The Blog

Many of us are tightening our belts with the rising cost of living at the moment. It’s a challenging time for most of us and we’re having to re-evaluate how we spend our money. If this is something you’re particularly concerned about then there are measures you may wish to take to help you feel more in control of your finances and prepared for the changes we’re about to face. Here we have shared a check-list of ideas of how you can reduce your monthly costs and feel more in control of your finances… Switch mortgage deals Many people don’t realise that this is an option. Remortgaging, or changing your monthly mortgage costs are options that you may find are available to you right now to support you with how much you’re paying out each month. Speak to your mortgage provider and also a mortgage advisor to see what your options are. Our Mortgage and Protection Specialist, Paisley Gray, is available to support you with any questions you may have in this area. Email Paisley on paisley@pmr-fs.co.uk Food shopping and planning When shopping recently, you probably found that as you were putting items into your basket the costs of each individual item didn’t appear more expensive. However, a lot of items have increased by around 30p - £1 each. Which when added to the final total works out £20 - £50 more expensive per week for most average sized households. Cutting the costs of your weekly shopping bill may seem impossible without missing out on essentials, but there are ways to have a better handle on what you’re spending. Avoid food wastage by meal planning and only buying what you need. Shopping online is easier for this as it’s not as easy to get distracted by extra items you may see in the store. A lot of the ‘smart price’ items in store are also just the same item but cheaper packaging, so swapping for the reduced items will help to heavily reduce your bill. Swapping to supermarkets such as Aldi or Lidl can also drastically reduce your weekly costs. Meals out and day trips Cutting back on meals out and changing how you spend your free time will save on food and also fuel costs. But this doesn’t need to mean minimising your adventures, instead just plan how they can be more affordable. Could you car-share to save on fuel costs, or take a packed lunch to avoid eating out? Also look into discount websites such as Money Saving Expert to see what savings you may be able to make on activities with coupon codes. Extra money from selling unwanted goods You may find you have lots of pre-loved items just sitting around the house. Pages such as Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Gumtree and Depop are perfect ways to make a bit of extra money to put towards some of those extra expenses. Budgeting The best way to save money is to know where you’re spending it. Look at your bank statements and (if you don’t already) make a monthly budget to help you track your spending habits. You could have subscription services you forgot all about which you can cancel, or maybe you’ll find other ways to save money, such as switching providers or consolidating some of your debts to reduce your interest rates. Having a budget will make it much easier to recognise where you may be able to make those savings. Avoid wastage Finally, maybe there are ways to reduce your monthly bills by avoiding wastage. Look at the way you conserve energy, perhaps you could find there are ways to use less energy around the house. Try avoiding leaving the taps on so you’re only utilising the water you actually need. If you can walk, try walking instead of driving and using fuel. Switch your plugs off at the wall at night. We hope you found these tips helpful. Share a comment with us to let us know what steps you are taking to reduce your monthly costs.

Times are changing, and for the buy-to-let sector things are once again evolving for the better. We are now seeing the buy-to-let market on the rise, with it continuing to outperform most major asset classes. As Britain’s rented sector continues to expand, there are signs that property investment is consolidating itself as the investment of choice. Since the global financial crash of 2008, the UK has been in a significant housing shortage crisis and there has been a real shift in society, with the negative effects of the cost of living making renting the more attainable and affordable option for many households.  A programme to build new homes was started by the government, and there are now more mortgage offers on the table from lenders than ever before. With many schemes available, if you have a steady income, good credit history and are looking to make an investment to start or expand your property portfolio, now could just be the perfect time for this. Buy-to-let mortgages became a lot tougher to obtain once the country started feeling the full effects of COVID-19 and the lockdowns that followed. Deals were withdrawn by lenders, and many thought it would take years for the market to recover, Happily, recovery has happened much earlier than expected, and rates are already looking better for those with an eye on buying. Buy-to-let properties are a once more a worthy investment. Things are looking to continue improve further in the coming years which paints a rosy picture of what the future holds for landlords and investors. The landscape may be different now, but it is by no means the doom and gloom scenario that many feared we would be facing – property remains a smart thing to put your cash into.  But, and this is especially true of anybody just starting out in the business, make sure you do your research to know that you are investing smartly. Look into the local area and all the surroundings, talk to the experts, and get the advice of someone who knows the ins and outs. And take your time, don’t rush a big decision like this – this is one of those times where due diligence is a must. Do things the right way, however, and you may well find yourself reaping the rewards of a smart investment that pays off.  The biggest challenge for buy-to-let investors at this moment is securing the inventory. With the current demands in the marketplace it is becoming increasingly difficult to have an offer accepted on a property as listings are not advertised for long before a sale is agreed. This is joining agent buyers clubs is a great idea (especially when they are free!) as you will be the first to hear when new properties come to market. We launched our VIP Buyers Club this year and our buyers club members benefit from being first in line for viewings and to be told when we list new properties. For more information on how to join, head here.

