Hot on the heels of the Prime Minister’s announcement that lockdown restrictions will continue for a further four weeks into July, new Office for National Statistics (ONS) data reveals that the jobs market is showing signs of recovery...but for how long? Small business owners across the UK aren’t op…

Businesses prepare for a “bloodbath of redundancies” when furlough support starts to reduce

Two Derbyshire brothers who run their own estate agency business have purchased their first commercial premises with support from Barclays.

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Matt joined the team in 2012 now taking the role of our Residential Sales Valuer. Matt is a Propertymark Level 3 Qualified Agent in the Sale of Residential Property.

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Matt Housley

Are you thinking of selling your home this winter? Currently up for sale and struggling for interest? It’s commonly thought that late spring toward summer is the best time of year to sell, however, like everything, times are changing and there are distinct advantages to listing your home in winter… With a few changes to your approach, you can dramatically increase your chances of selling for the best price possible within a time frame to suit.&nbsp; Less Competition In the winter months, there are generally fewer properties on the market, even including the ones that couldn’t sell in summer! With a shortage of stock comes opportunities. Not only are the buyers who couldn’t find something in the summer still in the market, we now welcome the ‘new year’ buyers. Increased Internet Traffic The Christmas period, believe it or not, sees some of the highest website traffic to sites such as Rightmove, Zoopla &amp; Primelocation, even on Christmas day! January 2016 - Rightmove reported an astonishing 1.7 billion website visits. January brings a fresh start approach for a lot of buyers that want to be settled come summer.&nbsp; Settling for Summer With an extensive legal process to tackle and potentially lengthy chains, some buyers allow themselves plenty of time to move, ready for the all too brief UK summer, resulting in buyers offering before we hit spring. Update on the average UK property transaction timeline (https://propertyindustryeye.com/average-transaction-time-stretches-another-15-working-days-as-it-takes-longer-to-complete/) There are, of course, disadvantages to selling in Winter, however, below we’ve outlined some useful tips for selling in winter.&nbsp; A Warm Welcome If you take only one thing away from this article, make sure it’s this... PUT THE HEATING ON! Whilst you may have been raised to ‘layer up’, make sure you have the timer set to come on at regular intervals, maintaining a pleasant temperature for the day of viewing. If you have a log burner or open fire, make sure these are on too, these also enhance the cosy feel of the property. Make it Cosy Clever use of rugs and blankets can really soften the harshness of a UK winter. Typically assign rugs to any hard flooring and blankets on all the sofas and beds. Use seasonal colours as much a possible (whites, creams, greys).&nbsp; Lights, Candles, Action! The use of lighting is often overlooked by property sellers. With a reduced amount of light throughout the day, viewings often take place in the dark. If you end up with a viewing in the dark, make sure every bulb in the house is working, you have lamps to each room and you light candles in some. Candles have the additional benefit of fragrance!&nbsp; Kill the Odour Winter can bring a whole host of unpleasant smells. Particularly pets… Whilst some of us are pet lovers and might have built up a resistance, not everybody has. I recommend first removing any pets for a viewing, make sure there are no lingering odours. Have a test run by asking your friend to tell you honestly. Keep your Hallway or Entrance clear When it’s raining outside it’s hard to keep your house clean. Make sure you’ve got a doormat down and plenty of space to take off your shoes and coats. You don’t want anyone traipsing in with dirty wellies!&nbsp; Let’s Have a Brew Offer viewers a warm drink and a mince pie (or the January equivalent). This little gesture can go a long way, plus, you now have at least 15 minutes to point out the best parts of your home! Outside Don’t neglect the exterior of your property. Winter doesn’t do much for gardens, pathways and windows but make sure you spend time outside of your property maintaining the kerb appeal. Get rid of the autumn debris, clear pathways and get the windows cleaned regularly (including frames). If it isn’t already, put your garden furniture away. The only furniture you can really get away with is steel. One final consideration for winter selling is your position for an onward purchase. Once you’ve managed to achieve your sale, you will have a far stronger position to negotiate in a busy spring market. &nbsp;<blockquote>In the winter months, there are generally fewer properties on the market, even including the ones that couldn’t sell in summer! With a shortage of stock comes opportunities. Not only are the buyers who couldn’t find something in the summer still in the market, we now welcome the ‘new year’ buyers.</blockquote>

