6 Reasons People Are Not Buying Your Home That Might Surprise You

A recent survey revealed the top six things that can put potential buyers off of your home and they are not all as obvious as you might think.

Clutter

Clutter can make rooms feel smaller and is very off putting to buyers especially if they have to step over or go around it. Take some time to declutter your property. If you cannot bear to let go of items then consider renting a storage unit to put some of your things in until you move.

Dirt

You cannot clean too much when you are preparing your home for a viewing. Potential buyers are trying to envisage whether they can see themselves living in your property. Yes, dirty properties can be cleaned but most people find it hard to conjure up an image of what something can look like. So make sure that the image that you provide for them is a clean and welcoming one.

Clingy Sellers

Of course you are anxious to know how a viewing is going and want to make sure that the potential buyers are shown all of the most charming parts of your property. However, sellers that loiter during a viewing are more likely to put buyers off than encourage them to make an offer. This is because potential buyers need to have the opportunity to visualise themselves living in your property and that is much harder if the current homeowner is standing right in front of them constantly reminding them of the life that they are living in the property.

Smells

Unpleasant odours are a big no no for potential buyers. Make sure that you take the time to find the source of any unpleasant odours and deal with them. While you may be tempted to burn your favourite scented candle, be aware that no scent, however strong, can mask an unpleasant odour. Instead you end up with a mix of the two scents which can be highly unpleasant. Fresh air is the most attractive scent to buyers so make sure that your property has been well aired before any viewings.

The Goldilocks Effect

If a potential buyer feels too hot or too cold it will affect their perception of your home. You don’t want them to think of your property as ‘the cold house’ or ‘the hot house’. You want them to be as comfortable as possible during the viewing. 21°C is an ideal temperature, so consider adjusting your thermostat accordingly a couple of hours before each viewing.

Your estate agent

Rude and unhelpful agents don’t only annoy potential buyers, they may put them off of purchasing your property completely. Take some time when selecting your agent to talk to them about the local area and their experience of selling similar properties like yours. If you don’t find them to be knowledgeable and approachable then your potential buyers won’t either and it is important that when you leave them alone with your potential buyers during viewings that they have the social skills to be able to turn a potential buyer into an offer.

If you would like more advice on what you can do to present your property in its best light during viewings or are considering selling in the Warrington and would like a free no obligation valuation then please don’t hesitate to give us a call on 01925 235 338 .

If you are looking for an agent that is well established, professional and communicative, whether you’re buying, selling or looking for an investment opportunity, then contact us to find out how we can get the best out of the Warrington property market.

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How To Make The Most Of Your Outdoor Space During The Colder Months

Your garden or outdoor space really comes into its own during the Summer months. Flowers bloom, birds sing and the sunshine basks everything in a warm and welcoming glow that entices us outside. You would be forgiven for thinking that once the glorious days of Summer are over that your outdoor space will become uninviting and unusable until the warmer days of Spring start to encourage you back outside but, this doesn’t have to be the case.

Light

Nothing makes us scurry inside faster than the nights drawing in. Your garden doesn’t have to be dark and gloomy as soon as the sun goes down though. Install some exterior lights and you will soon be able to enjoy your garden late into the evening. If you don’t have an outdoor plug, solar powered lights are both cheap to buy and low maintenance and just a few strings of solar powered fairy lights can turn a dark and unwelcoming garden into an inviting and cheerful one.

Winter house

Many of us have Summer houses in our gardens. They are lovely places to spend time reading, resting, socialising and enjoying our hobbies in. There is no need to stop using them as soon as Summer ends. Add a few blankets to make them nice and cosy and they can be transformed from a shady place from which to enjoy your garden in the Summer, into a snug and welcoming space to enjoy your outdoors from indoors during the colder months.

Heat it up

A well placed fire pit or chiminea can provide enough warmth to take the edge off of the chill in the evenings. As the year progresses take inspiration from Winter wonderlands and add a warm coat, a few blankets and some hot chocolate and keep socialising in your garden throughout the year.

Keep cooking

You don’t have to stop cooking outside just because Summer has ended. Outdoor pizza ovens are suitable to be used all year round and a well placed gazebo can allow you to use your BBQ even when the rain is pouring down. Investing in a gas BBQ with a good hood will even mean that you can still use it when the wind is howling, if you want to!

If you are considering selling your home in Warrington and would like some more tips on how you can make the most of your outdoor areas during the colder months please do give us a call on 01925 235 338 .

