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Do solar panels add property value

Zanet — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 09:51:29 +0000

Are solar panels the right move to add property value – a debate for many UK residents to consider.

This week the news is all about the recent government reduction of its feed-in tariffs, this in turn threatens the industry just as it becomes efficient. Upto recent months many have looked at Solar Panels as a stable income stream, the feed in tariff has attracted investors, both commercial and private, who can see that a 9-10% return is possible. But with the reduction the question of value on property is ever more important.

We asked Dorset Renewables for an article on whether they felt how they felt solar panels add value to a property?

So naturally home owners are asking, do I rush into Solar panels while there is government incentive, or is it too late? Depending on your enviromental view as that was one of the main reasons behind the incentive, to push the market towards renewable energy and not primarily the financial incentive.

Are Solar Panels a Good Investment If I’m Looking to Sell Soon? Recent figures suggest you are unlikely to recover your investment if you sell immediately after installation as things stand at the moment.

Do solar panels add property value

Will my solar panel installation add value to my property when it comes to selling in the future?

Well you can’t ignore Gas and Electricity prices are rising and will continue to do so according to all forecasts. The feed in tariff payment per kWh will probably be revised downward in April 2013 for new installations meaning that existing installations will be more valuable and there are suggestions in some quarters that in future the size of a home’s carbon footprint could affect its council tax liability.

The debate comes down to the fact that some estate agents aren’t recognising the value while others are. What is true is that solar pv panels defnitely do not lower the property value.

As with other installations eg central heating, double glazing, a new boiler and so on if two properties were for sale at the same asking price, you are liekely to offer on the property with the additional installations.

If your property is properly marketed and focus on the fuel savings and tariff payments available as a result of solar panels is clear to potential buyers then it should result in a higher chance of competitive offer near to the asking price

Conclusion on the question – Do solar panels add property value?

What is true is that solar pv panels defnitely do not lower value and they save money for the homeowner – Solar PV will definitely give you an edge in a buyers market.

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Home Ownership down – Cost of Buying Up

Zanet — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 13:45:12 +0000

The big news after the Bank Holiday weekend is based on the recent report from the National Housing Federation regarding Home Ownership going down, while the cost of renting and Buying continues to spiral out of control.

They predict the number of home owners will drop to just 64% as house prices soar, compared to 73% in 2001.

David Orr, Chief Executive, National Housing Federation told reporters, “Home ownership is increasingly becoming the preserve of the wealthy”.

Home Ownership down - Cost of Buying and rental going Up

Due mto rising costs of renting and buying added to the huge deposits and a tightening of lending criteria are causing the property market to head back to the eighties. In addition to the confidence being low, there is also a shortage of properties as lees than predicted number are being built.

Rental market

The report also predicts prices in the rental market will increase sharply as people struggle to own their own home.
The group, which represents housing associations in England, says a shortage of homes in the UK is also to blame.

House Prices set to rise

Across the UK, home ownership is expected is presently 67% of the UK population are owner-occupiers.

Oxford Economics which produced the forecasts for NHF, predicts the average house price in England will rise by over a fifth in the next five years from £214,647 in 2011 to £260,304 in 2016.

Rightmove.co.uk blog claim – smells sells

Zanet — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 07:40:57 +0000

Rightmove.co.uk blog claims its best to sell property with the nose in mind. It’s been a long known fact that if you walk into a property holding your nose for the wrong reasons, its going to have a negative effect no matter how amazing the property is. So is there any truth in the psychology of letting the coffee brew in the background on each viewing, or start baking your loaf of bread or cakes for the kids.

It’s true to say that as we discussed a few days back that the first 11 seconds makes or brakes a property viewing, then it make sense that smell has a heavy impact on you within those 11 seconds, in effect it provides a homely atmosphere especially if associated with pleasant smells of childhood like cakes.

Rightmove.co.uk claim - bread and coffee smells - help sell property

Flowers are an interesting smell as they can work both ways, fresh and smelling good -great, but some flowers can smell awful or look droopy and work the wrong way so they make both lists. Fresh flowers in the entrance hall can make a real difference to a buyers first impression of your house.

