I recently wrote about mould issues in rented property, what causes it and how to prevent it. So what if dispute arises? Landlord-tenant disputes are unfortunate but an occupational hazard for all landlords. It’s also unfortunate that many tenancies start off really well and over time deteriorate into poor relationships for no particular reason apart resentment coming into it, for one reason or another.  As Robin Williams said in the film Dead Poets Society, “…T’was always thus, and always thus shall be!”

Relations can get very strained and when a certain point is reached, persistent rent arrears and late payments, damage to the property, or anti-social behaviour, for example, it is not unreasonable for a private landlord to start eviction proceedings. Social landlords can afford to be and usually are much more tolerant of this; private landlords usually can’t afford it.

However, tenants will sometimes bring up issues in defence against eviction. The defence can range from finding technical errors in the way the landlord has served notices, or completed court papers, to defects with the property, whether real or imagined, notified or not.

Under the present system the landlord can be faced with a defence immediately before or during a court hearing when it’s too late to do anything about it. Claims of disrepair will usually mean a deferred trail date, sometimes 6 months hence, with a request for expert reports on the conditions. The up-shot is a long and expensive legal process is in train where the loser pays all costs.

1 – When problems arise, such as rent arrears, damage to the property, introducing pets without permission etc., always contact the tenant quickly and discuss the problem.

2 – Always document these discussions and all contacts with a follow up letter outlining the details of the problem, how it is to be resolved and an agreed timescale for this.

3 – In the case of rent arrears send off a rent arrears letter, a rent schedule and serve notices s21 and s8. Try to assist the tenant in overcoming the problem short-term by helping with Housing Benefit claims and rescheduling rent payments.

4 – Try to get a reason for non-payment in writing from the tenant – this goes some way towards preventing late on “invented” reasons as a defence against eviction if it comes to that at a later date.

5 – In the case of repair issues, request access to the property for inspection and if possible have an independent expert (a builder for example) present and help you compile a report which can be compared to your ingoing inventory. Include photos if possible.

6 – In the case of condensation, evidence from previous tenants can be crucial. If they had a good experience, try to get documentary evidence from them. Think about a leaving questionnaire for all tenants.

7 – Inexpensive Temperature, Relative Humidity and Dew Points meters are now available which means landlords can quickly check room conditions and provide evidence of this.

8 – Taking meter readings can be useful to determine the amount of energy the tenant has consumed since they entered. A quick calculation can provide evidence of the average weekly consumption and therefore the heating applied.

8 – Request access to carry out necessary repairs and get them completed as soon as possible.

Documentary evidence is the key to winning any court action – judges will not take a landlord’s word against that of the tenant, so you must backup your assertions with good solid evidence. This is even more important if challenged by a tenant in view of the revenge eviction legislation included in the Deregulation Act 2015.

Revenge Evictions

The use of section 21 will be barred if a tenant reports repairs and an environmental health officer (EHO) deems the property to have serious defects – health and safety hazards, damp, condensation and mould being one of these which fall into category 1 & 2 hazards.

Really bad conditions are largely confined to a small proportion of “rogue” landlords who for the want of a better term, let slums.

But all good landlords ought to be concerned about the new rules because damp, condensation and mould is so difficult to pin down to a cause – it can just as easily be the tenant as much as the building and landlord.

Currently five restrictions or pre-conditions are imposed on the section 21 process: licencing, deposit rules, EPC, Gas Safety Certificate and serving the How to Rent Guide. For all of these the landlord is still in control – follow the rules and you retain control, that’s fair enough.

However, the retaliatory eviction rules have the potential to cause serious issues for ALL landlords if not handled correctly because:

(1) EHO judgements are can be suspect,

(2) Convincing a judge on repair issues is often challenging to say the least,

(3) Both these services are seriously under resourced and currently cause long delays – add this extra workload, which could to be substantial, and chaos will ensue,

(4) Gaining access to rented property to remedy defects is often very difficult for landlords,

(5) The process is wide-open to abuse by those tenants who wish to avoid eviction by “creating” defects of their own.

By way of example: a case cited in the Letting Update Journal (Oct 2014) was of a tenant who refused to ventilate even though the radiators were covered in wet drying clothes. The property was covered in black mould even though it had been free of condensation problems with previous tenants. The tenant violently refused to follow advice and brought in the local authority Environment Health Officer.

After the inspection the EHO came up with a long list of modifications and “improvements” that the property needed, even though it had been fully refurbished before this tenancy. The required modifications included moving radiators, building a new internal wall and replacing a large bay window.

On appeal it seems the report was modified with more emphasis placed on the tenant’s responsibility in the issue, but nevertheless it illustrates the difficulties landlords face with inexperienced EHOs, as this lady clearly was, with retaliatory eviction rules.

In my experience a large percentage of the time condensation is caused by the tenant: (1) saving on heating costs and living in a cold house, (2) not ventilating when washing and cooking, (3) drying clothes on radiators etc.

