When you put your house on the market you should always ensure you check over the listing before it goes live. Some estate agents allow you to adjust the listing until you’re happy with it, offering sensible practical advice to ensure the photos show off your home as best as possible.
Some seem to think it’s ok to throw any old photos up and expect to sell the house.
This photo of this kitchen is a typical one that you might see. It’s very poorly lit making the kitchen look dark and unwelcoming. It’s not a place you’d want to spend time in and isn’t going to help sell the property at all.
So what could the estate agent have done? They could have added more light to the picture using artificial lights and lamps, bounced light into the room using a flash and a screen, or taken the picture from a different angle, or at a different time of day.
Is it wrong to ask an estate agent to change photos you’re not happy with? I don’t think so – you both want to sell your house for as much money as possible – if they’re on a commission fee anyway!
It’s also important to declutter rooms before taking photos and to keep them decluttered when you have viewings. This might mean spending hours putting away junk or throwing stuff away, but it’s important to make your house feel more spacious and have room for the potential buyer’s clutter.
If your house is full of your clutter then they might think there’s no room for theirs! If you make your room look like it’s clean and organised then they’ll see that there’s lots of room for all their bits and bobs too.
In a kitchen you want to keep a few lifestyle items on display such as a bowl of fresh fruit, or a large bouquet of flowers. Leaving the toaster out and clutter on all the worktops makes it look like it’s impossible to be organised in that room.
Month: March 2011
Would you buy a house without central heating?
It’s a question that rarely seems to get asked these days, as we all automatically expect to have nice warm houses. It’s not that long since it was rare to have central heating though and there are some properties coming on to the market that don’t have it.
Hopefully they will be reduced in price enough to make installing a central heating boiler and radiators a sensible option, but what if you won’t be able to afford to install this for a few months?
For some people it would be a disaster! If you’re nesh as they say in various parts of the UK, it’s unlikely you’d want to live in a house without heating.
Some houses have individual room heaters, even gas fires in each room to compensate, but it’s not as automatic as having heating come on a timer when you want it, or as thermostatically controlable.
Would you swap your central heating for a wood burning stove? There are some clever models that can heat water and radiators too so it’s possible to reduce your energy bills from £1000 a year to a few hundred or even less if you can savange free wood!
The disadvantages again are the effort involved in keeping the fire going, although you can buy systems that autofeed woodchips into the boiler!
When you next view a house, have a look to see where the radiators are – or what heating it has! It’s important to know before you put an offer in so you can adjust your offer accordingly!
Prices for a full new heating system are from a couple of grand upwards depending on the number of radiators and type of boiler you have installed. Gas systems should always be installed by Gas Safe engineers.
Don’t forget that having work done will disturb current decoration and other patching up work might be required. If the property doesn’t have a gas supply then this can cost several hundred pounds upwards to get installed depending on the location of the nearest gas main!
Would I live in a property without central heating? I might if it was otherwise my dream property – but I’d want to be installing some renewable energy systems like solar hot water, maybe ground source heat pumps for underfloor heating and lots of lovely wood burning stoves!
Local searches – Con29R
What are local searches? When you buy a house you’ll pay a solictor for local searches but what does that actually mean? What is included in the local searches?
Con29R is the form used to request searches.
* Planning and Building Regulation Decisions and Pending Application
* Planning Designations and Proposals
* Roads
* Land required for Public Purposes
* Land to be acquired for Road Works
* Drainage Agreements and Consents
* Nearby Road Schemes
* Nearby Railway Schemes
* Traffic Schemes
* Outstanding Notices
* Infringement of Building Regulations
* Notices, Orders, Directions and Proceedings under Planning Acts
* Conservation Area
* Compulsory Purchase
* Contaminated Land
* Radon Gas
The form contains the following questions:
CON29R QUESTIONS
1. PLANNING AND BUILDING REGULATIONS
1.1 Planning and Building Decisions and Pending Applications
Which of the following relating to the property have been granted, issued,
or refused, or (where applicable) are the subject of pending applications:-
(a) a planning permission;
(b) a listed building consent;
(c) a conservation area consent;
(d) a certificate of lawfulness of existing use or development;
(e) a certificate of lawfulness of proposed use or development;
(f) buildings regulation approval;
(g) a building regulation completion certificate; and
(h) any building regulations certificate of notice issued in respect of work
carried out under a competant person self-certification scheme?
