Do you know millions of people search for property as soon as the last mouthful of Christmas pud has been eaten? Last year and every year Rightmove have over a million visitors on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Perhaps partly due to house hunting online being made easier by all the mobile devices. Who would guess that during the traditional family gathering for Only Fools and Horses, Jonny appears to be...
For today's first time buyer the prospect of buying a home can seem a dim and distant dream. There are the new mortgage rules, for a start, making it tougher to get a mortgage. In addition, rising house prices and the likelihood that interest rates will follow, can add up to a daunting prospect. One solution to the problem is to buy a house with a friend. And it's a great idea....
Buildings in the UK are among the least efficient in the world, according to the Department of Energy and Climate Change. Millions of homes do not have full double-glazing. More than half do not have enough insulation or an efficient condensing boiler. Most do not even have proper heating controls. There's no need to panic, though. There are a myriad of ways in which you can make your home more energy-efficient. Change...
When onthemarket.com (OTM) was launched a few months ago – a brand new property portal to take on the duopoly of Zoopla and Rightmove – we decided not to join, because we believed our clients would lose out. As it turns out, we were right! The problem with OTM is that those signing up are only allowed to use one other portal for advertising – either Rightmove OR Zoopla. We use...
We are delighted to tell you that Place Estate Agents has WON its county category at the Estate Agent and Letting Agent awards! And we are absolutely over the moon! The Estate Agent and Letting Agent awards – or ESTAS as they are more commonly known – are the Oscars of the estate agenting world. To even be nominated for an ESTA is a huge honour, but to win one speaks...
Thinking of selling your property? Have you done all you can to appeal to the widest possible audience? Here are some tips to help you to enhance your home, making it truly irresistible. Create a blank canvas Help the purchaser to visualise your home as their home. A neutral colour scheme has instant appeal and provides a feeling of space. Opt for neutral shades by giving your home a lick of paint and...
There's talk of little else at the moment – the election, of course. It's set to be hotly contested, with few pundits feeling confident enough to predict the outcome. This is, in part, because it's the first election since 1974 to be held under a coalition government. But what does the election mean for the UK housing market? It's been a positive year so far. House prices are still rising, an average...
We have been blowing up balloons and popping Champagne corks in the office on the news since we heard the excellent news that we have been shortlisted for the ESTAS! Now, the Estas - for the uninitiated - The ESTAS are like the Oscars for Estate Agents. They recognise and reward the very best service given by sales and letting agents to their clients. We have been shortlisted for the Southern...
Like any good business, we often go mystery shopping to gauge our competition. It's a great way of affirming to ourselves that the way we do business is head and shoulders above the rest. We also do it because we like to get into your shoes as a buyer or seller and keep our finger on the pulse of your experience. We visited six high street agents in the local area. These...
Did you know that house hunting can also be love at first sight? According to a survey by Rightmove.co.uk, two in five British home-owners decided their home was the one for them before they even got past the hallway. In another survey, this time by ING Direct, buyers apparently spent 17 minutes deciding whether to buy a home. (That's compared to an average of 54 minutes choosing curtains!) The point is that...