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Do you really need to downsize?

May 17, 2012 By ABarnes

When people have watched their children leave home and set up homes of their own they inevitably begin to think about the practicality of downsizing and leaving the family home themselves.

Often, this is more a financial decision than a decision made with the heart. Most people love the home that they have lived in while raising their family, and while they may have a bit more space than they need, the realities of uprooting from a property that you love in a neighbourhood you are familiar with can be difficult emotionally.

It is true that there will be a store of value in your home that you could free up through selling it and moving somewhere more compact. And that money could help to finance a more comfortable and relaxing retirement.

However, it’s not the only solution. Instead, you could still free up some cash from your home without moving out of it. This can be achieved through taking out an equity release plan. There are four main kinds of equity release plan – and you can read about them at Age Partnership. Age Partnership is an independent company that will search the whole of the equity release market in order to find the product that is most suitable for your individual circumstances. It doesn’t belong to any one particular provider, so will seek the best deal for you.

There is information on the different types of equity release at Age Partnership on its website. It’s basically a lifetime mortgage taken out on the whole or a partial value of your home. In general, the amount borrowed is paid back after your death, when your property is sold, and there’s no need to leave your home until you die, unless you choose to do so before then.

The website also has an equity release calculator which can help you generate an online quote, with a realistic idea of how much interest will accrue on any equity release plan you take out.

Equity release plans need thorough research and understanding of the terms before you sign up to them, but they are one practical solution that means you’ll never need to downsize.

Filed Under: Moving House

Centrepiece furnishings

April 12, 2012 By ABarnes

If you’re looking to give your home a new look – it’s always best to start with the basics.

The basics are walls and flooring – along with a few pieces of centrepiece furniture. The rest is easy after that.

Starting with the walls, you’ll already have an idea of what kind of wall coverings you like. It all depends on the size and feel of a property and your own personal preferences. But it also depends on the extent to which you want – or don’t want – to close a room in, the extent to which you want it flow with the other rooms, or to stand on its own as a separate entity, and the extent to which you want the room to show off the furniture in it.

Over recent years, the fashion has been or the walls to act as a plain backdrop to keep clean lines and to allow the house to show off its contents more. The tendency has also been to keep the colours light and simple – along with the flooring. All these things are matters for personal choice as well as fashion which affect us in ways we’re barely aware of.

If you have beautiful modern furnishings, though, it’s a truism that they’re best displayed to full effect via simple and plain walls (usually light in colour) and plain flooring like wood, tiles or plain carpets.

You can then let your sofas and tables and chairs etc. be the real centrepiece furnishings of your home. There are some beautiful pieces available very cheaply these days. Have a look at your nearest diningroom furniture sale and you’ll soon see what I mean here.

The beauty of letting such centrepiece furnishings do the talking is their portability – and ease of change. They’re easy to take with you wherever you go and they’re relatively cheaper these days than they ever were – so it’s easy an immediate to change the look of your home whenever you feel like it.

Then it’s also easy to add a splash of colour here and there with plants, pictures, books and small decorative items etc.; easy!

Filed Under: Buying Property Tagged With: , ,

The pros and cons of buying a holiday home

February 8, 2012 By ABarnes

Do you have a place that you and your family love to go to on holiday, and that you return to year after year? If so, it’s probably crossed your mind to buy a holiday home there – if you have the available funds to do so.

It depends how much you want to spend and how you’re going to use the place when you’re not there that can help you figure out if it’s a worthwhile investment or just pie in the sky?

Buying a place that you can rent out to other people when you’re not using it makes a lot of financial sense. But before you decide to sign on the dotted line for a dream holiday home, think about the practicalities of running it from a distance and what would make that easier.

For example, a swimming pool is a great draw for other people interested in renting out a holiday cottage, but for the owner who lives at a distance, having a swimming pool to maintain and manage can increase hassle and costs. Unless you have someone willing and reliable close by who will look after your swimming pool as well as you would yourself, then it’s probably best to choose somewhere without one. Getting someone else to look after an acre of garden is far easier than managing a pool.

