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After weeks of anticipation, the general election is finally over, and the big news is out! The UK has a new Labour government, elected by a landslide. Whether you're thrilled, disappointed, or indifferent, the completion of the election is undoubtedly positive news for the property market.

What Does This Mean for the Market?

Property markets thrive on stability, and the end of election uncertainty provides a clearer picture of government plans for the next five years. Historically, we often see an uptick in the property market post-election, regardless of the outcome. So, as we move past the summer holidays, we could witness a market bounce.

Mortgage Rates and What to Expect

A key factor to watch is mortgage rates. Many experts predict that the Bank of England might start lowering its base interest rate now that the election is behind us. There's speculation that rates could drop from 5.25% to 4.5% by the end of the year and potentially reach 4% by the end of 2025. Lower mortgage rates mean cheaper mortgages, potentially encouraging more people to consider moving.

Labour's Housing Proposals

Labour has ambitious housing plans, including building 1.5 million new homes and increasing affordable and social housing over the next five years. These measures aim to invigorate the property market, though they will take time to implement.

For renters and investors, Labour plans to reform the rental market, promising more regulation for landlords and greater security for tenants. Additionally, Labour intends to further reform the leasehold system, which could benefit those involved in leasehold properties.

First-Time Buyers

First-time buyers are crucial to the property market. Labour's proposed Freedom to Buy mortgage guarantee scheme aims to help first-time buyers secure mortgages with just a 5% deposit, similar to the existing Help to Buy schemes but designed to be permanent. This initiative could assist around 80,000 young people in purchasing homes over five years.

Financial Implications

The new government has pledged not to raise income tax, National Insurance, or VAT, though other taxes like capital gains tax, inheritance tax, and council tax remain uncertain until the new Chancellor’s budget.

Should You Buy, Sell, or Move?

So, what does this all mean for you? Whether buying, selling, or moving, it's essential to consider your personal circumstances first. A good estate agent can provide valuable insights into the current market, helping you make informed decisions.

If you're thinking of selling, we can offer an estimate of your home's value and strategies to attract the right buyer. If you're looking to buy, we can help you explore options within your budget.

Its easy to get in touch with us if you are considering a move now that the election results are in. We're here to help you navigate the market with confidence.

Katie Griffin

Now that the dust has settled following the Prime Minister’s surprise announcement of a July 4^th General Election, we look as what this decision means for the property market.

After a steady market over the winter there have been signs of a spring bounce just lately. More sellers have been listing their homes for sale, and buyers have been buying, especially where properties are well priced. Property prices seem to be holding up well overall, according to recent stats. The latest Nationwide House Price Index says that, even after a small monthly fall, they rose 0.6% over the last year. The Halifax House Price Index says they rose 1.1%.

The prospect of an interest rate cut sometime soon has also added some spice to the market.

Then the 4 July general election was announced pretty much out of the blue – with most people expecting it to be in the autumn – and put a whole new complexion on things.

So, what does the upcoming general election mean for the market?

History tends to show us that people are cautious about making any big decisions at general election time.

But it’s worth remembering that as we move into the summer (let’s hope!), the market is rarely at its busiest anyway. People are too busy counting down the days until school’s out and they can get away on holiday. So, maybe the market will be a bit drowsy over the next few weeks. But that’s only to be expected anyway.

A big factor is probably the interest rate cut

Many experts have been predicting interest rates to be cut for a few months now, and for that to be the start of a downward trend in the cost of borrowing. Some would have bet their houses on it being cut at the next Bank of England meeting on 20 June. With that being just two weeks ahead of the election, it seems unlikely the Bank will make a move then.

While we could be wrong, an interest rate cut probably won’t happen until the Bank of England has its subsequent meetings on 1 August or 19 September.  That means some buyers might take a ‘wait and see’ attitude.  But even before a rate cut, mortgage lenders are being very competitive in the market for buyers who want to buy now.  The fall in inflation, to just 2.3% last month, might also be relevant. Some potential buyers might feel they now have a little bit more disposable income to put towards moving house.

