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How to Improve Your Home Entrance to Make a Killer First Impression
When it comes to selling your home, first impressions count. Research tells us that the top three things people first notice about your home are the front door, garden and hallway. That’s why making your home’s entrance look welcoming couldn’t be more important!
If you want to make your home entrance stand out to your buyers (in a good way!), here are five tips on how to improve the front garden to make a great first impression.
- Prune
Keeping your front garden well-manicured is an easy way to impress buyers from the get-go. Keep bushes neatly trimmed and make sure any patches of grass are regularly mowed. If you have a driveway or patio area, keep it weed-free.
- Paint the Front Door
Did you know that the colour of your front door can impact the price of your home? According to research, your home could sell for around £4,000 more just because of your front door colour. A blue front door is one of the best colours, with white, red and black also being highly desirable. If you want to make a great first impression, consider changing the colour of your front door with a quick lick of paint.
- Hide Bins
While having your bins in the front garden is highly practical on rubbish collection day, they can be the first thing a buyer notices. Don’t let that happen! Instead, hide your bins away in the back garden or an unnoticeable spot around the side of your house just before your viewings. You can always put them back afterwards.
- Clear Windows
Clear windows are known for boosting the amount of natural light in your home. But they can improve your curb appeal too! A cluttered window could be one of the first things a buyer notices about your property from the outside. Avoid this by keeping your window ledges partially empty. Having just a vase of flowers or a small pot plant are great choices to keep things looking sleek.
- Hide Shoes, Bags & Coats
Hallways can easily become full of clutter during daily life. When you get home from work, it’s not uncommon to kick off your shoes, chuck your bag on the stairs and drape your coat on a hook. While this is convenient when living in your home, many buyers like to view a property that has a minimalist vibe. If you want to make your hallway look brighter, bigger and more welcoming, hide your shoes, bags and coats in a cupboard before your viewings.
Are You Ready to Sell?
Making a good first impression is so important when you’re selling your home. If you’re looking to sell your property in the area, our friendly team at WPR would love to talk!
Give us a call today or visit our website at www.wpr.co.uk to learn more about our services.
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How to Decorate a Kids Bedroom On a Budget
When it comes to decorating a kid’s bedroom, the cost of new (and fun-looking) furniture and wall art can often become very expensive.
Luckily, there are cheaper ways to spruce up a child’s bedroom to make it look playful – some of which you can simply do yourself or even as a fun activity with the kids!
In this article, we’ll share our top tips on how to decorate a kid’s bedroom on a budget.
- Upcycle Furniture
Buying new furniture can be expensive. But there’s no need to invest in new stuff to make chests of drawers and side tables look more kid-friendly! Upcycling furniture is a trend that’s great for the bank account and the environment. Instead of buying something new, simply paint your old furniture (or pick up something second hand) in a fun colour. It can be as simple as just painting one or two draws in a chest a different colour.
- Frame Their Artwork
If your children are always doodling and sketching, a great way of showcasing their works of art (and decorating their bedrooms) is to frame a few pieces and hanging them up on the walls in a methodical pattern. If you don’t want to use hammers and nails, you can fix their drawings to the walls using coloured washi tape instead of an actual frame. It’ll look fab and fun!
- Paint Wall Effects
Wallpaper is relatively cheap to buy. But paying someone to hang it (or buying the necessary products to do it yourself) can make it somewhat expensive. Instead, many people decorate a feature wall in a kid’s bedroom by using painters’ tape (to separate the wall into a criss-cross pattern) and then using different colours to paint the shapes. With a good colour scheme, it’ll look fun for the kids and nice for visitors!
- Add Wall Stickers
Adding wall stickers is another great way of decorating a kid’s bedroom on a budget. Since these can often be cheaper than buying – and hanging – wallpaper, it’s a popular choice for many parents wanting to make a kids’ bedroom appear friendlier. Stickers like rainbows, clouds, suns or quotes work well with any colour scheme.
- Create Visually Appealing Storage Areas
Adding storage facilities to a kid’s bedroom doesn’t have to involve buying expensive cupboards. Instead, you can get creative and make your own DIY storage solution! Try adding wall hooks or a coat rack under a window or along the lower part of an empty wall. Then use baskets, canvas bags or fancy-dress outfits to make it a decorative area in the room.
Get Expert Property Advice
At WPR, we are your local property experts. If you’re thinking about selling your home and want to know what buyers look for in a kid’s bedroom, our friendly team are happy to help.
Give us a call today or send us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to start the conversation.
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Jubilee Bake Off Competition
Warren Powell-Richards Estate Agents are hosting a Jubilee Bake Off Competition, the prize is a voucher for Afternoon tea for four people at @frenshampondhotel
To enter, simply post a picture of your Jubilee cake creation or a photograph of your Jubilee celebration party tagging Warren Powell-Richards.
Please ask your friends and family to like your photo entry and you will be automatically entered into our competition. The Partners at WPR will choose the best photograph celebrating the Queens Jubilee. Happy baking!
