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Welcome to our blog. We share:

lots of ways to add value to your home or investment

insight from industry experts

client case studies

Q&As with other industry professionals

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Dec 21, 2020
2 min

Housing Market Remains Open

As we move into another phase of this pandemic, let's take a moment to reflect on what that means for the housing sector, given that there's been much confusion so far. In short, the housing market remains open - so if you are looking to move home (whether as a buyer or tenant) you can continue to do so. Since the additional fourth tier was introduced on Saturday 19 December 2020, the government have updated their guidance on moving home. Moving Home The government advice on

Nov 20, 2020
2 min

Leaves, leaves, leaves!

As you know, at sort style and stage, we love everything house and home so whenever we have an opportunity to learn something new which will add value, we want to know more so we can share this with you, our wonderful community. If you have trees in your garden you're probably spending time collecting them and then disposing of them (we certainly are!). In parts of the US, they have what they call leaf collection days - here's an example of a notice relating to the State off

Nov 16, 2020
3 min

"Second Stepper" Home Prices Soar

Rightmove have reported that 3-4 bedroom, excluding 4 bed detached homes, otherwise known as "Second Stepper" homes are selling at record prices, with the average in August at £291, 618. Why are Second Stepper Homes So Popular? Buyers are looking for more space not only to live in but also to accommodate their home working needs, so stepper homes normally allow for both these demands to be met. The number of sales agreed in August, compared with the same period last year, mor

Nov 9, 2020
3 min

Lockdown 2: Business As Usual for Housing Sector

On 5 November 2020 we entered a new hybrid version of lockdown, so what does this mean for the housing sector? What differs for the housing sector, this time round, is The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (No. 4) Regulations 2020. These Regulations allow: you to visit estate agents, letting agents, development sales offices or show homes you to view residential properties if you are looking to buy or rent preparing a home to be able to move into it mov

Oct 21, 2020
4 min

How to Meet the Stamp Duty Deadline

The first £500,000 of any property for sale is exempt from stamp duty up until March 31, 2021, if it is bought as a main home. With property transactions taking four months to complete, you “... really have to find a buyer before Christmas to complete by March” says Miles Shipside, Director and Housing Market Analyst at Rightmove. So How Do You Achieve And Complete a Sale by 31 March 2021 Deadline? Here's the key factors that will influence your success. Pricing is Key Altho

Sep 30, 2020
2 min

Colour Choices Are Changing

Dulux has revealed that our colour choices have changed during lockdown. We're now drawn to calming and neutral colours because of the vast amount of time we've all been spending in our homes. The Dulux research confirms that 49% of people believe that colour influences how they feel and 1/3 believe it makes a big difference to their mood. This concurs with what we've shared with you previously - read more here. Marianne Shillingford, Dulux Creative Director, says: "During t

Sep 21, 2020
4 min

How Do You Achieve That SALE?

Redrow Homes, latest survey indicates that a quarter of those they surveyed are reconsidering what they want in their future home. Of note are: - 53% of those who have children under 10, or who are currently expecting a child, are most likely to have change their priorities, compared to an average of 24%. - 39% of those who've had to work from home (either part-time or full time), or are in furlough have changed their priorities. Priorities Post-lockdown Unsurprisingly as thi

Sep 9, 2020
5 min

Why is My Development Not Selling?

This is a very interesting question now, given we are in the midst of a mini boom. Even though you may have an amazing build, quite simply, there could be a number of reasons why you are not selling. Learn what these reasons could be and what to do about them. Before we get into the detail - let's remind ourselves for a moment, what you are selling - ah yes, a property not a home. The respective definitions are: Property "a building or buildings and the land belonging to it

Aug 28, 2020
4 min

Top Tips for Viewing Properties

Although buying a property is likely to be your biggest ever investment, buyers normally spend less than 30 minutes viewing a property! It is therefore vital that you spend this time wisely. Although we buy with our hearts, we also need to think with our heads to avoid expensive mistakes. Here's our 7 value adding tips of the things you should look out for when viewing your potential next home. #1. Is the property well maintained? Although the majority of us are not surveyo

Aug 26, 2020
4 min

Record Housing Sales of £37 Billion

Rightmove's August Monthly Housing Index confirmed that August was a record in terms of sales, valued at £37 billion! Also of note are the following: the average house price was £319, 497 Rightmove experienced the highest number of sales since they started tracking data in 2010, up by 20% compared to the previous high, and with a record total sales value of over £37 billion! there was the highest number of properties for sale since March 2008 and 44% more than the same period

Aug 24, 2020
3 min

South Facing Gardens Add £22,695 to Property Value

Three and four bedroom homes with a south facing garden sell quicker and on average at a higher price according to Righmove's latest study. This adds £22,695 on average to these homes, equivalent to an additional 7% to the sale price. The national average asking price of these types of homes is £369,365, compared to £346,670 without. As previously reported, larger gardens or access to outdoor space has become a number one priority for households. Learn more here. Miles Shi

Aug 23, 2020
2 min

What Puts Buyers Off?

