As a nation, with an ever-growing population and the competition for space becoming increasingly fierce, we are being forced to reassess our traditional conception of property design. This is because many of the millennial generation are simply not in the financial position to buy a ‘big house with a garden in the suburbs’ and will struggle to get their foot on the property ladder unless something dramatically changes.
Interestingly, the ‘tiny house movement’ is beginning to gain momentum in the UK as the country looks for solutions to its housing shortfall. Recently, the UK housing minister Gavin Barwell has shown an interest in this “private sector innovation”, looking into getting spacing standards to be relaxed, claiming that it will help first-time buyers get on the housing ladder.
Arguably, it can be viewed that we’re already doing this. In Europe, we’re known as a nation of tiny houses as this graphic from the Telegraph shows:
However, while making property smaller is a controversial move, there may be some unrealised benefits to this approach. Firstly, tiny houses, with the right design, can look fantastic and the reduction in space for the property often results in an innovative and forward-thinking design. Plus, these spaces require less upkeep than larger properties which often incur expensive running costs. Thus, if you’re a career-driven person with few commitments and a hectic lifestyle, then a tiny house might be a good choice for you.
Around the world, there has been a movement towards prefabricated factory built housing. This approach can reduce build time, increase quality and lower costs compared to traditional house construction. Here are a few examples of tiny house done just right:
Estonia
KODA is a movable prefabricated tiny house prototype from Estonia and has been shortlisted for a prize at the World Architecture Festival 2016. It is a free-standing house, which allows it to be re-assembled endlessly. This type of housing may be a forward-thinking approach as your home can adjust to your needs.
Image source: http://www.kodasema.com/
Japan
As a country known for its tight spaces and tech/design innovations, it’s no surprise we’ve featured this incredible Japanese tiny house from Fujiwarramuro Architects in Nada Hyogo. Measuring in at under 40 square metres in size, its use of natural light and clean building materials really enhances the perception of space. This minimalist approach is not only incredibly stylish but functional too.
Image source: http://www.archdaily.com/345709/house-in-nada-fujiwarramuro-architects
USA
With skyrocketing rent prices, many major cities have their own housing crisis and New York is no exception. An award-winning architecture firm nArchitects has now built its vision for the future; Carmel Place in Kips Bay. Costing $600 dollars a month rent, it’s an absolute bargain for a Manhattan property. These units also feature several amenities that are usually more associated with luxury builds such as a gym, lounge, community room, storage facilities and roof terrace. You can enjoy a communal lifestyle while your own private space is cosy and personal. The best of both worlds?
Image source: http://narchitects.com/work/carmel-place/
Finally
We have been impressed by the new designs cropping up in the luxury mobile home industry. This ‘Alpha Tiny Home’ has been made by New Frontier Tiny Homes and features beautifully charred wood skin, transformable furniture and has 240 square foot of living space. The flexibility of the design is reinforced by the fact the property is fully transportable too.
Image source: http://www.newfrontiertinyhomes.com/tiny-house/#alpha-page
Overall, a tiny abode may also help you understand what is really valuable to you. The theory goes, the more possessions you have, the more you have to worry about and we’re sure that we can all think of things that we haven’t used in years. Perhaps small houses will help us declutter our lives? We’ll just wait for the car boot sale boom…
If you are seriously considering moving to a cosier home, why not check out our downsizing guide or find out how you can sell your house fast to Vivo Property Buyers.
Recently, we ran a nationwide property survey hoping to explore people’s perceptions of the fast property buying industry and the house selling process. With respondents all across the UK ranging from Scotland to the Home Counties and Greater London, we’ve had some remarkable results, as we have listed below:
When asked what the preferred method of selling a house was, the majority of respondents indicated that they would like to do it via a local estate agent. Many underlined this desire with the perceived notion that local estate agents’ ‘local knowledge of the area’ would help them sell their house.
It is not surprising that the most traditional method of selling a property is the most preferred. However, many comments suggested they were put off estate agents due to their amount of fees they would be paying them and the slowness of the housing market, something that has heightened in the aftermath of the Brexit vote. This slowness is a reason why fast property buyers such as Vivo came into the market to offer a fast alternative and an easier way to sell your home. The fast buying industry has had many hiccups; as newest industries would have. Some new businesses took advantage of vulnerable house sellers and an early period of no regulation which gave fast property buyers a bad name. Luckily, organisations such as the Property Ombudsman came into play to regulate the industry and protect consumers. Here are our top tips and advice for when you are thinking of selling your house to a fast property buyer.
Still, unfamiliarity breeds concern. It’s human nature to be suspicious about new things. Hopefully regulated fast property buyers will soon be seen as equals to estate agents. Sellers can make their choice as to how they would like to sell but at least they have several options as opposed to only one option in the past. If you want to find out more about the differences between selling your home to a fast property buyer and estate agents, check out our comparative article here.