1.2 Planning Designations and Proposals
What designations of land use for the property or the area and what specific
proposals for the property, are contained in any existing or proposed
development plan?
3.1 Land required for Public Purposes
Is the property included in land required for public purposes?
3.3 Drainage Agreements and Consents
Do either of the following exist in relation to the property:-
(a) an agreement to drain buildings in combination into an existing sewer by
means of a private sewer; or
(b) an agreement or consent for (i) a building, or (ii) extension to a building
on
the property, to be built over, or in the vicinity of a drain, sewer or disposal
main?
3.5 Nearby Railway Schemes
Is the property (or will it be) within 200 metres of the centre line of a proposed
£2
railway, tramway, light railway or monorail?
3.6 Traffic Schemes
permanent stopping up or diversion
waiting or loading restrictions;
one way driving;
prohibition of driving;
pedestrianisation;
vehicle width or weight restriction;
traffic calming works including road humps;
residents parking controls;
minor road widening or improvement;
pedestrian crossings;
cycle tracks;
bridge building?
3.7 Outstanding Notices
Do any statutory notices which relate to the following matters subsist in
realtion to the property other than those revealed in a response to any other
enquiry in this Schedule:-
(a) building works;
(b) environment;
(c) health and safety;
(d) housing;
(e) highways; or
(f) public health?
3.8 Contravention of Building Regulations
Has a local authority authorised in relation to the property any proceedings for
the contravention of any provision contained in Building Regulations?
3.9 Notices, Orders, Directions and Proceedings under Planning Acts
Do any of the following subsist in relation to the property, or has a local
authority decided to issue, serve, make or commence any of the following:-
(a) an enforcement notice;
(b) a stop notice;
(c) a listed building enforcement notice;
(d) a breach of condition notice;
(e) a planning contravention notice;
(f) another notice relating to breach of control;
(g) a listed building repairs notice;
(h) in the case of a listed building deliberately allowed to fall into disrepair,
a
compulsory purchase order with a direction for minimum compensation;
(i) a building preservation notice;
(j) a direction restricting permitted development;
(k) an order revoking or modifying planning permission;
(l) an order requiring discontinuance of use or alteration or removal of building
or works;
(m) a tree preservation order; or
(n) proceedings to enforce a planning agreement or planning contribution?
3.10 Conservation Area
Do the following apply in relation to the property:-
(a) the making of the area a Conservation Area before 31 August 1974;
(b) an unimplemented resolution to designate the area a Conservation Area?
3.11 Compulsory Purchase
Has any enforceable order or decision been made to compulsorily purchase or
acquire the property?
3.12 Contaminated Land
Do any of the following apply (including any relating to land adjacent to or
adjoining the property which has been identified as contaminated land because
it is in such a condition that harm or pollution of controlled waters might be
caused on the property):-
(a) a contaminated land notice;
(b) in relation to a register maintained under section 78R of the Environmental
Protection Act 1990:-
(i) a decision to make an entry; or
(ii) an entry;
(c) consultation with the owner or occupier of the property conducted under
section 78G(3) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 before the service of
a remediation notice?
3.13 Radon Gas
Do the records indicate that the property is in a "Radon Affected Area"
as £2 identified by the Health Protection Agency?
A local search also include a LLC1 which asks for a formal search of the local register of land charges.
The Parts of the register record:
Part 1 General financial charges.
Part 2 Specific financial charges.
Part 3 Planning charges.
Part 4 Miscellaneous charges.
Part 5 Fenland ways maintenance charges.
Part 6 Land Compensation charges.
Part 7 New towns charges.
Part 8 Civil aviation charges.
Part 9 Opencast coal charges.
Part 10 Listed buildings charges.
