The government has just introduced a new incentive for First Time Buyers in what is promised to be a big boost to the housing market. What impact could it have, and is this what is needed? 2026 has certainly been a challenging year for the property market, far more so than I and many others expected. As 2025 ended, we were confident that interest rates would come down in the first monetary meeting in February 2026. With four members of the nine member panel voting for a 0.2

With prolonged hot spells and more extreme weather, we need to consider how we look after our homes.

But finding your dream home is sometimes the easy part, it’s actually buying it that can be tricky. The whole tense journey that follows of making offers and negotiating and navigating the arduous process that is often time consuming and stressful. What if you had someone to do all of that for you? Someone to take away the stress, the anxiety, the uncertainty and save you money and time. Someone to help you stay on track and in control?

Over the years (decades?!) I have had many conversations with clients where at some point they say something like: "But that's such a low offer, I'll be losing money on my house." And whilst I understand where they're coming from, it does highlight what can be a misconception about selling your house. Valuing a house takes in many factors and this may alter depending on the property market and the national and global economy. What it doesn't - and can't - take into account is

The way in which we navigate our lives has fundamentally changed, first via the internet, and then smart phones. This is now also true for how a large percentage of people conduct their shopping - for pretty much everything now. If you want to find a new home, a new car, or some kind of service; the days of turning to the classified section of the local newspaper seem like ancient history. The chances are you will switch on your mobile or laptop and start using an app or webs

To solicit: to ask someone for something. It seems worth remembering that the solicitor works for you! We all know how expensive and costly moving home can be. And cost can soon start to spiral out of control. Stamp Duty Removal costs Surveyor Various certification (i.e your boiler being serviced. ) Electrics being checked Your chimney being swept Estate agency fees Money Laundering check fees. And on top of that: solicitor's fees. So it's understandable that people do want t

Do you have an idea of your dream home in your head? Maybe you’ve always imagined a games room in the basement or an outdoor summer room; maybe a cosy thatched cottage with a real fire or perhaps somewhere quiet with open views. It can be hard to compromise on a dream; but even harder if you face a choosing between a practical option over an emotional one. Look to the future This debate between a logical choice and an emotion one is one I sometimes encounter when a buyer (whe

Sometimes, size is all that matters. Or size is just on our minds: Large, sizeable, double, triple, manageable, flexible, a good size, bigger than expected…how we describe houses and the spaces associated with them relies on the reader doing a fair bit of interpreting. How big is big ? One person’s large, is another person’s average, whilst someone else’s ‘good size’ is just ‘cosy’. It’s true of a few aspects regarding property details - I’m sure plenty of people have read th

If you have a garage, what do you use it for? According to reports as few as 1 in 5 households actually use their garage for parking their car. Even the highest estimate still has it at less than half of all households using it for the intended purpose. 1976 Fiesta 50cm shorter There are a few practical reasons for this - the main one being that whilst the garages of homes built over 40 years ago haven’t magically grown, the cars we might put in them defintiely have increase

As we approach January 1st it’s easy to get carried away with grand ideas - whether it’s plans for changing habits or setting clear goals. But how about trying something simple but effective that gives us a sense of accomplishment to start the new year? Let's face it, after Christmas, most of us are ready for a tidy and a declutter! Some people don’t wait for spring for a good clear out - it can be a good way to start a new year and feel like you’ve got a fresh start - but

“My house has sold - why does it now take so long?” Picture from Pixabay by Mohamed_Hassan Maybe it’s time to re-think how we do things - and we don’t need any housing reform for some simple changes to make things a little easier. There has been very little change in the house-buying process since 1925 - when the Law of Property Act came into force. So, 100 years later and it’s hard to argue we’ve made it easier! It is absurd to think that when I started working in an Estat

At the start of October it was announced that the government would be starting a 12 week consultation to look at ‘Home buying and selling reform’. “ ABOUT TIME! ” comes the cry from everyone involved in buying and selling houses and pretty much everyone that has ever bought a house. The introduction to the Government’s consultation neatly summarises the ultimate cost of these problems: “ ...the current home buying and selling process is long, complicated and frustrating.

One particular topic, not discussed often enough is the subject of surveys. If you are taking a mortgage, then it is often assumed your lender will instruct a surveyor to do a survey. This is not always the case.

Considering how popular home improvement and gardening shows have continued to be, It should be no surprise that similar content is proving to be a big hit on social media. But it should come with a warning!

In the rush to embrace AI, are we turning our backs on what makes us human? What's the big problem? AI can save time and free you up to focus on other things in your work and life. Thats good, right? Maybe, maybe not... I have been in estate agency for over 30 years, and - despite what a small minority of people say - selling people's homes is more than just snapping photos on my phone, scribbling down rooms sizes and notes, and "sticking" your house on Rightmove. It's about

STOP ! Don't start packing away all your knick-knacks ready for that viewing you've got coming up! Don't remove your personality from...

The mantra of 'location, location, location,' has seemingly ruled unchallenged as the top priority when moving home. I'd suggest if you...

On April 1, 2025, the Government changed Stamp Duty rates. One of the most common questions I am asked is how this will impact...

Daffs in Holywell The clocks spring forward and it can feel like we've lost an hour, or that we've gained some extra light in the evening...

A quick and practical look at house financing in the wake of some conflicting reports.