The results of the survey revealed that 55% of the people asked estimated that the average time to sell a house is between 3-6 months. As a company that can buy your house in 7 days – we certainly found this interesting! Often it can take longer than this on the open market with problems arising from broken property chains. Plus, with the extra amount of time you have to wait to sell your home, the utility bills can really add up! Sadly, it often takes over 6 months to almost a year to sell your home on the open market. Hopefully, the manners in which to sell your home is ever expanding, so the traditional way may not be your only option from now on.
The survey also asked people what their most important factor was when they are selling a house. ‘Getting the highest price’ was ranked the most important while ‘Speed’ came second. We believe that herein lies the conflict what the stresses of selling a house as they often conflict with one another. The biggest issue with ‘the highest price’ is that a property is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Nobody has the correct answer for what a house is worth and how much it will sell for. This leads to a delay in the house selling process – where a person waiting for the ‘highest price’ will have to pay the monthly mortgage payment, council tax and utility bills which often will eat up their margins. Holding up for an unrealistic price can even get you to a point in which you simply can’t sell your house. The benefit of prioritising a guaranteed sale means that you can get a cash offer and sell your house fast. This reduces turnaround time and saves you money and stress, allowing you to start your next adventure. If this sounds appealing, you can learn more about how to sell your house fast here.
Perhaps the biggest finding of the survey is that people found the prospect of selling a house to be the most stressful life event. Respondents were asked to rank five life events in order (1 being the most stressful) of ‘stressfulness’ in which selling a home was determined to be more stressful than having a baby, buying a home or starting a new job. As fast property buyers, we completely emphasise with your situation – this is the reason we started Vivo Property Buyers in the first place! To give sellers an alternative to the pitfalls of the open market which is often long, daunting and prone to breaking down. Moreover, your home is generally your biggest asset and renders a large emotional attachment, plus it is not something you will do regularly so it can be quite daunting. Hopefully, by selling your house fast to Vivo it will give you the peace of mind of a guaranteed sale combined with a huge amount of flexibility.
We aim to make selling a house an enjoyable, stress-free experience.
While not strictly related to the property industry, our survey also found out that men find the prospect of having a baby more stressful than women. Respondents were asked to rank the aforementioned six life events in order of how stressful they thought they were. Interestingly men ranked the prospect of having a baby as the most stressful while women position selling a house as the most stressful life event, with having a baby only third. We were surprised at this fact, especially as men ‘having’ a baby may be somewhat different to women! Perhaps this is an indication of the modern men’s growing role in raising a child…
We would like to thank everyone that took part in our survey and it was great to find out so many insights into the property industry. If you are looking to sell your home fast in a flexible, stress-free way, why don’t you get in touch with us and we can make you an offer in under an hour!
With the changes in stamp duty in April 2016 and Britain voting to leave the EU, the stage is set for a 2016 with dampened house prices.
Uncertainty in the UK economy internationally and domestically has made many people uneasy about making investment decisions. This unease is particularly evident in the commercial property sector, where as many as seven investment funds have been put on hold or are seeing partners trying to withdraw. Despite this, the same cannot be said for
wealthy foreign investors trading in US Dollar recently. London has seen a rapid period of property transactions with buyers quickly jumping at the chance to buy up prime London property with their sudden Dollar to Pound advantage. However, for the vast majority of the UK which isn’t buying and selling prime London property, some have been struggling to sell.
So how does this impact you?
Recent Savills research suggests a low transaction market with cautious buyers. For lenders, it’s business as usual at the moment, but this could change due to them tightening their lending criteria if “downside risks persist”. At Vivo Property Buyers, we see this as a potential slowdown in the market where values are likely to fall and buyers for your home are likely to become more cautious in the next 6 – 12 months. Therefore, risks of a buyer pulling out for your home could be greater than ever and the price you can sell at may erode when by the time you find another buyer.
So, if you’re worried about your buyer pulling out and getting a lower price in the future, Vivo Property Buyers could be a solution for you. We can buy your home within the timeframe you need and allow you to move on into your next property; it’s simple, fast and takes all the stress out of the Brexit effects on the market. If you want to find out more about the differences of using a fast property buyer compared to a traditional estates agents, read our article here.
To get started, just fill in this quick form or call us on 0800 773 4922. We guarantee the sale, pay all of the fees and you’ll always have direct contact with us with no middlemen.
As spring approaches in the property industry, the age old debate arises; when is the best time to sell a house? Just like the weather, the property industry is affected by seasonality, there are some months where houses sell much faster than others, with more buyers on the market. However, there are times when the property markets seems to go into hibernation, but does that mean there’s an opportunity due to less competition? While there are a lot of confusing arguments and counterpoints on this topic, read our seasonal house selling guide to help make the right decision for you.
As a general rule, springtime is considered the best time to sell your home fast. Coinciding with the start of the new financial year, the housing market is at its busiest with lots of potential buyers. With people free from the distractions of Christmas, it is the season to get deals done before the summer holidays. However, with lots of competition on the market, it may be difficult to get the price you are after. Nevertheless, spring is the season where your house looks its best. Gardens come into bloom, and the longer hours of daylight can really make the difference to how someone feels about your house. Find out how you can use your garden to incentivise a sale this spring.
