Having enjoyed time with loved ones, lots of food and drink, films, and festivities, the time to start searching for a new home now begins. January is traditionally an off-peak time for property sales, but perhaps for this reason, more and more potential buyers start searching in the hope of finding a bargain. 

Housing markets differ from county to county and from postcode to postcode. Some regions enjoy constant demand. If there is an area you are interested in, there is a chance that January after the lull of Christmas can give you a chance of securing your ideal home before the rush of summer! 

There are some good deals to be had 

The secret is out, and it’s not just buyers seeking a great deal. Sellers are realising that getting an early start is a good way to get ahead of the competition before the summer rush. Getting an offer accepted for a little less than you anticipated is always a nice feeling, and it will give you a little more budget for decorating or renovations. 

 
Houses re-entering the market in 2023 
Many predict that house prices will fall during 2023. With this in mind, many sellers have been busy preparing their homes for the market in 2022, knowing they were too busy relaxing over Christmas. 
 
A considered approach 
Though the housing market is still dealing with the hike in interest rates, the low supply of houses on the market compared with the number of buyers means the market remains buoyant. With interest rates stabilising, many buyers are taking the long-term view that house prices will begin to climb again in the next five years. The slowdown also gives buyers and sellers a little more time to take a more considered approach when making their choices. After all, if you are selling, you are most likely moving, which also makes you a buyer. 
 
A nice way to relax 
Christmas might be over, but it’s still cold outside. A nice way to spend an evening is to sit by the fire and do a property search online. You have access to everything from simple starter homes to your dream home. So enjoy your property search and make it a pleasant experience for you and your partner. Inspiration may come from all sources in the hunt for your new home, and it will find you as it leaps from the screen as soon as you set eyes upon it! 
 
New homes 
There are many new and exciting developments underway and due for completion this year. Buyers have a good choice of options with low deposits and energy-efficient homes, whether a property is finished, or you want to pre-reserve it. As these homes sell, they also help stabilise the market. This is good news for home movers, as it helps reduce surges in demand and rapidly inflated prices. 

 
Don’t forget to get in touch 
With so many potential buyers searching for their new home in January, the sooner your property goes online the better, then buyers can start looking. If you have prepared your house well, or even if that is something you have chosen not to do, the more people that view it, the more likely you are to sell. 

 
Searching for a new home? Browse our properties today 

When most people hear the phrase – interest rate rise, they immediately panic and worry about higher bills and extra expenses at the end of each month, then have a good rant about how horrid and expensive everything is getting. Every cloud has a silver lining, though, and the good news is this could do a lot of good for the housing market.

It’s no secret that we have had it good for a long time. Interest rates through the pandemic have been at an all-time low. In fact, many argue that they have been so good that it’s been too much of a good thing. We all know too much of a good thing has bad consequences!

Many experts have said that because interest rates have been so low, it has caused the instability that we have endured this year with nine consecutive rises.

So how is this good news for you?

Mortgage interest rates are falling and are set to fall further.

This small increase in the base interest rate should not affect your mortgage interest rate. In fact, interest rates for mortgages are steadily falling, with some experts predicting that five-year fixed-rate mortgage interest rates will gradually decrease in 2023, before settling below 4%. So don't worry about higher base rate interest rates, they do not always directly affect your mortgage interest rate.

Stability  

The base rate set by the Bank of England has peaked for this year. Therefore, 2023 should offer much more stability, certainly for the first quarter. This will mean a more stable housing market, which means buyers and sellers can remain confident about making their moves. It should also mean that the 2023 housing market will get off to a good start!

Confidence  

As mortgage markets rebalance, property markets stabilise instead of enduring instability. More realistic and stable interest rates returning to the levels of pre-pandemic norms encourage long-term confidence and investment. That means you can move and invest, taking the long-term view that there will be fewer bumps in the road.

Demand is still strong

Forgetting the world’s current obsession with interest rates, perhaps it’s easy to overlook the obvious. The demand for property is still relatively high compared to the shortage in supply. You don’t need to be an economist to know that this will keep house prices healthy!

The future is looking good

With strong demand, stability, and confidence all looking promising, now is a great time to start putting your future property plans into action.

Demand for rented accommodation is still growing and is likely to continue that way, offering very healthy investment opportunities, even if there are more challenging times ahead.

Even if house prices fall in the next 1-2 years, over the next five years, many expect house prices to gradually and steadily grow.

Putting the onus on quality and a healthy, long-term, and sustainable investment is the way of the future. Making houses and rented accommodations more desirable means improving the quality of life, instead of making a quick profit.

Are you looking to move home, make your first step on the property ladder, or want to invest in a great buy-to-let opportunity? Contact us today.

Another New Year, a new beginning. If you've been thinking about renovating your home for a while, you can finally make your house dreams come true now that the festivities are behind you. 

Outdoor living 

Spring will soon arrive, and your garden and emphasis on outdoor living can finally begin to take shape. You want the best outdoor living space you can create; you've read all the magazines, watched all the programmes, and your mind is teeming with visions. Try adding an eating area, an outdoor working space, a pond, an orchard, and some sleepers, and see what else happens along the way! 

