Selling properties Spring
The long nights are finally coming to an end and spring is on its way. It’s one of the busiest times of the year in the housing market and one of the best times to sell your home. However, winter takes a heavy toll on properties and if you want to get the best price in what is a competitive market, it’s best to try and make your place look its absolute sparkling best.
To do that, your checklist should include: the garden – front and back: windows and window frames: doors and door furniture: outside lighting: sheds and greenhouses and any exterior paintwork.
The garden is one of the bigger jobs, so let’s start with that. It may all look a bit daunting at first, but for some instant satisfaction, just have a good tidy-up. Start by sweeping up any lingering autumn leaves, paying special attention to any paths and driveways, then cut away any dead plant matter and give things like roses, hedges and perennials a quick, neatening trim.
If you need to brighten things up, there are a lot more options than you might realise. And, if you buy crocuses and daffodils in pots, you can take them with you when you move. There are also winter flowering pansies, or you could consider Forsythias and primulas to provide some high-impact spring flowers.
Pressure washing your patio is another quick win. If you don’t have a pressure washer, you can always hire one from The Library of Things for just £17.50 a day. It can make a big difference, as patios often get covered in green and black algae over winter. Garden furniture will also need a good scrub down. And don’t forget the barbecue, especially if it never got a clean after its last outing!
The lawn is another important area. Since grass grows throughout the year, it’s probably looking pretty scruffy right now. It’s amazing how much better it’ll look when it’s all neatly trimmed. Make sure you wait for a dry day, though, and cut it on a slightly higher setting than normal. If you give it a bit of a feed and weed at the same time, the nitrogen boost should ensure it goes a nice, tempting green.
It's also worth taking a long hard look at the front of your house and try and imagine how a buyer might see it. Does it have kerb appeal? Or is it all looking a bit scruffy? Be honest because it’s what sets the tone for the entire viewing and so you need to get it right. Trim those hedges, weed those paths and pressure wash the steps. And how about the front door? Is the paintwork sharp and shiny or cracking and peeling? Is the door furniture rusting and tarnished or all new and sparkly? Is there a battery in the doorbell and is the porch light working? If your house is rendered, repair any cracks and repaint if required.
Windows have an affect on both the internal and the external spaces. At this time of year, they are often filthy, which not only looks unattractive, it also cuts down on the light coming into the inside spaces. Give them a good clean or get in a window cleaner to do it for you. At the same time, you could ask them to clean any glass on your sheds and greenhouses. If the window frames are covered in cracking paint, you’ll need to repaint them and make sure you replace any broken panes and all the windows are opening smoothly.
Garden lighting (not solar stuff) is one of those areas that can often get neglected, so make sure it’s in good working order, or people may be suspicious of the quality of the electrics in the rest of the house.
None of this should cost much, just a little time.
People still have to move home
You’ve probably heard it a thousand times before, especially when there’s any kind of blip in the market - ‘people still have to move home, you know,’ your agent will say, but do you believe them? We thought we’d take a look at the numbers behind the statement and see if it really is true. You should know, I am not an agent, I’m a journalist, so I’ve got no axe to grind.
The most common reasons for moving home include: births, deaths, marriages, divorces and retiring/downsizing. And the most reliable place to get the relevant numbers is from the government, the ONS (Office of National Statistics) to be precise, who seem to keep a very close eye on us all.
Births:
Births are one of those things that happen regardless of the state of the economy or the housing market, or, as the cliché goes - the best laid plans. And, I know from experience, once your child has arrived, your one-bedroom flat is going to feel very small indeed. You may last a month or two, telling yourselves you’ll manage. You won’t. Then you’ll have to sell your flat and buy a small house or cottage. And when the next one arrives, you’ll have to sell that and buy a proper, family home. Births therefore create a lot of movement in the market and with around 777,000 of them every year, you’ll get an idea of the scale of it all, especially since they often generate two transactions, rather than one – ie the selling of a home AND the buying of another one.
Deaths:
Well, we all know about death and taxes and their inevitability. Death is certainly no respecter of circumstances, economic or otherwise. There were 586,334 deaths in England and Wales in 2021 (which was some way below average). Like births, they often generate more than one transaction, as the deceased’s house will be sold and the recipients of the money will often upgrade their houses for a bigger or better one.
Divorces:
Sometimes divorcing couples will sell their shared home and buy two new ones. Sometimes one person stays in the existing property and the other buys a new one and sometimes the arguments go on for so long their lawyers get all the money and they end up homeless (only joking). There were 113,505 divorces in 2021, and, if you’re interested, 11 years seems the average duration of a failed marriage.
Retiring/downsizing:
It’s very common to move home when retiring - you no longer need to worry about being near your place of work and with your nest now empty (mostly) you don’t need so much space, either. It is also a point in your life when you feel less at the mercy of the economy, so people move regardless of how it’s performing, including the housing market. Around 700,000 of us pack in full time work every year and that excludes Scotland. Again, this usually creates a double transaction – buying and selling.
Moving for a new job:
Now this is an area which tends to be more dependent on the economy, but even in a downturn, people still change jobs. Exact figures are hard to find, but the CIPD are forecasting that a whopping 6.5 million of us are planning to move jobs over the next 12 months (that's 25% up on this year). Granted, the majority won’t have to move home, but quite a few will and, at those kinds of numbers, they will form a significant proportion of active buyers and sellers.
