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Giving Your Garden A Makeover Can Create Additional Value To Your Home

Many sellers are surprised to discover that an attractive garden can add as much as 20% to the value of their home. In fact, at Warren Powell-Richards, we’ve found that giving your garden a makeover can add more value to your home compared to building a new extension, conservatory or replacing a kitchen – and at a far lower price.

Simply adding a new patio, some smart new fencing, or decking can make any home more desirable to prospective buyers. So, why is your garden so important when it comes to selling your home? Here are just a few of the reasons why you should focus your efforts on your outdoor spaces before listing your property for sale.

It Will Add Value

Did you know that there are eight features that can be added to your garden to add significant value to your property’s asking price? They are:

  • A high-quality patio or paved area
  • A medium or large shed
  • Secure gates, walls, and fences
  • Sufficient outdoor lighting
  • Water features such as ponds or fountains
  • Sturdy decking
  • Artificial grass
  • Well-designed and attractive garden furniture

Simply adding some or all of these features to your outdoor spaces can have a major positive impact on the desirability of your home without costing the earth.

It Will Show You Care About Your Property

Most sellers ensure that the inside of their property is clean and tidy before hosting a viewing, and it’s important to extend that attitude to your outdoor spaces too. If your home has a front garden or driveway, it will give any prospective buyer their first impression of your property, and kerb appeal is absolutely vital.

Unattractive hanging baskets full of dead plants, broken garden furniture, and an overgrown lawn will give viewers the impression that you don’t really care about your property and will make them think negatively about it before they even step through your front door. If they have done a ‘drive-by’ beforehand, it could even put them off viewing your home at all.

It Shows Character

No matter how much you spend on adding a new bathroom or kitchen to your home, at some future time, it will probably look outdated. Furthermore, similar kitchen and bathroom designs are found in lots of different houses, but your garden is an individual and creative space that gives you the opportunity to show your own unique flair.

If you want to show character in your property, your outdoor spaces are a great way to do this, although it’s wise to keep your garden refurbishments and renovations to a moderate level when planning a sale, since potential buyers always have a vision of their own for how they’d like the space to look after moving in.

If you’re ready to sell your home and need a reliable estate agent, our team at Warren Powell-Richards is at your disposal. Drop us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to get the ball rolling or pop in and see one of the team in our high street offices.

Due to prominent news coverage, many homeowners are looking for ways to reduce the impact their home has on the environment so that they can reduce their carbon footprint and also save some money on energy bills. With technology advancements being made year upon year, there are more ways now than ever to help accomplish this.  

If you’re interested in making your home more environmentally friendly and energy efficient, here are the five best ways to use clean energy. 

  1. Rooftop solar panels

Rooftop solar panels are one of the most effective ways to produce renewable energy for your home. Solar panels are one of the most popular ways, as the barrier to entry is low, and the results far outweigh the initial cost. The solar panels are usually installed on the roof of your home or in your garden if there is adequate space and sunlight. This is so the sun’s energy can be captured effectively. Once the rays are captured by the panels, the energy is converted into electricity, therefore reducing the burden your home puts on the electrical grid and lowering your energy bills. Depending on where you are in the UK, you could save around 1.3 to 1.6 tonnes of carbon per year with your typical home solar panel system. 

The initial cost for set-up is all you have to pay when it comes to the expenses for your solar panel system. Solar energy is free, so after it’s installed, you will enjoy a reduction in your energy bills and no other costs will be payable. Moreover, there are some times where your panels will end up generating more electricity than your home can use. In this case, the surplus energy gets exported to the grid for another home to use. You can then get paid for this surplus through an export payment via your energy company. 

  1. Wind turbines

Most people recognise wind turbines as a solution commonly built on large open spaces. But did you know that if your property has enough space, you can install your own small scale wind turbine to help generate electricity for your home too! 

Due to the very nature of wind turbines, there are considerations to remember such as the noise they may generate and any planning regulations that must be adhered to. However, if you do go forward with a wind turbine, you can enjoy many benefits. Wind power is more reliable than solar, and depending on the size of your turbine, you could generate a considerable amount, if not all of, your electricity needs for your home. 

  1. Solar water heating

Similar to solar panels on your roof, a solar powered water heater can heat your water in an environmentally friendly way. The suns rays are captured through the panels to heat a reserve of water which gets pumped through to your taps, showers, and radiators. This method of heating your water is considerably cheaper than using electricity or gas, so your monthly bill will be reduced. 

  1. Hydropower

This method may not work for everyone and is dependent on your location because you need a source of flowing water. If you do have a source of flowing water, you could consider hydropower by diverting a stream of water through a turbine. Depending on how strong the stream of water is, you could generate a lot of power for your home. 

