Tips To Save On Heating Bills

With energy bills soaring, we are all looking for ways to stay warm without breaking the bank. Here are 10 tips for keeping those heating bills down while still staying warm and cosy.

1. Shop around for the best tariff

First stop for anyone aiming to reduce their heating bills is to check you are on the best tariff for your household. Many people sign up for a fixed rate tariff but then when the designated term of that tariff ends they forget to check if there are better deals available.

If it all seems a bit confusing or you simply don’t have time, there are plenty of comparison websites that will do the legwork for you. That leaves you free to put your feet up and have a cuppa while they find you a better deal.

2.Turn your thermostat down

Turning your thermostat down by even just 1° can shave 10% off of your bills!

3.Turn your heating off when you are out

Heating an empty house is a waste of money. Set the timer to come on just before you get home and you get to come home to a warm and cosy house without the expense of having heated it all day.

4. Buy a winter duvet

Although this is an upfront cost, the money it will save you makes it worth it. With the correct duvet for the season, you won’t feel any need to have the heating on at night, which is better for your wallet and better for your health.

Studies have demonstrated that sleeping in a cool room can help you fall asleep faster, fight insomnia and help increase melatonin production.

5. Put on an extra layer

Apologies for sounding like someone’s parent but putting on an extra layer of clothing will help you to fight the chill so you don’t need to turn up the thermostat. The key is layers: multiple thin layers will keep you warmer than one big jumper.

6.Only heat the room you’re in

If you are going to be spending your whole evening in one room do you really need to heat your whole house? A portable heater can provide heat fast for a small room. Take it one step further and only heat yourself instead of the room. An electric throw or blanket can provide enough warmth to avoid the need to turn the heating on.

7. Insulate your chimney

Chimney balloons can be used to block draughts from the chimney cavity and then can be easily deflated when you would like to light a fire. If your fireplace is not in use then you can use newspaper or cardboard to block up the cavity and save yourself from cold draughts.

8. Line your curtains

Thermal curtain lining can reduce heat loss from your windows by up to 25% and can also help to reduce draughts. If you are not particularly nimble with a sewing machine then fabric glue is an excellent solution to attach thermal lining to the back of your curtains.

9. Add insulation

Stop heat from escaping through your roof by making sure that you have sufficient insulation in your loft. Insulation is like a hat for your house and plays a key part in making sure that the heat you are paying for isn’t floating off into the sky.

10.Have your boiler serviced

Aside from the obvious safety benefits of ensuring that your boiler is in tip top condition, having a boiler that is working well will save you money on your heating bills.

Hopefully you’ll find one or more of those ideas helpful to keep warm this winter.

Seven Things Not To Do When Buying A Property

Many prospective homeowners are oblivious to things that can derail their home purchase. Here is our list of 7 things not to do if you are trying to purchase a property.

Underestimating costs

In addition to the purchase price of your property, you need to take into account the cost of conveyancing fees, the price of surveys and moving costs. Don’t forget when you move in you will need to pay for buildings & contents insurance and council tax as well.

Not checking your credit score

Your credit score is your financial CV and lenders use it to assess whether you are able to maintain repayments. Check your credit score and have any errors rectified before applying for a mortgage to ensure you minimise the chance of your application being rejected.

Choosing the wrong solicitor

Check your solicitor is on your mortgage lender’s list of approved solicitors to avoid additional costs or even having to change solicitors. Most mortgage lenders have an approved list of solicitors that they will work with.

Your solicitor will be required to complete the legal work for your lender during the conveyancing process. However, if your solicitor is not on their approved list, they will not be able to act for your mortgage lender. This can end up leading to the expense of a second solicitors' firm, who are on that list, needing to be employed to act on behalf of your lender.

Not being on the electoral roll

One of the easiest ways for lenders to verify your identity is to check the electoral roll. If you are not registered it may cause your application to take longer to process and your credit score may be affected as well.

Not getting an agreement in principle

The housing market is competitive. Sellers may choose to accept an offer from someone with an agreement in principle rather than waiting for you to contact a mortgage company.

Running up lots of credit

Taking on new debt may alter the state of your credit which may prevent you getting approved for your mortgage.

Changing jobs

Never change your job in the middle of purchasing a property. It can make your employment look unstable which makes you a weaker candidate to lenders.

If you are looking to purchase a property in Warrington please give us a call on 01925 235 338 and we will add you to our early bird list so you can be one of the first people to hear about our new listings.

Tips To Update Your Home On A Budget

Do you want to give your home a makeover but are worried about the cost? Try these budget-friendly ideas to help make your property the envy of all of your friends.

Give your kitchen a makeover

Kitchens are normally the most expensive room in the house to upgrade but giving your kitchen a makeover doesn’t mean you have to replace all of the fittings and appliances. Just by changing a few things you can make your kitchen go from drab to fab without a huge price tag.

A fresh coat of paint can completely transform a room. Whether you choose to paint your walls, your tiles or your kitchen cupboards a fresh coat of paint can make a big impact with a small budget.

Replacing the flooring with vinyl tiles can really freshen up the feel of the room.

Investing in matching appliances like toasters and kettles and making sure that they fit in with the colour scheme of the rest of your kitchen can stop your kitchen from looking tired and unloved.

Replacing door and drawer handles with modern ones can help to stop your kitchen from looking dated.

