Selling a home in the current climate should not prove too much of a challenge for those looking to relocate. Record demand across much of the UK has created an unprecedented sellers’ market, with prospective buyers competing ferociously for quality homes.

Still, there are always steps that can be taken to speed things up further. Not to mention, ensure that, when your home sells, you get the best possible price for it.

With this in mind, here are a few simple yet effective ways to ensure the fastest sale for your home in 2022:

1. Advertise it yourself

Even if you have hired an agent to sell your home, you can still advertise it yourself via multiple channels. Social media, in particular, can be a surprisingly effective platform for listing homes for sale. The more places you advertise your property, the faster it is likely to sell.

2. Get it staged professionally

A professionally staged property almost always sells faster and for a higher price. Hiring a home-staging company may seem like an unnecessary cost, but it could pay dividends. The services of freelance home stagers are always readily available online.

3. Focus on first impressions

Think carefully about the first things prospective buyers will see when visiting your home. This usually means things like the driveway, porch, front door, and surrounding exterior, all of which must be in pristine condition and perfectly presented.

4. Apply a fresh coat of paint

Time and time again, this has proven to be the most cost-effective way to boost a home’s appeal and market value. Go for something neutral to create a blank canvas, upon which prospective buyers can visualise how they would like to decorate each space.

5. Focus on the kitchen and bathroom

It is the practical spaces within a home that tend to attract the most attention and scrutiny. If you are going to invest time, effort, and money in renovations, be sure to focus on the kitchen and bathroom. The kitchen, in particular, can be the ultimate make-or-break factor.

6. Consider hiring a photographer

Nobody is going to visit your home if it does not look the part online. The photos you publish could play a major role in determining if, when, and for how much your home sells. Unless you know exactly what you are doing, hiring a photographer could make all the difference.

7. Comprehensively declutter

Removing as many personal items as possible makes it much easier for prospective buyers to see themselves living in your home. Likewise, getting rid of as much clutter as possible helps enhance this ‘blank canvas’ effect you are looking to create.

8. Consider the alternative options available

Alternatives to conventional property sales can also be considered in time-critical scenarios. Examples of this include selling at auction, selling for cash to a specialist property-buying company, and so on. All of these should be discussed in advance with an established broker in order to ensure you fully understand the pros and cons.

It’s fair to say that, in the past, homeownership has been the primary goal for many young people. Times have changed, and it appears that a significant number of ‘millennials’ have now no desire to get onto the property ladder but are quite content to rent for the foreseeable future.

Renting can have many benefits, making it a more attractive proposition, with one of the main reasons cited being freedom from the financial baggage and responsibility that comes with a mortgage.

With homeownership, there are a lot of hidden costs that will be entirely the responsibility of the owner. From the initial deposit to plumbing, electric, garden, and general property maintenance, the cost of buying and maintaining a home can run into many thousands of pounds.

When you rent, you are able to budget better as you have fixed costs for the property. Your monthly rent will, for the most part, remain constant each month. Any maintenance needed is the responsibility of the landlord, not the tenant.

According to the Office of National Statistics, using figures from 2017, young people are way less likely to own their own property today than ever before. Fifty per cent of people in their mid-30s to mid-40s in 2017 had a mortgage, compared to 66% twenty years ago. The same age demographic today is three times more likely to opt for a rental property than they were two decades ago. One-third of this group lived in rental homes in 2017, compared with one-ten just twenty years ago.

The figures released indicate that the population with the highest wealth status, in any age group, is more likely to buy property than those with a lower income. The number of property buyers has decreased significantly in the last ten to twenty years, mostly due to problems raising the initial deposit. But not all renters are renting out of necessity; some are making a considered choice.

The pandemic has had a marked effect on people’s choices when it comes to where they want to live and work. The normality of working from home has caused a rethink of the type and location of homes. With the elimination of travel costs to work, many have opted to put the extra cash into a property that they can work from, basically in any location they desire, which they would not otherwise be able to afford. Another vital advantage of renting is that you are able to relocate quickly and easily without the need to sell or rent out your property.