Part 11 Light obstruction notices.
Part 12 Drainage scheme charges.
Form CON29O
Includes optional searches
Road Proposals by Private Bodies
Public Paths or byways Advertisements
Completion Notices
Parks & Countryside
Pipelines
Houses in Multiple Occupation
Noise Abatement
Urban Development Areas
Enterprise Zones
Inner Urban Improvement Areas
Food Safety
Simplified Planning Zones
Land Maintenance Notices
Mineral Consultation Areas
Hazardous Substance Consents
Environmental and Pollution Notices
Food Safety Notices
Hedgerow Notices
Registered Common Land and Town or Village Green
Common Land Searches must be submitted as an optional enquiry using Form CON29O
Part 1 Gives a description of the land and the date of when it was made Common
Land or a Village Green;
Part 2 Gives details of who has common rights over the land;
Part 3 Gives details of ownership of the land
Things not included in the local searches:
Most importantly it doesn’t tell you about any local planning applications. You can search for local planning applications online with most councils or pay their planning department a visit and look at the maps. Staff can be helpful. It can be of great use if there is any land that could be developed near your potential new home to check whether or not any planning applications have been put in.
CON29DW is the form for water company searches for water and drainage.
Teeny Tiny House!
It’s an upside down house with the first floor measuring 6.1m x 2.2m and containing the lounge and kitchen area.
The bedroom on the ground floor is 4.95m x 2.21m.
It says it has a paddle staircase which I assume to be one that just has the footstep sections on. 
I think it’s quite cute but far too small for me!
The property ombudsman
If you want to complain about your estate agent then you can do via the Property Ombudsman.
His powers allow him to make awards of compensation for financial loss and/or aggravation, distress and inconvenience, where he feels it is appropriate. The service is free of charge for the public.
They can deal with lettings as well as sales issues!
Fantastic! Your estate agent must be a member of an Estate Agents Redress Scheme! It must be a scheme regulated by the Office of Fair Trading and have the power to investigate complaints.
If you have problems with your estate agent then have a look on the property ombudsmans site to see if they can help!
Sold house prices on Rightmove
There are lots of sites to search for house sold prices, but they’re also available on rightmove too
Visit rightmove’s house sold prices page.
You can searcg by postcode – try the first half of your postcode. Sales are listed by street which makes for interesting reading – if a street has a lot of sales does that mean there’s something wrong with it?
You can vary the time scale of house sales too – within the last year to over 7 years. Records online only go back to about 2001-2002.
The listing for each street gives you the full address, the sale date, the tenure (Whether it’s freehold or leasehold) and the price paid.
Estate Agent speak translated
Deciphering the Estate Agent Code
Some of the things estate agents write about properties can be confusing. So what do their pet phrases mean?
Close to all transport links might indicate it’s so close to a main road that you can guess the tonnage of the lorries whizzing by just by the vibrations alone. May also indicate a direct view of the local motorway.
It might also mean surrounded by a railway and a road. Convenient for local transport does mean that the bus stop is directly outside the front.
Tucked away means that it’s not near any transport links at all and there’s a half hour walk down a dirt track to get to the property. This can also indicate that the property is hidden behind some industrial units.
There’s a scale of estate agent speak about the level of work needing doing on a house.
Of interest to builders means it probably needs a hard hat for viewings and is in danger of falling down, may have already fallen down, or need pulling down.
Original features indicate no work has been done for some years. This can be a blessing as it means original nice features may be retained, or it might mean no work has been done since the 1960s when avocado bathrooms were all the rage.
Rare opportunity usually means it’s been in the same family for some time and has been owned by an increasingly aged occupant who has not heated the property enough to keep the dry rot away.
Needs TLC can mean anything from light dusting to full blown renovation work needed. In need of renovation might also mean the same range of things, that is: rewiring, new boiler, windows, new kitchen and bathroom and then decorating. This can also be described by using the phrase has potential! Would benefit from some updating is another euphemism for this. DIYer’s dream usually means the seller has made some botched attempts at improving the house and that it now needs the professionals in.