Bathroom on a budget

Improving your bathroom doesn’t have to cost the earth. There are some things you can do to refresh it on a budget.

If your bathroom suite really needs replacing but the cost of a new one is out of your budget you can often find cheaper versions in trade stores or sometimes even on online marketplaces.

There are lots of tiling tutorials online and new tiles or new vinyl flooring can transform a room.

As with all rooms a fresh lick of paint can make the world of difference to a room. Don’t forget to only use paint specifically made for bathrooms so that it can cope with the steam and humidity.

Declutter

Rooms that are full of clutter feel cramped and unwelcoming. Decluttering and making use of clever storage solutions can open up your home and make it feel much more spacious.

Write on three boxes keep, donate and rubbish. Then make a rule that until all three boxes are full you cannot empty any of them to create more space in them.

There are plenty of clever storage ideas from wall mounted shoe racks to utilising the wasted space under the stairs by putting in useful drawers and shelves.

Add some colour

If you can’t afford to redecorate your whole room but still want to give it an update then try adding a few new accessories. It also means that if you go off of them in a few months it is easy to remove them and try something else.

Lamp shades are ideal for adding a touch of colour to a room and adding a new lamp can help to light up dim corners which will help your room to feel larger as well.

If you can’t afford to paint the whole room a feature wall is a less expensive way changing the look of a room.

A rug can add a focal point to a room and cover up old and tired flooring at the same time.

If you are considering selling your property in Warrington and would like another pair of eyes to give you an idea about the interior and the impact on the value of your property, please give us a call on 01925 235 338.

Warrington Property Market Report November 2022

Christmas songs are on the radio, there’s a flurry of activity in the shops and the promise of lots of fun with our loved ones. It is also the season for questions like whether a home is large enough for the whole family or whether, children having flown the nest, it is too large?

New Year means new beginnings for many and so inevitably the thought of a new home is on many people’s minds. All this means that the property market is approaching its traditional busy season.

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

There are currently 405 properties available for sale in Warrington. This is 11 less than last month. Of these 405, 48 were new to the market in the last two weeks. The average price of properties in Warrington is £250,004 with the median price at £200,000.

Most of the properties available are in the £100,000 to £200,000 bracket with 170 currently on the market. This is an increase from last month when there were 158 available. There are 28 properties available, in the £500,000 to £1 million bracket, 2 more than last month.

This month, properties in the £100,000 to £200,000 bracket are the fastest movers, only on the market for 92 days. They are closely followed by properties in the £400,000 to £500,000 which only remain on the market for 94 days. Properties priced at £100,000 and under, are now taking 194 days to sell, an increase from 162 days last month. One-bedroom properties with a median price of £90,500 are currently sitting on the market for an average of 289 days. This is an increase from 249 days last month but is still a large decrease from 349 days in September.

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 around Warrington during the last year were semi-detached properties, selling for an average price of £227,440. Terraced properties sold for an average of £164,980, with detached properties fetching £399,569.

Overall, sold prices around Warrington over the last year were 2% down on the previous year and 14% up on the 2019 peak of £203,826.

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 first quarter of next 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.

Six Property Maintenance Jobs You Should Do Now

Your property is one of the biggest financial commitments that you will ever make so it makes sense to make sure that you are doing everything you can to look after it. However many of us are guilty of putting off doing those annoying little jobs that aren’t urgent enough to demand our immediate attention but still need doing.

With that in mind I have made a list of six things that you should make time to attend to before these little jobs become big jobs.

Windows

In the face of soaring gas prices we are all trying to keep our gas usage down this year. As a result condensation and the mould it goes hand in hand with are more of a problem this year than ever before. Make sure that you wipe condensation off of your windows frequently in order to avoid giving mould the chance to grow.

As window cleaners, sensibly, don’t tend to work in icy weather make sure that you give your ground floor windows a quick wipe too to make sure that you are maximising the amount of natural light that can get into your property and to ensure that you are not looking out through dirty windows.

Carpets

Wiping paws and cleaning up the mess that muddy paws can leave straight after walks is the best way to stop it from becoming ingrained in your carpets. Don’t forget to remove your own shoes at the door too. Having your carpets regularly cleaned is the best way to ensure that they stay in tip top condition.

Paint

Windowsills, front doors, stairs and banisters are often subject to a lot of wear and tear. Giving them a quick lick of paint is a relatively quick and easy way to revitalise tired areas in your home and increase your property’s kerb appeal.

Gutters

Windy weather can blow leaves, moss and autumn leaves into your gutters. They can cause blockages that can cause both damage and flooding so it is a good idea to ensure that you inspect these regularly and clear any blockages as necessary.

Boiler

Even if you are still managing to hold off turning the central heating on there will come a time when you need to switch it on this Winter. Make sure you don’t get a nasty surprise by having your boiler serviced annually by a certified professional. Then you can relax safe in the knowledge that you will have hot water and heating on tap whenever you want them.

Garden

Now is the time to put away your garden furniture so that it can be safely stored until Spring. Sweep your paths so that they are clear of slippy Autumn leaves, pull up any dead plants and tidy your shed.

If you are considering putting your property on the market in Warrington and would like some more advice on how to keep your property looking its best please give us a call on 01925 235 338 and we will be happy to advise you.

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