SELLING YOUR HOME IN WINTER

Life after lockdown – What will it look like? Will anything go back to the way it was before? There are some signs of hope and optimism starting to show across the UK and Europe as we all strategically plan how to safely head out of lockdown.&nbsp; During the lockdown, we’ve already seen the property market adapt and change to the evolving situation. It’s unlikely that every change will stick, some however, are here to stay. I wanted to find out what buyers will add to their wishlists once we have navigated this tricky period. Closely following industry news, speaking with buyers and delving into Rightmove data, I was surprised to learn that buyers have already begun to alter their search criteria.&nbsp; Homeworking – Above all else, I noticed the desire for a home-office or working space. Expected to become more popular, as many businesses (including ours) realise working from home doesn’t have to affect productivity when combined with some fantastic technology. Home-offices, spare rooms and/or outbuildings will be in higher demand.&nbsp; Outside Space – During the lockdown, most of us have come to appreciate our outside space a lot more. Some trying their hand at a vegetable garden, some tackling bigger projects to pass the time. Considering an increase in home working, we expect to see the pull of rural locations to feature in buyers search criteria. Fitness Space – After the huge success of virtual fitness classes, many gyms are planning to roll them out as part of a schedule post lockdown. Looking at user statistics of these online classes, many may opt to designate a space in their home for a make-shift studio. Searches for integral garages, outbuildings and spare rooms will become increasingly popular.&nbsp; Minimalism - Sociologists are predicting a rise in the way of life which sees people strive for less material things and reduced financial burdens. Whilst the majority of searches will focus on more space, some may look to focus on useable space rather than space to store unnecessary ‘stuff’. Family and friends – It’s fair to say that we’ve all taken a few things for granted, a day out at the football, a trip to the cinema or slice of cake at our favourite café. One thing you don’t need to a crystal ball to predict is the value of spending time with friends and family when safe to do so. We anticipate demand for social space such as a large dining kitchen or patio ideal for hosting.&nbsp; Whatever happens after lockdown, we expect that our industry, like many others, will look very different (in the most part, for the better). We will enjoy more technology, the freedom of home working and a greater appreciation for our friends, family and the home we live in. &nbsp;<blockquote>It’s fair to say that we’ve all taken a few things for granted, a day out at the football, a trip to the cinema or slice of cake at our favourite café. One thing you don’t need to a crystal ball to predict is the value of spending time with friends and family when safe to do so. We anticipate demand for social space such as a large dining kitchen or patio ideal for hosting.</blockquote>

HOW CORONAVIRUS HAS CHANGED OUR PROPERTY WISHLIST

When does doing up your home end up doing yourself out of money? It’s not the opening to a poor joke but a serious question we thought we’d answer for homeowners in Derbyshire. Not all home improvements add value to your home’s worth in the eyes of future buyers. It can often be the reverse. Here are five things to avoid if you do not want to de-value your property. Planning Pain – It’s surprising the number of homes we see which have made improvements without the proper planning permission – this can cause significant problems when coming to sell it. Don’t do it. Poor Quality DIY – Badly plastered walls, sloppily painted walls, poorly laid paths, and ill-fitting kitchen doors turn on-off buyers. If you are getting work done it often pays to get in an expert unless you’re a whizz at DIY. Daring Décor – If you have decorated your home in unusual and ‘far out’ colours you could be putting buyers off at worst or at best giving them a bargaining tool. Some buyers may try to negotiate on the basis that ‘to get it looking how we want it will cost X number of pounds.' Cladding Calamity – Not such a problem nowadays but stone cladding and pebble dashing was once the scourge of successfully selling a home. It does you very little favours when it comes to attracting buyers willing to pay the asking price. Less Mess – If your home is untidy and cluttered, it will reduce online interest for starters as the photos will highlight this. This is the most straightforward tip of all. A big clean up and sort out will add thousands to your home’s potential value. Ultimately life is for living so if your current home is your forever home do what makes you happy. But if it isn’t your happy ever after, consider the above points carefully. We’re experienced in all things property related, and we would be glad to give you some pointers to set you off on the right path. &nbsp;<blockquote>Not all home improvements add value to your home’s worth in the eyes of future buyers. It can often be the reverse.</blockquote>

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