Working from home space 

If you would rather develop an indoor workspace, now is your time to get cracking. With more people working from home, inspiration for this trend can be found anywhere. Often, it’s about making it yours with individual touches while creating a comfortable place to work. 

Going green 

Perhaps you would like to increase the energy-efficiency of your home. Installing solar panels is a great way to do your part for the environment while saving some money. In some cases, you may even be able to sell the electricity you produce to your local energy supplier. This could mean your solar panels will pay for themselves, but typically the only cost after installation is for annual servicing. If you work from home, you might consider installing insulation to reduce your ever-increasing heating bills. 

Creating extra living space 

You could create another bedroom, a dwelling space for an elderly relative, or a new family. Alternatively, removing walls to modernise or create extra space is still challenging and will remain so in 2023, given the cost of raw materials and the shortage of good tradespeople available to carry out this work. So careful planning is essential, or it might not happen until next year! 

Bathrooms 

January is a great time to get an awesome deal on a new bathroom, despite the waiting lists to get it fitted with large, branded suppliers or individual bathroom fitters. There is nothing to stop you from buying and booking now, and with some luck, the design of your choice could become a reality in time for summer, or even spring! 

A new kitchen 

Buying a new kitchen in January leads to huge discounts and when completed, adds real value to the value of your home. As the central hub for any home, bright spaces and light colours are on-trend, as are natural material surfaces matched with metallics. Seamlessness and fluidity between rooms with open-plan living or blending outdoor areas with the heart of any home are still on the to-do list of many this year. 

An exciting year 

Whatever you decide to do in 2023, whether you are renovating then selling or buying a newly renovated property, there is no doubt that there are some interesting and exciting ideas waiting to be implemented and already in place in many homes. 

Searching for your perfect new home? Browse our properties today. 

How to add value to your home  

Adding value to your home is straightforward. Making money often involves spending money when it comes to investments, and your home is no different! Whether you are looking for a quick flip or a total revamp, it’s important to make the right choices.    

Below, we discuss the best ways to add real value to your home... 

A few ground rules 

Do not overspend! Make sure your changes are impactful and necessary. If a refurbishment adds to the quality of your living space, then do it, just don’t get carried away. 

Be resourceful, shop around conduct plenty of research. Don’t just sign on the dotted line in a branded store, consider independent tradespeople to carry out the work, they may do a better job for less.   

Kitchen or bathroom?  

If the kitchen is in good shape but the bathroom is crying out to be replaced, then you may get more for your money by choosing a bathroom renovation.  

It could be that you need to do both the kitchen and the bathroom, arguably the two most impactful, important and costly rooms in the house.  

A new bathroom can add up to 5% to the value of your house while a new kitchen can add up to 15%, do the maths and see what you can reasonably spend. Then, enjoy the quality of new tiles, colours, materials, and cabinets with a new space-altering layout.   

Loft conversions  

Loft conversion can add between 10 – 20% to the value of your home, but be warned this is not an easy task. Firstly, check if you can convert your loft, beam heights are critical here, so you will need to get a reputable builder to give a good appraisal. There is lots of red tape involved in creating a new bedroom, office or bathroom in your loft. The good news is that this is often much cheaper than adding an extension to your property.  

Garden and outdoor living spaces 

A nice garden with outdoor living space is almost like adding another room to your house. Be careful, a few shrubs and trees with maybe some decking and already you have spent thousands. Perhaps not as guaranteed to add the same levels of added value to your home as other areas but still worth doing and will complement the entire living experience of your home. Bifold doors removing the traditional boundaries between an indoor and outdoor living will enhance this further.  

Energy efficiency  

A new heating system is not a massive investment and will save money on energy bills and easily add more than the cost of replacing the system, while not putting potential buyers off with the prospect of replacing the boiler.  

Solar panels are becoming increasingly popular. It’s an attractive proposition, particularly in today’s climate; to be self-sufficient when it comes to producing electricity. In some cases, you may even be able to supply the local electricity board and get paid!  Lower your carbon footprint or consider running your car to gain more savings. 

The little things you can do 

Sand and paint internal and external doors and skirting. 

Check out your floorboards, in older houses often these can be sanded and varnished and will look beautiful on completion.  

If you can’t afford to replace tiles and cabinets, consider painting them.  

Improve or replace lighting and light fittings. 

Sort any damp problems. 

Replace carpets or old laminate.  

 Bad bathroom grouting often brings the value of a home down far more than the relatively low cost of getting it sorted.  

Check the guttering.  

Replace windows and doors.  

Paint and decorate the internal walls and remember, if you are selling soon, use safe, neutral colours. 

It’s all good 

Whatever you decide to do, all these measures, and any you think of on the way, will add value to your home in more ways than one!    

Just finished your home refurbishment, wondering what it’s now worth? Get a valuation or browse our properties for your next move.