Month: June 2021

How Much is my House Worth?

Do You Know How Much Your House is Worth?

If you’re thinking of selling your property, it’s good to know what price you could potentially sell it for. By doing your research and preparing, you can ensure the price you advertise your property for is accurate and that you are more likely to sell for your asking price.

The location of your property

Where your property is will always have a huge impact on the price you can realistically sell it for. For example, the following factors could increase the price of your property, just for where it is located:

Close to schools
Close to amenities e.g. shops, restaurants, GP surgery
Close to commuter/transport links e.g. train station, bus stop
Close to industry e.g. large employer, city centre
In London
On the commuter belt for London
An area with high or superfast broadband and internet speeds
In the countryside
Low crime area
High priced neighbourhood

Adversely, there are factors that could make your property price lower, depending on where it is. These include:

High crime area
Air pollution
Noise pollution
Local demographics e.g. student area
Areas with slow or below average broadband and internet speeds
Low priced neighbourhood
No local industry (lack of jobs or big nearby business)
Low housing demand (lots of houses for sale)

Use a property portal to see what other houses in your area typically sell for; this will give you a good idea of what price you could put your property on the market for.

The Type of Property

Average property prices on certain properties depend on what type they are.

According to Land Registry data for 2019*, the average price of property sold was as follows:

Detached house: £361,887
Semi-detached house: £222,476
Terraced house: £186,428
Flat: £162,162

Be aware that these are national averages for England and Wales, and it may be that certain property types are more appealing in your area.

You can use the Land Registry to create your own report for free and know more about property sold in your area.

*Based on data in England & Wales (excl. London)

Property Features

Even if your property is in a favourable location and is an appealing property type for the area, its price will still be affected by the furnishing and features of the property itself.

Luckily, we have put together a guide on how to increase the value of your home, as well as what features can devalue your property too.

Estate Agent Valuation

One of the easiest ways of determining how much your property could be worth is by hiring an estate agent to conduct a valuation. Most agents do not charge for this service, as it is their chance to impress you as well, so that you instruct them to sell your home.

You should use at least two or three different agencies to evaluate your home, as this will give you a more accurate view of how much your property is worth.

To ensure you use the best possible agent, make sure they are local to the area and are NAEA Propertymark Protected. This will mean that they are qualified and experienced in valuing a property and can spot any obvious features that could potentially affect the price of your property.

Use our Find an Expert tool to find a local agent near you today, it’s free, with no sign-up required.

How To Sell Your House – Top Tips

Tips On Selling Your Home

Selling a property can be stressful, but I’ve put together a list of handy tips to make the process easier for you. Read them all to help increase your chances of selling your house.

First impressions count

Most house buyers form their first impressions within seconds of walking through the front door. If you have a front garden, spend a little time sprucing it up. A few plant pots and a clear pathway can make the front of your house more appealing.

Quick Tip: Don’t forget to clean your front door, it can make a huge difference.

Clear worktops and declutter

A tidy room should never be underestimated, especially as dirty or cluttered rooms can be an immediate turn off for some property buyers.

So take some time to clean each room from top to bottom paying special attention to high impact rooms such as the kitchen and bathroom. You should also think about having a spring clean; if there’s too much furniture and things like children’s toys and unused gym equipment lying around, it can make the property feel smaller.

After a deep clean your home will smell fresh and be much more appealing to potential buyers.

Add a lick of paint

Neutral colours are appealing to house buyers; a fresh coat of paint will brighten up your home and will allow would-be buyers to envisage themselves living in the space.

Do some DIY

Straightforward DIY jobs such as filling holes in walls and checking for clogs in the guttering are easy to do and is one less thing your buyer needs to think about doing once they’ve moved in. Getting any problems fixed before putting the house on the market is a smart idea. You don’t want anything negative to turn up on the property survey either.

Think about your pets

Whilst you might think your pet is adorable, others may not. Potential buyers may be allergic so make sure any pets are confined to one room (such as a utility room or the garden) or removed from the home during viewings. Animals can also detract attention away from your property, leaving them with a neighbour or family member will ensure home buyers are kept focussed on your home.

Brag about your broadband

Broadband speeds are serious business in this day and age and just advertising the presence of fibre optic cables in your area could be enough to encourage buyers. Make sure to take a look at other features of your property that are appealing to buyers.

Think smart

Smart home technologies are increasingly important to buyers. Smart technology such as Hive, which gives mobile control over heating systems, is a feature worth considering. If it moves your EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) up a band, it could add thousands to the sale price.

