Category: General

What’s your worst house viewing experience?

One house I never even asked to view had some interesting pictures of their bathroom. Complete with cat things on the floor. Well done cat for at least getting the right room!

Another house the owner told us she never used the gas fire in the lounge as it was too expensive to have on!
The same house she pointed out that if you took the radiator off the wall you could put a wardrobe there instead!
One house we viewed had a galley kitchen too narrow for a dishwasher. That one was off the list right away.

What information do you want when you view a house?

What sort of information do you want when you’re viewing a house?
Would you like to know what their gas and electric bills are?
Would you like to know how far away the local school is?
Are you more interested in there being a good pub or takeaway near by?

What information would you find really useful?

Why not tell us in the comments below what information you’d most like to see available either from the estate agent or online.

Quick house sale companies

I’d always suggest avoiding companys who claim to buy your house quickly. They’re in the business of making money and however they do it, it’ll be at your expense.
Some companies offer 60% of the market value of your property making!

If you really need to sell in a hurry speak to your local estate agents about what price they think would generate some interest. Or take the property to auction.

Broadband speed to be shown on Rightmove

Apparently Rightmove is going to work with BT to list the internet speeds of the 1m homes listed on its website. This if fantastic news for anyone house hunting at the moment as it stops a separate search on sites like Sam Knows.

Whether it gives as much useful information as the Sam knows broadband checker page we don’t know but we will bring you more information as soon as we see it live!

Gary Neville House approved

Yesterday Bolton councillors approved amended plans for the Gary Neville’s zero-carbon mansion. These will now be referred to the government though. The house would be build on green belt land on the moors above Bolton and this is causing some contraversy.
It looks a bit like a telly tubby house.

This is Neville’s current home up for sale on rightmove He owns the Harwood estate and his house is Alexander House
It’s amazing with a swimming pool, gym, cinema room and it’s very glam.

One could easily question the eco-friendlyness of building a brand new home when one already owns a house.

How to make a small room bigger

When you have a small room that you want to make it look bigger there are several simple things you can do.

Add a mirror. This is a good trick to use on a landing halfway up stairs. You’ll bring more light in too but the reflecting makes the space feel bigger. In a room a big mirror can double the light and give the appearance the room is bigger than it is.

Use smaller furniture. If you can buy a smaller, narrower bed then the room will seem more spacious. Smaller pieces of furniture will give the room a more spacious feel.

Use a strong colour on a far wall to bring your eye across the room. This is the theory behind having a feature wall.

Use light colour furnishings and carpet. Light curtains that are neat won’t crowd a window. Light carpet is a must. Dark colours on floors and walls can just suck in all the light making the room darker.

A white ceiling is always good! White woodwork can help too. Ensure the room is spotless too. Pale walls are essential.

Wall hung shelves take up no floor space. Even a bedside table shelf can help! Look for space saving wall mounted items. This is a useful idea to look out for bathroom cupboards too.

Declutter. Declutter as much as you can. And then declutter some more.

Make sure you can shut the bedroom door! Some small bedrooms have the problem of the door bumping the bed when you try and shut it. Don’t do this! It instantly shows how small the room is. Get a smaller bed. Consider a built in bed if space is tight. Consider a day bed if you are showing a room as a guestroom.

As well as mirrors paint finishes can reflect light. Look for shiny objects for the room – including shiny bedsteads and ornaments.

As long as you make the room look nice and usable as a bedroom or study then potential buyers will see it as a room they can use.

What is a duplex?

There are several different definitions

A duplex apartment is one which has rooms on two floors that are connected by a staircase.

A maisonette could be considered a duplex.

A duplex house can be a house that has separate entrances to two different apartments. Whether they are spread over two floors or have a floor each.

A duplex can also be side-by-side apartments on a single lot that share a common wall. Technically a semi-detached could be called a duplex.

If something is described as a duplex then ask the estate agent who’s written the listing what they mean by that.

High windows

Steps to windowWith some houses there are little quirks that can make you smile. I love the steps in this property that they have to enable them to see out of the window.
This reminds me a little of some strange concrete house that was on Grand Designs Abroad – in Spain they had a mezzanine floor with a window out, but only if you were very very tall.
Still at least in this house in Somerset you get plenty of headroom!

Rating houses to compare them

How to rate a property and compare it with others you have viewed.

When you do several viewings you might find it hard to weigh them all up and compare them properly.

A simple way of doing this is to write down their score out of 10 for each of the following points. Add up the totals and see how you feel about your reaction. Sometimes the property you didn’t think you liked that much actually makes most sense.

1. Location – how perfect a location is it for schools, shops, peace and quiet,
2. Parking – is there the parking or garage you require.
3. Size of property – is it big enough so you don’t outgrow it in a matter of months?
4. Potential for expansion – just in case you ever feel the urge.
5. Outdoor space – is there enough outdoor space
6. State of property – will it need redecorating or completely renovating. How do you feel about picking
up a paint brush or getting major works done?
7. Feel of house – how did it make you feel looking at it and going in.
8. Neighbours – what are they like?
9. The price – is it a good price or overpriced?
10. The must have factor – does it make you go WOW!

When you’ve added the scores up you’ll be able to rank properties. Sometimes your results are quite surprising and will make you look again at properties you weren’t sure about before.