So, there you go, indisputable proof that agents are telling the truth - there are significant numbers of buyers and sellers regardless of the state of the market.
What you need to know about ‘Right to light’
If you, like many of our customers at homesite, are planning on doing any building work on one of your properties - a new extension, or even a shed or a new garden wall - and it obstructs the light to another property, you need to know about the rules surrounding ‘Right to Light’. If you don’t, it could cost you money. ‘Right to Light’ is an area filled with misconceptions. Most people think it is all part of the planning process and only become aware of its true implications when a solicitor’s letter drops through the door in the middle of a project.
If you inadvertently infringe someone’s ‘Right to Light’, you may be forced to alter your building or pay compensation. In some extreme cases, it can even lead to an injunction on any further work. The most high profile cases have involved commercial developments. In recent times, a number of developers have been forced into hugely expensive rebuilds as a result of their failure to address the ‘Right to Light’ of nearby buildings, but even in a domestic context, infringements can have serious consequences.
People assume that ‘Right to Light’ is part of the planning process. Unfortunately, that’s not correct. Planners will sometimes consider it, but the fact is, it’s an entirely separate legal issue - ie Common Law rather than Planning Law. A planning decision has no legal standing in this area. It means that legal action can be taken even if the building work already has planning permission or is covered by permitted development rights.
Under the Prescription Act of 1832, a property owner automatically acquires the ‘Right to Light’ if the building has enjoyed the benefit of the light through defined apertures (ie windows) for an uninterrupted period of 20 years.
This does not mean that the light is entirely protected; the Act only gives you the right to a minimum level. This is measured using some fairly complex formulae, but as a rough rule of thumb, just over half the room should be lit by natural light in a domestic property and a little less in a commercial one. The planners are unlikely to have made any lighting level calculations when assessing a planning application and will probably be totally unaware if there is an infringement of the ‘Right to Light’.
So, what do you need to do if you are on either side of the fence in a dispute over light levels?
If you are the one doing the building, have a think about the likely impact before you begin work. Discuss it with your builder. Are you likely to block light to a neighbour’s window, for example? If you are, you may need some guidance from a specialist surveyor before proceeding. If you are on the receiving end and it's your light that's being reduced, you should also seek expert advice on your best course of action. Any disputes are handled by the courts and the usual outcome is a compensation payment. However, taking someone to court can be very expensive, so it is best to avoid it if you can. Instead, you should attempt to negotiate a mutually acceptable compromise.
The information we provide is our personal opinion and should not be relied upon for legal advice. Should you need legal advice or guidance please contact an appropriate professional.
Underfloor Heating
At this time of year, those kitchen and bathroom tiles are starting to feel a bit chilly and we all dream of underfloor heating and that fabulous warm feeling you get beneath your feet. And, with the rising popularity of heat pumps, underfloor heating seems to be everywhere at the moment. So, does that mean it’s now the most modern and cost-effective way to heat our homes?
Underfloor heating is no fad, it’s been around since Roman times. There are two main types - either water-based or electric. Both systems are highly space efficient, doing away with the need for conventional, wall-hung radiators and replacing them with a system that is housed underneath the floor. And, because they are not trying to transmit heat from just one or two sources (radiators), their heat is far more evenly distributed, enabling them to run at much lower temperatures than a conventional system. They work best when they are used under floor tiles, but can also be placed beneath wood or carpet, provided neither is too thick to allow the heat to pass through. It is recommended that carpet underlay should be no thicker than 1.5 tog and timber, or engineered flooring, should be under 22mm thick. Both systems claim to reduce humidity, which, in turn, reduces the presence of house mites. There is, though, often considerable disruption involved during installation, as you first need to rip out any existing flooring.
So which system is best for you and how much will it cost?
The water-based system is by far the most efficient and can provide energy savings of around 15% when compared to a conventional radiator-based system. In addition, while you are installing it, you will have to insert insulation between the floors, which will also improve the energy efficiency of the rest of the house. They are the only option if you are installing a heat pump, but will also work with an existing conventional boiler, although it will need separate controls as it takes longer to heat up and cool down than conventional radiators. One disadvantage is that its various component parts take up more space than the electric version, so they are not suitable for every type of installation but can, if needed, be fitted between the joists of a suspended wooden floor.
If you have an existing concrete floor, however, you will need to raise the floor levels to accommodate the pipes. This can cause problems with things like door and cupboard heights and is when installers often recommend you use the slimmer electrical version.
According to Checkatrade, installing water-based underfloor heating in an existing home costs £135 to £185 per m2. Electric underfloor heating is considerably cheaper at between £60 to £85 per m2, but as it costs around 3 times more to run, it is likely to increase your energy bill rather than lower it. The electric version is particularly useful in smaller areas, such as compact kitchens and bathrooms. As an added bonus, it is also very quick to install - all the heating elements are integrated into a thin mat, so there is no piping required. You simply roll it out across the floor and then cover it with either tiles or a wooden floor. It can easily be handled by a competent DIYer and then connected to the mains by a qualified electrician.