So what are the attractive smells that can make a positive impression on your viewings, and what are the unattractive smells

Rightmove.co.uk list of positive smells

Baked bread
Fresh flowers
Crisp clean sheets
Cake in the oven
Fresh coffee brewing
Vanilla
Lemon
Lavender
Chocolate
Roast dinner

Rightmove.co.uk smells to avoid

Cats and dogs - believe me if your not a pet owner it is there!
Any tobacco smells
Cheap air fresheners
Spilling dirty bins
Damp washing on a radiator

Why does coffee fill the house with its smell?

That amazing aroma of brewing coffee moves rather quickly once its on the brew. The volatile oils in the coffee bean has been one of it singular major attractants. Scientists say it is only a small group of components that are responsible for the aromas but it is their high level of concentration that makes it so distinct. Steam from the brewing process help distribute the aroma in the relative confines of your property.

I see bacon isn’t on the list of smells that sell, would you have the smell of bacon, or do you have another smell you use when selling your property?

Rightmove founder sells

Fences – Affect House price

Zanet — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 08:26:19 +0000

Do fences affect house prices? Clearly fences and disputes over boundaries have long been a subject of heated discussion over the past. In 1978 The Fencing Act was passed whereby it clearly set out the rights and responsibilities relating to fences between neighbouring properties. This is an area that can cause huge friction between neighbours and may spoil your enjoyment of your new house. The height of the fence cannot be higher than two metres unless you get a building consent and, normally, planning consent from your local council.

We were recently asked on Your Right Move, “We are hoping to place our house on the market next year, coming home from work today we have discovered that our neighbours have put up a seven foot fence (not very well,the height of the panels are uneven.) they spoke to us a couple of months about putting a small fence up. Will it affect the price and the selling of my house?

Well its worth noting that if it is actually 7foot then its slightly above the 2 meter restriction. I know many neighbours choose shrubery or bamboo to overide the fence restriction, but in this case it sounds like its just slightly over the 2 meters or 6.5 foot.

Do Fences Affect House Prices

The question asks will it affect the price? In most cases it would only really affect the price if the fence either caused an obvious eye sore, or caused an issue with your light. If in any doubt you could speak to the council. They will normally send a council member to drive by and then serve notice to your neighbours if its over the suggested height.

Personally I wish common sense and good communication ruled, rather than all these laws.

Living in a Green House

Zanet — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 10:43:27 +0000

Is it possible to live in a Green House?

Italian Architects Carlo Santambrogio and Ennio Arosio know it is.

Think of the benefits. Your tomatoes would ripen quicker than your neighbours. Your heating bills would be a lot cheaper when the sun was out. The views would be 360 degrees, and you would never need to hang up a picture. On the other hand you would be a target for Peeping Toms and Big Brother fans.

Santambrogiomilano is an Italian design company that specialise in exactly this way of living. With the desire for glass and unbroken vision and simplicity, these designers have produced some quite unbelievable architecture.

Yes you can live in a Green House

The unusual glass house concept from the designers, achieve their design intention using glass as the unquestioned protagonist. Nearly all the furniture is also made from glass. In fact it is the closes you will come to a Green House.

Green House – Top 10 areas

5 ways to let everyone know you’ve moved

Zanet — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 08:40:03 +0000

When it comes to moving, there is enough to think about. We have already looked at articles on who needs to know you’ve moved, you know the type, post office, DVLA, tax office, local council and so on, but what about ways to let your friends and family know your new address?

Here are 5 tips to help everyone you care for know how to keep in touch and with the dramatic change in social technology, this list is quite different to one a decade back!

1 Business cards

It may sound a bit off topic, but you can use the facility to customise business cards on-line as a great way to make a non business moving card. For example at Vista Print, you can upload any image and lettering, then print 250 business cards for around £5. They look great and are a very professional way to let everyone know your new address. The chances are they won’t even realise it was a business card.

