It’s a great time to rent! Beautiful properties can’t help but make you feel good. And with more rights for tenants than ever before and so many of us becoming more environmentally aware, you want to feel good about doing your bit for the planet while saving a few pounds on your monthly outgoings. So here are a few tips to do just that!

• Switch energy suppliers: If you pay the bills in your rented property, you are entitled to change energy suppliers. If you can find a cheaper deal, go for it. Certain energy suppliers can help reduce your carbon footprint and could save you money.
• Energy-efficient appliances: Perhaps you own certain appliances in your rented property. By choosing more energy-efficient products, you can save money. The higher the rating, the more you will save. If appliances need to be replaced by your landlord, request appliances graded A or B.
• LED bulbs and solar lighting for the garden: Sometimes it’s the cumulative effect of lots of little things that makes a big difference. LED light bulbs and lights are far more efficient than standard bulbs and will last for years.
• Shower head: Costing about £20 and easy to swap for an older, less efficient shower head, you could request that you swap an older shower head and save on your water bill.
  
  

Getting into good habits

• Keep radiators clear: Blocking radiators can drastically reduce the heat they produce. Consider moving the couch if it’s blocking your radiator, and then you will not need to turn the heat on so much.
• Draught excluders: Not particularly expensive, and as soft furnishing, you are adding a personal touch to your rooms. You could be amazed at how much heat they could retain as heat escapes underneath your doors.
• Save water: Install a water metre or simply save water where you can. Install a water butt and collect rainwater when it comes to nurturing your plants, flowers, and trees.
• Blackout curtains: These don’t just make for a great night’s sleep by blocking out light; they also keep the heat in.
• Rugs: A nice rug will not only look nice but also add an extra layer of insulation to the floor, particularly on laminate flooring.

Green choices

• Recycle: Make sure you recycle as much as possible. Simply putting plastics and recyclables in the correct bins makes a big difference to our beautiful planet.
• Make your own furniture: Instead of buying new furniture, save some money and restore old furniture. This is on trend, and in most cases, you can buy some real bargains online, then paint and refinish them in non-traditional colours while adding real style to your home.
• Use less chemicals: By using cleaning products that are not as chemical-heavy, you may save money because you can substitute them for products that may already be sitting in your larder, like white vinegar!
• Talk to your landlord Many landlords are interested in making their rental properties greener, so don’t be afraid to ask! It’s in their interest to improve insulation, fit smart metres, use better lighting, use energy-efficient appliances, and anything else you may think of.

 

Browse our properties to find your perfect place to rent, or get in touch with our friendly team to see how we can help.

 

Homes for first-time buyers, typically with two bedrooms, are selling exceptionally well right now. In March 2023, they were just 4% down on 2019, and average asking prices for the same period were down by just £500.*

The market for larger homes is a little slower, with sales agreed in March being 10% down on 2019 and second-stepper homes being 13% down.* This tells us that the market is in pretty good shape overall, but what is more obvious is that now is a great time to ascend the property ladder.

If you own a home that is suitable for first-time buyers, with two bedrooms or along the lines of a compact starter home, you will get a great price, and with larger homes selling a little lower than current asking prices, you are likely to get an offer accepted that will save you a bit of money.

Why is your starter home in such high demand?
There are many reasons why demand for smaller, more compact homes is high right now. There is the price of energy and the cost-of-living crisis. First-time buyers are looking to get on the ladder before the mortgage guarantee scheme, which makes it possible for first-time buyers to buy with a 5% deposit and is due to end in December this year. It stands to reason that smaller homes are cheaper to run, with less council tax and less maintenance, although this is not always the case. And with people downsizing to smaller homes, chances are that if you want to sell up, it will not take long before you are on the move.

How can you get more house per property pound if you buy bigger?
The short answer is that smaller homes are selling more quickly than larger homes, so the price of smaller homes is stronger, leading to less scope for negotiation. With asking prices for larger homes not quite as strong as those for smaller homes, you are essentially getting more house for your money. It stands to reason that if you find a bigger home and it’s taking a little longer to sell, and with asking prices achieved at a lower rate than those of smaller homes, you already have one foot in the front door. Bring your haggling hat; there is nothing more annoying than ridiculously low offers that will only get rejected. But there is more scope for a reasonable amount of manoeuvring on price.

