Upgrading your kerb appeal can make your house more inviting and desirable, whether you’re planning on selling your home or living in it for years to come. There are dozens of waysRead More…
If you have managed to save a deposit to buy your first home and are now vetting prospective new areas for your new home it is relatively easy to check information aboutRead More…
Managing a property you wish to rent or being a landlord can be a difficult job, especially if this is your first time. A major problem most people face is the legalRead More…
Thanks to the team at Choice Furniture Superstore for this great infographic:
Staging your home is one of the best ways of achieving a quick sale and it’s not as difficult as you might think. Of course, we all know that selling a home is stressful but the stress can really mount up if you have few viewings and no offers as the weeks go by so avoid that prospect by staging your home before it goes on the market. If you want some inspiration take a look at one of my latest favourite home shows Buying & Selling with twins Jonathan and Drew Scott. They turn up with impeccable staging ideas, a self storage unit to hide away the clutter and a sledgehammer; and within 2 weeks they completely transform a home – and then sell it for way more more than it cost to do the work.
Some home owners feel that buyers will either want their home or not and that nothing much they can do will change their mind; but this really isn’t true. Just think of the time and money that goes into show homes for new developments and you will realise that how a home is presented is important to help buyers visualise living there themselves. In fact, once you’re done watching Jonathan and Drew go and view some local show homes for tips on presentation. Before you know it you will be moving house to your dream place.
A third of the entire planet’s High Net Worth Individuals (the very rich basically) reside in the UK so it is no surprise that there are some very, very wealthy parts of the UK. London of course is the main place rich people reside. Throughout history the most affluent members of society lived in London, but there are other areas where you will find high levels of wealth dotted across the UK, even in some cases, small towns.
The way wealth is determined statistically usually takes a person’s entire worth, including money in the bank and business assets less any outstanding mortgage amounts or other different types of loans. However, sometimes it is judged on the disposable income a person has. For example, West London is the richest part of the UK overall because the average amount of disposable income per person is over £35,000 a year. This is no surprise really as Kensington and Chelsea are in this area.
I hate to think that I might be part of Generation Rent but I’m quickly heading that way and wonder whether I will ever be able to buy my own home. Living in the South East means that property prices are so high as to be almost out of my reach and yet I am paying more in rent than I would on a mortgage – if only I could get a mortgage I would actually have more spare cash at the end of each month than I do now paying rent. The mortgage lending criteria are so stringent now though that I stand little chance of getting a home loan unless I can come up with a large deposit and that looks unlikely unless I win the lottery or inherit some money from some long-lost auntie I didn’t know I had. Or maybe guarantor loans are the way to go to raise the deposit – if only I could persuade my parents to act as guarantor.
Many reports indicate that moving, just like other major life events such as divorce, illness, or job loss, causes a lot of people to feel stressed and overwhelmed. Even if you planRead More…
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) have been involved in a long-running campaign to bring to the public’s attention the lack of adequate space for everyday living in new homes beingRead More…
Regardless of where you’re moving to, or if you’re moving yourself or hiring a removal company, moving to a new house is pretty stressful. In fact, it’s listed as one of the most stressful things to do after having a baby and organising a marriage (or getting a divorce). You know it is going to cost a lot of money, you don’t have to be an accountant to grasp the financial situation, but If you want it to go as smoothly as possible but not cost the earth, you’ll want to read our key do’s and don’ts:
We all love a pristine new bathroom – gleaming taps, shiny new bath, elegant tiling, clean white grout, soft fluffy towels. Sadly, in reality, our bathrooms tend not to look like that unless we have recently moved house to a new build. The taps have limescale staining, the grout is starting to discolour and the sanitary ware and tiling is no longer gleaming. But it doesn’t have to be like that – refurbishing your bathroom is a relatively inexpensive job providing you don’t have to move pipework, and if you are on a really tight budget then you can give it a facelift that will transform it – what are you waiting for?
When two families come together to live in one house, the logistics of moving house and the storage space needed can seem quite daunting. Two families, who have previously lived in two houses, need enough room to bring all their things together into one abode. This is not, of course, always practical and may sometimes mean having to rent cheap self storage space (perhaps just on a temporary basis) until enough storage can be built in the combined home. By carefully planning the storage solutions in each room, it is possible that no one will have to sacrifice items and give everyone the space they need to feel comfortable in this new setting.
Guillermo Kuitca is one of the most important contemporary artists working in Latin America today. Since 1990 he has exhibited to international acclaim at major art establishments such as MoMa in NewRead More…
New build homes have always had a certain appeal with their shiny new kitchens and bathrooms and free of someone else’s clutter but are they really as spacious as they seem or are show homes designed to give the illusion of space with neutral colour schemes and the use of undersized furniture? Research from the UK government’s national archives by CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) has assessed whether there is actually sufficient space in new homes for the furniture that couples and families need for everyday living and for the storage of personal possessions. Is there genuinely enough room for residents to cook, eat, relax and socialise in new private sector homes?
There are a variety of pros and cons with renting a house. I am currently renting even though I have recently bought a house. This might seem odd but it’s because I am having my house refurbished, which can be stressful at times so I thought it would be a better idea to rent short term to be able to escape the mess.The original idea was to do it up slowly while I lived there but, in the end, I though it would be best to get the main sections done before I moved in. I have taken on the role of project manager, but I’m beginning to wonder if it would have been a more sensible idea to actually hire a professional. Nevertheless the work is half way through so now its time to start deciding on the final touches. I can’t wait for the day to be able to get my belongings out of my storage and be moved into my new place.
After the house preparations are done it is time to get those buyers through the door, but how easy will it be to actually sell the house? My main concern was that no one would be interest in the house and all my efforts at de-cluttering will have been a waste of time.
Selling a house, which has been your home for a number of years, can be a long process. It consists of hard work, beginning with making it look presentable for potential buyersRead More…