Try to convince tenants, some EHOs, some judges and the general public that this is not the landlord’s fault and you are met with pure cynicism and you really are up against a serious lack of knowledge and understanding on the issue.

I’ve seen this problem develop with tenants from all socio-economic groups, so it’s not confined to the bottom end of the letting market. But often you will never convince the tenant or the authorities of the real cause unless they are experienced or you can show that previous tenants in the property never had an issue with condensation.

My concern with the revenge eviction rules is that there is a danger of introducing a process where good landlords just cannot get fair treatment; cannot easily resolve these situations quickly when it’s costing them money in repairs / rent payment disputes, and where, given time, landlords will simply realise that letting is just not worth the hassle.

As winter approaches outside temperatures drop and this perennial landlord’s problem of winter condensation and black mould rear their ugly heads yet again. I say yet again, because once the mould spores are there, they will keep reoccurring when the conditions are right.

The big question is, how do you know if this is caused by the building itself or the tenant’s lifestyle, or is it a combination of these two?

Dampness or condensation symptoms are very similar but the cures are very different, and to the uninitiated applying the wrong methods can be both expensive and ineffective.

When tenants start to complain about “damp” to their letting agents and landlords, you need to have some answers.

• What causes condensation?
• Is it the same as dampness?
• Why is it that some tenants have condensation problems, while others don’t, even in the same property?
• Why is it that the condensation problem is more prevalent in rented properties?
• Why are older properties affected more than modern ones?
• What effective measures can be taken to solve this problem?
• What can landlords do if they are taken to court over this or when rent arrears tenants claim in court they don’t pay because of dampness?
• How can landlords deal effectively with repair requests?

I’ve had many years dealing with these problems in residential as well as commercial properties and in that time I’ve begun to develop a really good understanding of this tricky problem and how to deal with it – in this article I will attempt to answer these questions and provide some solutions.

I can say from the outset, despite the many articles written on the subject, it’s not generally very well understood. There’s a lot of misunderstanding around it, and even some so called “experts” get it wrong.

Mention damp and black mould, and we’ve all seen those nasty pictures in print and in the television documentaries, the look horrific and immediately the landlord is denounced; he or she becomes the pariah figure who is condemning tenants to live in appalling health-threatening conditions.

Yes, it’s true that some properties have such serious defects that they are prone to damp and condensation and their owners need to put them right.

But far more common is a situation where the root-cause of the problem is the way the tenants are living, or sometimes it’s a combination of that and inadequacies with the property.

The problem landlords have is that tenants, the general public, environmental health officers (EHO), solicitors and judges in court, very often just don’t understand the difference between damp and condensation, their root causes, and who is really to blame.

What causes condensation?

Tenants often report dampness in a property when in fact the black mould on the walls and musty smells on clothes are caused by condensation.

Condensation occurs when warm moisture laden air meets a cold surface. Typical is when steamy air from cooking, washing and drying clothes rises up to the top of the house and meets a cold surface; easily visible as water droplets on window pains and tiles, but less so when the moisture meets cold wallpaper, plastered walls, carpets and clothes in wardrobes in unheated rooms. Then it is invisible, quickly absorbed into these materials and results in that cold musty smell and mould spores.

The result is a dank, cold house with musty smells and the tell-tale black mould, which can become toxic and injurious to health.

So, there are two main causes of condensation:

1 – Too much steam and moisture laden air that rises through the house rather than being vented outside at source; usually from the kitchen or bathroom, or typically when clothes are left to dry on radiators.

2 – A house with rooms that are far too cold.

Ventilation

When steam is produced it should be vented out of the house in the room where it is produced, by opening windows, using permanent vents or extractor fans, and closing doors to prevent it circulating round the house.

The problem is that opening windows in winter is not something people want to do as it cools the room and providing permanent air vents does the same thing. I’ve seen many vents purposely blocked with rags by occupants.

It does not help that the modern house, with all our draft proofing measures, unlike the old days with chimney ventilation, becomes a hermetically sealed box, so even new houses suffer some condensation. But condensation does not discriminate between new and old properties – if the conditions are right it will occur in both.

Rooms too Cold

It’s always the coldest rooms where condensation happens and black mould appears, usually tops of walls in bedrooms and bathrooms which receive the least heating.

Very often it’s simply a matter of not providing enough heat in the house, either to save money, because the occupants can’t afford to heat, or because the heating system is not adequate for the task.

Fluctuating temperatures don’t help: tenants tend to leave the heating off all day and blast with heat and steam when they return – ideal conditions for condensation.

When the house is poorly insulated, as in many older properties without cavity walls, heating is expensive because a lot of it is being wasted. Then, lack of heat leads to colder and colder moisture absorbing walls and more and more condensation. It’s a self-perpetuating circle.

A really well insulated and heated house will rarely suffer much condensation because everything including carpets, wallpaper and clothes in wardrobes are all nice and warm and will not absorb moisture, even when some steam is generated. No rooms should drop below 18 degrees C day or night.

