Posts with tag: property viewings

Fill your Property with the Nation’s Favourite Household Smells to get it Sold/Let!

Published On: August 9, 2017 at 9:24 am

Author:

Categories: Property News

Tags: ,,,

While we all know that keeping living spaces clean and uncluttered is vital to a quick property sale/let, the smell of a home can also determine how popular it is with viewers – these are the nation’s favourite household smells…

Fill your Property with the Nation's Favourite Household Smells to get it Sold/Let!

Fill your Property with the Nation’s Favourite Household Smells to get it Sold/Let!

The summer is traditionally a slow time for the property market, as people head off on holiday and put their house hunt to one side. But with the warmer months coming to a close, now’s the time to start thinking about marketing your property again.

Whether you’re a landlord trying to get your rental let to new tenants, or a property owner putting your home up for sale, how you present your property is essential in how quickly it gets snapped up (and for what price!).

In the estate agency business, newly brewed coffee and fresh bread are the typical smells that are associated with selling/letting a home quickly and effectively.

But times may have changed – what do prospective homebuyers and tenants want to fill their nostrils when they view a property in 2017?

Leading cleaning experts Dr. Beckmann has revealed the nation’s most popular household smells in its Cleaning and Laundry Bible, and they may just help you achieve a successful sale/let!

Here are Britain’s favourite household smells:

  1. Laundered clothes
  2. Freshly baked goods
  3. Freshly mown grass
  4. Scented candles
  5. Flowers
  6. Freshly brewed coffee
  7. A clean bathroom
  8. Toiletries (e.g. bath bombs)

So the old favourites did make the list! It appears that you can’t go wrong with a cup of steaming coffee or a fresh loaf of bread in the oven, but there are other options that could appeal to the modern home hunter.

If you’re a landlord, you can’t ensure that your current tenants will have recently laundered their clothes when you have a viewing, but you could ask them to light a few candles around the property before you bring new tenants round, and insist that they keep their home clean.

If you’re living in the property you’re trying to sell or your rental is empty, you can go to town on enticing the senses when guests view your property – simply putting a vase of fresh flowers in the hallway or mowing the lawn before a viewing could make all the difference.

What are your favourite household smells?

ICA-JL-VOTE-FOR-US

The Front Door Colour that Could Help you Let your Property

Published On: March 22, 2017 at 9:20 am

Author:

Categories: Landlord News

Tags: ,,,,,

Competition in the lettings market becomes particularly fierce at this time of year, as tenants often look to move home during the spring. If you’re thinking of ways to better your chances of letting your property, it could be as simple as your front door colour.

The Front Door Colour that Could Help you Let your Property

The Front Door Colour that Could Help you Let your Property

It turns out that property viewers can sometimes be just as picky about the exterior of the home as they are about the interior, so making a good first impression with the front door colour is essential.

If you’re struggling to let your property or need to make some updates, simply giving the front door a fresh lick of paint could do the trick.

With the front door often being the natural route into a property, it is one of the most important external features to a prospective tenant, and one that they are likely to notice.

So which front door colour is the most popular choice?

According to a study by Westbury Windows & Joinery, painting your front door white could boost your chances of letting your property quickly.

As expected, stained and varnished finishes came in as the second most popular choice, with classy black in third.

Other popular front door colours include Oxford blue, post-box red and racing green – all very tasteful and timeless.

However, if you want to go for something more fashionable and on trend, paler tones such as grey, duck-egg blue and celadon green were also highly rated.

So which colours should you avoid? Painting your front door yellow, pink or lilac may well put potential tenants off!

When deciding on a front door colour for your rental property, remember to stick to classic colours or neutral shades – if in doubt, go white.

The research arrives following news that many first time buyers believe that it’s only possible to buy a home with a partner, meaning that around half of young people are living in rental homes.

Spruce up your front door colour in time for new tenants now!

How Futuristic Technology Will Change Property Viewings

Published On: March 13, 2016 at 8:00 am

Author:

Categories: Property News

Tags: ,,,

The Sims was a popular game for a generation obsessed with building lavish homes, becoming their very own interior designer and living life out online. But a new report indicates that buying a home in real life may not be too different in the future.

The report suggests that by 2025, property viewings will be technologically advanced, with virtual tours and augmented reality that allows buyers to virtually redecorate a room while standing in it.

The study, commissioned by easyProperty and The Future Laboratory, explores the transformation that the property market will undergo in the next few years.

It predicts that by 2025, the process of buying a property will be much more like playing a game than it is today.

For instance, location is often the number one priority for homebuyers. In the future, drone technology is expected to enable buyers to scout out their potential neighbourhoods before committing to a property purchase.

The report explains: “As drone technology becomes more affordable, we imagine potential house hunters will cotton on to its use for conducting those vital pre-purchase searches – to find out whether the neighbours throw loud parties every weekend, how noisy the traffic is at key points throughout the day, and other information not easily available from an inspection of the house, but vital to long-term happiness.”

How Futuristic Technology Will Change Property Viewings

How Futuristic Technology Will Change Property Viewings

House hunters will also be able to explore their prospective neighbourhoods using augmented reality technology, by linking their mobile devices to beacon technology.

