Top Tips

Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer has immediately scrapped stamp duty on English and Northern Irish homes selling for £500,000 or less until March 2021, saving £4,500 on the average home purchase, with a maximum saving of up to £15,000 for a property priced at £500,000. The Chancellor claims that 9 out of 10 main homes sold will be stamp duty exempt. The Chancellor says: “Uncertainty abounds in the market – a market we need to be thriving. We need people to feel con

Prior to Covid-19, the housing market revolved around viewings. Since the lockdown was lifted, viewings are now permitted, for those that are not in the vulnerable category. The government guidance to date, is that first viewings, wherever possible should be done virtually. We are constantly in touch with estate agents to understand how the housing market is evolving. Since the housing lockdown has been lifted, it's evident that some sellers and buyers remain reluctant abo

“Necessity is the mother of invention” Plato, Greek philosopher. And, that is how the collaboration came about between sort style and stage and Property CGI Ltd (PCL). What challenges did Covid-19 present for sort style and stage and how are you overcoming them? Since 23 March 2020, our world has been turned upside down and inside out. The lockdown brought sort style and stage to a halt as we could no longer provide our home staging service. So with a little creative thinking

NAEA Propertymark, the leading professional body for estate agency personnel, has issued guidance to its estate agent community following the government lifting the ban on home moving on 13 May 2020. Their guidance for estate agents is in line with the government's guidelines and specifically relating to valuations and viewings, it states: 16. Valuations are now allowed; you can visit client’s properties to take photographs and videos. Ensure that all Government guidance on h

Yes, that's the news. This evening, several amendments have been published to the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020. David Cox, Chief Executive of ARLA Propertymark and Mark Hayward, Chief Executive of NAEA Propertymark in a joint statement said: “It’s great news for consumers and the industry that the housing market is being opened up and people can let, rent, buy and sell properties again,” "The new regulations provide clarity to agent

On 25 April, estate agents resumed viewings. surveys and marketing in Guernsey. Removals can also take place providing the following guidelines are adhered to: - there are no cases / suspected cases of Coronavirus in previous 14 days in the affected homes - all internal doors should remain open (avoid contact with door handles) - owners will not be present (to avoid congestion) - items should be packed prior to removal day - only one member of the removal team should be in t

The average UK house size continues to shrink and today's built homes are smaller, according to #LABC Warranty This begs the question, what can you do to maximise the size of your home - buyer's need to feel that your home is going to be big enough for them! Important Facts Here's two impacts facts: - 80% of buyers struggle to visualise themselves in your home, so help them on their journey of getting to love your home by creating the impression of space - Buyers connect with

On Monday, Ceri had the pleasure of virtually sitting down with #MichaelBailey to answer his questions on home staging. Ceri took the opportunity to share lots of great ideas on how to add value to your home or investment. When Ceri revealed one of her top tips for adding value, Michael's reaction was: "Great idea. I've been in the industry a long time and never heard about that [find out more here]. Anyone that's watching - that is an absolutely gold tip. Make sure you wri

The cloakroom is often an afterthought but can be a great area to add interest to your home. Whatever the size, staging can make it stand out from the crowd – be bold, even if you have a small space. The cloakroom is an ideal room to start your staging journey. As for any space in the home, you need to look at the room objectively and one way to do this is to take several photos – you’ll then know where to start! Enjoy our 17 ways to add value and interest to your cloakroom -

We joined an interesting webinar, hosted by Emma Jones of Enterprise Nation with guest speaker Jennifer Corcoran, who has the amazing credentials of #LinkedInROCKSTAR and ‘Social Media Influencer’, Ceri, our founder, asked about the best ways of using LinkedIn to connect with our audience. In exploring how to answer Ceri's question, Jennifer asked a fantastic question: "What is home staging?" Jennifer had never heard about a home stager or what home staging was, so let's

Since Covid-19, we're receiving more enquiries from estate agents to understand how home staging will add value to sellers. We've compiled a Q&A on the top 3 questions we're now asked by estate agents - these are: Q. Does a house sell quickly if it’s not been staged and what value does staging add? A. No, 80% of buyers struggle to visualise themselves in a home which is not staged. Staging will increase buyer interest and will result in a quicker sale. Pre-Covid-19, our sta

Outdoors. Yes, that's the way to add a whopping 20% to your home's value. Today buyers highly value outdoor spaces, so if you get this right, it can add as much as 20% to your home value. Other Important Facts Now, here’s some more important facts to consider: #1 70% of buyers think a well-kept garden is the most desirable kerb appeal feature #2 50% of buyers will try to knock between 10%-20% off a property's asking price if it looks unappealing from the outside. #3 60% of

Why professional photos will increase your sale chances