Interstitial Condensation

A technical term used to describe what happens when condensation remains a problem for a long time. The cold walls absorb more and more moisture which penetrates deep into the walls; the wallpaper, plaster and masonry, and even timber, which will eventually lead to dry rot. The moisture is so deep it will take months to dry the building out, even when more than adequate heating is applied.

Likewise mould spores will develop on surfaces which eventually become toxic (causing a real health hazard) and are then extremely hard to eradicate.

So, once these conditions have been allowed to develop they can be very difficult to reverse; they do a lot of damage to the fabric of the building. After a while plaster just disintegrates and crumbles away. These conditions are also a serious health issue for anyone attempting to clean up – special precautions are required.

Dampness

Dampness is different to condensation and has different causes which are invariably defects in the building and most definitely a landlord issue. These are not difficult to spot and eliminate: a leaking roof, rising damp in the lower parts of ground floor walls and floors in basements, or a leaking water pipe. All these will create a localised problem and will appear different to condensation and mould.

Older properties and insulation

Many rental properties fall into the older category and are without cavity walls and modern insulation standards. In fact it has been estimated that around 16% of UK rental property stock does not meet modern Decent Home standards. The Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) gives an indication of this when a tenant enters into a tenancy.

Coming up soon is an important repair issue for landlords, which although EU inspired, it is thought unlikely that Brexit will have any effect on the introduction of the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES ) regulations. These will make it unlawful from April 2018 to let buildings (both commercial and domestic) in England and Wales which do not achieve a minimum Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of ‘E’.

As poor energy performance is not limited to old or obsolete buildings, MEES will have significant impacts for a number of landlords, tenants, and property agents. Landlords should really be thinking about this, planning for and taking action now to avoid higher costs and protecting their revenues from their properties.

The MEES regulations apply in England and Wales. There are different but complimentary regulations applying in Scotland, which have been developed under Section 63 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act, known as ‘Action on Carbon and Energy Performance’ (ACEP).

This means that one in ten buy-to-let homes could be unlettable in less than two years’ time unless their landlords take steps to improve their property’s energy efficiency.

Tenants are also able to demand improvements to insulation from April 2016, when landlords will not be able to refuse tenants’ “reasonable” requests for energy efficiency measures, but it this case the tenant would be obliged to pay for the improvement.

The legislation states that landlords must not let out properties with the two lowest energy efficiency ratings, F and G, after April 2018 at the latest. According to a recent English Housing Survey, 11.4pc of homes in the private rented sector were rated F or G in 2011.

Damp specialists

Beware the damp specialists who come into a condensation riddled property with their two-pronged meter, showing you just how much dampness the wall contains. Of course it does, because the condensation has well and truly soaked in over time, but their suggested remedies will often be very expensive and ineffective.

Advice for your tenants:

The incidence of condensation can be reduced by:

1. Leaving background heating on all day in all rooms and generally making sure the house is adequately heated in cold weather. Insufficient heating is the main cause of condensation in rental properties.
2. Opening a window or using cooker and wall extractor fans when cooking and keeping lids on saucepans.
3. Leaving bathroom doors closed and the windows open after a bath or shower to clear steam.
4. Keeping the bathroom door closed when washing, having a bath or shower.
5. Never blocking air vents or airbricks.
6. Opening windows in all your rooms for a short period each day to allow some fresh air to circulate.
7. Never drying clothes on radiators or storage heaters with damp clothing.
8. Never introducing portable LPG heaters – they produce 1.6 litres of water for every kg of gas burned.

Advice for landlords

1. Make sure the property is free from issues that can cause dampness – leaking roofs, gutters, downpipes, rising damp, bridged damp courses, leaking pipes, blocked drains etc.
2. Make sure the property meets modern insulation standards – you will need to bring your property up to standard before 2018, so you may as well do it sooner rather than later and avoid problems with condensation.
3. Make sure the heating system is adequate for the property and is well maintained.
4. Consider fitting extractor fans in kitchens and bathrooms and trickle vents in window frames. These extractors can be of the automatic types which operate when humidity levels rise, but remember, people will often block these up if they feel the cold.
5. In extreme cases think about supplying a dehumidifier which will remove moisture and dry out rooms.
6. Beware when cleaning black mould as the pours can be toxic and a major health hazard – seek professional advice from cleaning specialist with the right equipment.
7. The ultimate cure is a full house loft mounted air recirculation system with heat exchangers which provides a continuous flow of fresh, warm dry air throughout the building. There are some well established companies supplying this equipment.

At this time of year your garden is probably beginning to look a little tired. So is there anything you can do to give it a lift – whether that’s in preparation for putting your house on the market, or simply because you want your garden to look good even after summer has ended?

Typically, as we move deeper into autumn, the garden gets more and more covered in dead leaves and plants become scruffy as they die back for winter.  It may all look a bit daunting, but one of the key factors in sprucing things up is to just tidy up. Start with the lawn. They tend to suffer at this time of the year if they are not regularly cleared – leaves block the light and kill off the grass. One of the best ways of clearing them is by mowing. Surprisingly, if the weather remains mild, the grass will keep on growing for quite some time to come. You should adjust you mower to cut slightly higher than normal –  afterwards, the grass should be about 2 inches high.  With the lawn trimmed and cleared everything then starts to look so much better.