2 Social networking

Chances are you are connected to all your friends and family by one form or another of social networking, either Facebook, My space, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Nothing could be simpler than firing off a tweet to all those who know you that you have recently moved and to email you for your address. Caution is required as if you make your address too public, you could end up with some internet party being arranged with the world and his wife turning up!

5 ways to let everyone know you've moved house

3 Letter writing

It’s very old fashioned, but everyone loves a letter in the post. It’s known as Snail Mail, but it still has a real charm. So if you do have the time, a personal letter in the post will always be appreciatted, letting friends know how the move went and arranging a time to have them over in the future.

4 Email

This is probably the easiest option and most universal, send a group email to everyone in your contacts list. If you have already corresponded with them by email then it shouldn’t go into their junk mail but beware of that, especially if you are sending a template email from a card hosting website, which is the other online option.

5 Make your own cards

Similar to letter writing, in a sense its a lot more personal and time consuming. A craft shop can provide the card and then set to work designing a “move house” card . You

Sarah Beeny : Rise Hall

Zanet — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 12:51:37 +0000

As a venue for a wedding, Rise Hall is a perfect venue. But that wasn’t always the case as we recentyl saw in the recent Beeny’s Restoration Nightmare.

Rise Hall was a convent for many of its years along with a girls boarding school. But after 50 years funds ran out, thereby the home was abandoned and dormant for 10 years. The owners of the Grade 2* listed Rise Hall desperately searched for something to do with it. No body wanted to rent it – flats didn’t stack up – and eventually they decided to sell it before the roof caved in completely. Who other than Sarah could pick up such a challenge!

We recently spoke to Sarah Beeny to find out a little more detail on how things turned out from the very first wedding and also what other projects Sarah has in her coming 2011 calendar.

Yourrightmove :
It looked like it was never going to come together on the programme, and clearly there will be a lot more work before the complete building is fully restored. Have you had a lot of enquiries for events and weddings since the initial wedding?

Sarah Beeny :
“We’ve been delighted at the response to the restoration of Rise Hall. It’s an ongoing project and there will always be a lot of work to do – but we are now open and well prepared for weddings and most other celebrations”

Sarah Beeny at Rise Hall Restoration

Yourrightmove :
So how bad was Rise Hall when you purchased it, was it really a restoration nightmare?

Sarah Beeny :
“The house was literally falling down, and was riddled with dry rot, wet rot and there was hardly a problem we didn’t have to start with. Great experience if you like coming up with solutions to these sorts of things.”

Rise Hall Restoration

Yourrightmove :
Tell us a little more about Rise Hall and how its now used as a business and events venue?

Sarah Beeny :
“It’s a magical setting, with plenty of space and quite a unique chance to get married in a huge stately home The advantage is that it’s your own home for your wedding day – it is very much NOT a hotel – and it’s beautiful. The building itself is a 97 room, Grade II* listed Georgian stately home, it really is a great location and there’s 30 acres of beautiful land around you too. We can accommodate most requests and will do everything we can to make your special day perfect.”

Amazing entrance way and staircase at Rise Hall

Yourrightmove :
Out of interest as I write this article on Rise Hall has it now been revalued since the work? I guess its not fully renovated but has it been valued in its new state? Also, am I right in remembering from the show it cost £400,000 and you had a budget of £500,000

Sarah Beeny :
We bought the Hall for around £420,000 and have put much less than the National Trust would have spent – but we haven’t worked out the exact numbers. We haven’t valued the property yet either – but there would be a considerable increase in value now.

Graham Swift and Sarah Beeny outside Rise Hall

I think we all remember the famous words from Sarah when she was on Property Ladder asking whether they had remembered to allow contingency money in case unforeseen problems stretch their schedule. But how could anyone (including Sarah) ever know what this project would end up costing. This is what made the project so unique as rather than finish Rise Hall, the plan was to make it into a business profitable enough to provide income to poor back into a continued restoration.

As I see it, Graham Swift and Sarah Beeny along with there family have risked everything on an mammoth project and have really turned this around into a great success story.

