Month: August 2023

Close your eyes and picture your dream home. What do you see?

 

A home that’s light, spacious and orderly? Or one that’s chaotic and cluttered with objects piled high and shoes and clothes strewn on the floor (along with bits of Lego that you inevitably tread on).

 

The first scenario is the one that most people aspire to – and for good reason.

 

Research shows that when our environment is tidy, we’re less anxious and more productive. In contrast, we feel more distracted and stressed when everything around us is in disarray.

 

But creating a mess-free, stress-free environment isn’t always easy. In modern life, we tend to accumulate lots of ‘stuff’, especially if we have children.

 

One way to curb clutter is to invest in good storage solutions. If everything has a rightful home, it’s much easier for you (and those you live with) to put things away where they belong.

 

Here are some tips to help you take your home from cluttered to calm.

• Start by tackling major problem areas like the cupboard under the stairs. Go through what you’ve got tucked away and get rid of things you rarely or never use. Group the items that you’re keeping into categories and store them together.
• Use coordinated containers to make things look uniform and neat. Rectangular, stackable containers are best but don’t forget to label them so you know what’s inside.
• In the kitchen, put shelf inserts in tall cupboards to better utilise vertical space.
• Not all items need to be out of sight – create a striking display by mounting interesting objects on a wall. Decorative plates can look great displayed together, as can hats or (if you’ve got lots of wall space) bikes. Check out Pinterest for inspiration.
• Instead of finding kids’ pencils and crayons in every room, load all the art supplies on a trolley or rolling cart. That way, the little ones can move the trolley to different rooms depending on their mood, but at the end of the session, everything has to go back on the trolley.
• Make the most of spare space under the bed by investing in stylish rectangular baskets. These can be great for storing bed linen, towels and shoes.
• Use drawer organisers so you can find what you’re looking for instantly.
• Upholstered storage benches look great, provide seating and can be a useful place to keep photo albums, blankets and tablecloths.

What’s your best storage tip?

 

The number of downsizers active in the housing market has skyrocketed in recent months*, and is it any wonder?

With steep hikes in energy bills, interest rates and inflation, many people feeling the squeeze are rethinking how – and where – they want to live.

Downsizers are often stereotyped as empty nesters flying the coop to enjoy retirement. But due to economic issues, a wider variety of homeowners are now looking to make a change.

For many of them, downsizing isn’t about starting a new chapter in life but securing financial breathing space by moving to a home (possibly in the same area) that is less expensive to buy and run.

Others looking to downsize may have returned to the office after the Covid working-from-home trend and no longer need as much living space.

Whatever the motivation for making the change, for those thinking about downsizing, here are five factors to consider.

Financial aims – It’s essential to have clear financial goals so you can determine a realistic budget for your next property. Are you looking to reduce your mortgage or become mortgage-free? Or is your aim to free up equity to help a family member? It may be useful to speak to a financial adviser so you can understand all the implications of your move.

Maintenance – If tending to a large garden and handling all the DIY is an unwanted burden, moving to a smaller place might be a welcome move. But bear in mind if you move to an apartment block, you may have to pay service charges and ground rent.

Look ahead – When choosing your next home, consider what your lifestyle is likely to be like five or ten years down the track. Think about issues such as maintenance and accessibility.

Space and storage – Downsizers should prepare themselves for a serious declutter. If you have lots of large pieces of furniture, consider giving some items away to friends or family.

Costs – Before you can enjoy reduced living costs in your new home, you’ll have to pay out on things like stamp duty, legal fees and removal expenses. Make sure you budget for these expenses.

If you’d like a free property valuation, contact us here at Chamberlains today.

* Figures show a 53% rise in downsizers active in the market from September 2022 to April 2023, Savills.

 

As a landlord, as well as managing the finances, the property and any repairs or maintenance, you also have to remember to look after your tenants. Whilst nine times out of ten you’ll never have to deal with anything too difficult, sometimes relationships can be testing.

So, what’s the best way to deal with issues that arise during a tenancy? In this quick read, we look at ways to deal with such problems.

• Help avoid fall-outs 

You can’t control the arguments that arise between tenants; however, you can try to avoid future rows by setting out clear advice around the following areas:

• Liabilities

The key here is the term ‘jointly and severally liable’. Ensure tenants understand they’re both/all responsible for rent and other obligations set out in the contract. The tenancy agreement makes them equally responsible for the duration they have signed for.

• Contact details

Ensure all the tenants are provided with important information relating to the tenancy, such as who manages the property and who to contact for emergencies or repairs.

• Guarantors

Sometimes, a tenancy is granted with a family member/friend acting as a guarantor. The guarantor usually guarantees the whole tenancy, so if your tenants are friends, it is important that the guarantor understands that they are liable for both tenants.

• Notices

Generally, one tenant can serve notice on behalf of both tenants to terminate the joint tenancy. However, a different process is followed if some tenants want to remain in the property whilst others want to leave – so it’s important they’re aware of this.

What to do if your tenants fall out

Sometimes, when people live together, things don’t work out. But what can you do as the landlord? It’s important to stay neutral. Perhaps one tenant is calling to complain about another, or someone wants to move out; whilst you can try and mediate between tenants, this could lead to more issues, so tread carefully. If there are queries about bills, you can advise who is responsible for things like utilities and rental payments but don’t agree to anything you’re unsure about.

Top tip: If a tenancy needs to end early, make sure you’ve checked the tenancy agreement carefully for any costs the tenants may incur and take the advice of your letting agent.

What to do if you fall out with your tenant 

No matter how hard you try, you can’t get on with everyone. It’s important to remain polite and business-like in such situations and try to resolve repairs and maintenance issues quickly to avoid escalating the situation.

If you and a tenant can’t see eye to eye, it may be worth speaking to your agent to see if they can take over the property’s management. This will save any unpleasantness and hopefully make the tenancy run smoothly.

If you’re looking to rent out a property, speak to our team at Chamberlains.