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April 2011
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- April 2011
When it comes to selling a property - Kerb Appeal is King
Despite how well maintained your home may be once over the threshold, it takes potential buyers less than 8 seconds to decide whether they like your house or not. During my recent house hunt, I was instantly put off the property I was viewing simply by the state of next-door’s garden. Whilst the old adage is never judge a book by its cover, this is certainly not the case when it comes to house buying and we are all prone to it. Colloquially known as kerb appeal, potential buyers will within those 8 golden seconds be influenced by their new environment and what they see, hear and smell.
Now, put yourself in the seller’s shoes… we have our home and we want to sell it. What can we do to improve its saleability? I appreciate that we cannot control all things round us, but our home’s saleability can be improved by:-
- Painting your front door. It sounds simple but this is the first thing that people are going to look at. Go wild with colour, it's the one place you can. Strong, bright colours in full gloss are popular at the moment but if you haven't got the nerve, black is always a safe bet, or a flat, dark plum colour such as "Pelt"
- Invest in quality door furniture. "Spend an extra £100 to get really good things. "Cheap generally looks cheap." Try to choose furniture in keeping with your property; heavy Victoriana door knockers and letter boxes will look ridiculous unless your home is Victorian.
- Lighting is vital, placed either side of the front door to add symmetry, or a lantern in a portico entrance. Don't be afraid to try out lights in situ before you commit; if they're too big or too ornate they can look brash. If your property is approached via a garden, light it sensitively. "Good garden lighting is unseen,"
- The approach to the front door (steps, a path and/or a driveway), should be swept of leaves, and free from rubbish. Cars and bicycles be neatly parked.
- Numbering or naming a house can easily go wrong. Wonky numerals, badly painted names, or plaques with pictures (such as birds, trees) do no justice to the front of a house.
- Windows look sad when they are dirty, so make sure yours are cleaned regularly. Rotten window frames are also unacceptable and if you're putting in new ones, make sure they are appropriate with the design of the rest of the house.
- However small the space is, add some greenery. You don't need a big garden to plant a creeper, and houses look beautiful with plants trailing up them. And you can easily make window boxes yourself. Just paint a plastic planter and plant it with some draping ivy. Landscaped beds with colourful planting and box hedges set off the front of a house; or for smaller spaces, such as either side of the front door, planters with box topiary. Remember though that some creepers are not good for brickwork as they can pull the mortar out of the pointing.
- Spruce up a tired façade by repainting, re-pointing, or rendering over ugly brickwork. Don't go too crazy: paint colours should be more sensible than on the front door, and in keeping with the period of the house (and the ones either side, if you live on a street). This doesn't mean to say that they have to be the same colour (unless you are in a heritage area).
- Don't let the house next door ruin your kerb appeal. If your neighbours have rubbish outside their house, suggest you remove it, rather than whinging about it. And if you're trimming your hedge, ask if you can do theirs while you're at it – 10 minutes mowing, or rubbish collecting is worth the effort." Try to conceal their rubbish bins (and yours) behind a hedge or a small fence. If you have to have them on show, make sure they are clean and the lids are on.
Living with Builders
No matter how efficient the builders are and how much care is taken, construction can be a noisy and dust generating affair. From experience I know that in the good old days when the economy was booming, it was as rare as hens teeth to get your hands on a “reputable” builder and you were grateful that they could fit you into their schedule. Whilst this may be so, do not let them rule the roost; remember you are the client and they are working for you! You need to set out ground rules and I hope the following can help inform the agreement between you and your builder.
If you or your family members are usually at home during the day, why not think about living elsewhere or better still, going on holiday for a few days? Quite often this will not prove possible for various reasons so a certain level of inconvenience will have to be endured I am afraid. If this is the case, please bring it to the attention of the builder before work commences and try and ensure (an obvious point I know) that inconvenience is kept to a minimum.
Noise
Before work begins on site, make sure you establish with the builders what their working hours are. During the summer months (hehe), most builders like to be on site early and again, this may not be of convenience to your or indeed your neighbours. Therefore, I suggest you agree at the outset what the expected working hours will be and outside of these, the builder will have to seek your permission to extend those hours.
