As term time approaches, those endless days of trying to entertain your bored and restless kids are almost over. No more surly teenagers sleeping until 2pm, no more grumpy children hounding you for snacks – it’s time to get ready for school. This back-to-school guide looks at some easy ways to get the September term off to a good start. Reduce screen time When there’s nothing to...
2022
If you’re a landlord, chances are you’re feeling a bit hard done by at the moment. It seems like every other day, new rules and revisions are being announced around landlord and tenant law, which means you have to change the way you work and may face higher taxes. But is it all doom and gloom? Is it time to hang up your landlord hat and sell up? We definitely don’t think so. In this...
Many buyers say that hunting for a new home is like looking for a healthy, low-calorie meal in a greasy spoon café… not easy. As well as wanting the right property in the right location, they usually have a long checklist to satisfy before even viewing a property. If you’re selling, it’s useful to know what buyers are looking for so that you can get the marketing spot on. This quick read...
This two-minute read explains how to nail the must-have looks that could push up the price of your home. Here at Nest in Essex, we’ve been telling our clients for years to ditch the clutter and get the décor spot on to secure a top sale. Well now a survey has proved us right! The study* found that two in five buyers look for a property that matches their own personal taste in interiors. (The...
This two-minute read looks at how to ensure your home appeals to buyers looking for a family home. When it comes to devising a marketing strategy to sell your home, the first step is establishing your target buyer. For example, if you’re selling a slick, minimalist penthouse studio, there’s no prizes for guessing that your target will be young professional buyers. But if it’s a house or...
This two-minute read explains how landlords can navigate their way through an ever-growing list of rules and regulations. There’s one rookie mistake that many first-time landlords make when they invest in property – and it can cost them dearly further down the track. While most newbie landlords mull over the obvious financial stuff – like rental income, repairs, mortgage costs and tax –...
The secret to a smooth-running tenancy is good tenants. Here’s how to find them. A two-minute read. There are few guarantees in life, but we promise you this: let your property to a bad tenant, and your job as a landlord will get much more complicated. Expect to be out of pocket (due to missed rent payments and damage to your property) and stressed (dealing with nightmare tenants is, to state...
As a busy landlord juggling a portfolio of multiple properties, you might be thinking about ways to reduce your workload or secure a regular income. Have you been enticed by promises of guaranteed rent? Guaranteed rental schemes or rent-to-rent (R2R, not R2D2) schemes are growing in popularity. But hold on for a minute, what do they actually mean? In a nutshell, it’s where you rent your...
Discover how to make your kitchen look fresh and modern without spending a fortune in this two-minute read. Smartening up your kitchen is an excellent way to wow buyers and add value. If you can’t afford a full-scale high-end refurbishment, try these cost-saving DIY tips. Before you start When we’re emotionally attached to a property, we often gloss over its flaws. But it’s important to...
When selling your property, there are two magic words everyone wants to hear: ‘cash buyer’. They come with promises of a quick sale process, no chain and are, quite frankly, the pot of gold at the end of the property-selling rainbow. But are cash buyers really that special? A cash buyer is basically someone who can afford to buy your home without needing a mortgage or having to sell another...