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Spring Clean!

April signals the beginning of spring and is the perfect time of year for both landlords and tenants to check the general condition of their property. Here’s how to ensure everything is in tip-top shape and ready for summer.

Spring cleaning tips for landlords

If the property or any outbuilding is timber clad, have a look at the exterior woodwork and take the opportunity to get any damaged areas repaired, then treated or repainted.

As the weather gets warmer, there is a greater risk of infestations. To prevent pests coming into a property, it is advisable to check the roof for any slipped tiles, rips or tears. Also make sure there isn’t any crumbling brickwork or holes in the exterior walls, in particular check airbricks and ventilation covers along with historic gaps/holes from old plumbing systems.

The boiler and heating system may have been working overtime during the colder months, so to help mitigate future issues consider undertaking a timely service of the system.

If the property has the benefit of air-conditioning, get the units checked now so they are fully operational when the temperatures rise.

Gutters and downpipes should be cleared of leaves and debris, and check that drains and soak-aways are clear and free-running. If not, check your agreement with your tenant as it is likely that they will share some responsibility for having them cleared.

If you have opted for a management service, your agent is likely to undertake these checks on your behalf. Check with your agent.

Spring cleaning tips for tenants

Unless gardening services are included in your rent, now’s the time to start thinking about maintenance. Particularly, clear the lawns and borders of obvious weeds before they take hold. If you have patio or garden furniture, it is likely to need cleaning and, if made of wood, re-oiled to make it look smart in time for outdoor entertaining.

If you have an outdoor pool, now is the time to open it up, top it, clear any debris and make sure the chemicals are level, so it is in full working order by the summer.

As a tenant, you should always keep an eye on the property and report maintenance issues to your landlord or agent in a timely manner. If in the course of your spring clean you happen to notice anything untoward, make sure you report it in writing so that action can be taken.

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5 Tips For A Perfect Viewing

Viewings are one of the most important parts of the buying process, it allows a prospective buyer to find out more about the property and the area and ultimately it will help them decide if it’s really the place for them to call home.

As the seller, you want your property to give off the very best impression and ultimately find someone who thinks it feels like home to them. The process can be long and stressful, so these 5 tips might just help you along the way to preparing for, and hosting the perfect viewing.

First impressions really do count!

Viewings are always arrange for a mutually appropriate time, so if you then are unable to make it at the last minute or are browsing the aisles of your local supermarket whilst someone waits on your doorstep, you might as well rule that viewing out. Make sure you’ve spent some time cleaning and making a fresh and welcoming environment, whilst you want the property to be respectable, remember it isn’t a show home and showing it’s lived in can help to make people a little more comfortable. Some bright seasonal flowers and lots of nice natural light always make a property seem more welcoming.

Kerb Appeal

Whilst, it’s important to have the inside of the property looking spot on, how does your property look from the road? If you’ve got an overgrown front garden trim it back and make it presentable so that when the potential buyers pull up outside, they can see a nice clear view of the property. If it looks like it’s poorly maintained, you could get off on the wrong foot and they may enter the property with a negative impression.

Make it feel like home

It’s your home and the prospective buyers will be quite aware of this – you know it best so showing off the best features of the property and even telling little quirky anecdotes of the time your kids turned the under-stairs cupboard into their den will help them to picture their family calling it home.

Don’t be pushy

You’re not there to push someone in to buying your home, you’re there to show them around the property and learn how fantastic it is. Sometimes it takes a buyer a little bit of time to decide if a property is right for them, making good impressions and answering any questions that they may have will always help them to make a decision of their own.

Keep the best for last

Make like a magician and have something up your sleeve that the buyers aren’t expecting. Whilst you should start with a nice feature like your fantastic new kitchen, when you’re coming to the end of the viewing slip in another feature that will really impress, show off your mature, landscaped garden or the stunning views from your loft-room – adding these in last will make your home stick in their mind and will add a talking point when they begin to shortlist further.

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Reasons why buyers prefer a new home vs used

Design Your Dream Home Your Way:
Why settle for someone else’s choices when you can select your favorite cabinets, countertops, appliances, carpets and flooring? While you’re at it, you can choose gorgeous bath and kitchen fixtures, lighting and other options that you love. Your new home will reflect your style, not someone else’s taste it’s a win win situation.

Choose a Floor Plan and Room Layout that Meets Your Needs:
Want a master bedroom on the first floor? It’s all yours. With massive his and her’s walk-in closets? Done! Want high ceilings and a luxurious, resort-style master bath? Perhaps you’d like a sitting room with a fireplace! It’s easy, when you build your way.

It’s Low Maintenance:
Building a house from scratch can be tough to begin with but once thats out of the way you should be in for an easy ride! Today’s new homes have open floor plans and high ceilings that reflect the way we live today. They’re also made of cutting-edge building products that require less care and maintenance. Another plus? The latest building systems and components are designed and engineered to work together. Ultimately leading to less problems and lower cost!

A used home was someone else’s dream, but not yours. It reflects their choices and family memories, not yours. You may learn to love those pink peace appliances (and you may be willing to scrub stained countertops or grease-encrusted ovens and cooktops)!

All in all, new homes offer the latest design, equipment and comfort, something you can tailor to suit your individual taste and needs, it would be all yours.

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A few reasons as to why you should buy a new build!

Your home will be green, clean and more eco-friendly

Developers are beginning to construct new build homes to help the outside whilst you stay cosy on the inside. With rising concerns about climate change and preserving local wildlife, developers are forced to conduct an environmental study of any possible construction site to evaluate any impact on surrounding nature and wildlife. Also with the introduction of tougher regulations, new build homes are 60% more energy efficient than period homes. Features such as solar panels and insulation are essential to ensure that energy is sustainable and that warm air is kept inside, meaning a much lower energy bill for the happy homeowner!

Your home will be stylish and affordable

With new build homes come new, up to date features. Being able to observe the structural problems of period homes, developers have been able to cover all angles to create luxurious yet practical abodes. Hayman’s new builds are build so that you can make the most out of the space you have making it a social environment to be in.

Your home will be in a great location with connection to great transport links on your doorstep

When looking for a new home, it’s important that we stay connected with friends and family no matter how far away they may be. Many new build homes are designed to accommodate and eradicate the hassles that are put upon commuters by developing sites close to easy transport links. Mansfield Woodhouse train station is less than a 10 minute walk and operates a regular direct service to the centres of Nottingham, Worksop, Lincoln, Grantham and Loughborough.

Now we know that us Brits are a nation obsessed with period properties – the character, the fireplaces, the bay windows – but as we’ve shown with the reasons above, buying a new home has some serious advantages! Especially for home hunters who may be struggling to buy on the open market, new build properties offer a viable and affordable alternative to period homes and you can put your own touch on them, they’re like a blank canvas, with high quality of the fixtures and fittings, coupled with the significant savings on energy bills, should convince more and more people to explore their options when it comes to buying new homes.