Posts with tag: Christmas

Tips for moving home in silly season!

Published On: December 4, 2015 at 10:53 am

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Bells are jingling. Mince Pies are being devoured. Mulled Wine is being prepared. Boxes lay waiting to be unpacked. Removal men haul more in to the living room.

Ok, so moving house isn’t exactly top of everyone’s idea of the festive season, but by following just a few easy tips, a seasonal move can be made much less stressful.

Wish-list for a magical Christmas move

  • Plan ahead

If using a removal company during the holiday period, be aware that the run-up to Santa coming down the chimney is notoriously a busy time for everyone. Many companies could also be short-staffed due to Christmas holidays.

  • Use Christmas cards to tell friends about a change of address

Caution: This may or may not lead to them buying a Christmas and new home gift!

  • Organise packing in advance 

When moving, it is important to make sure things that are likely to be needed immediately as packed as late as possible, to ensure they are first off the van at the new address! In addition, early packing reduces the chances of taking unwanted items, which could be a lovely donation to charity ahead of the festivities

  • Check the forecast

Particularly when moving in Winter, people should check the weather forecast to make sure that Jack Frost and his friends can’t cause havoc and drive them crackers!

  • Be smart about presents

The last thing people moving house around silly season want is to pack more things then necessary. This is why it is a good and simple idea to give loved ones vouchers as a present. What’s more, this could save relatives forcing themselves to look pleased at unwanted gifts!

Tips for moving home in silly season!

Tips for moving home in silly season!

  • Keep valuables secure

With the excitement of the festive season, it can be easy to be too nonchalant about keeping valuables safe. Homemovers should ensure that things such as passports, jewellery and other important documents are put in a safe place.

  • Look forwards to summer

This might sound daft wrapped in coat, scarf and thermals but people moving home in Winter should make sure that all outdoor furniture being transported to their new home is clean and free of seasonal weather offerings…

  • Let there be light

Moving house in Winter can take place mostly in the dark, so be prepared to take torches and spare lightbulbs.

  • Food, glorious (pre-prepared) food 

The last thing that movers will be thinking about when finally in their new home is doing a big shop. Booking an online delivery will be another weight off the mind…as will placing a takeaway menu in close proximity on the first night!

‘For many of us, moving house can be a stressful experience at the best of time-let alone at Christmas,’ said Head of Harrison Murray estate agents Su Snaith. ‘However, with some consideration and planning, you can keep stress levels at a minimum and your spirits high-and think about celebrating Christmas in your new home.’[1]

[1] http://www.propertyreporter.co.uk/household/10-tips-to-help-you-move-home-during-the-christmas-run-up.html

 

 

Making Your Home Guest-Ready This Christmas

Published On: December 3, 2015 at 4:32 pm

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Christmas is a time for celebrating with friends and family, but what if they are coming to stay? Make sure you don’t get flustered with our guide on making your home guest-ready this festive season.

Sleeping arrangements

You may have to shuffle some people around in your house to free up a bedroom or temporarily move into the living room. If you have space, a sofa bed is the perfect way to keep everyone comfortable and avoid the

Making Your Home Guest-Ready This Christmas

Making Your Home Guest-Ready This Christmas

dreaded airbed. If you haven’t got one, check delivery dates to ensure your new addition arrives before your guests! Keep linen fresh and possibly invest in some wintery sheets.

Around the table 

If you’re going to be cooking Christmas dinner for more people than usual this year, think about how you will get everyone around the table comfortably. Consider adding more chairs to your table (you could ask your guests to bring theirs) or put two tables together to create plenty of space.

Space

With decorations, ornaments and everyday objects around, space can be limited at Christmas time. But your guests will want somewhere to put their belongings and make sure that their luggage isn’t causing chaos. Make sure that they feel comfortable and not like they’re cluttering your home!

Warm and cosy

It is important that your guests feel relaxed in your home and a great place to start is creating a festive atmosphere. If you have a fire, light it in the evenings and all sit down together. Alternatively, lighting scented candles gives a cosy feel and fills the air with festive aromas. Make sure your guests don’t get cold by providing them with a warm throw on their bed.

Essentials

If your guests are bringing presents and party outfits, they may forget their essentials. It is a good idea to place a small basket of toiletries in their room, as a thoughtful touch. Remember to also supply them with clean towels and don’t leave them feeling awkward by making sure they know where to find the new loo rolls!

Small treats

Make sure your guests feel welcome by providing a few refreshments in their room so that they don’t feel uncomfortable about searching through the kitchen. Visitors will appreciate everything from fresh flowers on the bedside table to their favourite wine in the fridge.

Will you be hosting Christmas this year? What ideas do you have for making it memorable?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to Sell Your Property Near Christmas

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

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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!

Dress Up Your Front Door for the Festive Season

Published On: December 1, 2015 at 4:32 pm

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Recently, we reported that many prospective tenants are hoping to find a new home by Christmas and be moved in. If you’re a landlord with a void period or a tenancy coming to an end, now is the perfect time to really let your property make an entrance.

You may not have the means to give your rental property a complete makeover, but as the festive season kicks in, there is one easy way to instantly improve the look of a rental home. Landlords, why not give your front door an update with a new lick of paint?