The market will bounce back, and that bigger house may become out of reach!
Many analysts expect house prices to rise quite steadily in 2024. In March, average property prices rose by 0.8%.* This could be a sign that buyers now realise that now is a good time to move, and it is a sure sign that the market is healthy and stable. Without a crystal ball, the future is impossible to predict, but you might find that in the near future, larger homes will become out of reach as prices start to ascend more rapidly.

Interest rates
It’s no secret that interest rates are on people's minds right now. However, with the recent announcement of the IMF (International Monetary Fund), which predicts interest rates to fall back to pre-pandemic levels. Mortgage interest rates are on the way down, and with many analysts suggesting that they may return to much lower rates, when buying a home, you could consider higher interest rates to be temporary.

Conclusion
Perhaps the best thing to do is to check out the market and see what you can find. The joy of property hunting is that you never know what you might find. There are no fixed rules, but you might be surprised at what you could achieve.

Looking for a bigger home? Looking for a more energy-efficient home? Looking to sell your home? Get in touch, whatever your property needs are!

Rightmove*

 

National Creativity Day takes place this month, and there are fewer places that make such a big impact with a little creativity than your home. The joy of improving your home is that, unless you spend a large amount of time away from it, you can feel the difference it makes every day. And when you do these things, you are dressing your home for sale and making it desirable for potential buyers.

The kitchen
We spend more time in here than in any other room in the house, so why not make it a bit more homely? Even if you have a larder, hang one up on the wall and make it a feature with interesting herbs and spices. Or if you prefer wine, start a collection with an antique wine rack or weathered table for the coffee machine. Such features blend well with modern kitchen design, even if you have installed a state-of-the-art design. This also creates a space to celebrate the seasons. As it’s nearly summer, use flowers, and at Christmas, use scented candles.

The garden and outdoor living spaces
Summer is nearly here, and the possibilities are endless. Redesign your lawn, adding curves to complement your outdoor garden space. Add lighting, then sit back on some nice garden furniture and take in the view. Mirrors, candles, lighting, fire pits, barbeques—the trick here is to bring a bit of the outdoors indoors. Add decking, a patio, a seating area defined by trees, rearrange the flower beds, and create a vegetable garden with your larger garden. These areas should effortlessly flow from your home to the garden, de-stressing you as you, in some ways, enter another room in the house, even if it’s outside!

Bathroom
Often here, you will want to start again and make it as perfect as possible, but even if you have recently installed a new bathroom, there is always room for a human touch. A simple shelf for a speaker and flowers, along with scents and a few more mirrors, creates space and a feeling of relaxation, especially if you light a few candles.

Bedrooms
Easily overlooked as not as important as the other rooms in the house, but remember you sleep here, so arguably these rooms are just as important. Blackout blinds make for a great night’s sleep, so before you even get out of bed, you are already in a better place!

Work from home space
Who says this must be indoors? You can have both. Create an outside area for the summer, and if you add a heater, you might be able to work outside in the winter too. A pergola set on stones, sheltered by trees, with an outdoor log burner—what a nice way to do a day’s work! If you don’t fancy working outdoors, then create a compact area in a spare room that is ergonomic and comfortable to work in but does not dominate the room. This retains the flexibility of what could also be a guest or hobby room.

Sitting and dining rooms
From creative lighting, rugs, artwork on the walls, add colour. These rooms really benefit from a splash of colour, so getting a high-end look with some paint by choosing the shades that make you happy will make a bigger impact than you think. Painting the chimney breast and contrasting the walls with other shades, then matching with restored furniture, is on trend. On the other hand, you might be able to afford high-end furniture, in which case the sky is the limit.

Conclusion
Making your home more attractive to you and potential buyers is all about the little details. But equally, even if you have redeveloped every room in the house, there is always room for a little improvement by adding some finishing touches.

Looking for the perfect property so you can add your mark and make your home a truly special place? Browse our properties.