Consider an open house

An open house can be a major benefit for property sellers, and setting aside one or two days to open your house up to the public will save you time in the long run. Spare yourself the effort of cleaning your house from top to bottom every other day and answering the same questions over and over by getting most of your house viewings out of the way in one go.

Pick the right agent

3 COMMON MISTAKES THAT YOU SHOULD AVOID

We have asked NAEA Propertymark estate agents to reveal the mistakes that property sellers make when selling their property. Their top answers were:

Overpricing

The first thing your buyer sees is the price, so when it comes to valuing your home, it’s got to be done right.

An overpriced property could deter anyone from arranging a viewing and making an offer. You should seek the help of a professional estate agent who will use their expertise about the local market to give you a fair price.

It’s worth doing your own research too though – how much are other properties in your area being marketed for? What does your home offer that other ones in the area don’t? Be realistic and don’t let pride cloud your judgement and lead to overpricing.

Bad Photos

When it comes to selling a property, a picture really is worth a thousand words; with more home buyers searching online than ever before, great photos are an absolute must. Avoid photos with bad lighting or any that are blurry and poor quality.

Your estate agent should take professional standard photos to help market your home, so make sure the property is tidy, the curtains are open, and all the light bulbs are working before they come over.

Too Much Personality

It’s important that your home doesn’t feel over-personalised. Remember, not everyone shares your taste and future buyers need to be able to see themselves living there with all their possessions. Family portraits, keepsakes and loud colour schemes can distract buyers from seeing your property’s full potential.

Welcome to Queen’s Park

Why I Love Queen’s Park.

Queen’s Park is an area of North West London divided between the London Borough of Brent and the City of Westminster and lies to the east of Kensal Green. Kensal Green, or Kensal Rise as it is also known, is bordered by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the city of Westminster. The names Kensal Rise and Kensal Green tend to be used interchangeably, although locals of the area differentiate the two by proximity to the local train and Tube stations.

Queen’s Park was created for the International Exhibition of the Royal Agricultural Society, which Queen Victoria opened in 1879. In that same year, London and North Western Railway opened Queen’s Park station on the mainline from London to Birmingham.

The family-friendly area is centred around 30 acres (12 ha), which opened in 1887 and was named to honour Queen Victoria.

Architecturally, Queen’s Park is an important historic area, with a unified urban layout with a high level of building preservation. In addition, the park is an excellent example of a Victorian urban green space.

Queen’s Park is mainly in the NW6 Kilburn postcode, although to the south it strays into W10, the North Kensington postcode, while Chamberlayne Road is in NW10, the Willesden postcode.

No one is far from a station in this neighbourhood. There are excellent transport links in Queen’s Park, Kensal Rise and Kensal Green, including London Underground services from the following stations: Queen’s Park (Bakerloo line, Zone 2), Kensal Green (Bakerloo line, Zone 2), Ladbroke Grove (Circle and Hammersmith & City lines, Zone 2), Willesden Junction (Bakerloo line, Zone 2).

You can also found London Overground services. At Brondesbury Park, Kensal Rise and Willesden Junction.

At the 2011 census, 36 per cent of Queen’s Park’s residents were white British. However, there were also significant minorities of Caribbean, African, Irish, Indian and Bangladeshi birth or descent, and almost 2,000 people with a mixed ethnic background.

Property types in Queens Park

Many Edwardian and Victorian properties in this area remain intact, boasting many of their original, period features,

The two-storey terraced houses east of the park, developed between 1895 and 1900, typically have clean, classical lines. That west of the park, built between 1900 and 1905, tend to be more Gothic in style. In addition, there is a vast selection of large Victorian and Edwardian houses taking the form of semi-detached houses, terrace buildings, and period conversions.

The park

The park itself was laid out by Alexander McKenzie between March 1887 and June 1887.

Designed without any straight paths, Queen’s Park uses bold tree planting and shrubberies with natural outlines and large open lawn areas for recreation and sport.

Facilities in the park include six all-weather tennis courts, a pitch-and-putt course, a quiet ornamental garden, a children’s playground with a paddling pool, a children’s animal farm and a cafe.

A landmark in the park is the bandstand, which was completed in 1887 – a timber roof with wrought-iron scrolled devices to each facet a central wrought-iron lantern. The bandstand was Grade-II listed in 2000.

The City of London Corporation manages the park. In 2020 it won Green Flag status for the 24th year in a row and an additional Green Heritage Site award for its care and conservation of open space and facilities.