If the lighter evenings and better weather have spurred you into action in the garden this weekend, you might be very pleased to know that your outdoor endeavours can boost the value and saleabililty of your property for the long term. Most prospective buyers when faced with the choice between similar properties will be swayed by ‘a really nice garden’. Surveys  indicate that 80% of buyers feel that it could add as much as 15% to the value of your home.

The current economic climate means that not as many homes are being sold of course. Spending some time and a little money on the garden is a long-term investment, improving your living space for you and proving beneficial when and if you decide to sell.

The preference up to now has been for ‘minimal maintenance’ as many people want a pleasant outdoor space for relaxation and entertaining but don’t have the time or knowledge to maintain it. However the upsurge in ‘growing your own’ combined with a pitiful shortage of allotments means that a potager or small veg patch is likely to prove popular in future.

Happy gardening!

The latest addition to the HIP (Home Information Pack) is due to become mandatory on April 6th. This is the Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ)  HIPS themselves have never been very well received - and essentially were too watered down to be meaningful to buyers. The information they really wanted to know about a prospective home was not a compulsory part of the pack, like the Home Condition Report for instance. But from April 6th every house which comes to the market will need to have a HIP (including the PIQ) from the first day of marketing.

There continues to be a lot of wingeing in the industry about the HIP but the feeling now is that the HCR would have been a positive thing! The PIQ is designed to be completed by vendors without the need for professional help however. You can download a sample here. It will provide useful information for prospective purchasers about such things as utility providers, council tax bands, history of flooding, building and maintenance work carried out and parking arrangements.  Much of this information is already available but the PIQ will provide an easy reference guide and, one hopes, a level of protection where there is a question mark over the quality of building work (eg loft conversion), where there has been flood damage or where neighbourhood parking wars are a common occurence.

In the current climate purchasers need to be as well informed as possible before committing to a property. As such the PIQ can only be a good thing.

Spring is traditionally a time of new beginnings and the search for a new house gathers pace. According to the latest reports from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors although enquiries from prospective homebuyers are up for the fouth month in a row, actual sales are still on the decline with estate agents selling only three properties a month on average. Why is this?

Some buyers are still finding it difficult to obtain mortgages of course but the actual cost of moving house is also a factor when finances are tight. So here some tips to help you keep the cost down when you’re looking for a new beginning in a new property.

1. First face facts that some economies are simply not worth it. Doing your own conveyancing for instance. The consequences of making a mistake are huge. Even solicitors don’t do a DIY job. After all, they need to have someone to sue if it all goes horribly wrong. You can shop around for a conveyancer however, secure a good deal  and save some money that way.
2. One of the biggest costs involved is to do with selling your existing property. You can keep these to a minimum in one of two ways. Either you drive a hard bargain with an agent, beating their selling fee down or be your own agent.
3. If you prefer to use an agent some firms now offer fixed fees of 0.5% of the selling price. They keep their overheads low by insisting that you conduct your own viewings. If you have the time and ability to do this, it’s worth it. The marketing on the internet (on Rightmove for instance) is just as good, they may have high street offices and there is support for you through the negotiation process - and all at a fraction of the cost of the bigger players. If you have a very specialist property however, this may not be the best way to go. Some agents are worth their fees because they have the knowledge and contacts to get the job done efficiently.
4. If you decide to go it alone, you will need to ensure that you value your property correctly, market it effectively and can put the time and effort required into conducting the viewings yourself. There are websites to help you with the valuation. Try the Land Registry. This will give you up to date selling prices of comparative properties in your area - or you may already have had your property valued by a local agent. Marketing can be done via local ad or better still sign up with an internet company like Houseladder or The Little House Company. There are a few out there. They will provide a professional looking for sale board and internet marketing -which is increasingly the first port of call for prosepective buyers. Don’t undersestimate the time and effort involved in having to do it all yourself, but if funds are really tight and you have the wherewithal to do an effective job, this is where you can save a good few thousand pounds.
5. Virtually all homes are required to have a Home Information Pack nowadays and there are deals to be done here too with a myriad providers. Check this website for details.
6. Saving costs on the buying part of your move concern three main areas - the price you pay, the survey and the level of stamp duty. There is little that can be done to save on stamp duty except to keep below the thresholds where the price goes up. Properties worth less than £125K are exempt (£150K in some deprived areas). From £125K to £250K you pay 1%; above £250k to £500K it’s 3% and above £500K it’s 4%. If the property you want is valued at £350K there is little you can do to pay less than the 3% tax required of you.
7. Surveys are quite another matter. Generally speaking you are paying for the level of security offered by having a professional cast their eye over the property you’re thinking of buying. On an older property expensive remedial work could be avaoided and it is money well spent. Most newer properties do not require a full structural survey. A Homebuyer’s report will point out any obvious defects.
8. Moving Day itself can be an expensive business. Personally I can think of nothing worse than moving yourself in a hired transit - twenty trips up and down the M4 giving yourself permanent back problems after weeks of packing up your life’s possessions - but you might like it. But if you are only going a few streets away and have a small army of friends to call on you don’t need to spend oodles. Enlist whoever you can, collect boxes from the supermarket or on Freecycle for weeks beforehand and turn it into an event with pizza and wine or fish and chips (provided by friends or family?) as a reward at the end.
9. The next level is to hire a man with a van to help you with the heavier stuff and do the rest yourself.
10. If you go the whole hog and book a removal company then you can keep costs down by packing your possessions yourself and avoiding really expensive days. Try to avoid Fridays, particularly the last Friday of the month - with those in march, June and September being particularly expensive.

