Category Archives: House

How to tackle a big city move

Moving cities can be daunting, especially if you are relocating a great distance away from your existing home. In addition to the hard work and stress, moves can also be expensive and place a large amount of financial pressure on individuals and their families. If you need to move due to work commitments, here are a few starting points to help you on your way to a successful life in a new city.

1) Consider alternative options if you have problems selling

The property market isn’t what it once was and if you have problems selling your existing home then it could scupper your ability to bag your dream property in the big move. If you are up against it timewise, consider seeking the help of a property buying firm, or look into the possibility of letting out your property and becoming a landlord.

2) Make sure you know your new area

Do plenty of research before you choose where you want to live in your new city, as well as looking at the catchment areas for schools you may want to check out the level of crime in different zones to see if you could potentially be moving into a hotspot.

3) Barter for the best deal

You will be relying on many companies to get you moving – starting of course with a removal firm and potentially including other service firms such as cleaners. Make sure you obtain a range of quotes from competing firms to bag yourself the best deal.

How to save money when decorating your infant’s bedroom.

If you’ve got a baby at home or one on the way, it’s likely that you’ve given some thought to how you want to decorate his or her room, and it’s almost certain that the words blue, pink and neutral have passed your lips more than once. But as long as your baby has everything it needs in terms of milk, toys and a comfy bed, they won’t mind what colour their room is, which puts you firmly in charge of the decor!

You might not know it, but there are some definitely dos and donts when it comes to decorating a baby’s or toddler’s room and the most obvious is to not theme the room. Why? Because theming can become quite expensive if the theme stretches to bed linen, curtains and other soft furnishings, and as your baby grows they’ll eventually want something different. Another don’t is to let younger children make the final decision when it comes to decorating their rooms as they’re known for changing their minds at the drop of a hat. What you can do instead is listen to what they want and guide them to a decision that suits you both.

Definite dos include building as much storage into the room as possible to keep all those toys and clutter at bay, choosing furniture that can grow with your child, and making sure the room not only offers somewhere to play but that it also provides a comfy, safe and warm place to sleep.

Which brings us to our last point – safety must come first so window locks and electrical socket covers are essential, as is fixing heavy furniture to the walls and floor, and removing any trip hazards and other dangers. Your child will thank you for it!

Setting up a guest bedroom on a budget

Christmases, birthdays, holidays, parties, girls nights out, boys nights in… the reasons to have a guest bedroom in your home are endless. However, setting up a guestroom doesn’t need to cost a fortune, and in some cases your room doesn’t even need to be a room in its own right!

There are a few important things to consider when setting up a guest bedroom, starting with the room itself. Are you converting an existing room to a bedroom? Are you turning a corner of your living room into a space that can double as a sleeping area? Are you building an extension just so you can have an extra bedroom? Either way, it’s important to get the colours, lighting, and mood of the room just right so that your guests can enjoy a good night’s sleep in a stylish and comfortable space. Remember that if you’re creating a dual purpose room, that any colours and furnishings you use work just as well during the day as they do at night.

But the most important piece of furniture in a guest bedroom is the bed itself, and this is where you need to weight up how often the room or space will be used against how much floor area you have to spare. For example, if the room or space will only be used occasionally, you can sacrifice some sleeping comfort for floor space by picking up a pull out bed that doubles as comfy seat. This type of bed can convert from a stylish armchair or sofa in seconds which is also ideal if you have unexpected overnight guests.

If you’re converting a room into a guest bedroom and you don’t need to worry about saving space or using the room for anything else, you can really push the boat out by purchasing either a double bed or two single beds, or even bunk beds depending on who is likely to use the room. And if the room is going to be a permanent bedroom, it also gives you the chance to really make the most of the decor, with matching bed linen, rugs, curtains and more!

Who should landlords be pitching their properties at?

New data released jointly by estate agency Savills and property portal Rightmove shows that the private rental sector has doubled over the past decade. The number of people renting homes has risen from 2.5 million in 2002 to 4.8 million today and it’s predicted that one in five households will be private rental by 2016.

This of course means there is plenty of opportunity for those who are considering entering the market as a landlord and for potemtial for those who already own rental properties to expand their portfolio further in order to meet demand. But, what kind of tenants should they be aiming to attract, and why?

The massive growth in the private rental sector is in part due to the widening demographic who are now renting. Where previously young professionals may have found themselves on the property ladder by their early thirties, many are now choosing to rent instead. This gives potential landlords even greater choice over who they tailor their properties to. Though some may buy and renovate a property without their target audience in mind, it’s worth having a specific demographic to target. This way you can make choices such as how you decorate and furnish right through to what kind of landlord insurance you are likely to need more easily.

In times gone by the student market may have been seen as a more reliable demographic; university towns and cities will always have students who need to rent. However, with number of young professionals looking to rent booming and this demographic often looking to locate in similar areas, landlords may be wise to target both markets. This may mean decorating and furnishing in a manner that adequately straddles the needs of both groups, but it could also help to maximise rental yield.

If you are a landlord and want to keep up to date with the latest rental news, see: here

Rates and rising rents pushing buy-to-let boom, say experts

If you’re thinking of trying your hand at becoming a landlord, now could be a great time according to a recent article from thisismoney. Solid availability for buy-to-let mortgage deals, low interest rates and rising rents are apparently contributing to a new buy-to-let-boom. Of course, this is great news for those involved in the industry – everyone from specialist landlord insurers through to letting agents may benefit from this flurry of activity, but could you be benefitting too?

Speaking to the publication, Peter Gettins, of broker London & Country, said that buy-to-let was an “attractive prospect” but warned potential investors that they needed to do their research before joining the market.

“[P]rospective landlords need to go in with their eyes open and understand all the costs and risks. Even in a period of high demand, it’s important to understand the local market.”

If you are considering generating an extra income through property investment, or changing careers altogether and becoming a full-time landlord you can find information about the processes involved and your responsibilities with the National Landlords Association. As the leading association for private residential landlords in the UK they are well placed to provide advice about all the basics. See here for more.