Category: Chamberlains Blog

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Top 5 most common winter home problems

Winter is a busy time of the year for everyone. From trying to get work done before you shut down for Christmas to just managing to find the perfect gifts and festive treats for yourself and your family, it can be something of a hectic period for everyone; not least letting agents.

Agents can often find that winter is the busiest period of the year, largely because it can be when tenants will experience the most problems with the property they live in. Winter weather can exacerbate problems in the house, and tenants are more likely to call up to have someone pop round and rectify them.

Many of the problems that will arise at this time of the year will be quick fixes, or even things you can deal with in advance, but as an agent it’s important to just know what’s likely to go wrong. After all, at a hectic time of the year like the festive, it can be great to just have an idea of what to expect. Here, we take a look at the five most common problems that tenants might face in the colder weather.

Draughts

Something that can go the whole year without being spotted, draughts are particularly problematic in the winter months thanks to the wind chill factor, and the fact that tenants will see their heating bills creep up, so it can be a good idea in advance to put insulating strips around the windows and doors before the cold weather really kicks in to alleviate this issue.

Boiler breakdowns

Boilers never seem to break down throughout the year, but when winter comes and people need them most, they always seem to decide that it’s time for a little TLC and a repair. This can be infuriating and frustrating for tenants, but as a letting agent, you can help by having someone qualified on call to help them get their heating back in working order as soon as possible.

Frozen pipes

The biggest issue with frozen pipes is that they have the real potential to lead to much larger problems when they thaw, exposing cracks caused by the ice and leaving homes flooded. The best course of action is to advise tenants how having the heating on regularly can help to avoid this issue in advance. With this issue, it’s definitely better to be proactive rather than reactive!

Roof problems

Another problem that is exacerbated by winter weather, heavy winds and stormy rain can cause issues with loose roof tiles and expose weaknesses in their makeup. This can, of course, lead to leaky roofs and tenants facing a miserable winter. When leaks occur, it’s absolutely vital to get them patched as soon as possible.

Trees

Most of us would probably not even look at a tree as being a potential problem, but they really can be if they’re not kept under control. In winter, it’s not unknown for high winds and rain to contribute to trees falling and colliding with homes, causing a lot of damage. It’s for this reason that it’s always a good idea around winter to just trim trees back a little and make sure they are in good condition for withstanding some of the worst weather.

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Six of the top ten places most desirable places to live are in Devon and Cornwall

The Isle of Skye has been named the nation’s most desired place to live, after almost 24,000 people were asked by Rightmove where they would most like to live in Great Britain.

It’s clear the nation wants a room with a view as the top ten most desired places to live are islands, seaside towns and places of outstanding beauty across Great Britain.

The popular seaside resort of Woolacombe in Devon made second place on the list, with one of the most expensive seaside towns of Salcombe in Devon coming eighth, where average asking prices are just below those in London, at £635,083.

Four places in Cornwall make the top ten: the market town of Callington, the surfer’s seaside town of Newquay, the fishing port of Padstow and holiday favourite St Ives. Flying the flag for the north are Keswick and Ambleside, both in the beautiful Lake District.

The top 10 most desired locations to live in Britain are:

Place Region Average asking price
Isle of Skye Scotland £230,952
Woolacombe South West £346,396
Callington South West £235,860
St Ives South West £366,628
Keswick North West £319,628
Pembroke Wales £169,969
Padstow South West £421,290
Salcombe South West £635,083
Ambleside North West £431,669
Newquay South West £246,976

 

Rightmove’s Research Manager Abiola Oni comments: “The nation clearly want to retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city and settle down in some of the most beautiful places around Britain, from as north as the Isle of Skye to as south as the glitzy town of Salcombe. It’s interesting that none of the areas are in the highest priced regions of Britain, London and the South East, likely because the appeal of some of the big cities is the good job options and transport links rather than moving for the amazing scenery.” 