Moving home is notoriously one of the most stressful things you can go through in life. This can be made worse when buying and selling a property due to the many additional layers involved in the process. In 2021 around one in three UK property purchases fell through, which would have caused so much stress for those involved. Before embarking on your home buying or selling journey, it's important to be aware of the risks involved. Your agent will be able to guide you through and keep you informed along the way to make sure your expectations are always managed. Here's 5 of the main reasons property sales fall through: A Break In The Chain A property chain is a string of transactions linked together. Just one sale collapsing can result in the whole chain collapsing and leaving many people out of pocket. There are many reasons why a chain can collapse and unfortunately this can be one of the most unavoidable situations in a sale falling through, due to how many different parties are involved. Luckily most agents take several steps to avoid unreliable buyers so this situation does happen less and less in the current climate. Conveyancing Delays Delays in the conveyancing process can lead to buyers losing patience and sales falling through. The legal practicalities of buying a house can take some time, either due to delays in documentation arriving, slow local authority searches or an unresponsive conveyancer elsewhere in the chain. The best way to get ahead of the game is to instruct a conveyancer early in the process and a good agent will always advise you of those steps early on in the process. Problems Discovered In The Home Survey Home surveys can uncover a whole range of problems with a property, from smaller cosmetic issues to major structural flaws. If a home survey finds a major issue, the buyer may look to renegotiate the price or pull out of the deal completely. Gazumping Gazumping is when the seller accepts a higher offer from someone else after they've already agreed to sell to you. This is allowed as the sale isn't official until the contracts have been exchanged. You might wish to approach the seller with reasons to go ahead with your purchase but the key thing is to not overstretch yourself financially in an attempt to win back the property. Mortgage Problems A mortgage offer expiring or a change in circumstances can mean the buyer can no longer borrow as much as they need to purchase the property. Mortgage lenders also sometimes value the property at less than the buyer has agreed to pay (a down valuation) which means buyers have to either renegotiate the price with the seller, find the extra cash to make up the shortfall or pull out of the sale.

Nine times out of ten, where is the first place a potential buyer will see your home? You guessed it – in a photograph! Whether it be online through a laptop screen or mobile phone, or on the street in an estate agent’s shop window, that small viewing frame should be treated as the place to showcase all the best angles of your home and have people longing for the lifestyle they see at the end of the lens. This, of course, applies to any house marketing photography. But with a high-value home, that features plenty of space and unique aspects, going above and beyond standard imagery will really set your house apart. And that’s where our expertise is on hand to help! Differentiating your house from the rest of the market with creative and considered expert photography is our speciality. So, we’ve collated our best ideas for how to showcase your home in – quite literally – the best light! Prep the space  Any professional photographer knows that before the shutter clicks, there’s an element of house preparation required – and this involves a little help from the homeowner. So, to provide the photographer with a clean slate on which to work their magic, make sure the house is spick and span, both inside and out. In your outdoor area, clear any vehicles and bins out of shot for the day, use a bit of elbow grease on the windows to get them sparkling, and make sure the lawn is mowed and any weeds are removed. Next, turn your attention to the inside of your house. After tidying the rooms, consider giving lacklustre walls and any worn-out furniture a fresh lick of paint. Studies show that decorating can make all the difference in the eyes of a potential buyer and will add up to 5% more to your home’s value. This is definitely something that a top-quality camera will highlight on screen too, so you can be sure it’s well worth going that extra mile. Set the scene Subtle styling and expert photography go hand in hand, especially when it comes to lifestyle imagery. Considered style choices will help to establish that emotional connection between the house and a potential buyer, enabling a thoughtfully framed lifestyle shot to provide a welcoming feel and give people a chance to truly envisage themselves in the space. So, once the house is prepped, you and the photographer can work together to add a few stylish touches to really give your home a lived-in – but carefully curated – look. Bring colour to the kitchen with fruit-filled bowls, set the dining table with your best crockery, hang fresh neatly folded towels in the bathroom, place fresh blooms in coordinating vases onto sideboards, and cosy up the bedroom with luxurious woven throws and scatter cushions. These style-savvy touches will highlight the real potential of your home in imagery and give it a well-loved feel. For outdoor specific styling advice, visit our garden blog. Get the light right Cold or clinical lighting is something to avoid when it comes to home photography, especially with a sizeable one that might look unwelcoming as a result. So, making sure the mood of the rooms are set to warm and inviting is key. This atmosphere can be achieved with photos taken on a dry day at around dusk to cast a naturally soft and calming glow. However, we know relying on the weather – especially British weather – isn’t an ideal option! So, you’ll be pleased to know that this isn’t the only way to capture the warm and welcoming look. Today’s post-production technology is your friend in this scenario. With a combination of accent and ambient lighting switched on around your home as well as an arsenal of subtle sepia-tinted filters, professional photographers can easily craft that sought-after early evening glow. Capture the scale Framing a shot to reveal the true size of your home is crucial when it comes to giving an accurate depiction of the space – and there are a few clever hacks to capture it. A whizz with full-frame cameras and an ability to experiment with varying perspectives, an expert photographer will have all the necessary equipment to hand to ensure large rooms and outdoor spaces give viewers a real representation of your home’s footprint. Showing where your house is situated in its surroundings is also a great way to indicate the true length and breadth of your home. So, if you live on a hilltop with plenty of countryside around, or you want to show the size of your garden by highlighting boundary hedges and fences, then elevated photography, perhaps with the help of a drone or aerial mast, is another useful route to take. Framing shots from a higher perspective will give scale and dimension to your house and highlight your proximity to stunning views or local Amenities that may otherwise not be realised. In the eyes of a potential buyer, elevated photography can take a modest cottage to a rural marvel, or a humble townhouse to the heart of a historic centre. Show the local area Location, location, location – we can’t emphasise this enough! When investing in a new home, most people aren’t only interested in the house itself, but also in the place that surrounds it – and rightly so. Showcasing snapshots of the local area, whether it be well-known landmarks, a quaint nearby shop, pet-friendly parks, walking trails, or picturesque views, now is the time to bring all of these aspects together and paint a picture of what life could be like living in your home. Would you like to find out more about the specialised photography services we offer? Or are you searching for more advice on how to prepare your home to go on the market? Whatever your query is, we’re here to help! We’re but a call or email away – simply contact us by phone on 01268 778333 or send us an email at info@lawrenceantonyhomes.co.uk and a member of our friendly team will be on hand to guide you.