Renters have rights that they can expect from their landlord in order to protect themselves. Renters’ rights include:

• The right to know the identity of the landlord
• The right to reside in a safe property that is in good repair
• The right to be protected from unfair rent and eviction
• They have the right to have their deposit returned, provided the property is in the same condition as when they first rented it.
• The right to challenge excessive charges
• The right to live undisturbed
• The right to see the EPC (Energy Performance Certificate)
• The right to a legal rental contract (for fixed tenancies over three years)

One of the drawbacks of rental properties is that UK legislation to protect private renters is very poor, and many become victims of unscrupulous landlords.

We all know that property prices in London remain the highest in the country, but which other towns and cities are in the top ten when it comes to house prices?

1. Virginia Water, Surrey

With the average house price coming in at £1,617,679, Virginia Water makes it to the top spot on Zoopla’s ‘rich list’, for the most expensive places to buy property in the UK. Portal Rise is the most expensive street, with the average house costing a whopping £7,046,149, closely followed by Wentworth Drive, where the average house will set you back £6,496,232, North Drive coming in at £6,237,670 and in fourth place Pinewood Road at £6.196,450.

The leafy suburb of Virginia Wood has seen a rise in property prices of 1.3% since September and an overall increase of 2.6% in the last 12 months. Terrace houses were priced on average at £1,045,875 while flats came in at £533,317.

2. Cobham, Surrey

Another picturesque town, nestling on the banks of the River Mole in the popular county of Surrey, is Cobham, coming in at second place. Average prices of £1,239,868 make this a town only accessible to the wealthy, with a rise of 2.17% in the last quarter of 2021 and an increase of an incredible 11.09% from the same period last year. When looking at the types of properties sold, terrace houses cost around £551,532, while flats averaged £540,350.

3. Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire

Sitting on the edge of the Chiltern Hills, Beaconsfield is an area of outstanding natural beauty. Easy accessibility to London (25 minutes by train) makes this beautiful town popular with commuters. The average home here will set you back £1,232,359, representing a rise of 1.58% in the last 3 months and a yearly rise of 5.3%. The average flat will cost £591,253, while terraced properties show an average selling price of £648,184.

4. Esher, Surrey

Situated on the south-east side of London’s leafy suburbs, Esher is a quiet and peaceful town despite its proximity to the capital. This town is very popular with buyers looking for the best of both worlds: the excitement of the city and the tranquilly of the countryside. Prices here currently sit at an average of £1,146,708, which is a rise of 1.76% during the last quarter and a 4.55% increase over the last 12 months. Flat prices are averaged at £531,622 and terraced properties at £659,058.

 

5. Chalfont St. Giles, Buckinghamshire

Most commonly known as the background of many popular shows (Dad’s Army, The Canterbury Tales, and Peep Show, to name a few), Chalfont St. Giles may feel strangely familiar to those who have never actually visited there. It is also home to Milton Cottage, where the famous poem ‘Paradise Lost’ was penned by John Milton.

The average price of homes in this historical town is £1,139,493, which is an increase of 2.02% since the end of September and a 12-month overall rise of 9.08%. Flat prices average at £530,618; terrace houses show an average price of £608,428.

6. Gerrards Cross, Surrey

Coming in sixth place, with an average property cost of £1,057,668, is Gerards Cross. As one of the most sought-after places to live in the UK, it’s not surprising this beautiful rural town has made it to the top ten. The last three months have seen a rise of 2.2% in house prices and a yearly increase of 4.58%. A flat here will set you back on average £538,058, with terrace houses averaging at £592,826.

7. Radlett, Hertfordshire

The ancient village of Radlett dates back to before 5,000 BC and has been the home of many celebrities, including Simon Cowell and the late George Michael. You can buy a home here for the average price of £1,017,483 in this beautiful town. House prices have risen on average by 1.77% in the last 3 months and 3.65% over the last 12 months. In terms of property prices, flats will cost buyers £453,467 on average, whereas terrace properties will set buyers back £586,602.

8. Weybridge, Surrey

The bustling town of Weybridge boasts a fantastic high street that winds through streets of mansions and manors and is home to some of the most prestigious private schools in the country. Average house prices in Weybridge are sitting at £1,012,920, reflecting an increase of 2.15% since the end of September and a rise of 6.49% from the same period in 2020. Flats are on average £471,716 while terraced houses are currently averaging £683,669.

9. Ascot, Windsor, and Maidenhead, Berkshire

Home to world-famous racecourses, the resettlement of Ascot, Windsor, and Maidenhead offers top-quality properties in the beautiful countryside to the west of London.