That brings us to the fact that sentiment is very important in the property market

Many homeowners, and would-be homeowners, will be looking towards what the main parties might promise for the housing market. Both main parties are pro-home ownership. Both say they want buying a home to be more affordable, and want to appeal to first-time buyers especially.

How will they achieve this, though? Will either of them offer voters any tasty titbits? Like a Stamp Duty cut or new help-to-buy schemes? No one knows yet. We’ll all need to keep an eye on their announcements over the next few weeks to find out.

Longer term, both main parties are promising a lot more new houses. How many get built could affect supply and so affect house prices in future.

The Conservatives promised to build 300,000 new homes each year back in 2019, but later decided to relax that target. Last year, The Labour Party promised to build 1.5 million new homes over five years if they get into power.

So, what should buyers do with the general election coming up?

If you’re looking to buy, it’s only natural that you’ll feel you need to tread carefully. But now could actually be a good time to make a move. Once the general election is over, and the traditionally busy moving period starts around September, more buyers could enter the market. There could be more competition for the properties that are for sale. Prices could even start to nudge up again. So now could be a good time to work out your budget, get your ducks in a row and see what’s on the market.

What should sellers do with the general election coming up?

Should you put your house up for sale now or wait until the autumn – or even next year?

Well, a long-held belief in the property market is that well-priced, well-presented houses (and flats) will always sell.  So, a wise course of action might be to take advice from a good estate agent. Ask them about what interest there is likely to be in your property and what a suitable asking price might be. You can then decide what’s best for you.

At the end of the day, there are more positives than negatives about the general election coming a bit earlier than expected. In just a few weeks, everything will be done and dusted. There should be a lot more certainty about what lies ahead for the property market and that should benefit buyers and sellers alike.

Please fo get in touch if you need anything further.

In today's competitive property market, a well-designed outdoor space can be the make-or-break selling point for potential home buyers. Gardens are no longer just an afterthought – when planned well, they can serve as an extension of the living area.

As summer approaches, now is the perfect time to give your outdoor space a fresh makeover to maximise its beauty, functionality and appeal. So, roll up your sleeves and get ready to make the most of your outdoor retreat. With some strategic landscaping and maintenance on your home, your reimagined garden could become the true pride and joy of your property.

Clean up Gardening Tools

Now is a great time to prepare your gardening tools ahead of the gardening spree in spring and summer. Over the winter, your spades, shovels and gardening forks have likely been gathering dust and are probably still covered in mud and dirt from last year’s gardening activities. To prevent them from rusting and preserve them for years to come, give them a clean with hot water and a strong detergent. Make sure they’re fully dry before storing away and apply some oil or WD40 to any blades or hinges to keep them lubricated.

Create Entertaining Spaces

A crucial part of designing an appealing outdoor space is designating specific zones for different activities like dining, lounging and cooking. Thoughtfully mapping out these areas enables you to create a cohesive and functional layout that facilitates memorable entertaining. Start by assessing the natural flow and sightlines of your garden, then use hardscaping features like patios, decking or paved areas to define the different zones. Installing an outdoor kitchen or grill station for al fresco cooking can also be a fun addition to your garden that’s perfect for having people round for dinner and drinks.

Position a dining table and chairs nearby, or create a lounge zone with comfortable seating like sofas, plush armchairs and coffee tables under the shade of a pergola. And don't forget about lighting. With the right combination of lanterns, string lights and uplighting, you can easily extend the use of your space into the night-time hours.

Implement Water Conservation

In the early months of the year, we witness seasonal rainfall, sometimes even more excessive. So why not maximise that resource and use it for watering your garden throughout the rest of the year? Installing a water butt is an affordable and easy way to capture the water from spring showers, making your garden much more environmentally friendly. Rainwater is actually the best type of water for your plants, so your garden will flourish as a result of your eco-friendly activities. When installing your water butt, ensure you position it beneath a downpipe from your property or even a shed or garage to maximise the water collected.