Putting to one side the obvious things such as a poorly maintained home, what items can put off a potential buyer? Rated People have analysed almost a million jobs posted on their website and spoked to homeowners and tradespeople up and down the country. They have some surprising results, given the popularity of some design choices which have become staples for many of us over the last few years. Adrienne Minster, CEO of Rated People says: "We know from the many completed pr

Aug 18, 2020
2 min

Asking vs Agreed Prices

Twentyea has shared their most recent analysis, focusing on the gap between the asking price and the agreed sale, referred to as the transfer price since 2018. So what does the Data Show? From the data, it is apparent that the gap between the asking price and the transfer price was as its lowest in 2019, despite the Brexit issue and the general election. It is also evident that sale prices have increased in 2020 following the market re-opening in May 2020. Source: Twentyea

Aug 12, 2020
3 min

Home Office Boots Property Value £17,500

If you are fortunate enough to have a dedicated home office, it will add £17,500 to your property value, according to Direct Line. If you don't have a dedicated home office and you are thinking of selling, re-consider how you use the spaces within your home to create that all important home office or work space. Direct Line have analysed properties for sale and found that the average price of a home with a dedicated home office is £456,500 - 4% higher than equivalent propert

Aug 10, 2020
3 min

Stamp Duty Holiday Here to Stay?

The estate agent, Knight Frank, has called for the stamp duty holiday to be implemented permanently - currently this ends on 31 March 2020. They say: “On a multi-million pound property, the saving will be a small percentage of the transaction price but it represents a meaningful discount for the vast majority of UK buyers.” For the period 8 July 2020 to 3 August 2020, Knight Frank confirm that: 1. The number of offers accepted was 146% above the 5 year average for properties

Aug 5, 2020
5 min

Industry Roundup: Mini Boom Continues

Here's a roundup of how the housing market is performing during the month of July from Twenty EA, Zoopla, Savills, Nationwide and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) (based on June data). This builds on what we already shared from Rightmove last week - more on that here. In summary, these industry insights continue the theme reported by Rightmove - we're in a mini boom. Housing activity has continued to improve in July with the average house price increasing

Aug 2, 2020
5 min

How to get 95% of potential buyers to contact your Estate Agent

Did you know that 95% of people are more likely to call your estate agent if your property has a 3D 360° virtual tour? Yes, that’s right. If you are thinking of selling, it is important to add value to your property in order to maximise your chances of selling quickly and for more. Whilst COVID-19 continues to warrant appropriate measures to ensure all our safety, it also presents many difficulties for those of us trying to sell or buy property - if you are a seller, you may

Jul 29, 2020
3 min

Looking Back and Moving Forward

twentyea are experts who provide market data on the UK home mover market. They have taken stock on the impact of Covid-19 on the housing market. In short, their analysis shows that the majority of households who had intended to sell then Covid-19 was upon us, refrained from listing their properties, however those already involved in a sale continued and did so in great numbers. Covid-19 Impact on Housing Sector Covid-19, hit the housing market significantly: 285,000 new inst

Jul 27, 2020
4 min

UK Property Market: Mini Boom

Rightmove have published their July House Price Index. This confirms the UK is experiencing a "mini boom". Not only is there an increase in activity, average asking prices are 2.4% higher than in March and the annual increase of 3.7% is the highest since December 2016. This makes the average house price now £320,265. Other key metrics are: Since the beginning of July, buyer enquiries are up 75% year on year Since the housing market opened up again on 13 May 2020, 44% of th

Jul 24, 2020
5 min

Adding Value with Your Colour Scheme

Painting your home is an incredibly important process, it can help a room look larger, brighter or warmer, all of which create the foundations for you to go ahead and personalise your home. A recent survey undertaken by Unhook Communications has revealed millions of consumers are spending on their homes as a result of lockdown. Claire Gamble, managing director, says: “We know from speaking to our clients and contacts in the home interiors industry that many have seen a rise i