August 2022 Market Report for Warrington

August has been a month of extremes: a heat wave, first holidays abroad in two years, and constant talk of the cost of living increases. This is causing widespread worry, which is an uncomfortable feeling for many.

It’s also causing people to reassess their lifestyles and make changes where they’re able. Many people are considering downsizing in order to reduce their bills or release equity. The property market continues to move, as it always will, with families growing, people passing away, and moving jobs.

Let’s have a brief look at what’s been happening over the last month in the local Warrington property market.

There are currently 331 properties available for sale in Warrington. This is 48 more than last month. Of these 331, 67 were new to the market in the last two weeks. The average price of properties in Warrington is £254,573 with the median price at £210,000.

Most of the properties available are in the £100,000 to £200,000 bracket with 122 currently on the market. There are 24 properties available, in the £500,000 to £1 million bracket. This month, properties in the £400,000 to £500,000 bracket are the fastest movers, only on the market for 71 days. They are closely followed by properties in the £500,000 to £1 million bracket which only remain on the market for 75 days.

Properties priced at £100,000 and under, are now taking 307 days to sell. This is similar to one-bedroom properties with a median price of £90,000 as they are currently sitting on the market for an average of 337 days. This has gone down from 397 days last month.

This is another example of how selling property can take longer than people often imagine. If you’re looking to upsize from your first home, or are an investor looking to change your portfolio, please bear this in mind when planning.

Let’s take a look at the annual figures now.

The majority of sales in Warrington during the last year were semi-detached properties, selling for an average price of £256,092. Terraced properties sold for an average of £203,922, with detached properties fetching £431,100.

Overall, sold prices in Warrington over the last year were 2% up on the previous year and 16% up on the 2019 peak of £229,734.

This shows the high levels of activity in the local Warrington property market, which are likely to increase or at the very least, remain strong in the final quarter of the year. There is a lot of demand and plenty of people looking to move around Warrington.

If you’re thinking of selling your property, feel free to contact us. If you’re thinking of buying, letting or renting a Warrington property, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can call 01925 235 338 or email staff@hamletwarrington.co.uk.

Are You Unhappy With Your Letting Agent? We Can Help

Are you a landlord and are unhappy with your letting agent? Many landlords choose to put up with poor service from their letting agent rather than having to deal with the hassle of switching agents in the middle of a tenancy. Most will wait for their current tenancy to end and will then make a move. Others won’t even do that fearing that all letting agents are the same and that changing will be more hassle than it’s worth. This apathy is what bad letting agents rely upon but it doesn’t need to be that way.

Not all letting agents are the same! we believe that a letting agent should be providing you with excellent service, expert knowledge, professionalism and helpful advice from when they first start finding you a tenant to when that happy tenant leaves.

We believe that happy tenants make happy landlords as the happier your tenant is with their home the more likely they are to stay longer thus avoiding any rental voids and the more likely they are to take good care of your property.

If you are unhappy with your letting agent’s service then it is highly likely that your tenant is too.

So what can you do? The first thing is obviously to talk to your letting agent. Discuss your concerns and ask them how they will be dealing with these and what they will be doing in future in order to avoid these concerns arising again. This conversation may be enough to alleviate your worries. Just remember that actions speak louder than words. If you feel you are simply being placated each time you raise an issue then it may be a sign that it is time to change agents.

Before that though you will need to check the contract that you have signed with them. Is there a notice period that you need to give or a fee you have to pay in order to cancel the agreement mid-tenancy?

Once you have found this out everything else is easy. Choose the new letting agent that you would like to take over managing your property. Don’t forget to check reviews and get recommendations from people you trust.

Once you have informed your current agent that you intend to change agents your new letting agent can take over. They can collect all the paperwork and arrange for the name of the managing agent to be changed on the tenancy deposit scheme.

If you are changing your agent in the middle of a tenancy you should give your tenants a call to assure them that it won’t affect their occupancy at all. Then your new agent can pop round to meet your tenant, do a quick property inspection, ensure that all paperwork is up-to-date and give them the new bank details that they will need to start sending their rent to.

That’s it, all changed. It’s much easier than most people think it will be. Then you can relax knowing that your property is being looked after and you no longer need to worry about it.

If you are a landlord and are not 100% happy with the way that your letting agent is managing it then give us a call on 01925 235 338 and we will be delighted to discuss how we can help you to make renting out your property stress-free.