Many will agree that a cluttered home means a cluttered mind, and there’s nothing more satisfying than having a big clear-out to get rid of all those unnecessary or unused items that you may have accumulated over the years. While different levels and types of clutter can work for different people, sometimes de-cluttering your home can have several benefits: – Reduced stress and anxiety. Visual clutter has been linked to increased cortisol levels and feelings of being overwhelmed. Keeping your home tidy can create a calming environment. – Increased productivity. De-cluttering helps organise yo ..read more

As the weather gets colder and the temptation to have the heating on for longer increases, making sure your home is well insulated is one of the best ways to keep your energy bills low, reduce your carbon emissions, and keep your house warm. You can insulate your home in many different ways, from little fixes done on a budget, such as fitting your hot water cylinder with an insulating jacket, to more expensive and effective professional insulations, for example, wall insulation. In this blog post, we’ll look at some of the best ways to keep your home warm and the cold out throughout winter. I ..read more

Buying a fixer-upper, or a property that needs some serious renovation, is an attractive prospect for many. Perhaps you have a great sense of interior style and want to start from scratch to put your stamp on the whole house. Or maybe the fact that the average asking price of a fixer-upper property, which is just below £337,000, is more than £29,000 lower than the current national asking price of £366,000 is what appeals most.  With the right buyer, a fixer-upper can become the perfect home, with an opportunity to get on the property ladder at a lower price and to make a healthy profit a ..read more

If you’re about to embark on your home-moving journey, then you may be wondering what improvements you can make to your property to increase its market value. This can be a tricky task, as buyers have different tastes and preferences and you can’t make your home appeal to everybody. Firstly you should consider how long you have before your property goes on the market, and what your budget is. The last thing you want to do is start a renovation or interior overhaul and not have the time or money to complete it.  Once you have your budget in mind, you can think about which areas need impro ..read more

As the Bank of England continues to increase their base rate to try and combat high inflation, rising from 0.1% in December 2021 to 5.25% presently, mortgage rates have followed a similar trajectory.  This means that first-time buyers or those needing to renew their mortgage will now have to deal with much higher rates compared to the low rates which have been available since 2008. This means more expensive monthly payments for homeowners, which for some can result in anxiety and even have detrimental consequences.  So what has been done to combat this problem and help rising costs ..read more

Buying a house can be one of the most exciting chapters in your life, however, there are a few things that may get in your way, and gazumping is one of them. Most people will feel relieved once their offer has been accepted, elated in most cases, but unfortunately, gazumping could occur and send you straight back to the beginning of your home-moving journey. Not only can this be an extremely upsetting situation, but also frustrating due to the amount of time that may have been spent and now wasted, leading up to this part of the process. In this blog, we’ll look at what gazumping is and some ..read more

The moving vans have left, the boxes are unpacked (well perhaps a couple at least) and you’re finally in your new home. So what’s next? One of the most important things to do is change your address and notify the correct people. This may seem like a very obvious thing to do, but with the chaos of moving it can be overlooked and sometimes forgotten about.  It can seem like a tedious task which you’re tempted to put off for a while, but it’s better to do this sooner rather than later to avoid more stress down the line, such as missed bills.  We’ve put together a full checklist of who ..read more

Many people choose to downsize their property for a number of reasons. Some of the most likely candidates include parents whose children have flown the nest, older people wanting to free up some property wealth for retirement or people who want a more manageable property with lower costs. However, before you pack up your bags, it’s important to weigh up the pros and cons of downsizing and look at all options available. So what’s the deal with downsizing? Advantages of downsizing Cost savings With a bigger house comes bigger bills, and if you’re looking for a way to cut costs then downsizing w ..read more

Getting on the property ladder is no easy feat, and buying a house will likely be one of the most significant financial purchases of your lifetime. However, there are several ways that you can get help to find your property purchase, from mortgages to Lifetime ISAs. In this blog, we’ll explore how you can fund your property purchase.  A mortgage One of the most common ways to fund a property purchase is through a mortgage. When using a mortgage, the buyer can contribute a percentage of the total purchase price, usually 10%, and use a mortgage lender to loan the difference with a ‘charge ..read more

Using an estate agent when selling your home can be a great choice. Estate agents are professionals who are trained to help you sell your property, and they know what to do to get the best possible price for it. You may think that selling your own home would save you money, but in fact, it can cost you more money in time and effort than using an agency. The estate agent will take care of all the paperwork involved with selling your property – from arranging viewings and taking photographs, to negotiating with potential buyers and ensuring that everything goes smoothly on completion day. Also ..read more