May Newsletter - Making Lockdown Productive

In this month’s Coldwell Banker newsletter, we have put together the usual selection of property insights and updates to help you navigate through the current market, but we have also put together some useful articles to help you though the current Coronavirus situation.

We have compiled a list of apps to help you with anxiety or stress, some tips on how to be productive through lockdown and also put together some tips on how to prepare your property for sale.

St Patrick’s Parade

Join us on our annual parade through the streets of London to celebrate all things Irish!

Sunday, March 15, 2020 at 12 PM

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Sell Your House, Step By Step

Are you looking to sell? Sometimes it’s hard knowing where exactly to start. Our step by step guide might look like a lot of information but it can really be a good reference point to help you during this process.

1. Work on your finances
With our mortgage valuation tool you can get an estimate of your property's worth.

2. Choose your estate agent
You have options. Sell yourself or use local or online estate agents.

Do some research, compare estate agents by how quick they sell, how close they get to the asking price and how successful they are.

Agree on a fee, aim for 1% plus VAT for sole agent.

3. Get an energy performance certificate
You will need one to provide to potential buyers.

4. Decide how much
Get to know your local market as this will help you decide.

Get several valuations. You don’t need to go with the highest either.

Buyers like to negotiate so add a 5% or 10% to what you’re willing to accept.

5. Get a conveyancing solicitor
They handle the legal work.

Get an overview of how much conveyancing costs.

6. Fill out your paperwork
There is going to be a lot of it!

7. Accept an offer!
Congratulations, the estate agents legally must now pass all offers over to you.

Once you’re happy with the offer, formally accept.

8. Work on your draft contract
You and the buyer will have to negotiate-
• The length of time between exchange and completion.
• What fixtures and fittings will be including, and if they have a cost attached?
• Any survey discounts.

9. Contracts get exchanged
This is the process when you become legally committed to selling your property, and they become legally committed to buying from you.

When you sell the house, you are responsible for maintaining the property until the sale is fully complete.

10. Move out
It is less stressful to move out before the day of completion if possible.

Completion is when the property changes ownership. Once the keys have been handed over.

11. Pay of your mortgage

The mortgage company will have given you and the solicitor and outstanding amount for the day of completion.

Now the buyer has transferred the money that will essentially pay off the mortgage for you.

12. Settle with everyone
Once completion has been finalised, your conveyance solicitor will send you an overview covering all their costs, as well as outing the sale price.

If you’re buying and selling at the time, you can settle for both transactions at the same time.

There can sometimes be a small discrepancy and you may even get a little refund.

The Right Survey Could Save Money

Buying a house can be an incredibly tense and stressful time. Falling in love with a property but not knowing how it is going to play out is often the situation for most buyers. Imagine falling in love with a beautiful Victorian house only to find out later down the line that there are major issues with the roof and require thousands of pounds worth of construction work. You would rather know this sooner rather than later. Getting the right survey could save you this stress but also a lot of money.

According to a study by Hillary, an interior specialist, more than two thirds of Britons don’t know what property surveys are available, never mind which ones are best. And it is leaving us around £3000 out of pocket from repairs, which isn’t ideal for anybody, never mind someone who has just bought a house. That money could be spent on something so much more worthwhile.

The study also asked 2,056 new British homeowners all about their buying experiences.

54% of people had uncertainty during the whole buying process,
62% didn’t know what surveys were available,
79% thought that one survey covered everything, and that isn’t the case.

What are the different survey options?

Home condition report, at around £250: This is the more basic and cheaper option. It is quite a short, surface level inspection that highlights the obvious defects. This report is good for someone whose property appears to be in good condition but would still benefit from being checked for hidden damp or structural movements.

Homebuyers report, at around £300: This survey is more suited for Victoria aged properties. This will mirror the home condition report but will include advice and maybe an independent valuation of the building. If after the report, the value given is less than what you offered, don’t worry. This doesn’t mean you should pull out of the sale. Speak with your surveyor about the potential problems and how much it will likely cost. Try and use this information to negotiate the price down. If the seller won’t budge, you then need to make the decision to proceed or withdraw; depending on the cost. Your surveyor will have experience with similar circumstances so use them to help you.

Building survey, at around £500: If you’re investing in a much older property then this survey is vital for you. It is also worth noting that if you’re planning on doing any construction work such as loft conversions or extensions then this one applies for you too. This survey looks in detail at the condition, defects and the possibility of extending. The surveyor will also be able to provide a cost of how to rectify any problems listed.