This will make the process of wandering around a neighbourhood more informative and will include hovering your mouse on buildings to find out what they are.

The report continues: “By linking a buyer’s mobile device to digital beacons that will, by then, be embedded in practically every building and business, property service brands will be able to create neighbourhood cyber-safaris that lead buyers to sites of personal interest in an unfamiliar area.”

The head of technology research firm Enders Analysis, Douglas McCabe, explains: “Beacons will allow estate agencies in the future to turn exploring a strange new area into an entertaining game, a bit like an online game, translated into the real world.

“Deciding to move to a new neighbourhood often relied on a leap of the imagination by buyers. They need to understand that this is a place full of possibilities that will appeal to them on a very personal level. Gamified tours will help them do that.”1 

Once a buyer has found the perfect property in the perfect neighbourhood, how do they ensure the interior design and layout of the home is perfect?

At present, house hunters rely on their imagination to determine what each room would look like with their decoration and belongings.

But in the future, this process will be much easier with technology that allows buyers to virtually redecorate the rooms they are in using smartphones and tablets.

The report says: “Buyers will use a new generation of heads-up display (HUD) glasses – more advanced and user friendly future versions of Google Glass – to carry out virtual refits as they stage physical viewings of the two or three homes on their final shortlist.”1

Technology could also allow buyers to have a complete virtual tour of a property without having to travel.

But while all of this might sound like the stuff of science fiction, it is not far away.

Matt Ratcliffe, the co-founder of creative studio Masters of Pie, explains: “We’ve been working on showrooms that have virtual reality headsets that enable buyers in China to virtually and realistically sit in the rooms of the beautiful penthouses in London they are about to spend millions on.

“But by 2025, the experience offered by this technology will have become so convincing that it will be difficult to tell the difference between reality and virtual reality – and it will have moved from the luxury sector into the mass market.”1

If you’re already looking for ways to enhance your property search with technology, why not try this app?

Can you imagine buying a home or buy-to-let property using virtual reality? It may be just around the corner!

1 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3476453/Is-technology-turning-SIMS-Cyber-safaris-virtual-decorators-make-buying-house-future-like-playing-popular-game.html

Huge Rise in Property Viewings Requests from Potential Buyers and Tenants

Published On: February 16, 2016 at 12:52 pm

Author:

Categories: Property News

Tags: ,,,

Phone calls to estate agents and letting agents to request property viewings surged in January, up by almost 71% on December.

The huge increase was recorded by specialist phone-answering company Moneypenny, which handles more than 1.2m calls per year on behalf of estate and letting agents in the UK.

Huge Rise in Viewings Requests from Potential Buyers and Tenants

Huge Rise in Property Viewings Requests from Potential Buyers and Tenants

Comparatively, last year, there was a 32.5% rise in January.

At the start of this year, there was a greater increase in calls requesting viewings from potential buyers than those from prospective tenants. Calls from purchasers rose by 77.6% compared with a 57% increase in renters.

Moneypenny’s Samantha Jones explains the figures: “We typically see a rise in viewing requests in January, but this year we anticipated that figure would increase.

“With major advertising campaigns run by portals like Rightmove and Zoopla over the Christmas period, as well as the April 1st Stamp Duty deadline looming, there have been a number of factors that could have acted as a catalyst for those looking to buy.”

From 1st April, buy-to-let landlords and second homebuyers will be charged an extra 3% in Stamp Duty on properties worth over £40,000. It is believed that this forthcoming tax change is leading to a rush of investors in the market, which is fuelling house price growth.

Moneypenny also analysed calls for Monday 4th January, which is labelled Divorce Day. On this day in 2016, there was a 53.9% increase in calls regarding rental properties, compared with the average on the three Mondays in December.

Jones comments: “There are of course a number of reasons why people could have been calling their estate or letting agent on this specific day.

“However, we do know from speaking to agents that many received a higher level of calls prompted by relationship breakdowns than they would normally receive on a typical Monday.

“This was echoed by our legal team, who saw a 106% rise in family law calls on the same day.”1 

1 http://www.propertyindustryeye.com/ring-ring-major-rise-in-phone-calls-to-both-sales-and-letting-agents/

How to Sell Your Property Near Christmas

Published On: December 3, 2015 at 3:18 pm

Author:

Categories: Property News

Tags: ,,,,

People have different ideas about when the best time of year to sell a property is, but vendors often don’t have much of a choice and must make the most of the market when the time arrives.

Selling a home in winter is a brilliant opportunity to show off how cosy and comfortable the property is. Buyers will also be looking round wondering how good the house will be for hosting Christmas – so make sure your property seems like a family-friendly, warm space for prospective owners.

How to Sell Your Property Near Christmas

How to Sell Your Property Near Christmas

The following tips should encourage interest from winter buyers, so take note!

Make an entrance

We all know that first impressions can make or break your opinion of a property, so the outside of your house is the best place to start. The exterior is the first thing your viewers will see, so it is vital that you put some effort into making your home look inviting.

