Welcome to our March Newsletter!

Freshen up your rental property this spring

Spring is a time for change; it’s warmer, summer is on the way, and daffodils start blossoming, bringing more brightness to the extra light of longer days. Wildlife steps into action, and so can you when it comes to improving your natural habitat! Whether you let a property or rent a property, sometimes the challenge is to make changes with the seasons that don’t cost the earth.

 

Bedrooms

A great way to freshen up your bedrooms is to change the bedding. Choose bright, positive colours that reflect the season. Add some light. If you are a landlord, consider freshening up the walls with a fresh coat of paint. Fresh flowers are best—a single tulip can achieve a lot, but realistically, some dried flowers placed on the windowsill add a blast of cheery colour and vibrancy to stimulate your senses.

 

Kitchen

The kitchen is the central hub of most homes, so it gets the most use and will benefit from a good spring clean and declutter. But if you can do more, consider retiling, painting, or replacing worktops and cabinets. Lighting can really add to the feeling of space; perhaps change the blinds. Some potted herbs grow nicely in the kitchen and offer enticing scents while adding colour. They are also handy to have close at hand when you are cooking up a seasonal treat. Tomato plants will also grow nicely on your kitchen windowsill, and come mid-summer, you'll save on your food bill!

 

Gardening and outdoor living

The possibilities here are endless, even if you rent. Get out in the garden and plant a few flowers or trees. Maybe buy, or even better, make, some garden furniture and start thinking about how you want to enjoy a summer’s night: in front of a fire pit, stove, pizza oven, or maybe you would prefer to barbeque. Simply clean up, cut the grass, and plant a herb garden. If you want low maintenance, plant some solar-powered lights instead! As a landlord, you will not want to get too carried away in the garden, so keep it simple and make it a nice place to be. Create a nice outdoor dining area or sundeck to keep your tenants happy.

 

The sitting room

The sitting room will become less of a cosy place to hibernate and more of a light, airy, and fresh place to chill out. Add a few mirrors and maybe some artwork to the wall. If you have a fire, you may opt for more candles with seasonal scents, so it will smell like spring or summer as you no longer need the heat from the fire quite as much. Rugs can also add a lot of colour, whether on the floor or on the wall; the effect is the same. Plants are a great way to add colour and, quite literally, breathe some fresh life into your living room. There are a host of new and exotic choices that will add vibrancy in spades and help you relax after a hard day.

 

Don’t forget the bathroom

A simple spruce up with some new towels, new fixtures such as a soap dish, another mirror, or some rustic shelving to place some bath salts and more plants! Re-grout between the tiles; any little bit you do will have a big impact.

 

Welcome home!

The front of your home should always greet you with a warm welcome, so make it happen with flowerpots, a neat and tidy weedless facia, clean windows, and a shiny front door!

 

Get in touch to see how we can help you find the place where you want to be when it comes to property.

Investing in property? Here are 10 top tips!

Investing in property can be highly lucrative, and the best way to enjoy it and make it as profitable as possible is to know your stuff. Like so much in life, there is an element of luck involved, and to a certain degree, you make your own luck. That said, if you like to err on the side of caution, investing in property can give you a lot of security. There is also vast scope for creativity; whichever approach you take, do it your own way.

 

Decide

Sometimes the biggest obstacle to doing anything is simply deciding what you are going to do! In the world of property investment, you are spoiled for choice, and each property offers unique opportunities. So before you make up your mind, consider these tips. Then remember the golden rule: always leave a bit of space for manoeuvring in case your plans change!

 

Buy-to-let or buy-to-sell?

Do you want to be a property developer or a landlord? There is a constant stream of homes arriving on the market that need modernising or updating. Once completed, who says you can’t do both? Let your refurbished property for a few years, then sell it for a profit!

 

Get to know the market

Ideally, try to buy in an up-and-coming area. The scope for growth in value is greater. This does not mean you have to find an amazingly exclusive area enjoying mega growth. Often, an area that is moving forward and steadily improving is just the ticket when finding an affordable property. Spend a little time getting to know the areas you are considering investing in.

 

Have a plan

Planning is a good way to keep you on the right road. Make lists and make notes for moving, refurbishments, and costing, include calculations for rental yields and a list of legal requirements, and tick each step off one by one as there is a lot to remember.

 

Familiarize yourself with the law

Certain safety standards must be met; these can include smoke alarms, gas certificates, portable appliance testing, an Energy Performance Certificate, and building control certificates for structural alterations. If you let your property, you must conduct Right to Rent checks as a landlord.

 

Insurance

If you let your property, this is a no-brainer. There are so many policies you can opt for, from malicious damage by tenants to loss of rental income. Make sure any tradespeople working on your property have the correct insurance.

 

Building contractors

Finding the right tradespeople to create your property vision can mean the difference between making a good profit and losing money because they don't finish on time.

 

Budget

If you plan to let your property, calculate the rental yield, which will help you calculate your return on investment (ROI). There are many rental yield calculators available online. If you are developing a property, create a spreadsheet or use a property development budget template. Always leave a little aside for the unexpected.