Deceptively spacious is an amusing one. We all know the Tardis is fictional, but we still believe that a house can be bigger on the inside than it is on the outside?
Early viewing recommended is one of those things to make you think a property is more desirable than it is.
Corporate Client can mean repossession. No upper chain can also mean repossession.
No upper chain on a family size home can also mean that the current occupants have passed on to a better place. Often Fairviews Nursing home … This can be confirmed by the presence of patterned carpet, tasselled sofas and old fashioned style gas fires.
Reduced for Quick Sale might indicate the owners are desperate to sell before it’s repossessed.
In Our Opinion is an indication that you might well disagree with the following statement.
Cosy means tiny. Compact and bijou mean tiny. Potential to extend also means tiny. Charming can also indicate tiny but is likely to also indicate low ceilings and beams to crack your skull on.
Desirable neighbourhood means that the property is overpriced.
An Up and coming neighbourhood means it’s not there yet, so might be a bit risky after dark.
Studio apartment means that it’s so small you can stir you soup whilst you’re in the bath.
Well maintained property means they did some work about 20 years ago and think it makes the property worth more.
Very well looked after is similar to as above but with the seller wanting to make extreme profit from having repainted the kitchen door five years ago.
Offers over is an indication the estate agent couldn’t persuade the seller how little their house was worth.
Easily maintained garden means that it’s not big enough to actually need a lawn mower and you’ll have to use scissors. May also indicate every plant in the garden is in a pot and won’t be there when you get the keys!
Convenient for local school means it’s got parking problems at school dropping off times and hoards of screaming children at breaks. On the plus note the 15 weeks of holidays offer ample peace and quiet when it’s just people stealing the lead off the school roof that create the noise.
Box room means that the room isn’t legally big enough to fit a bed and a human being but if you need a room to store the ironing board it’s probably big enough. Describing a room as a study is also a euphemism for it not being big enough to be a bedroom.
Good size double bedroom indicates that if you get a smaller than normal double bed you might squeeze it in.
Are you a rightmove addict?
There’s a growing group of people who spend hours each day browsing property on rightmove! They’re not just looking at houses in their budget either! It seems looking at the most expensive houses is incredibly popular as a hobby!
Still with big eurolottery rollovers to be won it’s good to dream!
Sold houses reappearing on searches
I’ve noticed a couple of properties that went SSTC have reappeared. This presumably means someone has changed their mind, perhaps after a survey, or is having trouble getting a mortgage.
Some sellers refuse to negotiate even if a survey throws up serious expensive problems. Buyers should do the right thing and make their own mind up about whether they want to overpay for a property that needs work. My advice would be to get quotes for any work needing doing and then decide if you want the hassle of getting the work done, and paying for it, whilst paying the seller’s asking price. Most of the time I’d say walk away!
Stubborn sellers aren’t actually going to sell.
There was one great thing about the HIP pack introduced and then cancelled … it financially committed people to actually selling. Now there’s very little problem with people putting houses on the market and taking them off when they realise they won’t get the high asking price they want.
If you’re selling a house and they have a survey done which reveals lots of work needs doing, and you don’t want to lower your price, you have to realise you’re probably going to lose that sale. And the work that needs doing will still need doing, and be picked up by any other surveyor who comes to your property.
Property programs on TV
If you’re not yet sick of the daily diet of house programs on TV, then always watch for the dates when they’re actually recorded. Some being shown are from 2007 and this was at the height of the housing bubble.
It does make me worry watching Kirsty and Phil “negotiate” a £440k deal on a property on at £450k for two years though. Is that really negotiating? In the end the couple didn’t buy the property even when their offer was accepted. I’d love to have the time of doing a review of all of the programs to show how many houses they bought, what % they negotiated off and how many times the people on the show went off and bought another house.
I’d also like to do a tally on how many of the couples end up having a baby during the course of the show! Perhaps they used to watch Sarah Beeney’s Property Ladder program (Possible the least repeated program of them all) as she always seemed to be mid-pregnancy during the filming of the shows.