How to increase your property's kerb appeal

In this month's edition, we start by offering our advice to help you to improve your property's charm from the outside, also known as kerb appeal.

Elsewhere, the UK has been found to provide clients with the cheapest agent fees across Europe, the mortgage market has enjoyed a surprisingly strong start to 2019 and we explain what tenants and landlords need to know about the Fitness for Human Habitation Act.

How to increase your property's kerb appeal

 

Any estate agent will tell you that making a good first impression is key when presenting your home for sale. Potential buyers and renters are always extra vigilant when it comes to viewing properties, from the front gate to the back garden, meaning it’s even more important to present your home in its best light from the off. But even if you’re not looking to sell up, there’s something to be said for sprucing up the front of your home.

One of the best ways to do that is to maximise your kerb appeal, which refers to how striking your home is when viewed from the road. When you think about searching for properties online, how likely are you to click on details for a home if the lead photograph is rather drab? The homes that perform the best on property websites like Zoopla and Rightmove are the ones that can grab the attention from the off.

Thankfully, maximising your kerb appeal doesn’t have to break the bank!

1) Front and centre
The front door is always a good place to start, especially as it’s one of the first things that people see when it comes to your home. UPVC doors can be cleaned easily enough with the right product, and if you've got a wooden door, why not consider a fresh lick of paint? You can also bring your garage or front gate into the equation for a bit of colourful synchronicity.

Giving your letterboxes and door handles a polish shows good attention to detail, but if they’re looking a little tired, don’t be afraid to replace them.

2) Plot your path to success
The path to your front door or outdoor paving stones can get dirty with ease, so applying some TLC, whether that’s with a pressure washer or a good ol’ bucket of warm water and a scrubbing implement will instantly help your outside space.

If you have paving stones, then keeping your weeds in check is also a shrewd move; pulling out the week killer for large front porches, paths or driveways will make things look far neater.

Gravel is a feature of many a home, and it’s also one that’s easily refreshed with a bit of colour. Locate some similar stones to your current palette and use a rake to spread them together and you’ll be surprised by how much it refreshes the approach to your front door.

3) Plant an impression
A simple touch, but an effective one. Adding some greenery around your front door suggests to the naked eye that you take care of your property and look after your home, so look into some potted plants to go outside your front door. Hanging baskets are another option if ground space is limited.

4) Window dressing
The windows on your front room are another area where little touches can make a big difference. Have a look into replacing your curtains or blinds with lined alternatives for a tidy appearance, or, if your windows aren’t providing you with sufficient insulation, you could even look at replacing them altogether.

5) Night Lights
Finally, take a look at the area around your front door at night and imagine how much more welcoming it could be with a bit of light. An outdoor power supply will help if you’re looking to install something akin to a classic-style lamp, but you needn’t go overboard; a solar-powered light is easy to install, charges itself during the day and won’t cost you extra!

Mortgage market off to surprisingly strong start in 2019

 

With almost 67,000 mortgages approved in January, 2019 has started strongly for the property market. Despite fears for the housing market this year, this represents an increase in activity from the end of 2018, showing that 2019 could surprise many when it comes to the upward trend in property.

“January’s rise in mortgage approvals is at odds with recent data and surveys which had suggested that Brexit and economic uncertainty could be having a dampening effect on housing market activity,” said Howard Archer, chief economic advisor to the EY Item Club.

The surprise seen amongst analysts indicates that the upsurge in activity is unexpected, but there are several factors that are contributing to the market’s current health. A major contributor is, of course, low interest rates in the market, which have supported purchasers and given the lending industry much confidence. Many current property owners have used these historically low levels in order to refinance their loans and find a better deal.

The emergence of first-time buyers as one of the major forces in the property market is another contributing feature to this unexpected upsurge, as well as the increase in mortgage applications, as for the first time since 1995 first-time buyer mortgages made up over half of mortgages approved in 2018.

The strength of the first-time buyer market in 2019 can be seen in the 25,000 mortgages taken out in the first month of 2019 by first-time buyers, according to banking trade body UK Finance. A total of 33,621 mortgages were approved to purchase a home last month, according to data from UK Finance which represents high street banks and building societies. This also represents an increase when compared to February 2018 of 1.8% - which is fairly significant considering the march towards Brexit was firmly taking place through February.

With summer firmly established as the most popular time to buy and sell, we are moving into a particularly busy time of the year for property and therefore, this resurgent health of the market should continue for the foreseeable future.

The Fitness for Human Habitation Act: what you need to know

 

With the furore around the Tenant Fee Ban, it has been easy to miss the latest lettings legislation which came in to place last month on 20th March – the Fitness for Human Habitation Act. The implementation of this Act means that tenants will have further rights to request improvements to homes which fall into the “sub-standard” category.

The Fitness for Human Habitation Act is a revival of the Landlord and Tenant Act from 1985, essentially reinforcing the covenant and bringing the standard of lettings accommodation back to the forefront of legislation.

Who does the Act apply to?
The Act will apply to:
Tenancies shorter than 7 years, starting on or after 20th March 2019
Tenancies renewed for a fixed term on or after 20th March 2019

From 20th March 2020, the Act will apply to all periodic tenancies that started before the initial commencement date of 20th March 2019 – landlords with current tenancies, therefore, have 12 months before the requirements from the Act come into place.

How would a property be deemed unfit for human habitation?
The Act stipulates 29 different ‘hazards’ which determine whether a house is ‘fit for human habitation’. The hazards include but are not limited to:

• Condensation, damp and mould growth
• Excessive cold or heat
• Security (or lack, thereof)
• Fire, gas and electrical safety
• Natural lighting
• Water supply
• Sanitation
• Facilities for preparing and cooking food
• Hazards posed by the internal arrangement
• State of repair

Your property might be deemed unfit “If, and only if, it is so far defective in one or more of those matters that it is not reasonably suitable for occupation in that condition.” If a property is deemed unfit, then it is the landlord’s responsibility to make improvements to the property and/or compensate the tenant.

Are there any exceptions to the Act?
There are some exceptions in cases where:

• The problems with the property are caused by tenant behaviour
• The problems are caused by ‘acts of God’ such as storms, floods and fire
• The problem is caused by the tenants’ belongings

To read the full government legislation click here.

UK found to have cheapest agent fees across Europe

 

For most of us, the purchase of a property will be the biggest single expense which we ever have to cover, and the fees associated with this are often touted as expensive. However, a recent report has shown that fees in the UK are the lowest in Europe and therefore the old myth of expensive fees has been debunked, with other parts of Europe up to five times more expensive than the UK.

The average commission paid on the sale of a property in the United Kingdom is 1.2%, according to analysis from GetAgent, which is lower than all other European countries, with Denmark and Ireland next cheapest at 1.25% and 1.75% respectively. On the other end of the scale is Romania with an average fee of 6% - five times more than the UK.

“I think it’s fair to say that estate agents in the UK have a tough time of it when it comes to justifying their fees, with the predominant opinion being that they charge too much for the service provided,” said Colby Short, GetAgent’s chief executive officer.

“This really isn’t the case and as this research shows, the UK is actually home to the lowest estate agent fees in the EU and therefore you could argue, the best service as well. Of course, the price of property means there is a degree of relativity and the 6% commission you might pay in Romania will be a lot lower due to the lower cost of getting on the ladder,” he pointed out.

“So while you consider if three to four thousand pounds is a justifiable spend when selling a property for hundreds of thousands, remember you could be paying upward of ten thousand if you were to live in another area of Europe,” he added.