Another recommended report is a gas and electric survey. This is vital for properties older than 25 years and if there are bare wires visible. It is even more important if you are planning on renting the property out as you will legally need to provide these safety certificates.

You’re probably thinking all these extra costs sound intimidating, but just think it could seem a lot now, but in the long run it is the more cost-effective option.

Apps To Help You With Anxiety and Stress

Anxiety is something that we can all experience at times, however in the midst of the coronavirus there will likely be more of us than ever who are suffering with anxiety. There are plenty of techniques to help you manage levels of anxiety, with one of the key innovations being the development of apps, we have found some of the best apps to help you cope with the current situation and beyond.

1) Stress & Anxiety Companion
Recommended by the NHS, this application helps you to handle stress and anxiety on the go through the use of breathing exercises, relaxing music and games designed to calm the mind.

2) Calmer You
Calmer You is a new app developed by Headspace’s former head of Research. The app brings together a range of tools from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy through to workouts, all with the aim to find a personalised approach that helps soothe your anxiety.

3) ReachOut Breathe
Focusing specifically on breathing techniques, this app guides you through your breathing telling you when to inhale and exhale in order to counter some of the effects of anxiety. You can customise the techniques which work best for you and the user interface can also measure your heart rate.

4) Self-Help For Anxiety Management (SAM)
This is an anxiety-soothing app with a difference; it encourages users to think about situations which cause them anxiety and how they react. Through identifying different types of anxiety and triggers, a toolkit is developed to help you cope better – one of the key features of this application is the multi-faceted approach which it takes in dealing with your symptoms.

5) Mindshift
Perfect for the current situation as this application can focus on general worry, social anxiety, perfectionism, panic, phobia or another kind of anxiety. For each specific concern, the application can create tailored coping plans which should aid you in finding an equilibrium.

6) MoodMission
If you are looking for a more light-hearted manner in which to find your perfect coping method, then sample MoodMission. This application uses games and app rewards designed to motivate you to improve your mental fortitude.

7) Sanvello
During the Coronavirus this usually paid-for app has been made free of charge due to the demand on downloads; tracking your exercise, meals, family time and other habits it can pinpoint your bouts of anxiety.

How to be more productive through lockdown

With lockdown currently in place and the restrictions set for the near future, very few of us will ever have had so much time on our hands. It would be easy to let this time pass by, so we have put together some top tips on how to make this lockdown period more productive.

Routine
If you’re working from home, then the likelihood is that you already have some sort of routine as you need to be answering those video calls and available to answer the phone during normal business hours. However, if you aren’t working at the moment, then the days can merge together due to a lack of structure. We would recommend finding your own routine, even if you’re not working – getting up at a set time and having some structure to your day will help your mental wellbeing and with the compartmentalisation of your time.

Small Manageable Goals
The key to productivity is being effective over sustained periods, and that means lots of small but easily identifiable goals. Think about reading a large book – 30 chapters may seem excessive, but 3 per day is much easier to achieve and will at least have you making some headway into the task – by setting a target that is easily achievable, you will often motivated to exceed it and as such be even more productive.

Learn A Language
One way to make the most of this lockdown period is to learn a new skill, such as acquiring a new language. With websites and applications such as Duolingo offering structured and methodical teaching techniques for learning a new language. We would recommend a language such as French if you are going to teach yourself as you will probably have some basics ingrained from school, and the sentence structure and word stems are comparable to English.

Organise Your Home
There has truly never been such an opportune moment to organise your home and get rid of all those possessions that you no longer need! Why not look back at the lockdown as the time you organised your home; think about the kitchen cupboards, wardrobe, bath cabinet – all of the spaces that can be neglected.

Organise Your Finances
With the lockdown bringing with it fiscal implications for many of us, now is a good time to take stock of your personal finances. Spend some time analysing your own personal finances, looking at your monthly expenditure, savings, mortgage or rent and see how you can improve on your current status. That may mean opening a savings account and depositing just a little each month, or cancelling services that you no longer use, such as expensive gym memberships. Taking stock of your finances now could put you in a better place in future years, as you create better spending and saving habits.

How are financial services currently affected by the coronavirus?

What is happening to borrowing rates?

Financial services, like all other business sectors, have had to make changes to respond to the current health pandemic’s effect on the economy. Less people spending money has caused financial services to make adaptations necessary to prevent damage to the financial market. The Bank of England has cut the base rate to a record low of 0.1% to reduce the cost of borrowing for consumers and minimise disruption over the coming months. This is the Bank's lowest ever interest rate in its 325 year history.

What does this mean for mortgages?