Enhance Privacy

Having a peaceful, secluded outdoor retreat is a priority for many homeowners and as the weather warms up, you’ll want to spend more time relaxing outdoors. While picket fences may work for some, there are other creative ways to add privacy and seclusion to your garden space.

For a natural privacy screen, consider planting tall hedges, trees or bamboo borders. Evergreens like arborvitae, cedars and hollies can also be used to create dense green walls when planted closely together. Alternatively, opt for deciduous options like hornbeams or green arborvitae for year-round foliage. If you want an immediate sense of enclosure, install traditional fencing panels – you can soften the look by growing vines up the fence or attaching lattice panels where climbers can scramble over.

Refresh Paint and Stains

Spring is the perfect time to repair any chipped paint or faded stains on gates and fences in preparation for the warmer months. You should always wait for a dry day to paint, and ideally a day when the temperatures are likely to stay mild, to prevent your new paint from becoming damaged from mildew and moisture.

Freshening up fences, doors and sheds with a coat of paint or protective stain will not only liven up your garden for spring but will protect the wood or metal and keep it from becoming damaged by rot. While you’re undoing the impact of winter rain and snow, now’s also a great time to wipe down garden furniture like tables and chairs.

Get Planting for Summer Colour

Early spring is the perfect time to plan out the flowers and shrubs you’d like to plant in your garden for colour and vibrancy later in the year. Planting seeds early on ensures that by the time summer rolls around, your garden will be in full bloom and looking beautiful. Daffodils, alliums and tulips are all great options for a colourful garden later in the year, or you might prefer lower maintenance container plants that can be moved around the space to accommodate different layouts.

Over the winter, weeds will have taken the opportunity to settle in so take this time to go through the garden and remove any weeds you find. Weedkiller can be helpful here but you can also just remove them by hand. Rake the soil over once you’re done and consider adding a layer of topsoil to refresh the earth ready for planting flowers or fruits and veggies when the weather warms up.

This year, don't settle for an ordinary outdoor space – with some strategic planning and the right upgrades, you can completely transform your garden into an oasis that elevates both the function and appeal of your home. Focus on creating designated entertaining zones, incorporating low-maintenance landscaping and enhancing privacy and seclusion to really enjoy your garden to the fullest this year. Even small spaces can be reworked with raised beds, thoughtful plant choices and decorative screening. The possibilities are endless when you approach landscaping with both beauty and smart design in mind.

This month is a traditionally a busy time for the property market, and enhancing your garden’s appeal might be part of your strategy if you’re planning to move this year. For additional expert advice on getting ahead of the property rush and ensuring your home stands out, feel free to contact me, Katie Griffin, either by email katie@sawdyeandharris.co.uk or by phone 01364 652652.

The True Cost of Selling your House in 2024: Everything You Need to Know - Make the sale of your house as smooth as possible

Selling a house isn’t as simple as just putting it on the market, someone buying it, and being done with the whole ordeal. There are a lot of details in between that need to be ironed out, considered and put in place before you even put your house up for sale.

If you are thinking about selling your house, you need to know that there is a lot of legal work and fees attached to the process. Simply put, in order to make the sale, you need to spend some money beforehand.

In this article, we highlight some of the costs you need to know about when you are selling your house.

Some of the costs attached to selling a house

As the seller of the house, the duty falls to you to make sure that your house is in order before the sale. To do this, you need to hire the proper providers to get the job done. These are some of the services you will need.  Once you pick your estate agent, they will help you either get in contact with other providers or they will acquire the services on your behalf.

Estate Agents: These are the people who will help you with the sale process. They deal with people who want to buy and sell homes. They will put your house on the market for you, and get potential buyers to visit your house while trying to sell it to them.