Similarly, builders like to listen to a radio when they work. Whilst you may not have any control over them listening to Classic FM, if this disturbs you or your neighbours (particularly if you are working from home) ask them for the volume to be kept low.
Dust
Where would you be without good old dust? No matter how big or small the job, it is likely that dust will be generated particularly if it involves disturbing the existing structure to your property. Whilst this is inevitable, the builders should take reasonable care and precautions by sealing off the area of work. The most effective way of doing this is by taping polythene sheets over doors and windows. If the builders do take this course of action, please be aware that the tape used to hold the sheets in place will in all probability result in existing painted surfaces being damaged and require redecoration when they are removed. Please recognise this and discuss this with your builder before work commences and agree what course of action will be taken to remedy this.
I suggest that where possible, you remove carpets and floor coverings or at the very least, they are covered in dust sheets. No matter how careful, dust will always be generated. Recently, I had work carried out which involved the creation of a new door opening and the sealing off of an existing one. I can hand on heart say that it was the first time in my life that I vacuumed twice a day for nearly 2 weeks. One tip I suggest is that water is sprinkled on concrete and timber floors before sweeping up.
Avoiding Obstruction
Yes, you may be grateful that the builder has finally arrived, but don’t let them rule the roost. It is your home after all. Convenience for them does not necessarily mean convenience for you and can often be the case when it comes to on-site storage of materials. Whilst this is inevitable, ask the builder that safe and unobstructed access to your home is maintained whenever possible. This extends to their vans also. Disputes with neighbours can sometimes result form builders’ vehicles blocking driveways or taking parking spaces in city streets. Where parking is of a premium, it may be that you will have to sacrifice your parking space in order to keep the peace.
Again, new build cannot happen without materials and these will by definition have to be delivered to site. As a matter of courtesy to all, please let your neighbours know when a delivery is to take place and ask neighbours if they can allow access.
Utilities
Unless the project is of a size that will warrant a portaloo, be prepared to have your bathroom visited by alien creatures. Whilst this cannot be avoided, make sure that walkways are properly protected from dirty footwear.
In this day of mobile phones, it is unlikely that the builder will need to use your telephone. However, it is worth pointing out that the phone can be used but not to track down football results or to wish Aunt Nellie in Australia a Happy Birthday.
The act of construction requires water and lots of it. Therefore, the builders will need regular access to water. If you haven’t already, I suggest you have an outside tap fitted, not only to service the project but you will also find it invaluable when you are working outside in the future.
As the old adage goes Before Gain there is Pain. Your home will go through a metamorphism. Through the early stages when dust is everywhere and your home looks like a herd of wildebeest have taken up residence, you may question why did I ever bother. However, once the project has been completed, the nightmares of fruitless dust battles will be replaced by a sense of satisfaction... Yes it was worth it in the end!
Please Remember
- It is your home and the builder is working for you.
- Construction is a dirty job and the creation of dust is inevitable.
- Agree working hours.
- Agree where materials should be stored on-site.
- Make your neighbours aware that you will be having worked undertaken to your property.
- Agree which toilet (if you are lucky to have more than one) can be used by the builder.
- Agree if your phone can be used.
We are keen to hear of your experiences of living with builders.
How to save money this Easter - 5 Staycation projects that won't break the bank
With the Easter holidays almost upon us, the short break away may have to be put on hold as money worries loom larger than the next parliamentary fiasco. Instead we are experiencing the “staycation”, a period of time in which an individual or family stays at home and relaxes at home or takes day trips from their home to area attractions. Interspersed with outings, we see this period as an opportunity to get on with those D IY tasks we have been putting off and have now run out of excuses not to do. When we mean DIY, we mean those tasks that can be undertaken by a relatively competent individual and not some kind of major reconstruction project.