Are you looking for a clear way forward in your property search? Can’t see the wood for the trees? Tempted to call in a homefinder? STOP. With the recent news that even TV property guru Phil Spencer’s company Garrington is not immune from the effects of the credit crunch (sadly, it’s in administration!), are we to think that the property bubble has finally burst?

Nationwide’s figures reported a continued fall in house prices in February and yet, houses are still selling. All but one property at a local  auction attended recently more than reached its reserve price. Two years ago the call was to move, improve and move on swiftly, having made a quick profit. Last year we debated whether improving was better than moving in the bid to add value to your property. Now, for sure, buyers are in it for the longer term, looking for homes rather than investment potential and so getting it right is especially important.

So how do the likes of me (and formerly Phil)  make a difference? Most people are capable of deciding where they want to live aren’t they? Here’s a quick summary of what you get for your money for those of you who are looking to move and save every penny you can at the same time.

• You don’t have time to search thoroughly yourself

Anyone who has ever moved house will tell you that searching for a suitable property can take weeks and sometimes months of frustration and wild goose chases. It’s rare to find the one straight away. Equally if you buy in haste you may not have accumulated enough information to make the best decision. So  get someone else to do the legwork for you. 

FACT - You can do this yourself . You are paying for three things - less stress, the costs of travelling to all the properties which seem suitable on paper and the opportunity to have a sniff at a property which may not have come to the market yet or which will fly off the shelf when it does.

• You want to get the best possible price

In the current market where supply outstrips demand there is choice and a deal to be done. But how do you know whether you are still paying too much? How long has a property been for sale? Why are some areas cheaper than others? Is it a fair price? Home finders have local knowledge that can help you avoid the pitfalls and can negotiate on an equal basis with estate agents on your behalf.

FACT - You may be equally knowledgeable and a great negotiator. In which case why pay someone else to do it for you?

• You don’t know the area

Most home finders live and work in your search area. Thus, they can interpret your search brief efficiently and save you time and money in drawing up a short list of suitable properties. These days, school catchment area, journey to work, availability of leisure activities and shops are all really important. Any homefinder worth their salt will assist you in deciding what is really important to you, where the compromises have to be made and what the consequences of your decisions will be. Yes. It is a bit like therapy in the early days.

FACT - You already know the area, have researched the local market thoroughly and have a plan of action. That’s great and if this is the only reason you’d employ a homefinder, you’d be wasting your money.

• You want someone independant on your side

Many estate agents are professional and helpful. But it is their job to sell their client’s house to you. That’s how they earn their money. Don’t assume that they will also act in your best interests. Home finders work for you and only you. Their job is to find you the best property at the best price regardless of who is selling and without being influenced by commissions.

FACT - Apart from the initial registration fee (in my case £300 for a period of up to six months searching) you do not pay a homefinder a penny unless they successfully find you a house that proceeds to exchange of contracts. By this time you can expect to have found a house you can be confident in, often at a reduced price.

So there you are - home finders……..disposable luxury or a cost effective way to ensure that the house you’re stuck with for the next few years is worth what you paid for it and is the best of what was available. It’s up to you.