Cost: Estate agents earn a percentage of the sale of the house.

Solicitors/Conveyancers: This process will deal with all the legal work needed to sell your house. You will need the help of a solicitor or a licensed conveyancer to get these documents in order.

Cost: They will either charge you a flat rate or a percentage of how much the house costs.

Removers: This is a hiring service that you may need to move your possessions out of your old house, transport it to another location, and move it into a new property or a storage facility.

Cost: Depending on how much things need to be moved, they will charge you a fee that corresponds with the size of the vehicle they have to use and the distance they have to travel.

EPC: The energy performance certificate shows the energy efficiency of the house. This needs to be acquired by the seller and handed over to the new owners. Your estate agent can often assist you with this.

Cost: The price of getting your EPC varies per provider.

Survey Fees: This is a person who will be surveying your entire property and providing a detailed report about it to the conveyancer. They will also do research into the history of your property for the report.

Cost: Based on the size and price of the property.

Extra costs: Some of the following costs are not guaranteed to crop up when selling your house, but it is important to be aware of them, so you aren't caught by surprise. Some extra costs include Preparation costs, mortgage fees, cleaning costs, Capital Gain Tax, and Inheritance Tax, if applicable.

The next steps

With all the cost-related things known, your next step is to be prepared for the house to go on the market.

Choosing an agent: As you will get the help of many different professionals for selling your house, it would be best to shop around for the best options to save costs.

Be prepared: You will also have a lot of foot traffic in your home prior to it going on the market, and once it is on the market. If you are a private person, you need to be accustomed to people walking through your home for periods of time.

Tidying Up: Due to the amount of people that will be in your home, you would want to put your best foot forward. Make sure that your house is clean and presentable to make a good impression on the potential buyers. You can hire professional cleaners to help you achieve your goals.

Lease: Check how much time is left on your leasehold. If the remaining time is low, then you can apply for a lease renewal. 

Inventory: As you are packing up your stuff, take stock of what you have, and when you unpack in your new space, you will be able to have a good idea of whether or not everything is in order.

Conclusion

Selling your house is unfortunately not a simple process - to make the sale, then you need to put some money into the process so that it goes smoothly. Once you choose an estate agent, they will help you make sure that everything is on the right path to make the transition to the new owner as easy as possible. 

While a property’s location is one of the most important features that buyers (and renters) consider, it’s worth noting that exploring the merits of the street and the wider neighbourhood go a lot further than a popular postcode.

For buyers searching for their next move in an unfamiliar place or sellers about to market a property, being well-informed about the finer details of the locality might come down to securing a sale quickly or losing out. In addition to knowing whether a house is situated in a catchment area for great schools or has a well-kept street, today’s house hunters remain interested in the closest supermarkets (once dubbed ‘The Waitrose Effect’), what’s on in the community and whether there are natural beauty spots nearby. These factors go beyond the word ‘location’ and can mean as much as the overall feel of a place.

Our latest blog explores the benefits in promoting the wider appeal of your home’s address to attract interest from buyers, to increase the number of potential viewings and to possibly increase your home's worth.

Make first impressions count

If you have decided to put your home on the market, its presentation can make all the difference when it comes to creating that critical first impression. Whether a prospective buyer has walked past or looked online, how a house looks is so important and reports state that 68% of buyers value kerb appeal more than other features. Once they have fallen for the property’s location, people might make their minds up about whether they like a property in minutes. You want to ensure that interested parties can imagine living there so it’s a good time to make the most of your property’s external aesthetics.

To maximise its kerb appeal try to focus on the immediate outside area, including your driveway, front door, roof, paintwork, fences, hedges, and gardens to make sure they are all presentable, tidy and well maintained. You can help by mowing the lawn before any photos are taken, tidy away bins and even ensure that your street’s pavement has been weeded and there’s no rubbish lying around.