Once you’ve bought a holiday home, you’ll need to kit it out so that it’s suitable for both you and your family and for other people. There’s plenty of cheap furniture available in the shops so you won’t have to spend a lot to equip the property fully. Put yourself in the holidaymaker’s shoes – and make sure that you provide everything you’d expect to find when you rent a place for a family holiday. Keep an eye out for things like sofa sales and make sure you buy the bigger items during bargain periods.

Make sure you remember to book out the weeks that you and your family want to spend there before you get enquiries from holiday makers and you could find that your holiday home pays for itself in only a few years.

Filed Under: Buying Property, Buying Property Abroad Tagged With: , , , ,

Ten Things to Think about When you View a Property

January 30, 2012 By ABarnes

If you are looking to buy a new house then you may well be swamped by property options and drowning in detailed information. Each viewing blurs into the next and it is hard to distinguish between houses. To focus your mind and give you some helpful ideas, here are ten things to consider when buying a home…

  1. Where it is. The neighbourhood, the traffic, the schools, the shops, the commute to work… take it all into consideration.

  2. Security. Check the crime stats for the area and look at the quality of the locks on doors and windows. Will you also need to install an alarm?

  3. How much it is. Are you moving up, moving sideways or down sizing? Get your finances in place and be realistic.

  4. Where will you park? Particularly if there is no dedicated driveway you will need to suss out the potential parking issues and decide if you can cope.

  5. Is there a wow factor. Did you fall in love with it after a drive-by viewing? Are the things which don’t meet your tastes such as walk in baths easy to change?

  6. Can you expand up or out? If you are planning on growing your family you may need to add extra rooms. Check out the potential for extensions, loft and cellar conversions.

  7. What is the garden like? You may not have any children now, but if you are planning a family then outside space is a bonus.

  8. Special needs. At a certain time in life a house move may well be the last one you ever do. Consult Mobility-plus.co.uk on ideal environments for stair lifts etc and choose your retirement property sensibly.

  9. Kitchens and bathrooms. If you like them that is great, and if not do you have the finances available to change them as this is an expensive undertaking.

  10. Decorating. Look past the purple paisley wall paper and see the potential. Remember – decorating is relatively cheap to re-do.

Filed Under: Buying Property Tagged With: , , , , ,

Renting out your property

January 19, 2012 By ABarnes

If you’ve decided to let your property, and you’ve chosen to offer it as furnished, then you need to make sure your property is as good as the next one on the rental agent’s listing – or as good as any other property being rented out in the vicinity (the competition).

At the moment, there are so many places for tenants to choose between that tired old furnishings and tatty paintwork can lose you potential income.

Clean the whole property really thoroughly, and air the place well if it has been left unoccupied for any more than a few days. Places can quickly get a musty smell if they’re not being lived in.

If you have time, it may be worth spending a couple of days in overalls, painting the place throughout in fresh, neutral tones.

Take a good long look at the furniture pieces you have in the property. Do they encourage you to spend time there and will it have the same effect on a potential tenant? If your old furniture makes you feel like turning round and leaving, then it’s time to refresh and replace items.  Of course, you don’t want to spend too much on this process – you’re renting out the property to make money after all. But sometimes you have to spend a little to make a lot.  An empty property will earn you nothing.

These days cheap furniture is in abundance. And it’s reasonable quality, too. For a rental property, you’ll need to choose items that can stand a bit of heavy handling – you don’t know who will be living in your place and how they will treat it. Choose items for practicality first, looks second.

Choosing a sofa shouldn’t be too hard, especially if you go along to a sofas sale or find a good one online.  A sofa bed may not be the best idea if you don’t want your one-bedroom flat being home to more than a single person or a couple.  It’s best to stick to a straightforward sofa, and with fewer parts than a sofa bed, it’s less likely to get broken.

Pick all the furniture you buy with practicality and function foremost in your mind, and without spending too much money you should be able to refresh your property and make it eminently lettable.