 

Make the most of your property’s space

Renting or selling make the most of the space you have. More rooms mean more rent or a higher selling price. Have you thought of converting a modest-sized home into flats?

 

Stay on-trend

When you decide to short-term let, flip, or buy to long-term let, extend, let holiday homes, convert, refurbish, or invest in green, professional, or student sectors, stay clued in to everything from interior decor (keep things neutral and simple) to changes in the law and the latest property market trends.

 

Are you looking for a fully managed lettings service to protect and grow your property investment? Or are you looking for a great investment opportunity? Get in touch.

A month of March memories for your home

March has a lot to offer when it comes to making happy family memories for you to cherish, especially in your home. All too often, when we view a potential home, we think of everything from price, location, how much we like the property, the size and aspect of the rooms, and its features. We become obsessed with décor, design, and monetary value. With so much going on in March, now is a good time to look at your home in a different light.

 

How does your home feel during some of the days that make March such an inspiring time of year?

 

Spring

Spring is a welcome release from the dark, cold days of winter and shows all of us proof that the darkness and cold really do not last forever and that things really can change! Change is something that we both love and despise as humans. Unless we are certain that it’s for the better. Is spring memorable in your home, or do you feel disconnected from the new forces of nature that show up in the form of flowers and wildlife? It’s important to feel connected to nature in your home. You only need to look at the effect that glass door walls have on blending the indoor and outdoor worlds, connecting you to nature with a single glance. Then, when you open the doors, an orchestra of nature and the scents of the garden waft into your home. It’s mood-altering and makes for a truly beautiful living experience.

 

Mother’s Day

Whether you are a mother, son, daughter, or partner helping to arrange the little details, from breakfast in bed to flowers. How well does your home befit the occasion? A dining room that feels special and unique marks not just this occasion but many memorable meals. Does each room work in conjunction with each other? Does the special ambience you create in the dining room flow to the sitting room?

 

Longer evenings and changing clocks

Your time is precious. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just press pause every now and again to stretch out your evenings? Creating spaces in your home that allow you to relax quickly and appreciate the moment may not stop time itself. They will, however, slow time down as you become absorbed and tuned into the moment. Create a relaxing outdoor space where you can light candles with a view of the sky at sunset, add music, and then breathe. You can create such spaces in a variety of settings (such as your living room or bedroom) in your own unique way. Then you will become more connected to your surroundings and your home.

 

International Day of Happiness

Taking place in March, this is another great excuse to celebrate laughter and joy. But who needs an excuse? Take the time to create a home that makes you feel at one with, and it will take care of you, so happy moments become happy days and months for a better way of life.

 

Make a fresh start on your property search. This March, look for a home that will bring you a thousand happy memories. Browse our properties.

 

Let your garden grow the value of your home this spring

It’s gardening season again at last, and the longer, lighter days of spring are giving a taste of the warmer summer days and nights soon to come. Whether you are a complete novice or a fanatic, there is no denying that almost anything you do, big or small, will make your home a much nicer place to be for you, your family, and friends.

 

UK homeowners appreciate a good garden. Research revealed that 50% of homeowners in Britain placed as much, if not more, importance on a well-designed garden as they do on a well-designed bathroom or kitchen.* As a result, this can add some serious value to the price of a home. Here are a few ideas to inspire you.

 

Let’s start with the basics

Enjoy the fresh spring breeze and keep the grass trimmed, weed the flower beds or patio, and paint any fences, sheds, or woodwork that needs a new lease on life. Then stand back and enjoy it. If you do nothing else, this will make your home far more appealing.

 

Grow up!

If space is scarce and you have no garden, consider growing up. Vertical gardens are on trend this year and will add colour, scents, and flowers to an otherwise empty space. Low maintenance and beautiful on a patio even if you have a large garden. Simply arrange planter boxes in a stack and plant what you love.

 

Growing your own flowers

A big trend for 2023 is growing flowers you can arrange into your own bouquets. Choose easy-to-grow flowers such as sunflowers, marigolds, or hardy geraniums.

 

Meadows

Bright, colourful gardens with a bit of everything going on are the way forward. Replace neat and trimmed lawns with the wilder look of meadows. That’s not to say you can't have some nice, neat, green grass and a herb garden too.

 

Furniture

Incorporating metallics, copper, and marble at the high end of the market is a desirable and on-trend way to create an amazing place to sit and enjoy good company in the garden. Or simply create privacy using wood. A simple bench or table using reclaimed wood can add something special without costing much.

 

Hard landscaping

Water features, patios, simple paths winding you through your imagined creation aligned with flowers, fruit trees, or a trellis to the decking that catches the sun.

 

Good outside storage

Good storage is desirable when it comes to creating a good garden. Store everything from your tools to the fire pit, you bring out at night to enjoy your garden under the stars. Perhaps with some lanterns, solar lights, garden spotlights, or wall lights, the possibilities are endless!

 

Find the home you love with the garden you have been searching for. Get in touch to see how we can help.

Zoopla*

08th April 2023Saturday Night Live with Claudia Thompson

The brilliant Claudia Thompson Music, as seen on ITV's starstruck, will be joining us live at 9pm.

Click here to read 08th April 2023Saturday Night Live with Claudia Thompson.