Sales

When you invite people into your home – whether that’s someone coming to take marketing photographs, prospective buyers or even a surveyor – all eyes will be on the condition and décor.

Viewing a house or a flat is one of the most exciting – and important – aspects of moving home but how you approach the visit can differ, depending on whether you’re renting or buying. Unlike tenants, buyers will be responsible for every inch of the property, therefore any repairs will be their sole responsibility to fund and fix.

Getting a foot on the property ladder remains a goal for many, especially as every UK region has seen annual rental value growth, according to the latest HomeLet Rental Index. Many may wonder whether 2023 will be a good year to make a property purchase so to steer buying novices in the right direction, here are 5 facts for 2023’s first-time buyers.

Using a professional estate agent to buy, sell or let a property has many advantages and a lesser publicised but extremely important aspect is preventing property fraud. Before you unduly worry, property fraud is extremely rare but because of this, it tends to make the news when it does happen.

There are definitely shades of psychology behind buying and selling property, with ‘love at first sight’, ‘gut feelings’ and ‘the heart ruling the head’ coming into play when making decisions. For sellers, how your home makes a potential buyer feel could be the difference between an offer and a ‘thanks, but no thanks’.

The relationship between parents and their children is commonly lifelong but there comes a time when the apron strings are cut and the brood flies the nest. It’s a stage in life when many parents, perhaps reaching retirement age, make a number of lifestyle changes.

There can’t be a seller in the land that doesn’t want their property to sell for the highest price. Although a lot rides with the buyer, their budget and how much they’re prepared to pay, sellers can help themselves when it comes to achieving as close to the asking price as possible.

Irreverently known as the ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’, cash contributions from parents and even grandparents are on the rise. In fact, an estimated £25 billion is expected to be lent to children over the next three years, with almost half of all first-time buyers having to rely on family to fund part or all of their deposit.

The majority of homeowners and prospective movers will have a mortgage as part of their property plans, therefore it’s important to keep tabs on both interest and mortgage rates. In August 2022, the Bank of England increased the interest rate by 0.5 percentage points to 1.75% – the biggest increase in 27 years. 

We use the expression ‘first impressions count’ for good reason and potential buyers faced with an exterior that’s cracked, flaking and grubby will make quick assumptions about your property.

It won’t have escaped your notice that outside space on its own is one of the best ‘added value’ aspects of property, with a well-kept garden widely believed to add between 10% and 20% to a home’s value. 

Whether the property market is running hot or cooling down with the seasonal shift, buyers will always have a vision of what they want their next home to be – and your property for sale might be full of off-putting aspects.