The next thing on the list is neatening up your plants and shrubs. However, you need to take care what you prune. If you are in any doubt, you can always look up the correct timings for individual plants on the internet. Avoid cutting back evergreen shrubs and hedges at this time of year, as it may encourage new growth that will be killed off by the frost. This is the perfect time, though, to reshape any plants and shrubs that have lost their leaves. You can trim shrub roses by about a third, which not only tidies them up, it also helps them avoid winter wind damage (wind rock).  It’s also the time to prune any wisteria or vines which have become unsightly. Many of these types of climbers are to be found on the front of properties, so a good trim will have the added benefit of improving a home’s kerb appeal.

It’s not just about tidying things up, there are a number of plants that you can add that will look great all winter. Evergreens are an obvious choice, but there are also dogwoods (https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=130). Although they lose their leaves, they often have stunningly coloured, decorative branches, from pale greens to reds and dark purples. They look great planted in clumps and can be mixed together for a really vibrant look.  There are also a number of perennials worth considering, some of which produce striking seed heads and leaves as they slowly die off. A couple of good examples are Miscanthus (https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/116018/i-Miscanthus-sinensis-i-Adagio/Details) or Sanguisoba (https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/16403/i-Sanguisorba-officinalis-i/Details) and, as an added bonus, they will look truly beautiful when covered in frost. Another plant family worth considering is grasses. There are plenty that are winter friendly, such as Acorus gramineus (Sweet Flag) (https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/117878/i-Acorus-gramineus-i-Hakuro-nishiki-(v)/Details) or iopogon planiscapus  (Black Mondo Grass) (https://www.rhsplants.co.uk/plants/_/grasses/ophiopogon-planiscapus-nigrescens/itemno.RH30000746/#:~:text=black%20lilyturf%20%2D%20Ophiopogon%20planiscapus%20Nigrescens,-%C2%A39.99&text=This%20small%2C%20easy%20to%20grow,by%20spherical%2C%20dark%20blue%20fruit.). They look great in pots and can be taken with you if you are moving home. You can even get some plants that will flower all the way through to spring, including winter flowering pansies or cyclamens and heathers (https://www.rhs.org.uk/about-the-rhs/blogs/blogs/october-2014/easy-like-sunday-morning). They’ll add a splash of colour and, like grasses, can be planted in pots as well as beds. The Christmas classic is, of course, a berry covered holly tree. However, if you want to be a bit more adventurous, you could try a sweet box (https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/50660/i-Sarcococca-orientalis-i/Details), which not only flowers during winter but also smells fantastic.

Something else to bear in mind – as the days grow progressively shorter, your garden will soon be seen more often in darkness than in light. If you install some good quality low voltage lighting, it can prolong your enjoyment. Try uplighting a tree or two – it will turn them into fantastic sculptural features. You’ll need to put in armoured cable from the house and you will almost certainly be required, by law, to hire an electrician to do the work, but it will be well worth it.

One final piece of advice – one of the best ways of ensuring your garden looks good whatever the weather (even if it snows), is to put some structure in it. That’s anything from a well-shaped hedge to an architectural feature, pool or gazebo. Formal raised flowerbeds at varying heights also work well and will contrast nicely with the surrounding organic plant forms.

Right, that should be plenty to keep you inspired – happy gardening.

The UK property market has enjoyed a mini boom since reopening after the lockdown and the government’s stamp duty cut could result in more people moving home over the next few months.

What’s happening to the property market? Property markets across the UK have now reopened, meaning estate agents are conducting in-person house viewings again and buyers are able to move home once more.

All UK governments have also temporarily cut stamp duty. This means buyers could potentially save up to £15,000 in tax if they move home before April 2021. The cut is designed to reignite the property market in the wake of COVID-19, although there are signs that the wheels were already beginning to turn.

Provisional data from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) shows that 70,710 property sales went through in July, up 14.5% on June’s figures but down 27% year-on-year.

How have house prices changed? It’s too early to tell how much impact coronavirus is having on house prices and it’s likely that the figures we see in the coming months will fluctuate significantly.

The most reliable barometer of house prices is the Land Registry’s UK House Price Index. The index was suspended during the lockdown, but last week the Land Registry released delayed figures for May showing a 0.3% month-on-month drop and a 2.9% year-on-year rise in prices.

The Land Registry says that by 21 October it will be back on track with its scheduled reports and by that time we may have a clearer indication of what’s really happened to values. Rightmove’s index (which is based on asking prices rather than sold prices) reported a 0.2% month-on-month drop in August. Nationwide’s index (based on mortgage lending) reported a 2% month-on-month rise in prices, while Halifax (also based on lending) reported a 5.2% increase.