Filed Under: Investing in Property Tagged With: , , , , ,

Ten Things to Think About When Renting

December 17, 2011 By ABarnes

Many people are choosing to rent a house or a flat these days as getting a mortgage is not quite as straightforward as it used to be. High deposits mean waiting longer until you can afford somewhere, and uncertainty in the employment market can have an adverse effect too. For all you budding tenants out there, here is a useful list of ten things to look out for when you are looking to rent a house:

  1. What can you afford? Decide on your budget and stick to it, especially if you are sharing with friends – you all need to be on the same page.

  2. Which area do you want to be in? Take into account local amenities such as shops and pubs and what the crime rates are like.

  3. How will you get to work? Check out local public transport networks or the ideal route if you are driving and consider the length of the commute.

  4. What kind of contract is it? Does the landlord want you to sign for six or twelve months and how does this effect you.

  5. Is the property furnished? You might own a bed but what about a table and chairs, wardrobes, sofas and so on.

  6. If the house has furniture what state is it in? You may decide on a new mattress for yourself so head to Sleepmasters for a great selection.

  7. Is the house run down or in good condition? Consider how you will feel living there and whether any problems will bother you.

  8. How well equipped is the property? Is there a freezer as well as a fridge, what about a washing machine and can you get satellite television?

  9. How fussy is the landlord? Do you have to phone them every time you want to put up a picture or will they be a bit more relaxed?

  10. And finally, when you move in, what method are you going to employ to determine who gets the best bedroom?! Very important.

Filed Under: Real Estate Tagged With: , ,

Ten Questions Every House Buyer Should Ask

December 17, 2011 By ABarnes

If you’re looking for house buying advice then look no further. Here are ten things to consider when house hunting which you might not have previously thought about…

  1. How long has the house been for sale? What are the reasons for the sale and if a previous buyer has dropped out try to find out what happened.

  2. Where are you going to park? If you have one or more car and not much, if any, driveway then you could have a daily parking issue. Chat to the neighbours about the situation and see if it is workable.

  3. Are you overlooked at all? And not just in the garden: do any of your neighbours on higher ground have a birds-eye view of your bedroom furniture, leaving you with privacy issues.

  4. Can you get an online supermarket shop delivered? You boys might not care but the working Mums out there who are responsible for feeding the family probably will – check out the postcode to find out.

  5. What are the local schools like? If you have kids, are planning to have kids or just to give you an idea of the community you will be living in, check out the local primary and high schools.

  6. Is there an obvious issue with the planning department? If you are thinking that you might wish to extend or build a loft conversion on the house make sure it is a possibility: have the neighbours done it, and if not why not?

  7. Where are the nearest local shops? Whether it’s a handy grocery store or a retail park complete with Bensonsforbeds.co.uk you need to know what you can buy locally and what the traffic implications are.

  8. What is the crime rate locally? Speak to the local police or check the data online to find out how safe you, your home and possessions are likely to be.

  9. Who lives next door, opposite and in the rest of the street? Have a little listen to local gossip and get some background information.

  10. And finally – look for the one piece of information that everyone else has missed: it could be anything from being on a flood plain to under a flight path. Dig deep!

Filed Under: Buying Property, New Buyers Tagged With: , , ,

Top Tips for House Viewings

December 17, 2011 By ABarnes

Buying a house is a huge deal. For most people it is the most expensive purchase they make in a lifetime and it is not a decision to take lightly. If you are uprooting a family for the move it is even more important to get it right so that you and your children settle in and adjust to the changes as easily as possible. Here are some top tips for when you start to visit properties you are considering buying in order to help you to make a decision:

  1. Dig deep when you talk to the estate agents: how long has the house been on the market? What are the circumstances surrounding the sale? How much interest has there been?

  2. Sort your budget out. Make sure you are realistic about your mortgage options so that you don’t end up disappointed and frustrating the vendors.