Rules of entry -
- To be entered please like and share the post, tag your entry @wprestateagents on Facebook or @warren_powell_richards on Instagram
- Entries will be accepted on either Facebook or Instagram
- Winners will receive a voucher for Afternoon at Frensham Ponds Hotel, no cash alternatives can be offered
- You can enter more than once
- Closing date for entries is Monday 6th June
- Winners will be notified by Wednesday 8th June
#wpr #warrenpowellrichards #queensjubilee #70th #alton #farnham #fleet #grayshott #godalming #haslemere #surrey #hampshire #competition #bakeoff #prize #photograph #cakes #celebration #afternoontea #frenshamponds #party
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What Happens After Your Offer Has Been Accepted? 5 Immediate Things You Need to Do
So, you’ve found the home of your dreams and your offer has just been accepted. Congratulations! Your journey to owning your new home has officially begun.
If you’re wondering what happens next, here are five immediate things you need to do after your offer has been accepted to get things moving.
- Provide Confirmation
Once your offer has been accepted, your estate agent will likely give you a congratulatory call. But this won’t just be a courtesy. They’ll also request confirmation of a few things so they can finalise the offer.
You’ll usually need to provide confirmation of things like:
You have the funds available to make the purchase
Your mortgage in principle
You have a solicitor – or you’re working to get one now
- Remove Competition
Normally, estate agents will cancel viewings and take the property off the market as soon as your offer has been accepted. However, you’ll want to make sure this is definitely the case.
Remove the competition immediately and ask your estate agent to cancel any scheduled viewings and to take the property off the market. If the listing isn’t taken down, you could be at risk of getting outbid or even gazumped.
- Instruct Your Solicitor
There’s no better time to get the ball rolling than after your offer has been accepted. For a quicker sale, you’ll want to instruct your solicitor as soon as possible. If you haven’t already found a solicitor, ask your estate agent for a recommendation.
At this stage, your solicitor will start completing the checks and searches on the property. Depending on the solicitor, they may also ask you to pay up-front for some of their services.
- Complete Your Mortgage Application
Since the mortgage in principle was a principle agreement, you’ll need to complete a full application for the money now that your offer has been accepted. You’ll need to apply for the exact amount you need to borrow for the property in question.
If you have a mortgage advisor, they’ll guide you through this process and let you know what information you need to supply.
- Arrange a Survey
While surveys aren’t compulsory when you buy a new home, they’re a good idea. During a survey, a professional surveyor will inspect the property and cast an eagle eye over the place. Surveys can help you understand any current or future issues you may have with the property.
To arrange the survey, you’ll need to speak with your estate agent about booking time with the sellers.
Still looking for a Home?
If you’re still looking for your new home, WPR could have what you’re looking for! Check out our listings or let us know what type of property you’re interested in so we can help keep an eye out for you.
Give us a call today or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to speak to a member of our friendly team.
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What is Gazundering and How to Avoid It
As a seller in today’s world, there are lots of terms to get to grips with. Gazundering and gazumping are just two of the main ones – both of which can cause big problems.
While gazumping mostly affects buyers, gazundering is something that hurts the seller the most and can be extremely frustrating.
If you’re wondering what gazundering is, whether it’s illegal and how you can avoid it when selling your home, here’s everything you need to know about the subject.
What is Gazundering?
Gazundering is when a buyer lowers their offer at the last minute, usually just before you’re about to exchange contracts.
It’s completely different to gazumping, which is when a buyer is outbid at the final hour and a seller accepts. But it’s just as big of a problem. Gazundering can lead to delays in the chain, a loss of money and even a fall through in the sale.
Is Gazundering Illegal?
If the next question you’re asking yourself is ‘Is gazundering even legal?’, unfortunately, yes it’s legal in the UK. The contract for the sale only becomes binding at the point of exchange, so gazundering is allowed by law. But whether it’s ethical is a different matter!
Why Does Gazundering Happen?
There are many reasons why a buyer could offer a lower price at the last minute. It could be for genuine reasons, like the survey showing costly works or they’ve been gazundered themselves and can no longer afford your home.
But it could be for other, less favourable reasons too. Some people gazunder because of a miscalculation in finances, a change of heart, or simply to be sneaky to get a cheaper deal.
How to Avoid Gazundering
While there’s always a risk of gazundering when selling your home, there are some things you can do to avoid it. Here are Warren Powell-Richards’s top tips on how to avoid gazundering.
- Get a Realistic Valuation
One of the best ways to avoid gazundering is to make sure you get a realistic valuation in the first place. If you know about issues with your property, be upfront about them with your estate agent. And don’t worry about losing buyers – there’s a market for everything!
- Consider Paying For Survey Issues
Sometimes, you don’t know about issues with your home until the survey. If problems are uncovered, consider whether you’d be prepared to fund the works fully or partially, by doing it yourself or accepting a lower offer. Either of these things could help keep the buyer on your side.
- Choose a Good Estate Agent
Choosing a good estate agent is always important. But it could also be the best trick in the book to avoid being gazundered! While an estate agent can’t prevent gazundering entirely, they can help you find a good buyer. They’ll establish how serious a buyer is and won’t pressure anyone into a sale they’re not committed to.
If you’re selling your home, make sure you’ve got an expert on your side. Here at Warren Powell-Richards, our friendly team of agents are here to make the sale of your home go smoothly.
Give us a call or send us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for a chat with one of the team.
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