Property market predictions There’s a great deal of optimism around the property market at the moment, with Rightmove hailing ‘the busiest month for 10 years’ in August and Zoopla saying activity is at its strongest level in five years. This might not last, however.

Experts believe the market (and house price growth) could slow down once the government’s coronavirus financial support schemes and the stamp duty cut come to an end.

Halifax says the housing market will eventually feel the effects of the economic downturn, with ‘greater downward pressure on house prices in the medium-term’.

Nationwide says the winding down of government support schemes could ‘dampen housing activity’.

Rightmove says the market is likely to continue performing well in the short-term, but buyers and sellers ‘still need to be mindful of the wider economic concerns’.

Zoopla believes that prices and activity will remain stable until the end of the year. The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) predicts house prices could fall by 14% in 2021.

Mid-range buyers in more expensive parts of England are likely to be the biggest beneficiaries of the stamp duty cut, with savings of £10,000 on a £400,000 property and £15,000 on a £500,000 property encouraging more moves. In the short term, this could theoretically make house prices rise, especially on properties in sought-after areas within commuting distance of major cities.

But buying a home based on the stamp duty cut could be a dangerous move, as you might pay a premium now and then see the property’s value fall over the next 12 months.

For more information please give us a call on 0208 993 0056

Lockdown has put a renewed focus on where and how we live. Some have emerged happier, some have made improvements. Others have decided it’s time to move on. According to a survey by Rightmove, it has changed the priorities for nearly half of renters (49%) and over a third of buyers (39%) currently looking for new homes.

One of the key issues is space. We want as much as we can get, but at the very least, a spare room that can be used as an office. It means there has been a substantial reduction in interest in flats. Before lockdown, the top 5 most sought after properties included both two bed (ranked No.5) and three bed flats (ranked No.3). Now there are only houses in the top five.

1) 3 bed house
2) 2 bed house
3) 1 bed house
4) 4 bed house
5) 6 bed house

For renters, the changes are even more pronounced. Studio flats used to be the most sought after. Now everyone wants small houses and bungalows.

We don’t just want bigger internal spaces, we want more outside space, too. Searches for homes with gardens on Rightmove were up 42% when compared to last year and by 84% for renters. The full list of our priorities is as follows:

63% – a bigger garden (or access to one)
43% – a bigger home
36% – access to parking space or garage
36% – a better home workspace
31% – to live closer to parks and green spaces
30% – to live in a more rural area
24% – to live closer to friends and family
22% – to live in a pet friendly home
15% – to live closer to non-essential amenities
13% – to live closer to essential local services
8% – to live closer to work

Renters have very similar priorities, although they rank ‘living in a pet friendly home’ higher, at No.3 (29%) rather than No.8.

With around half of the people Rightmove surveyed saying they were currently working from home (49%), it’s no surprise to find good internet speeds were also a priority. On the other hand, proximity to transport links and commute times were less so. That’s part of a more general desire to live in more suburban and rural areas, although it’s far more pronounced amongst buyers (30%) than renters (13%).

It will be interesting to see how many of these priorities change when the pandemic is finally over. There’s no doubt, as life returns to our cities, flats’ popularity will be restored. Some things, though, look set to remain. Many have enjoyed the experience of working from home and 21% said they’d like to continue doing so and 55% saying they’d like to mix home and office working.

Whatever your new priorities might be, we at J W & Sons can help you find your perfect home in any one of the following areas:

#Acton

#Ealing

#Chiswick

#Hammersmith

‘’…And a lovely, south-facing garden’ – we’ve seen the phrase in many a property listing, but how much does a south-facing garden really add to the price of a house?

With the lockdown, outside spaces have become more sought after than ever, but even beforehand, south-facing gardens were considered desirable because they get sunlight for more of the day. In urban areas, where gardens are smaller, narrower and more shaded, it’s even more important. It is such an issue that agents regularly report people checking the compasses on their phones during viewings to check the house’s exact orientation.

Putting a value on it, however, is not so simple. Fortunately, Rightmove have now done most of the hard work, trawling through their data in search of answers. So what did they find?

Of the 400,000 homes they analysed, the average increase in value was £22,695, or 7%. In London, you’d expect those figures to be even higher, and they were, in financial terms – £57,903 – but in percentage terms they only ranked third, which suggests there is a ceiling to what people are prepared to pay. The keenest gardeners are to be found in Yorkshire and The Humber, which saw the biggest percentage boost at 14%.

Region                                                Asking price premium          Price difference

Yorkshire & Humber                           14%                                     £35,628

North West                                         12%                                     £31,698

London                                                9%                                       £57,903

South East London                              9%                                       £38,535

East London                                         9%                                       £33,959

North East                                           8%                                       £14,613

West Midlands                                    8%                                       £23,038

Wales                                                  6%                                       £15,088

South West                                         6%                                       £21,768

East Midlands                                     5%                                       £14,119

Scotland                                              3%                                       £7,596

East of England                                   2%                                       £8,559

South East                                           2%                                       £8,000

Average GB                                         7%                                       £22,695

During their research Rightmove discovered south-facing gardens didn’t just affect the price of a house, they also meant the house sold faster. Again, Yorkshire and The Humber performed best, shaving 8 days off the a property’s time on the market. The average across the country was 2 days or around 5%.