  3. Take a drive and a walk past the property at different times of the day and evening including mid week and the weekends. It is worth seeing what goes on in the surrounding area and getting a feel for the neighbours.

  4. If you think you might want to extend or do a loft conversion at some point have a look at similar properties and see what they have done. You can also sometimes have an off the record chat with the local planning department.

  5. Try to imagine yourself living there. Where will you park your cars? Which bedroom will each member of the family inhabit? Where will you store the ironing board?!

  6. What will you have to buy in order to get the place how you want it: consider beds on finance if cash-flow is an issue, Bensonsforbeds.co.uk have a great range of options.

  7. If you and your partner have a specific list of must-haves for the new house, does this property tick enough boxes for you both?

  8. What’s your gut feeling? Take the whole family round and get a vibe for the place: it has to feel right or it’s not right for you.

Filed Under: Selling Property Tagged With: , ,

The right sofa for you

December 13, 2011 By ABarnes

So, you’ve decided to change your furniture in your living room and you’re not sure what sofa is best for you and your family.

There are so many shapes and sizes of sofa available today that the choice can be rather bewildering.

It helps to empty your living room of all the furniture that is going to be replaced and then look at the space you have available. Take measurements of the room and remember to take note of potential obstacles – like a low level window or a radiator that you don’t want to block with a sofa.

Then it’s time for the fun bit.  Search online for some different sofa sales and stores and get a feeling of which retailers’ products you like. Take a few hours to do a tour of the shops you think may have what you want.

Corner sofas are very popular and come in a variety of sizes – you can get them with a chaise longue side and a sofa side, some come with seats that are recliners and others contain a sofa bed.  There are even options for clever storage under the cushions.

Traditional two-seater and three-seater sofas look good if you have a fireplace to put them either side of, or a big coffee table that you want to put in between them. You can also go for the more traditional choice of a sofa with two armchairs.

The kind of finish on the sofa you choose depends on your household. A fabric sofa can be very cosy and comfortable, but if you have small children you may find that light colours get marked easily.  If you are set on a light colour, make sure that you get it ‘scotchguarded’ before it’s delivered to protect the fabric.  Leather sofas always look smart and retain their shape really well.  They are also wipe-clean, so can be really practical.

Whichever style sofa you choose, make sure you plenty of time sitting on the showroom models to make sure they are as comfortable as they are good-looking!

Filed Under: Selling Property Tagged With: , , , , ,

Pattern dilemmas in a living room

December 6, 2011 By ABarnes

So, you’ve decided to redecorate your living room or den, and give it a fresh new look and increase the chances of it selling.  One of the most common mistakes people make when decorating their home is using bold patterns, but instead of making a statement, they end up with a horrible mess of clashing swirls, patterns and colours.

It needn’t be this way.  Just take a little time to get coordinated, and decide which items you’re going to have patterned and what you’re going to keep plain. Get down to a sofas sale and look around for some inspirational ideas.

Think about how long you’re likely to leave the room once you’ve decorated – and what will wear best, the items of furniture like sofas and chairs, or the walls and the carpeting.

In general, people are likely to change pieces of furniture more often than the carpeting.  So it might make sense to get a nice plain colour for the carpet.

Walls are easier to change – if you’ve decorated with a bold pattern along one wall and you decide after a few months it’s a bit loud and makes your room less relaxing to be in, it’s a fairly simple process to cover it up with paint, or choose a different paper that is more gentle on the eye.

You’ve also got to take the other members of the family into your decision-making.  Decorating the room with beautiful floral patterns may appeal to you and your daughter, but what if your husband is having the boys over to watch the football for an evening – will he be embarrassed to bring them into this girly salon?

If you love patterns and everyone else wants something more restrained, then perhaps its best to put your statement patterns into the accessories in the room – the cushions on the sofa, a rug in front of the fireplace, that kind of thing.  They’ll be so much easier to replace with something new when you feel like ringing the changes again.

Filed Under: Selling Property Tagged With: , , , ,
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