Properties in Ascot are currently averaged at £990,918. This is a rise of 1.31% in the last quarter of 2020, and since September 2020, it has risen by 2.63%. In terms of the types of properties, flats showed an average of £570,937 and terraced houses £600,385.

Meanwhile, in Windsor and Maidenhead, average prices came in at £709,988, representing a three-month growth of 1.58% and a yearly rise of £541,301. Terraced houses were priced at £541,301 and flats at £417,865.

10. East Molesey, Surrey

Last, but by no means least, East Molesey comes in at number 10 on Zoopla’s ‘rich’ list. This popular commuter town has an average house price of £986,356, with a current rise of 0.88% since the third quarter of 2020 and an increase of 1.69% over the last twelve months. When it comes to property types, flats average at £410,384 and terraced properties at £516,166.

 

With property prices the highest they have been in 15 years, we look at the current housing market trends and determine whether investing in property is the best choice for 2022.

As we move into another stage of the pandemic, with possible restrictions and lockdowns looming, it’s not surprising that property prices are at the forefront of the conversation. With the COVID-19 virus causing unprecedented disruption to the economy and the way people socialise and work, office space, shops, and ultimately property prices have been severely affected.

Adding to the feeling of uncertainty, the expected dramatic rise in interest rates by the Bank of England, in an attempt to get inflation under control, is causing mortgage rates to rise, making homeownership an impossible dream for many.

Changed planning regulations, allowing property developers to convert former offices and commercial properties into residential properties, have allowed a flood of more affordable, accessible homes onto the market. Rental and property prices are not expected to go down any time soon due to a shortage of supply, resulting in cheap accommodation selling and renting at record speed.

Initially, the pandemic and the end of the stamp duty holiday were expected to be catastrophic for house prices, but they have been anything but. In fact, after an initial dip, prices in nearly all regions of the UK have been rising.

An agent from a well-known high-street agency commented, “We really need more stock. Warehouses, former industrial parks, and if offices are empty, convert them,” she says. International markets have reopened, and international investors are coming back. Post-Brexit, they are looking to invest”.

Wybo Wijnbergen, chief executive of Infinite Space, a Dutch-based, pan-European commercial agency specialising in flexible working spaces, commented: “To say the commercial real estate sector has come under strain during the pandemic would be an understatement.

“First and foremost, the spread of the COVID-19 virus has forced offices, retail outlets, and hospitality venues to close for long periods in 2020, with many companies terminating their contracts with landlords.”

He stated that there had been only £8.9 billion in sales of commercial properties in 2020, down a significant 30% from the previous year.

CBI Economics released a report in July of this year showing that 93% of businesses were keen to adopt a hybrid type of working environment, with most employees working from home either full-time or part-time, and only a mere 5% expected to be in the office full-time.

“Landlords now face the task of adapting their offerings and reallocating their office space in accordance with evolving demands,” added Mr Wijnbergen. “There is a new phrase in play here as landlords struggle to their offices.”

At the end of September, data compiled by Key showed the value of equity releases had increased by 18.8%, an incredible £884 million since the third quarter of 2020, indicating that the equity release market is firmly on target for a record year by the end of December.

Equity experts Key has provided figures of just over £1 billion taken out using equity release in the three months running up to the end of September of this year. Although the number of equity release plans actually decreased by 3.2%, figures were up from the same time last year by £884 million (18.8%). Equity release plans fell from 10,671 in the third quarter of 2020 to 10,333 by the close of September 2021 and remain lower than the pre-COVID-19 levels.

Many people have taken advantage of the tied-up equity in their homes with the main aim of paying off debts and giving much-needed financial support to family members, particularly children and grandchildren. The breakdown shows that 42% of those releasing equity for the purpose of helping family members did so for the sole purpose of helping fund a deposit for a home purchase, with 36% giving the money as an early inheritance.

The equity release market has for some time hovered around the £1 billion mark most years, but Key believes 2021 is on course to hit £4 billion by the end of December.

A little over 66% of customers were approved for drawdown plans in the 3 months, with the initial release amount being an average of £57,183 and the ability to draw a further £301.5 million.

The average age of the customer releasing equity, according to the report, is 70 years old, with nearly half falling between the ages of 65 and 74.