Region                                                standard time to find buyer     Days saved

Yorkshire & Humber                           47                                             8

North East                                           58                                             6

West Midlands                                    42                                             5

South West                                         47                                             4

East of England                                   49                                             4

Scotland                                              33                                            3

East Midlands                                     44                                             3

Wales                                                  47                                             1

South East                                           50                                             0

London                                                45                                             0

North West                                         48                                             0

Average GB                                         47                                             2

In more general terms, Rightmove also report searches for gardens were up by 56% since lockdown began. It means that, even if your garden is not south-facing, it still adds to the attraction of your home and it’s therefore important to make the most of all your outside spaces, mowing the lawn, repairing and painting fences and sheds. You should then make sure you get some really good shots taken, especially while all the flowers are still out.

Rightmove’s Miles Shipside says,

“Since the market reopened we’ve seen a huge rise in demand for homes with a garden as buyers place greater importance on outdoor space. For as long as I can remember, south-facing gardens have been viewed as the crème de la crème of outdoor spaces among home-hunters.

“It doesn’t mean your house will automatically be worth £22,000 more if it has a south-facing garden as this is an average and it will also depend on the condition and location of your home, but it’s certainly something to shout about in a listing as it could mean your home makes it on to a buyer’s shortlist over another property down the road, or even on the other side of the street.”

During the current corona crisis, moving home has become just a little more complicated. Don’t panic, though, with a little pre-planning it doesn’t have to be too stressful. Fortunately, many of the property industry’s professional bodies have come together to produce a very helpful guide on how to move home safely.

Mortgage valuations, home surveys and energy assessments

Most mortgage valuations and all home survey inspections and energy assessments will require surveyors to inspect your property in person. Surveyors will minimise time spent at the property, however depending on the service and your requirements, they may need to spend a longer time inspecting different parts of the property. 

Checklist for moving day during COVID-19

You can reduce moving day stress by preparing beforehand. 

Most removal services will now offer packing services but you and your household should also try and do as much of it as you can yourselves. 

A ‘deep clean’ is recommended when moving in and out of a property, so it’s a good idea to agree with your property lawyer whether you need to do a deep clean on your own home when it is empty, and also whether you need to do this in your new home before you move in.  

Vulnerable people or those shielding

If you are in this category, please seek medical advice on whether your move should take place as during this period the government advice is “staying at home and avoiding unnecessary contacts over this period, if at all possible.” 

They also suggest that “All parties involved in home buying and selling should prioritise agreeing amicable arrangements to change move dates for individuals in this group, or where someone in a chain is in this group.” 

Please read the advice for vulnerable people or those shielding in the ‘Government advice on home moving during the covid-19 outbreak’. 

Before moving day: 

1. If you need to send money to your property lawyer check whether your bank account has any limit on the amount you can send via your online banking. If you arrange the payments in advance you can avoid a visit to your bank. Be alert to fraudsters – they look for signs you might be sending money so avoid posting on social media that you are moving and be especially suspicious if you receive communication that suggests your property lawyer has changed their bank details. 
2. Self-pack miscellaneous and non-breakable items wherever possible (ask your removal company what boxes and other materials they will supply and to itemise any associated costs). 
3. Where possible, clean your belongings with standard domestic cleaning products before they are handled by others, including removal firms. 
4. Wherever possible, dismantle furniture items for packing, and then re-assemble at your new home. 
5. Co-ordinate your move with anyone living in the property so they will have time to move out before you or your removers arrive at the property. Check if there is an agreed time for the property to become vacant on the day of the move, for example 2pm. 
6. If possible, allow 72 hours between a householder moving out and a new one moving in. This is more likely when renting. 

Try to have everything packed and ready the night before your move. 

On moving day, before the removers arrive: 

If you haven’t already, clean your belongings with standard domestic cleaning products before they are handled by others, including removal firms . 
1. Ideally leave the property while the removers are working, either by staying outside, or keeping yourself to one room. Always observe the two metre social distancing measures. If you have access to disposable gloves, sanitising gels and possibly masks, please use them. 
2. Clean down hard surfaces with warm soapy water, then disinfect these surfaces with household disinfectant. 
3. Wipe down door handles/handrails/lift controls and other ‘touch points’ with household disinfectant (check first that it won’t damage the surfaces). 
4. Clean and wash toilet facilities as above. 
5. Keep windows open to allow ventilation. 
6. Have one designated bathroom, if possible, just for the crew to use. Place soap and hand – sanitiser within easy reach. Clean and wash the area as noted above. 
7. Open a loft hatch or set up a loft ladder. 
8. Ensure pets and children are out of the property or keep them in the same room as you. 
9. Wash your hands regularly, use paper towels to dry them and/or your own hand sanitiser. 

Remember – any keys handed over need to be sanitised by using hand sanitisers, or via disinfectant wipes. 