Be aware though that spending money on home improvements will not automatically increase the value of your home. Make sure that the work you propose is in keeping with its style, is well designed and above all, for the more complex projects in particular, is properly constructed. If you intend to undertake any new build, please make sure you do not require planning or building regulation approval. There is no doubt that undertaking any home improvement work will enhance your property and hopefully when it comes to selling, give your property the edge over competing properties. This is only the case if the works have been done to a competent standard! If in doubt, please contact a competent tradesperson or other equally qualified professional by visiting www.doineedplanningpermission.co.uk.
5 “staycation” projects:-
- Get in the Garden: Not only is gardening a potential health benefit but it can play a huge role when it comes to selling homes and can add significant value to your property. Did you know that research conducted by the Horticultural Traders Association has found that a well maintained front garden can add as much as £5,00 to the value of your property? The secret is making the best of the space you have available to you. For example, paint fences, cover manholes, trim hedges and remove weeds from borders.
- Get the Paint Brushes Out and get those windows frames and render painted: First impressions always count. By making the outside of your property look as attractive as possible can add 2-3% to the value of your home.
- Update your kitchen: Whilst advertisers will go out of their way to try and convince us we need a brand new kitchen, why bother if the carcasses are sound? The simplest and most convenient way to update your kitchen is by replacing the unit doors and their handles. If you are feeling confident, why not consider replacing the work surfaces also?
- Give those bathroom and kitchen tiles a spring clean: Ideally, replacing bathroom and kitchen tiles would be preferable. However, if new tiles are not an option, simply treat your tiles to a spring clean by investing in a bicarbonate of soda paste. Once left on for an hour, the paste will help lift the dirt and fungus that accumulates on the grout.
- Get Painting: As I can personally testify, painting is one of the best ways to freshen up your home. With painting in particular, preparation is key to its success. Do spend time filling cracks, sanding and priming. When it comes to choosing colours, it often pays to choose neutral colours. Whilst some argue that neutral is “boring”, why not think about having a feature wall that is painted a different colour to the other walls? Presently, my house resembles a disorganised jumble sale with furniture piled up in the middle of rooms. I keep reminding myself that it will be worth it when we have finished decorating. A fresh look can for example add between 1-2% to the value of your property when you come to sell.
Whatever you are doing this Easter, above all enjoy it!!!
After getting planning permission, consider your home insurance
Improving your home may well be a better idea than moving at the moment, especially given the economic climate. With property prices tumbling across Britain – and predicted to continue falling for some years to come – it’s unsurprising that more and more households are finding that investing money in a renovation or extension is the best way to increase their living space.
If the project is fairly large, such as a loft conversion or building a conservatory, you'll obviously need to look into planning permission and local building regulations, as failure to do so could result in having to pull down your extension or even facing a fine. However, there are other things to consider when you’re planning a home improvement. Before, during and after a project, it's important to review your home insurance, for a number of important reasons.
For a start, you'll need to look into whether your policy would cover you in the event of a mishap during the building works, whether you&'re carrying out the job yourself or bringing in a professional tradesman. In some cases, accidental damage cover may be what you need, but it's always a good idea to speak to your provider and discuss your options. Honesty is always the best policy, even if it brings up your premiums slightly.
You should also keep in mind that an improved home is often worth more, not just in terms of its market value but the value of the contents contained within. For example, if you've decided to build a conservatory, it's likely you&'ll have spent a quid or two on furniture, fixtures and fittings. This means that you may need to increase the value of your contents cover to include these new items and reflect the fact that replacing your possessions would now be a more expensive affair than before.
Failing to get the right level of cover could lead to disaster, especially if there's a major problem in your home such as a flood or fire. It's important to remember that in the event of such a disaster, you will only ever get back goods to the value of your home insurance, no matter how much stuff you actually lost. Increasing the value of your home contents cover will almost always make your premiums more expensive, but it&'s an investment that could turn out to be essential should the worst happen one day.
Moving House and Broadband
Who would have thought but it is no longer location, location, location. Think broadband, broadband, broadband. High speed internet access has become so important to house hunters that Rightmove, Britain's biggest property website, will soon include broadband speeds on the particulars of all its properties.
If broadband has influenced your house move decision, please let us know in the comments.