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Could a wood-burning stove save you money on your energy bills

  • Almost 200,000 wood-burners were installed in Britain last year
  • The initial outlay can be expensive, costing £3,000 on average (including installation)
  • But they can significantly reduce your heating bills over time

With the weather turning and the days growing shorter, attention is shifting to the darker months ahead and keeping our homes warm.

One way of making a home more cosy this winter – and potentially saving money along the way – is installing a wood-burning stove.

While the initial outlay can be expensive, they can reduce your fuel bills, while at the same time being a fashionable addition to your home.

Why have sales risen in the past decade?

Wood-burning stoves were traditionally found only in countryside homes, which had a shed of wood close by and draughty rooms to keep warm.

But Paul Chesney, who runs the upmarket fireplace shop Chesney’s, says: ‘A decade ago, wood-burners were just not found in towns and city homes, but they’ve since gain ground in urban areas.’

He adds that they remain popular in countryside homes.

In total, 195,000 wood-burners were installed last year, according to the Stove Industry Alliance. This is up from 180,000 in 2012, but down from 210,000 in 2014.

Hugh Wells, vice chairman of the Stove Industry Alliance, said: ‘Installation figures have flattened recently due to winters not being so cold and the oil price being down. These factors do have an effect.

‘Wood-burning stoves are generally installed for a reason, such as a secondary heating supply or to save money. There is a percentage who have them installed because they are fashionable.’

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House price forecast bodes well for south west

House prices will rise by more than £50,000 in some areas over the next five years, Savills forecast, as it mapped out potential property gains across the UK. The typical value of a home across the country will rise 13 per cent by the end of 2021. However, the biggest monetary gain is tipped for the South East, where higher prices combined with a larger percentage (17%) increase led to a forecast rise of £53,200 over five years. And the South West is forecast to enjoy a 14% increase by 2021 producing an average price of £272,000.

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Cats vs Dogs: Which are more accident prone around the home?

We are a nation of animal lovers. We love our pets dearly, especially cats and dogs. They offer companionship and comfort to millions thoughout the UK and are treated like members of our own family. So which ones would cause the most damage to your home?

To mark National Cat Day on October 29th, Admiral has looked at claims involving cats, and dogs to see which cause the most accidents and which could potentially cause the most headaches for proud homeowners.

Homeowners who want to get a pet but can’t decide between a cat and a dog might want to consider new research carried out by insurance expert Admiral. It has looked at all home insurance claims involving dogs and cats in the last year and has found dogs are a much bigger liability. In fact doggy disasters outnumber feline cat-astrophes by four to one.

In its research,  Admiral looked at all its home insurance claims involving cats in the last year. It identified 51incidents caused by cats. Over the same period, its customers had registered 195 claims due to dogs.

Was the difference because there are more pet dogs than pet cats in the UK? Well according to the Pet Food Manufacturers Association there are around 16 millions dogs and cats in the UK, with dogs accounting for slightly more than half of them at 53%. So why did dogs account for 79% of all the accident claims Admiral received involving the two animals?

John McSherry, head of Household Claims at Admiral, gave his insight: “Our data suggests dogs are just more accident prone than cats. So if you’re house proud, are looking to get a pet and can’t decide between Fido or Mittens, I’d suggest you go for a feline friend.

That said, a dog can deter potential burglars, and while I’ve known some feisty cats in the past, I’m yet to meet a guard cat. I guess you just need to decide what you want from your pet and do what you can to prevent accidents involving either of them happening in the first place.”

The view that dogs are the more accident prone is supported by the types of claims involving the two different animals. Those caused by cats tend to involve them knocking things off shelves and tables, in particular, glasses of red wine or iPads and tablets. The other common cause of cat related claims is clawed furniture.

Dogs on the other hand tend to cause damage with their teeth, with phones and glasses being particularly popular. Dogs also tend to get over-excited and knock over furniture. And there is the problem that dogs are more likely than cats to have ‘accidents’ of their own around the home. This is probably because it’s a lot harder to teach one to use a litter tray!