Repainting your front door can cost as little as £40 in materials, but makes a huge impact on first impressions. This is particularly important if you are looking to sell your property at this time – did you know that Rightmove reported a whopping 15.7m visits to its site between Christmas and New Year in 2014? With figures like this, make sure these keen Christmas buyers notice your property.

If you’ll be having viewings over Christmas, either with hopeful tenants or prospective buyers, further dress up your front door with a festive wreath that complements your new colour.

So which colour should you choose? Some of the top paint brands have revealed which colours are most popular at present and which they think will be big in 2016. Could one of these grace your front door in the next couple of weeks?

Farrow & Ball 

Farrow & Ball reports that one of its current bestsellers is Calke Green No.34, a rich, forest-y hue that would look perfect on a country cottage. It predicts that Dix Blue No.82 will be a hit next year – this vintage-inspired colour would add a quirky touch to a modern townhouse.

Sandtex

Sandtex’s exterior gloss paint is long lasting and classic. Its Pillar Box Red is traditional yet stands out on any street. It expects its calming, retro Gentle Blue to be popular in the New Year.

Little Greene 

At present, Little Greene’s bestsellers are very dark hues, such as the deep navy Dock Blue. But the company is expecting things to be a little brighter in 2016 – it predicts the daring, mustard yellow Mister David will be revitalising front doors everywhere.

Mylands

It seems that duskier colours are also proving popular at Mylands, with its shadowy-grey Oratory No.237 noted as a bestseller for this year. It forecasts a similar theme for next year, with the historical architecture-inspired Blueprint No.50 set for a hit year. Could your property reflect traditional blueprints worthy of the National Archives?

Paint by Conran

Paint by Conran’s Poppy Pop has been popular this year – a modern take on the classic red front door. The colour is inspired by Remembrance Day poppies and would really make your house pop. In 2016, the company expects the pale, musky November Gorse to make a splash.

With so many delightful, different and distinctive shades to choose from, it couldn’t be easier to give your property a colourful edge and give your tenants a home to remember.

What Does a Landlord Really Want for Christmas?

Published On: November 30, 2015 at 4:39 pm

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Categories: Landlord News

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What Does a Landlord Really Want for Christmas?

What Does a Landlord Really Want for Christmas?

You still have time to get some Christmas shopping done and wrapped before the last-minute shoppers flood the high street and make buying for your loved ones an exhausting and stressful experience. But what if you have a landlord to buy for?

Here at Landlord News, we’ve had a good think about what a landlord could possibly want for Christmas, and this gift guide should help you cross them off your list in no time.

Compact, light and easy to use, a tablet is a landlord’s best friend. If your partner or son/daughter is a landlord, why not help them stay organised and keep on track with their very own tablet? Landlords must always be able to respond to emails, check their calendar, make notes and of course, browse LandlordNews.co.uk for all of the latest landlord updates. With a range of products on the market, you’ll be sure to find a tablet that suits your loved one. Why not take a look at the new iPad Pro from Apple?

And while on the subject of tech, it is always a good idea for a landlord to have a good quality digital camera to hand. Whether they’re selling a property or compiling an inventory, taking high quality photographs is paramount. And of course, cameras make great personal presents to capture lovely family moments too. Techradar.com has a list of the top ten digital cameras you can buy this year.

If you haven’t got quite so much to spend, or you’re buying for a friend that’s a landlord, there are much less glamorous (but equally practical) items that you can find. For example, we all know that landlords have lots of keys – why not treat them to this secure key cabinet from IronMongeryDirect? With 36 hooks, coloured key tags and a safe combination lock, your landlord will stay organised and start the New Year with everything in check.

If you’ve got to buy for a landlord, don’t panic and make sure they have a smile on their face on Christmas morning with one of these handy gifts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tenants Looking to Move Into New Home by Christmas

Published On: November 27, 2015 at 1:03 pm

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Categories: Property News

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Tenants Looking to Move Into New Home by Christmas

Tenants Looking to Move Into New Home by Christmas

Whether you’re a landlord with hundreds of properties in your portfolio, or a homeowner who has a spare room, now is the perfect time to get your home on the rental market. According to letting agent Leaders, many tenants are hoping to move into a new property by Christmas.

This means that you have a great chance of your house being let very soon!

Lettings Director at Leaders, Jane Wilkinson, explains: “The run up to Christmas might not seem like the obvious time to put your property on the lettings market, but demand from tenants is extremely high at the moment, with many people keen to move and get settled in their new home before Christmas, so it is actually an excellent opportunity.”

Stay one step ahead of your fellow landlords at this time by making your property available to rent now – many wait until the new year to put their homes up to let.

Wilkinson continues: “Everybody knows January is a busy time for lettings, but by putting your property on the market now, you can get a head start on the competition to secure motivated and quality tenants. In the unlikely event your property is not let before Christmas, you will be in pole position to reach out to applicants looking to move in the new year.”1

If you are currently going through a void period, now is the perfect time to prepare your property for the winter and any prospective tenants that may be moving in in the very near future.

And if you’re considering selling your rental property at this time, it is good to know that millions of people start their search for a new home during the festive season. A huge 15.7m visits were recorded on Rightmove between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day last year. Therefore, it is a good idea to get your property listed during this time, while fewer homes are available.

Whether you’re looking to rent your property or put a house up for sale, remember to find all of the latest residential landlord information on Landlord News over the festive period!

1 http://www.propertyflock.co.uk/f/18FD948E8