Month: November 2011

I’n not sure why I’m suprised to say it either, but we’ve had no snow yet! After initial fears of a very early snowy winter, it hasn’t yet materialised! The weather has been really mild! I have noticed supermarkets selling tiny bags of grit though!
If you want to be prepared then buy a big bag and don’t be afraid to use it on your paths. A Bulldog Snow Shovel
should probably be in your shed too for when the snow does come!
So how can snow help you house hunt or sell your house?
If you’re selling then a few inches of snow can be helpful hiding the neighbour’s garden if it’s a mess, or disguising how much your lawn needs cutting.
It can also make your house look really pretty and pictureque. A snowy picture can date when your house was first on the market but if you can persuade the estate agent to use a lovely shot and label it such that people will see it’s from previous years then it might help clinch a sale! Some houses look beautiful in the snow!

If you’re buying you can use snow to show you how much insulation is in the loft! If the snow stays on the roof but the house is warm inside then it has plenty of insulation! Same goes for frosty days – a row of houses all facing the same way allows you to see which has got roof insulation and which hasn’t.
Bear in mind that snow can make gardens look much tidier than others – so if it is snowy perhaps wait until the snow has cleared before making an offer and have a second viewing.
I’ve read that some people like to see what an area is like in Autumn when the leaves have fallen. This can reveal buildings that will be hidden in summer when the leaves are all green, but bare trees reveal all!

So if you’re selling your house in winter what can you do to make it sell?

If you have a real fire then get it lit! There is something magical about logs burning that is wonderful and will set the scene beautifully. Get the chimney swept though so there’s no problems with it!
Light the rooms well. Winter is alway darker and more gloomy so use side lights to bring a room to life, rather than just central ceiling lights. The right sort of lamps can make a room feel warm and very welcoming.
Get the heating on so the house is cosy.
The old tricks of the trade like brewing coffee can be adapated perhaps. Warming up mince pies in the oven will create a fantastic smell. Don’t burn them though!

Ensuring things like wellington boots, wet coats and cold weather gear is all store away out of sight is important. If there’s no room for it to be hidden then it’ll make thouse feel smaller and more cluttered.

There’s a whole lot of thoughts on whether you should put Christmas decorations up when you’re trying to sell your house. I think the perfect thing would be to have something in style with your house, small and tasteful but showing your house is big enough for a nice tree. Don’t go overboard on the outdoor decorations as they can really put people off. If your neighbours go OTT then perhaps you’d be best not having viewings whilst they’re up. Maybe you are though – you never know if someone would like them or not!
A stylish wreath on the door isn’t going to put anyone off though and if you’ve got kids then you’d be mean to deprive them of a tree and decoations!

This story on the BBC news site says Conwy Council is planning to run a scheme to ‘help first time buyers’.

I don’t think it does help first time buyers at all. It helps people selling houses.

Mr Hughes said the council will be taking steps to keep the risk to a minimum and the maximum value of the property to qualify would be £140,000.
If the buyer defaulted on the mortgage, the council would have to pay back the part of the loan it had guaranteed.

This means the scheme needs to have ultra good vetting on mortgage applicants. And if you can afford to buy a house then do you really need the council’s help?

The council will also need to be open and honest about who buys houses with this scheme so it can be clean of any favouritism.

Of course if this scheme is propping up house prices then it is not helping first time buyers at all.

If no one is buying houses then prices will have to come down. As soon as they have come down enough people will be able to save up their own deposits. Lower prices would also mean mortgage affordability was better, less risk of defaults and less debt! With less money being spent on housing costs it’s easy to see that people will have more money for other things.