise to point out the differences between men and women. Nevertheless, it’s hard to deny that there are instances when they’re noticeable and we’ve found selling property is sometimes one
Buying or selling a room with a view
Everybody loves a good view - there’s no question about that - so it’s no wonder properties with beautiful ones are so sought-after. Unfortunately, that often means they come at a price, and some pretty hefty ones at that. For
What would make a Millennial’s ideal home? We asked one …
There’s been little good news for Millennials in the property market of late, with prices rising beyond most pockets while rents can now take up as much as two thirds of the income of most in their 20s. Although some
Understanding the full cost of moving house
There are many costs that come with moving house that people underestimate or forget to factor into their moving house budget, resulting in a surprise bill at the end. From saving for the house deposit to conveyancing and surveying fees,
Should I use an online estate agent?
We were encouraged to note some recent research has indicated that, these days, as many as 85% of people selling property would consider using an online estate agent. From our perspective, it’s certainly a step in the right direction as it
Do you have £5K to burn?
According to a recent article in the Daily Express week, people in the UK have paid a total of £17bn in unexpected fees when moving home over the last two years. Yes … That’s right. A massive £17 BILLION, which
Biggest turn offs for buyers
When buying a home, it's really important to find the one that you dream about. Unfortunately, when you do go and visit homes, the reality quickly sets in, as there aren't that many properties that suit your dreams. Some of
The best place to market your home
Of course you will have heard of Rightmove and Zoopla. The more learned in property may also be aware of Prime Location or even On The Market. But, there is also a community of international portals you probably haven’t heard
Busting a few property myths
We’ll hold our hands up to a bit of a rant a week ago in the wake of comments made by the Governor of the Bank of England which were interpreted to mean that a no-deal Brexit could spell a
The up-front costs of buying a house
If you’re an avid reader of the property press, you may have noticed there’s quite a bit going on at the moment. Average selling prices are still edging up – although not as fast as they were. Thankfully for some –
Our survey said…
Although we might quite like them to – particularly if the results are in our favour – the findings of a single survey cannot always be seen as confirmation of fact. The results of some recent research by a firm of
What makes a gadget geek’s ideal home?
Home technology can be a Marmite thing. You will find houses with quite a few gadgets or the complete opposite where pretty much everything is operated by hand. For some folk it’s just something else which can go wrong and cost