In order to do this, you would need to invest in a hydropower generator and get a professional to install it for you, but once this is done, your flow of energy is continuous. Hydropower is more stable than solar or wind power because it isn’t dependent on the weather, so you’ll always get the same amount of energy from it. 

  1. Biomass energy

Biomass is a more recent innovation in environmentally friendly fuel. It’s made from organic waste like agricultural waste, wood pellets and scrap timber, animal waste and manure, and other general debris. It most commonly generates energy through combustion and can help you reduce your heating costs. Compared to fossil fuel use, biomass also lowers greenhouse gas emissions and helps maintain forests and crops.

Whilst you may not be able to power your entire home on renewable energy – unless of course you live in a tiny home – you can certainly make a positive environmental impact and noticeably reduce your monthly energy bills with these options.

If you are considering putting your house up for sale, but are not sure where to start, there are methods you can follow to help ensure it is fresh and market ready.

Not just for new build show homes, you should consider staging your home, or to put it another way, setting the scene to arouse immediate buyer interest in your property when it comes to market.

To be truly effective, you’ll need to look at staging both the inside and outside of your home, so here at Warren Powell-Richards we have put together our seven top tips to get you started and on the road to staging your home like a pro.

Declutter

This is one of the most necessary things you can do. You’re going to be moving home anyway and will have to pack, so it makes perfect sense and is a straight-forward job to declutter and start packing at the same time. Pack up everything you don’t need and store the boxes out of sight in the garage if you have one, or consider temporarily renting a small storage unit. Keeping the look minimal can help sell your home.

Organise

Whilst we don’t like to think of strangers opening our cupboards, the reality is that they probably will. If you have built-in wardrobes, hang similar colours and garments together because this will make the cupboards look bigger. An organized space always appears larger, and you want your cupboards to look as tidy and spacious as possible.

De-personalize

You should de-personalize your home as much as possible when preparing to put it on the market. This is so that potential buyers can imagine themselves and their own belongings occupying the space. This means minimizing and putting away everything you don’t need or currently use. Clear kitchen worktops as much as possible, stash away all those gadgets and appliances and put miscellaneous small clutter in a few attractive baskets or boxes out of sight.

Look from the Outside

Stand on the street outside your property to see the view your prospective buyers will get as they approach your property. Be aware of any negative impressions they may get such as overgrown borders, peeling paint, broken windows and so on. A poorly maintained exterior will make a prospective buyer think that the house has not been well taken care of. Even if you have spent the time and money to ensure the interior is amazing, it will all be wasted if the prospect gets a bad first impression as they approach your property.

What do you really see?

Step outside your front door and close it; then stand on your step and simply look around for a couple of minutes. This might appear to be a strange thing to do, but it is mimicking the likelihood of your estate agent fumbling around for keys before finally opening the door!

During this time, you will see exactly what your potential buyers will see. So, what is it? Cobwebs on the door frame? Dead plants? A broken lightbulb in the porch? A less than shiny letterbox? First impressions count, so it’s worth taking some time to clean up. If you want to go a step further, consider painting the front door or adding new accessories.

Don’t forget the back garden

A tidy and inviting back garden is just as important as your front garden, so don’t neglect it. Whilst it might not be part of the potential buyers first impression experience, you should make sure it is in the best condition possible. Pull up the weeds, water the plants, do some sweeping and maybe even purchase new furniture or accessories such as plant pots or bird houses. This all adds to the vision of ‘living the dream’ your potential buyer wants.

The biggest tip of all

Simply imagine yourself as a potential buyer looking at your property for the very first time. See it through their eyes and ask yourself:

  • What impression does the house give you?
  • How is its kerb appeal?
  • Would YOU buy your house?
  • What would you like to see that’s different before you put an offer on your house?

Finally, to stage a home will cost money but you’ll get that back, and often more, when your property sells. Proper staging will help you sell your house in a shorter time and importantly at the price you want.

For expert advice on showing your home to its full potential, contact the team at Warren Powell-Richards

 

The property buying process can be incredibly stressful!

When you’re buying your first property the decision can be a big one, and it may make you feel a sense of anxiety or stress. But if those feelings start controlling how well you handle your day-to-day life, then its important that you take steps towards managing them before they get out of control

Here are our seven tips for keeping your mental health in check during the property buying process:

  1. Keep a positive mindset

The property buying process can be a highly stressful time in your life, so it’s important to stay positive and upbeat throughout. If you find yourself getting stressed out or discouraged during the process, take a break and do something that makes you happy. It sounds easy enough, but sometimes we forget about ourselves in our drive to get things done!

  1. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

When you’re buying a property it is important to have an additional plan in place just in case things do not work out with your first choice of property. Having a backup plan means you won’t be left feeling heartbroken and disappointed if things don’t work out quite as planned with the original property you wanted to purchase.

