Joules Estate Agents have some exciting news about the newest development in SK4!

The Park Bridge Close development is located near to what once was The Ash Hotel, which has also just received planning permission to be converted into a block of apartments. Park Bridge Close is the latest housing development conducted by J C Brennan and is made up of several three-story townhouses which will be ready for their new occupants before Christmas.

Each property exhibits attention to detail, with block paved front gardens, the best quality kitchens and bathrooms and the highest standard of construction which maintains character throughout. Park Bridge Close is situated near to Heaton Chapel, an up and coming area booming with new bars and eateries. The greatly popular Heaton Moore is also nearby and boasts a number of boutique retail and social venues. In between the two you also have Heaton Chapel railway station and just 20 minutes away from the development you have Manchester Airport.

Watch the video for more details about this superb development which is great demand.

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First time buyer advice is now in even greater demand. With the housing market currently seeing a sense of stimulation from the newly introduced stamp duty holiday, first-time buyers are keen to take advantage and effort in securing their first home, even turning to the bank of Mum and Dad for support.

With strict criteria and deposit restriction now being implemented by lenders, what hurdles await these young buyers and how do they avoid them?

The government has implemented great support to those seeking to buy their first property, such as the aforementioned stamp holiday. By providing a temporary halt on standard stamp-duty (until March 2021) for purchases below £500k within England, they have added to a collective support arm that includes the Help to Buy Equity Loan Scheme which also has been extended enabling FTB’s to be able to buy new build properties.

These alone are good motivations for first-time buyers to motivate themselves into moving now, with house prices steadily rising it makes much more sense to strike whilst the iron is hot with local estate agents Stockport.

The high demand for mortgages and remortgages due to the stamp duty holiday could be making things more difficult for FTB’s, especially with an increase due to pent up desires following lockdown restrictions. This has caused some lenders to withdraw some products, as a result, to avoid becoming buried in fresh applications and jeopardising their customer service standards. Of these products, many are high loan to value products that require smaller deposits favoured by buyers.

This does indicate that many FTB’s will find it harder to secure an affordable mortgage, including some restrictions around deposits being applied. Some lenders are still accepting deposits from family members but recent moves to restrict these are currently in play.

This does indicate a worrying trend for first-time buyers who rely on the bank of Mum and Dad to help them get started on the property ladder as more and more lenders look to incorporate this model.

There are still lenders that offer solid deals to first-time buyers but finding a mortgage can be harder. In taking into account all costs in buying a property, understanding government support and which lenders can provide a mortgage, you need to know where you stand and the support available.

By discussing concerns and seeking buying a property advice, you can discuss your situation with the team at Joules Estate Agents, who can best advise and provide the assistance and contact to help you take that first important step. Contact the team today for first time buyer advice.

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Setting the right impression is paramount in how to sell a house and in the current climate the most important aspect of your home may surprise you; it’s your garden.

Indeed, your garden space is of more appeal when selling your home today, than it has ever been with more people looking at the potential of further lockdowns and time spent at home. Having a luxurious garden space extended from the home where fresh air and activities can take place is among the chief requirements of today’s home hunters.

Staging your garden area is now among the primary factors in giving a great impression to those looking to buy. The nicer it looks, the nicer the appeal to those seeking a sanctuary should the world experience further problems.

Re-evaluation of space and open areas to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air has resulted in sales of homes with tidy, spacious and appealing gardens to be in higher demand than flats or apartments where there are none.

In order to attract the maximum of suitable buyers for your property when selling your home, below is a brief guide to give your garden the right impression and a must-have quality.

Without doubt, regular mowing of your lawn space is high on the agenda. Even if you have artificial turf it is recommended that you maintain no grass or weeds growing through to give the impression that the garden is just too much to care for. Borders should be neatly tendered to give a consistent look and feel.

If your garden has space for people to gather then put in some features like a patio set or other garden furniture to give a sense of enjoyment with the area. People buying will want to know a garden is a place that has provided many days and evenings of enjoyment.

Fences and gated areas should be kept up to a clean standard and add a touch a paint where needed to give vibrancy and consistency. If any panels appear to be rotting away or show signs of chippings or broken sections it will not leave a promising impression of the area or elements during the year.

If you have garden plants and flowers, highlight them with borders and show what a beautiful location your garden is and can remain as. Even though you will no doubt take certain things from the garden when you leave, you will fuel them with ideas on what they can achieve in the spaces themselves which helps to add weight to their purchase.

Outside lighting can also highlight the beauty of the garden during the night and show the prospective buyers that the home is in a secure area. It will also highlight how accommodating your neighbours are to allow such items in the area.

Give care to pathways and walls as well as doors and windows. Remove any moss from between areas and look at bleaching the pavement and pathways and giving it a thorough washdown, leaving a glowing impression which they will feel compelled to continue.