Note that it will not be possible for crew members to keep a full 2m distance during your move from each other, but you should keep a 2m social distance from them. 

If you’re moving home in any of the areas the areas where we operate in – Acton, Chiswick, & Hammersmith – and need some practical help or guidance, just give us a call.

So how does the tax work and what do the changes really mean? Stamp duty is a progressive tax, ie you pay nothing for the first £125,000 (£300,000 for first time buyers) and then 2% for the next £125,000, 5% for the next tranche and so on.

Standard bands (pre-holiday levels)

Bracket                                   Primary home                        buy-to-let/2^nd home

Up to £125,000                                   0%                                           3%

£125,001-£250,000                             2%                                           5%

£250,001-£925,000                             5%                                           8%

£925,001-£1.5m                                  10%                                         13%

Over £1.5                                            12%                                         15%

According to Rishi Sunak, the changes mean 9 out of 10 primary home buyers will, during the holiday period, not have to pay any stamp duty at all. However, it’s the more expensive purchases that will accrue the biggest savings. First time buyers are unlikely to see much benefit as, on average, they spend just £212,528, which is already below the tax threshold.  As you can see from the table below, savings top out for houses costing £500,000, whose buyers will see their purchase costs come down by £15,000. The average UK buyer spends £337,884 and will save £6,894.20. The table below gives you a rough guide to savings at different price levels.

Property value           Standard Stamp Duty            SD holiday rate          Saving

£100,000                                 £0                                            £0                         £0

£200,000                                 £1,500                                     £0                    £1,500

£300,000                                 £5,000                                     £0                    £5,000

£400,000                                 £10,000                                   £0                    £10,000

£500,000                                 £15,000                                   £0                    £15,000

£600,000                                 £20,000                                £5,000                 £15,000

£700,000                                 £25,000                               £10,000                £15,000

£800,000                                 £30,000                               £15,000                £15,000

£900,000                                 £35,000                               £20,000                £15,000

£1,000,000                              £43,750                               £28,750                £15,000

£1,100,000                              £53,750                               £38,750                £15,000

£1,200,000                              £63,750                               £48,750                £15,000

£1,300,000                              £73,750                               £58,750                £15,000

£1,400,000                              £83,750                               £68,750                £15,000

London’s more expensive homes mean those living in the capital will be the main beneficiaries of the SD holiday, where the average house price is £628,284 with SD savings of £15,000. In Acton, where we operate, the savings are substantial for almost all types of property, including for first time buyers:

Acton                                          Standard Stamp Duty             SD  Holiday                 Saving           

Average home: £540,713               £17,035.65                          £2000                           £15,035.65

Average flat: £429,899                   £11,494.95                          £0                               £11,494.95

Average terrace: £828,835             £31,441.75                          £16,441                       £15,000.75

Average semi: £855,471                £32,773.55                          £17,773                        £15,000

The temporary reduction in SD is likely to substantially boost demand, especially in Acton, and is also likely to stimulate activity from both investors and second home buyers who’ve been previously put off by the high levels of tax. It may also push up prices, but only slightly. The main criticism is that it does not benefit the majority of first time buyers and could lead to a depressed spring market, when the holiday period ends, as many will bring their purchase plans forward.

However, if you look back to 2016, when the then Chancellor, George Osborne, announced a 3% SD surcharge on BTL and second home purchases, it resulted in a huge spike in demand before the tax kicked in, with almost double the normal number of sales in the month beforehand. And yes, activity was down the month after, by around 20%, but quickly recovered and, although prices rose, it was by considerably less than the savings achieved.

So, with those figures in mind, it seems the SD holiday represents an excellent opportunity for both buyers and sellers alike.

*Figures Rightmove
*Changes do not apply to Scotland and Wales, which have their own property taxes.

While some house hunters still take an instinctive approach, it certainly pays off to be thorough during a property viewing to make sure you are absolutely sure the property is right for you and are fully aware of any wear and tear before you make an offer.

This tip guide lists everything you need to look for to make sure you get the most out of your property viewing.

Property layout

• Size – think about whether the property is the right size. Are the rooms big enough for your furniture? Bring a tape measure and map out where items will fit in each room. On the other hand, will you be stretching your budget for extra space you do not need?
• Storage – check each room for storage space. In the bedrooms, if there isn’t storage built in, factor in the size of wardrobes and drawers when looking at their shape and size.
• Potential renovations – would you prefer an open layout? Check whether any interior walls can be removed to create an open-plan space. Can the loft be converted? If you are a growing family, this could be a potential future project.

Fixtures and fittings

• Interior walls, floors, and tiles – check the walls for any cracks, including signs of any that have been freshly painted over. If you can fit a 10p piece into a crack (around 3mm) it could be a sign of subsidence. Check the condition of any carpets or floorboards, looking out for any stains – these could potentially be cleaned up before you move in.
• Check appliances – if any of the appliances are included, make sure you test to see if they are working.
• Fireplaces – are they operational? When were they last swept?
• Damp – keep an eye and nose out for damp in every room, including storage areas.