A visit to there weddings and events web site shows charges currently ranging from around £2,000 to £7,000 for the exclusive use of their home, catering costs vary depending on your requirements.

I have to say it would be a real treat to have a wedding at such a venue. Rise Hall really is the perfect venue for photo shoots, film shoots, larger or more intimate conferences, parties and of course weddings.

For bookings contact Sarah on 0845 450 4545 or visit her web site http://www.risehall.com/

Buying a New Home? Beware!

Zanet — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 12:28:24 +0000

Are there good reasons for buying a new home as opposed to purchasing an older building or pre-owned house.

New houses or off the plan houses can prove to be a great way to get a home that fits your needs, but it can also prove a challenge due to the huge amount of laws and regulations in the UK.

Today we look at some areas to be aware of when buying new.

Buying a new Home - then beware!

Warranties.
In a new home the warranties don’t usually cover wear and tear and improper use of home components. This can sometime get to be a sticky topic if your carpet starts pulling up at the seams

Hidden Expenses
You may not always get what you thought was included in the price. Often the wording can be very clever to get your commitment. But what is included in the kitchen appliances? If the housing market is starting to recuperate the incentives for out of pocket expenses may not be as favorable as the time when buyers are in short supply. Often times major appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers and washer/dryers still have to be purchased by the home buyer. Are curtains, major appliances, lawn irrigation system, and ceiling fans included?

Vision
If you decide to plan the dream house, it may be hard to make decisions unless you really know what you want. This often comes from experiencing living in a few houses before hand. How could you really know what you consider to be the perfect home unless you have experienced a few layout variations.

Barratt Housebuilder go Gold

Zanet — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 11:31:06 +0000

Barratt are set to return to profit this year after a poor few years. Barratt Developments, Britain’s biggest housebuilder, expects to increase profit after announcing thay have began work on more than 1,000 homes near the Olympic site in East London before the games begin in 2012.

Barratt Developments have a total of eight major phases at St Andrews in Bromley-by-Bow and Dalston Square in Hackney by the time the Olympics kicks off.

Barratt House builder at Olympics

This ties in with rising prices in the East London area, after Lloyds TSB research revealed that the average property has appreciated by 32 per cent in Bow and 39 per cent in Dalston since the Olympics was awarded to London in 2012.

Barratt Developments reports, “There is strong demand for property in East London and flats in both St. Andrews and Dalston Square are excellent value for money, especially considering how convenient they are for Canary Wharf and The City”

How to move in

Zanet — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 16:00:13 +0000

Choosing the best home and making the right move is one thing. But on the day you move, you want to avoid as much stress as possible. Lets show you how to move in.

So what can you do in preparation of the big move in day?

Beforehand, a good few garage sales and car boots will help provide a little extra cash and clear some unwanted boxes which will make it a few boxes less on the big move day. Moving house is a chance for a fresh start in a new environment and so getting rid of the possessions that weren’t needed in your old house and which only served to make a mess, reinforces this change.
Your next step is to search the local papers or the web for a good van hire company. Finding discounts and offers is also pretty easy if you’re willing to search hard enough. Once you’ve chosen a vehicle and a good van rental company place your order and head down to collect the van on the chosen day. Ask yourself whether you and a few friends do all the work or do you hire removal men? The choice and cost is yours.
Now a big choice before you move in, do you allow some time to decorate before moving? You could keep most of your goods in storage for a few weeks and use the time to get some decorating done before moving in to your new home.

Simple guide to how to move in

But its now the day to move in, so what do you do?

Depending on whether you already have the keys or not, try and set out as early as you can in the day to avoid unforeseen issues. Try and have realistic goals. Realistic is knowing its probably going to be fish and chips round the corner for tea.
Try and get a few friends to help out and buy them a takeaway that evening. Many hands make light work and that is never a truer saying on this particular day.
Aim to at least get your bedroom straight enough to sleep in that night.
If you have the rooms then use one room for a dumping area from which you can draw from over the coming days.

There you go, it probably wasn’t too bad now you know how to move in - but where is the remote control for the television?