Key’s chief executive, Will Hale, said that the notable increase in lending was partly due to a rise in homeowners in their later years opting to move from an ordinary mortgage product to a lifetime mortgage.

“We’ve seen increasing numbers of people using equity release to support families, manage their current borrowing, and use the historically low rates to remortgage their existing equity release plans,” he commented.

“While many plans have been put on hold during the pandemic, we also expect to see the return of people looking to boost discretionary spending as they look again at how to fund their later life ambitions.”

Equity Release Council’s chief executive, Jim Boyd, put forward the suggestion that the data showed “the benefits of accessing property wealth are routinely shared across generations and increasingly woven into the country’s social fabric”.

“Significant funds continue to pass directly to family members and other beneficiaries, making equity release a multigenerational financial planning tool,” he added.

“The ability to ‘recycle’ housing wealth is transformative for many families when it comes to younger generations’ ambitions to progress in life, from buying a home and getting married to continuing in education and starting a business.

“Unlocking property wealth is not the right choice for everyone, and one of the benefits of the equity release advice process is that it can unearth other solutions, from savings or investments to unclaimed pensions or benefit entitlements. With longer lives, people’s needs change over time, and the questions prompted by considering equity release can help identify the best way to use different sources of wealth at different stages of life.”

Visit and follow our page on LinkedIn and comment on the post shared describing your best Christmas foods, we want to see what your favourites are! You will be entered into a prize draw and the winner will adopt a reindeer throughout winter, paid for on your behalf from UK Property Finance.

How to enter this competition:

1. Follow us on our LinkedIn page.

2. Comment on the post about the competition.

3. If chosen, you win the competition.

4. You adopt a reindeer with costs covered by us.

The lucky winner will be announced on 21/12/21.

In addition to knowing you’re providing a future for our farm, you also get:

Adoption certificate

Photograph of your chosen animal, with a personalised note from our farmers.

A family pass to visit the farm (1 visit per year valid for four people).

Email updates about your animal with video content.

Please like and share the post to give your friends and family a chance of winning this prize too.

Good luck!

Never has humanity been more united in its concern for the state of the environment and the pace of climate change. Now more than ever, households and businesses are demonstrating a real awareness of the importance of sustainability.

By 2040, the government in the UK intends to prohibit the sale of all new combustion engine cars outright. Campaigners are pushing to bring something forward by at least 10 years.

Energy efficiency has been a major concern for homes and businesses across the UK for some time, with a raft of initiatives having been brought in to boost eco-awareness. Single-use carrier bags have all but vanished from supermarkets, incandescent light bulbs are no longer sold, and plastic straws are disappearing fast.

It may even soon be possible to claim something of an incentive for handing used plastic bottles in for recycling, as has been the case with aluminium cans for years.

Elsewhere, new and established property developers are also stepping up their efforts to care for the planet. New technologies are being introduced all the time to reduce energy consumption, while the use of reclaimed and recycled materials becomes more widespread.

The installation of super-thick loft insulation has become the norm for most new homes, often combined with triple-glazed windows and even the inclusion of solar panels to generate renewable energy.

As the UK’s house builders race to keep up with insurmountable demand for new homes, it is likely we will continue to see more energy-efficient homes make their way onto the market than ever before.

Net zero carbon by 2030

Having been acknowledged as too ambitious to be realistic, the UK government scrapped its “zero carbon policy” in 2017. Nevertheless, housebuilders and property developers remain united in their commitment to bringing more energy-efficient homes to the market.

London recently joined another 18 major cities worldwide with the pledge to ensure all new buildings will be rated net zero carbon by the end of the current decade.

Advancements in eco-friendly technology are making it easier for homeowners and tenants to live more sustainable lives. For example, homes are now being constructed with exterior features that collect, filter, and recycle rainwater. Smart lighting and heating systems are also boosting energy efficiency while helping people gain a better understanding of their own energy usage habits.

Some renewable energy systems, such as solar generators built into homes, are so efficient that their occupants are actually selling excess energy back to their main providers.

Increasingly, lenders are showing a preference for property developers and investors committed to sustainability. Going forward, it is entirely likely that those who commit themselves to environmentally friendly property development will benefit from preferential interest rates on loans and mortgages, along with other government-backed incentives to ensure a sustainable future.