The sunlight hours of spring only lengthen in summer, and this season can really emphasise key selling points of your house. Riverside properties make for perfect viewing in summer while sunlight can also make rural properties appear less isolated than in the colder months. The extended hours also make viewing times more flexible. Sadly house selling in this season isn’t always straightforward. Why? Summer is the season where people can be at their busiest. With summer holidays and children being off school, momentum with house selling can stutter and deals can become protracted. Something nobody wants to add to an already stressful situation. As a quieter time of the year, it may be worth using this time to add to your property, such as an attractive home office.
In many ways, autumn is becoming the new spring. With summer over, there are fewer distractions for potential buyers, which can make it an ideal time to sell. With the weather keeping fair, gardens still look as attractive and days are not quite yet as short as they are in winter. However, it must be noted that deals have to be done quickly as the market generally grounds to a halt as soon as the Christmas season commences. To help with the smoothness of any potential deals, you may want to ensure you’ve carried out these three must-do autumn property maintenance checks.
Traditionally, the property market is at its slowest in wintertime, and you aren’t advised to try to sell your house during this period. With bad weather during this season at its peak, it may be worth flood proofing your home if you are at risk as it could ruin any chance of a house sale in the following spring. However, with Christmas being a time spent with loved ones and family, it is increasingly becoming a time where people’s interest in buying a new property surge. Interestingly, Boxing Day is one of the most popular days of the year in which people are searching online for their potential new homes. With fewer other houses on the market, you may find yourselves with less competition and serious buyers on the hunt for a quick sale.
Conclusion
Having considered all the seasons to sell your house, ultimately when to sell your house depends on what is best for you. Rather than wait for buyers and market conditions, it is important that you sell your house when you need to, and here at Vivo, we think that there is no time like the present. While you could bide time and select a specific season, sometimes there are factors, such as a building site next door, that are out of your control which could affect your sale. At Vivo, you won’t need a for sale sign grabbing the attention of all your neighbours for months on end. As specialist fast property buyers, we offer a quick sale that works for you, all year round.
House prices, a key driver of the UK’s consumer economy, are continually fluctuating and remain somewhat of an obsession, with more homeowners tempted to learn the value of their property and sell their house quickly.
So what will happen next in the property market? Vivo Property Buyers‘ founder, Rupert Beak, reveals his predictions for 2015.
The bubble won’t burst
Previous trends in the property market lead us to believe that the bubble isn’t going to burst just yet. Instead, we envisage it gently deflating over the next couple of years at a much more manageable pace.
Your money will be safest in the South East
With Londoners moving out of the city in search of better value for money, the South-East in general will start to see a significant rise in property prices.
Money will be best spent in the Home Counties where buyers can look to get a return of over 26% by 2019. The East of England is also set to perform well with a return of 25%.
1-3% growth in London
While a lot of professional bodies predict no further growth in London this year, we’re anticipating a 1-3% increase in the capital.
4% average increase in the UK
We foresee the rest of the UK outperforming London with an average rise of 4%.
London property prices will drop
If a mansion tax comes into play, this is highly likely to have a negative effect on the value of properties in and around London.
Everyone knows that London property prices are sky high, but do you know how many billions of pounds worth of property has been sold in the capital over the past few years? And can you guess how many houses you could buy on Bolton’s most expensive street for the same price tag as one of London’s plushest properties?
We take a look at some astonishing property market stats.
Whether you’re looking to sell your property or want to know if your home’s price tag has changed, there are lots of ways to roughly work out your house value. Here are our top tips:
Whilst the properties along your street might differ vastly in terms of size, condition, age and views, you can get a good idea of your house value just by knowing how much neighbouring properties have sold for. Sites like Nethouseprices and Zoopla offer this data when you enter your postcode.
If your house is a stone’s throw from the nearest tube or within walking distance of a train station en-route to a major city, it’s highly likely this will bump up your house value.
The majority of buyers prioritise “convenience” over other factors when weighing up where to live, and being close to local transport links is often a big factor for them… and estate agents know this.
If your local schools feature highly in the School League Tables then your house value will inevitably be higher than similar properties in catchment areas for under-performing schools. This is because many parents are willing to pay above the odds in order for their children to be accepted into an outstanding school.
It might sound counter-intuitive but properties in a high crime area could possibly be worth more due to dearer insurance premiums. You can find out about crime in your area at Police.uk.
England is an undeniably small country, and with the population growing at an extortionate rate, land for housing developments is becoming increasingly difficult to come by; it’s just one of the reasons building on flood plains is becoming more prevalent and problematic. So, if you are at risk of flooding or could become subject to other environmental factors, your house price might be less than you expected.
Estate agent’s windows and online property sites can be misleading when it comes to the final price of a property; they might give one figure but in reality – due to property chains and an urgency to move - many properties sell for under the asking price. To get a better idea of how much properties in your area have sold for, check out Rightmove’s price comparison report.
If you’re keen to move as soon as possible, for one reason or another, you should get in touch with us. We’ll be completely honest and frank about whether or not selling with us is the right thing for you.
Vivo Property Buyers is the trading name for Potrell London Ltd, The Ashridge Business Centre 121 High Street, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, HP4 2DJ.