  1. Ask for help when needed

Be honest with yourself and others involved in the home buying process – if you need help, don’t be afraid to ask for it! If you don’t understand something or are feeling overwhelmed, don’t be afraid to put your hand up and say so! This is one of the smartest things anyone can do during the buying process. Always remember that there is no shame in admitting when things get too much or asking for something to be explained more than once.

  1. Be prepared for the unexpected

The property buying process can be a rollercoaster ride! It’s full of ups and downs. You might find yourself getting excited one minute, then disappointed the next as the purchase of your dream house is just not what you expected it to be – but don’t panic, just take a deep breath and remember that this isn’t the end of the world either way!

  1. Celebrate your successes!

Buying a property is full of ups and downs, but it’s important to celebrate the little moments in between. This will help keep you motivated, because no matter how challenging things may seem now – there’s light at the end of this tunnel! Buying a property involves a series of steps, from making your offer to having that offer accepted, to receiving your mortgage offer, agreeing on a completion date and exchanging contracts. Celebrate each of these milestones and don’t be deterred if there are hiccups along the way – this is normal!

  1. Stay organised

Organisation is a key ingredient in reducing stress – stay on top of your game with this one! Make lists of everything that needs to be done, involving your estate agent and your conveyancer, and keep track of what has been completed and what still needs to be organised. It will help you feel more confident about the tasks at hand. When things are well planned out, it can help avoid things grinding to a standstill or requiring extra assistance from you when you’ve already got lots to think about!

  1. Take breaks when needed

Finally, when you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed, take a break! Go for a walk, watch a film, or simply take some time out for yourself. This will give your brain a chance to reset and calm down, which will make tackling the property buying process that much easier.

Take care of your mental health

The property buying process can be incredibly stressful, particularly for first-time buyers who may not be familiar with the process, so it’s important to reach out for help if you feel it’s all getting too much.

If you’re struggling with your mental health while buying a property, it’s important not to ignore those feelings. We will always do our best to help you through the process, and our advice here at Warren Powell-Richards would always be to seek professional help if you need it.

 

Many parents are keen to help their children get onto the property ladder, but if they don’t have a large lump sum available to hand over, they often believe that there’s nothing they can do to assist.

However, that isn’t actually the case. At Warren Powell-Richards, we often see clients who are searching for property solutions for their kids, and one of the options could be a family offset mortgage.

Family Offset Mortgages – What Are They?

A family offset mortgage is one of the types of offset mortgage on the market today. All kinds of offset mortgage work by offsetting savings against the home loan to reduce its total amount and, thus, reducing how much interest is paid overall.

There are three key points to note when it comes to family offset mortgages:

  • The total capital repayments stay the same, but the amount that interest is charged on, will reduce.
  • The linked accounts won’t earn interest.
  • A family offset mortgage may not have as competitive an interest rate as a standard mortgage.

Bearing these three points in mind, it’s important to work out the advantages and disadvantages before going for this option.

How Much Do I Need To Have In My Savings Account To Apply For A Family Offset Mortgage?

All lenders have their individual criteria when it comes to applying for a family offset mortgage, but in general, you’ll need around 10% of the property’s purchase price. With some lenders, the levels will be significantly higher. There may also be extra stipulations, for example, a minimum yearly income.

Can I Make A Family Offset Mortgage Application?

If you have sufficient savings, there are some other considerations to keep in mind when determining whether you can make a family offset mortgage application. Approval will depend on your credit history, your debt-to-income ratio, and even the type of property being purchased.

Does Every Lender Offer Family Offset Mortgages?

There are some lenders who offer this type of offset mortgage, but many of the big-name lenders don’t offer these specialised products. Other lenders offer them but call them by a different name! It’s therefore essential to seek professional advice if you’re interested in taking out this kind of mortgage.

Should I Opt For A Family Offset Mortgage?

There are a number of advantages in applying for a family offset mortgage as a way of helping your child buy a property. They include:

  • Less interest will be paid overall.
  • There is more flexibility so the mortgage duration could be shorter or lower amounts could be paid each month.
  • Most family offset mortgages accept overpayments.
  • If you’re a higher-rate taxpayer, this mortgage could potentially benefit you.
  • Your savings can still be accessed.

On the downside though:

  • You’ll receive no interest on your savings.
  • The interest rate will likely be higher.
  • You will be restricted to only a few lenders.
  • The terms may not be especially attractive.
  • The LTV ratio may be prohibitive.
  • You may not have enough savings to make it worth your while.

With all of this in mind, it’s easy to see why talking to a mortgage professional is so important. However, once you’ve made your decision, or if you need advice about finding a suitable property for your child to help them onto the property ladder don’t hesitate to give our team a visit or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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