Before any buyers come to visit, get rid of any leftover garden waste, sand or brick that sits in corners of the garden. These usually mean work has yet to be finished or clutters up the beautiful garden spaces and leave an impression that it’s something the buyers would be left to sort out upon moving in.

For further information when selling your home, contact the team at Joules to get the best advice from independent estate agents in Stockport.

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Buying, selling or renting a property in today’s climate involves a lot of sifting through the good and not so good elements to find the right feel. You will have a lot of questions that require answering in order to discover if your life is going to be made easier and most importantly, are you getting the value for your money?

Choosing the right estate agents in Stockport is no different, with so many different agents offering similar services at varying rates. However, choosing the cheap and cheerful option is not always the most cost-effective in the long run. You need to ask the right questions and take into consideration if they are the best estate agents to entrust this important life stage to.

High Levels of Marketing Doesn’t Mean High Success All the Time

You may judge a company by how many ‘For Sale’ boards you see around your town, for they must be selling homes like hotcakes to be so popular. That may be true but the same can be said of those who rely on other avenues to sell homes.

There are plenty of vendors who achieve similar levels of success without the use of the sale boards. In fact, they tend to be more resourceful with their website and the success of the marketing they offer to best promote your home locally and to a much further extent. For Sale signs do great to show to passers-by that a house is available, but the people who see them mainly are local anyway, so look out for the ones who have extra avenues of promoting regionally to nationwide.

Fee Fi Fo Fumble

If an agent is offering a service below the average then you are going to suffer financially on top of emotionally with your home. Given, most estate agents offer similar fees for selling your property and some may even wrap it around an enticing offer, however those that offer a low fee to get that most wanted sale will no doubt in turn offer a lower service and that dreaded slow, complicated and painful situation where the house will not sell for what you feel it’s worth, or even what it is worth.

What you need to know before anything else is that the agent is properly promoting your property and finding reliable parties interested in purchasing. From there they need to be professionally negotiating the price and making the sales process a fluid and painless exercise. Yes you may need to pay a bit more but it sure beats losing a lot more.

Avoid Paying Up Front

Everybody knows that when you pay upfront, the incentive to work hard is drastically reduced. If they have your money, they feel they have achieved before doing anything. Would you let someone move into your house before buying it?

What if there are more complicated areas involved with the sale at a later point? What if their marketing is not reaching the levels it should? There are many avenues that could crop up that can result in help being required from solicitors or surveyors. If you pay up front then you run the risk of the agent responding that the help required facing problems you currently face are not covered in the initial pay. It’s an unfortunate place where a lot who pay up front find themselves.

Overall you need a trusted agent to sell your home at a reasonable cost at the best price and supporting you with help through the process which means finding the best estate agents for the job. Contact Joules Estate Agents for the best advice on how to sell a house safely and stress free.

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August has seen extremely strong rises in housing prices following the coronavirus lockdown with the property market seeing strong increases in buyers and property market trends.

It indeed looks to be a continuing trend throughout the housing market, with prices expecting to climb steadily in 2020 and new property trends unfolding for the industry that made a surprisingly quick recovery since lockdown ease. The House Price Index highlighted that homeowners are quick to sell up their properties with changes in their lifestyle priorities.

In a recently published Zoopla report, July showed a 2.5% rise in house prices in comparison to 2019 with an upwards increase expected throughout the next 4 months also of an estimated 2 to 3 per cent growth by December.

With impending fear of the UK recession, Zoopla has reported that despite the economic downturn it is unlikely that UK house prices will see a major decline. In fact, the growth is being fueled by changes in the nation’s housing needs over initial pent-up demand.

With many couples and families having time and motivation to reevaluate their housing needs and living conditions due to extended periods indoors, they have found themselves seeking larger living spaces buying bigger homes. This behaviour counteracts the impact of the recession on the housing market in the UK as it stands.

With this mentality in place, it is discovered that 4 and 5 bedroom properties are at a stage of selling faster than flats or apartments. This also has resulted in buyers quickly honing in on these size properties as a means to acquire more space for current living requirements.

Homes are now selling on average within 27 days which is 31% lower than the year previous. The fastest-selling properties on the market are the 3-bedroom properties across the UK at a rate of just over 3 weeks on average. However, the supply of these in-demand properties is low which results in faster sales to avoid missing out on gaining the property.

The appeal of flats and apartments are decreasing with selling on these properties taking much longer. 1-bedroom flats can take over a month to sell on average but still up on the period average last year. This is a surprising quality following the Covid-19 lockdown.

Upcoming challenges expected are the unwinding of the furlough scheme and government supports set to challenge the economic recovery. With this week seeing schools reopen and the new normal measures being put in place, it is predicted that wealthy homeowners will continue to lead the charge in the housing market and those with no mortgage and more equity seek to move home.

It is expected that those hoping to take their first ladder steps will find it harder with these changes in market trends initially. For more information on how to sell a house or buying a property advice, contact the team at Joules.

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