Start by fixing any broken fence panels or sprucing up areas of flaking paint. Tidy up the front garden and remove the plants that have seen better days. If the windows and front door are looking a bit grubby, ensure they have a good wipe down, or consider a fresh lick of paint. Check out the trendiest colours for this year here: /dress-up-your-front-door-for-the-festive-season/

Heat things up

There’s nothing nicer than stepping into a warm house from the cold outdoors. Make your viewers feel immediately welcome by heating up your property before they arrive. If a viewing is booked for the evening or in the morning, set the thermostat to come on in plenty of time.

It may be nice to offer your prospective buyers a hot drink and mince pie to warm them through. If you have candles around or an open fire, light them to add to the atmosphere.

Set the mood

With darker evenings and mornings, bathing your house in light will brighten up any damp and dreary day. Not only do well-lit rooms help viewers see the full potential of the home, but it also sets the mood of the property. If you have a viewing in the day, keep curtains open and wash the windows, to maximise incoming light. If you’ll be showing off your home in the evening, use side lamps alongside your main lighting to add warmth to the room. It is also a good idea to invest in an outside light, so that your house appears bright from the street.

Take some new snaps

If your property has been on the market for a long time, it is likely that your photographs will be out of date, therefore indicating to prospective buyers that you’re having a hard time selling. If your pictures show trees full of summer leaves or flowers in bloom in the garden, it suggests that your property has not had much interest since the summer. Viewers could therefore put in a lower offer than they would have otherwise.

Choose a bright, fresh day to take new photographs and make sure interior images look cosy and inviting with no clutter or rubbish.

Get in the Christmas spirit

Although many prospective buyers are reluctant to make large financial commitments around Christmas, you can use the festive period to your advantage. Add some Christmassy touches to your property to incite excitement in your viewers. An elegant wreath on the door, subtle decorations inside and scented candles are all easy ways to put your viewers in a good mood and keep them interested. But beware of going over the top – prospective buyers always want to imagine themselves and their belongings in the house, so keep your own tastes to a minimum.

Are you trying to sell your property this winter? Put some of these tips into action and attract the Christmas buyers!

Fraudster Steals at Property Viewing

Published On: July 31, 2015 at 12:51 pm

Author:

Categories: Landlord News

Tags: ,,

A serial fraudster has stolen a bank card at a property viewing, after he tricked an estate agent into believing he was a doctor looking for a new house.

The 34-year-old criminal used a fake accent and dressed smartly for the scam.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court was told that Shiv Mohindra had seen the for sale sign outside the £299,000 semi-detached property on The Avenue, Basford, before booking the viewing.

After the family showed Mohindra around their home, he asked to use the toilet and used the opportunity to sneak into teenager Jacob Eardley’s bedroom, stealing his credit card and provisional driving license.

Mohindra’s crime was discovered when he tried to withdraw £400 from the Co-operative Bank on High Street, Newcastle. Staff noticed that his signature did not match that on the card and he failed to give the correct security details.

The fraudster has 134 offences on his record already, including 58 for fraud. He has now been jailed for three years after pleading guilty to burglary and fraud.

Laura Culley, prosecuting, said that Mohindra had created a fake identity so that he could view the property on 25th June 2014.

She told the court: “He had seen the house and decided to target it. He has extensive previous offences. It’s a consistent pattern of dishonesty.”1

The court also heard that Mohindra’s accomplice attempted to withdraw £70, but police were called and the pair was arrested.

Defending, Robert Smith said that the defendant’s plan was not as grand a scheme as it was made out to be.

He continued: “He struggles to give any reason as to why he committed this offence.

“There is something of Walter Mitty about how he behaved; the way he dressed, the affected accent, pretending to be a doctor.”1

Judge David Fletcher, sentencing Mohindra to three years in prison, said: “You are a thoroughly dishonest individual. On the day of this burglary, you masqueraded as another person to gain access to a family home.”1 

Mohindra’s victims have spoken of their relief after hearing of the sentence.

18-year-old Jacob, says: “I was shocked when I realised my card was missing.

“I was in bed when I got the call from the bank. They told me someone had come in with my cards. When we realised what had happened, it was hard to believe.

“I’m glad he’s behind bars.”1

Jacob’s mother, Sheila Eardley, says the incident has affected the family’s ability to trust visitors and they have decided not to sell the house.

She adds: “We were gobsmacked. It’s been unsettling; he’d been all over the house and we weren’t sure if he might come back.

“If he’s been sent by the estate agent, you’ve got no reason to suspect they’re not who they say they are. We had no reason to think he wasn’t who he was supposed to be. He was pretty convincing.”1

David Eardley, Sheila’s husband, was approached by Mohindra days before the viewing and was shocked to learn of the trick.

He explains: “He told me he was interested in buying the house. I told him to book an appointment with the estate agent.

“The only time he was left alone was when he went to the toilet. He’s clearly not very good at what he does. Either he really likes jail or he needs to change his profession.”1

1 http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Walter-Mitty-style-conman-claimed-doctor-stealing/story-27497590-detail/story.html