Windows and doors

• Condition – do they open and close easily? Are the seals in good condition? Check the condition of the window and door frames too.
• Type – What glazing are the windows? This could affect your energy bills.
• Locks – test all the locks to see if they are working correctly. Are any of them old and need replacing?

Plumbing and electrics

• Boiler – the boiler can potentially be a big cost if it needs replacing. Ask how old it is and check its service history. Is it still under warranty? Turn on a hot tap to test how long it takes for hot water to come through.
• Taps, showers, baths, and toilets – check that all the taps work and observe the water pressure. Do the same for the shower and bath. Give the toilets a flush to see if they are not faulty.
• Lights and power sockets – test all the lights and check the plugs. An easy way to do this is to bring along a phone charger and test charging your phone.
• Fuse box – find out how old the fuse box is and when it was last serviced.

Utilities

• Mobile signal – while you are looking around the property, check your phone signal.
• Broadband and TV connections – is fibre broadband available? Are there fibre, telephone and TV sockets in the property and are they in a sensible location. Is there a satellite outside?

Garden and exterior

• Brickwork and rendering – look over the brickwork, rendering and pointing for its general condition.
• Roof – if it’s a tiled roof, check the condition and look out for any broken tiles. If there is a flat roof, ask when it was last checked.
• Gutters and drains – the gutters are important as any issues here can have a knock-on effect to the rest of the property, usually causing damp. Check for any cracks or leaks, you may be able to spot dark patches on the brickwork directly below if there are any. Have a look at the drains to see if they are clogged up.
• Parking – is there enough space for the cars you have? If not, is there on road parking nearby?
• Garden direction – check the direction so you can get a feel for how much sunshine you are likely to get.
• Maintenance – think about the size of the garden and whether it’s a manageable size. Larger gardens can require lots of maintenance.

Local area

• Traffic – get a feel for how busy the road is by spending a bit of time outside the property. If you can, visit at different parts of the day including rush hour to get an honest account of the traffic.
• Commute – if possible, re-enact your commute to work from the property. Even better if you can do it during rush hour.
• Local amenities – more in depth research can be done before and after your viewing, but when you are in the local area you can get a good sense on where your local shop is, the closest pub, schools and GP surgery.
• Public transport – don’t forget the closest public transport options.

Over COVID-19

• Viewings must only take place with serious buyers who are genuinely interested in the property.
• Initial viewings should be done online as virtual viewings.

The lockdown has meant that huge swathes of us, from Acton to Ealing, are now working from home. Mostly, that means cramming yourself and your laptop into whatever space you can find. Our obsession with open plan living means they are often noisy and it is hard to get away from them at the end of the working day. It’s not the ideal arrangement, but even when lockdown ends, many of us will be reluctant to return to the daily commute. For those lucky enough to have some outside space, the solution is simple – a garden office.

www.officepod.co.uk

The good news is they are not nearly as expensive as an extension and if you buy an-off-the-shelf one, prices start around £4,000 for the smallest, most basic models, rising to around £30,000 for the biggest and best appointed ones. Bespoke designs are more pricey and will cost around £1,200-1,400/sq metre and can range anywhere from £6,000 to £40,000+ depending on size and specification. Typical extension costs in Acton are between £1,500-£2,000/sqm.

www.greenretreats.co.uk

The great thing about garden offices is that they minimise the need for planning permission, are quick and easy to install and, since many are made of wood, they tend to be extremely energy efficient. They don’t have to be used as an office, they can also be an auxiliary guest room, a studio or even a gym. And, as the main components are constructed offsite, there should be minimum disruption to the rest of the property during the build process.

www.officepod.co.uk

Once your garden office has been installed, your working life will change beyond all recognition. Separating your home and work life will be a doddle, your commute will improve dramatically, punctuated by grass and flowers rather than traffic fumes and crowds of people wearing facemasks. And, if you put in a sofa bed, when your relatives are allowed to stay again, you can happily send them to the bottom of the garden.

www.thegardenoffice.co.uk

Under the current circumstances, it is no surprise to find that demand for properties with garden offices is growing. They can raise the value of your property, whether you live in Acton or Chiswick, and often tip the balance of a purchasing decision in your favour when compared to properties without one. As ever, it is important that you chose a good quality one and that you get it professionally installed if you want to maximise the potential value uplift. As an additional bonus, in some instances you can even offset them against your personal tax bill (check with your accountant first). You will certainly save yourself the cost of your annual travel pass and any office rent you might otherwise be paying, not to mention the two extra hours of free time you’ll have every day.

http://ateliergardenstudios.com

So, hopefully you are now inspired enough to build your own garden office. And, if you haven’t got the space, you know what you have to do – buy yourself somewhere that does…

Always check with your local planning authority first – see below

https://www.ealing.gov.uk/site/scripts/google_results.php?q=planning

You can also make a request to see an historic planning application. For both of these services please email multimediateam@ealing.gov.uk