Portray a winning location

Once your home has been valued and marketed, its location will stand out with exceptional photos, a virtual tour and videos. In a digital age, a property’s online presence is crucial and prospective buyers will quickly decide to arrange a viewing or pursue a sale if they like what they see. Professional street photography is perfect if your property is in the prettiest part of a town or a vibrant area. If you have the budget and a large or rural house that will benefit from the overview capabilities of drone footage, an aerial video can capture a home’s gardens, pinpoint its scenery and help viewers to see its impressive surroundings. 

You can also promote the unique location of your property using bright, fabulous photos of any parts of Dartmoor, maybe a great view, famous landmarks nearby or anything special about the location. If a house has a breathtaking backdrop or overlooks something incredible, people who are viewing online need to know these location highlights especially if they are exceptional parts of a village, seaside town or historic part of the country.

Showcase a desirable address

Your home's address is so much more than the features inside the walls. If you are currently looking for a new home, or are about to list a property to sell, you’ll be aware of the value and importance in marketing your home to attract potential buyers’ interest and achieve your asking price. 

When marketing and valuing a property, your estate agent already realises the value in advertising the unique selling points of your particular location. They place exceptional importance on advertising all the marketable features to help sell your property. 

Once your house is on the market, an online search should reveal what is great about its location at the top of its listed description. Typically, it might emphasise how quiet a street is, if it’s tucked away in a cul-de-sac, well-positioned near a pretty church or set back from any busy, noisy roads. This search phase will relay its prized proximity to supermarkets, local amenities like leisure centres, gyms, parks, schools, bus routes and stations. In addition, the location description will be boosted with Map and Google Street Views. They pinpoint the exact address, the entire surrounding area and invite viewers to take an eye-opening virtual stroll to get to know the location in greater depth. 

Mention the finer details 

While descriptions speak volumes about a location and give buyers an idea of what to expect, people will always appreciate knowing the smaller details that are not obvious from online searches. A house that offers buyers a healthy and happy lifestyle appeals, so point out if your garden is south facing and if it only takes a few minutes to reach that lovely park.

With people more attracted to sustainable living, they will want to know a property’s ‘walkability score’ and the ease with which they can reach actual destinations. This might be in relation to schools and shops, access to public transport and local amenities. It also refers to the access of people physically (if they have mobility issues) and in practical terms if they don’t want to pay for parking, or want to live a greener life and not drive everywhere. With sustainability an important part of people’s lives, you might want to mention distinctive features like bike paths, community gardens and any nearby EV charging units in the street.

Likewise, naming a property can be beneficial as it can convey prestige about a house and its location. This could potentially add more value to your property (for a minimal investment), as well as attract more interest. However, it’s important to assign a name that appeals and reflects its distinct character like ‘Day Dawn’ or ‘Holly Tree Cottage’.

Listen to local insights 

Talk openly to people living locally about what they think as their insights cost nothing but can be invaluable in the decision-making process. While you might be impressed by how near the children’s playground is, will they be safe for children and pets? Ask neighbours, shop owners and parents at local schools about why they love living there and any other insights about the neighbourhood. 

Don’t forget to ask about local shops, healthcare provisions and restaurants. If you don't own a car, you’ll want to know how reliable the public transport is and if you have teenagers, a good bus route or nearby station is likely to make everyone’s lives easier. Likewise, if you work from home, you’ll want to check how good the local broadband speed is.

When you’re planning to buy a property, finding out as much as you can about the surrounding area is incredibly valuable. Ask your local estate agent for advice and read any ‘About Your Area’ pages. Experienced estate agents develop relationships with lots of local residents and are active in their local neighbourhood and business communities which is a great way to gain insider perspectives on properties and the locality.

For many the first point in a house move journey is to understand the value of their current home. Whether you want a quick, instant online valuation indication or a more robust specific and individual valuation, we would be delighted to help - click here to get your online valuation.