Admiral has gone through all the claims to choose some of the more unusual cat and dog related ones.

Ten cats who have had better days

1. The cat who brought a pigeon into the house and ate the head on its owners peach coloured carpet
2. The cat who knocked over red candles during a power cut and walked the wax through the living room
3. The cat who came in with red paint on its paws and left a trail around the entire house
4. The cat which made its owner jump so much when she jumped up onto the kitchen counter where he was working, he spilt wine over his laptop and knocked it onto the floor
5. The cat who went to investigate when it’s owner discovered a leak under his bath and subsequently fell through the water damaged floor
6. The cat who attacked a black candle on its owners mantelpiece, realised the wax was hot and flicked molten wax all over the carpet below
7. The cat who knocked a full bottle of red wine all over a brand new, light grey carpet
8. The kitten which managed to turn on the hot water tap in a sink that had the plug in, causing the sink to fill and overflow
9. The cat which attacked its owner’s foot as he was carrying his laptop and filling the bath. Needless to say, the laptop got wet
10. The cat which repeatedly jumped against the glass in the French doors, eventually cracking the glass

Ten doggy disasters

1.The German Shepherd, weighing 33 kg who stood on its owners glasses, breaking them
2. The dog who got hold of a can of engine oils and emptied it over its owners stairs and landing
3. The dog who managed to switch on the hairdryer while its owners were out. The hairdryer was on the sofa and melted hole in it
4. The puppy whose owner is a model maker, who got hold of a small pot of red paint which he dragged through the hall and up the stairs
5. The dog which chewed two hearing aids belonging to the gentleman who was dog-sitting him, causing irreparable damage
6. The two dogs who got excited when their owner was painting the skirting boards, tripping her up and sending the pot of gloss flying over the sofa
7. The poor dog who gets separation anxiety and chewed holes in its owners carpet when left alone for an hour
8. The dog who gave birth to seven puppies while on her owners carpet
9. The dog who got over-excited when it saw another dog on the TV, jumped up and knocked it over, cracking the screen
10. The dog who knocked over a 30 litre fish tank in its owners dining room

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Rightmove report on house price movements

  • Price of property coming to market records a seasonal fall of 1.1% (-£3,452) this month, a smaller drop than the 1.8% average over the last six years showing signs of a resilient market
  • Despite the overall seasonal fall, first-time buyers see properties of two beds or fewer rise by 1.7% this month, resulting in an annual jump of nearly £15,000 (+8.2%) which is twice the percentage rate in other market sectors
  • Those living with parents or aged between 21 to 24 are most likely to shun attempting to get on the housing ladder according to new research
  • With the average first-time buyer age being 33, will the Autumn statement deliver any help to get more and younger first-time buyers onto the property ladder?
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Over-55s facing a retirement housing shortfall

Just 2.6% of the UK housing stock is classed as a retirement property despite significant demand among older people, according to Knight Frank.

Analysis of data from the Elderly Accommodation Counsel found around 715,000 homes loosely classed as ‘retirement housing’, ranging from age-restricted developments to close care housing, while separate research by Knight Frank found that 25% of over-55s said they would consider moving into purpose-built retirement housing in the future.

Knight Frank’s latest Retirement Housing report said some 7.8m people, or 18% of the population, is aged over 65, with 12% of the population aged 70 or over. It points out that providing more suitable property for older needs could also free up wider housing stock.

Emma Cleugh, head of institutional consultancy at Knight Frank, said: “Increasing the provision of housing suitable for older people will have direct benefits across the whole housing market, for all generations.

“There is significant appetite in the market to develop and invest in the retirement housing sector and provide specialist and aspirational housing that the older generation now demands.

“Now that the resolution of the OFT and Law Commission investigations into event fees in the retirement housing sector looks to be on the cards, we anticipate significantly increased levels of activity across the sector.

“However, it remains to be seen whether the scale of investment will begin to re-balance the current mismatch between supply and the pool of demand in this market.”