Mortgage rates are falling in line with the cheaper cost of borrowing. Although new mortgage applications are mostly on hold due to COVID-19 restrictions, those with existing mortgages should consider switching to a different offer; as they could access some great deals!

What mortgage deals are available?

Mortgage lenders are starting to bring new deals to the market for both fixed rate and tracker mortgages. Experian have launched a user-friendly remortgage calculator to support customers in the search process for the best deals on the market. They have also stated that using this will not impact on credit scores.

The greatest saving can be made for those who already own large amounts of equity on their homes, or those that have put down large deposits. However, that should not stop you from considering a new mortgage deal.

How long does my mortgage offer last?

Usually, a mortgage offer is valid to you for three months. This is from the date that the offer was made to you, up when you take the funds. However, within the current conditions, lenders are offering an additional three-month extension to their offers.

Rental market in prime position to bounce back

The effects on the property market of Covid-19 are clear; with the general populous on lockdown there are bound to be fewer movements. However, new research from the Zoopla Rental Index has indicated that people are already making rental plans for once the lockdown period is over, a positive sign for the lettings market.

In the two weeks to 14th April, demand for rental property increased by almost a third, albeit this is following the downturn due to the coronavirus in March which saw a 57% fall in demand. Year on year, rents are up 2.4% which is largely in line with annual growth seen towards the end of 2019 and in February of this year. Essentially, we are seeing demand for rental properties growing much more quickly than for sales properties, and rents are holding steady in unfavourable conditions.

“The flexibility of the rental market is one of the key factors which has allowed activity to bounce back more quickly than other parts of the property market,” said Gráinne Gilmore, head of research, Zoopla. “The rise in demand in the first two weeks in April indicates that some tenants are already mapping out their next move.

“As with the whole housing market however, activity levels and rental growth will likely be closely aligned to the economic landscape of the UK once the lockdown eases and the immediate impact of Covid-19 starts to recede.

“Rental growth has increased steadily for the last 3 years as demand has increased in the face of dwindling new supply. However, If the responses to COVID-19 contribute to a rise in unemployment, as some official bodies have forecast, this will reduce the scope for any additional growth in rents. We expect growth to moderate this year, but to remain in positive territory.”

How to prepare your property for sale

With demand for property prior to lockdown soaring, there are sure to be plenty of motivated buyers once restrictions are relaxed, therefore now is an ideal time to prepare your property for a quick sale.

Kerb appeal
As is always the case with selling properties, a first impression can make or break a sale with a poorly presented property often putting off buyers before they have even set foot in the home. In the summer this is especially important as buyers will often drive or walk past a property before they decide to book a viewing. With the summer sun shining a light on any less-than-perfect parts of the exterior of your property, you should ensure that flowers are planted, weeds are pruned and lawns are mowed. Extra attention to details, such as ensuring that the front door has been cleaned and the windows are streak-free will pay dividends in your selling process.

Accessories
A neutral interior will appeal to a mass market and increase the scope of your property in terms of potential buyers, but if you are looking to make the most of the summer then don’t be afraid of colour. Using accessories to add pops of colour around your home that reflect the brighter summer season – such as burnt orange and lemon – will make your property stand out from the crowd in those all-important photographs.

Lights
When we think of summer, we all first think of sunshine and brighter evenings – so make the most of this light when presenting your home for sale. Get rid of heavy curtains and dark blinds, which can make a room feel smaller and prevent the light from entering a room. Buyers want to feel that rooms are bright and spacious, so if at all possible have windows and doors open throughout the house to create a light, airy feeling (as well as bringing in those fresh summer scents).

Set dress
Set dressing refers to the arranging of a room or space in order to paint a picture of the kind of lifestyle which could be enjoyed in your property. Never is it more important to set dress your garden than throughout the summer months, with potential buyers wanting to know that they will be able to enjoy the outdoor space which your home provides. Tempt potential buyers by showing off your outdoor spaces with garden furniture, fire pits and barbecues.

Viewing times
During the summer months many people like to start work early and leave early in order to benefit from the longer evenings; make sure that you can accommodate as many viewings as possible by being flexible with your viewing times. Allowing people to view your home early in the morning, as well as in the afternoon will help bring more people through the door as well as showing off your property in favourable lighting.

VIVA LAS VEGAN

shimmy on down and buckle up for a five-course meal of Grand Canyon proportions. With shimmering entertainment, casino style games and straight-shooting cocktails, no-one will want to leave Las Vegas!

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Craft beer Tasting Tour

A superb tasting tour of some of the best brewery taprooms of Bermondsey's beer mile. Your guide will navigate you to four fantastic breweries, each with their own unique take on craft beer.

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