Moving into a new property at a new location can bring a whirlwind of emotions, including stress, excitement, and a slight apprehension, but it’s essential to create a positive impression on your new neighbours.  

Your neighbours play a vital part in keeping you and your property safe, so it's crucial to create a good, solid relationship.  

Start with a simple introduction  

When relocating into a new home, you should approach your new neighbours at the first chance and introduce yourself. A great way to confidently do this is by approaching them and beginning your relationship with a kind, simple smile and introduction, creating a solid foundation.  

Having this first interaction creates an important first impression and can help you identify what your new neighbours are like, potentially preventing future disputes.  

Keep your surrounding property tidy  

Whether you live in an apartment, a terraced, semi-detached, or detached property, you may have shared-cared spaces you look after with your neighbours. This could be a shared drive, fence, or pathway, so it’s important that you communicate clearly and create a rotation of care for the shared space to avoid disputes.  

It is vital that you help maintain these spaces and create a clean environment in your community. By having an untidy entrance or drive to your home, it can imprint a negative impression on your neighbours and potentially make their property look untidy. So, by simply sweeping around your property to remove any loose leaves or debris, you can make a positive impression on your neighbours.  

Property garden maintenance  

Maintaining your property's surroundings also includes keeping your garden well-groomed to produce a beautiful appearance. You can simply care for your garden by ensuring your grass doesn't overgrow with a weekly cut and potentially planting some bulbs, which will allow effortless flowers to appear every year. Don't become the property that everyone avoids; instead, impress your neighbours with a well-cared-for garden.  

Neighbouring hedges and fences  

When it comes to first impressions with your neighbour, disputes can easily be encouraged if you are sharing a fence or hedge. This is extremely common, so before making any changes to any hedges or fences, it is key to discuss your options with your neighbour and ensure you receive the green light. Your neighbours will appreciate the discussion, demonstrating clear communication from your end and an excellent first impression.  

Home improvements  

When moving into a new property, sometimes you want to make slight home improvements, which can potentially cause disruption to your new neighbours. Keeping your neighbours informed and providing them with notice of any completed work is crucial.
Being a good neighbour means being considerate of others and being aware of the little things. For example, outdoor flood lighting can shine into your neighbouring homes, disturbing their privacy, or an outdoor shed could disturb their garden's sunlight. Being aware of the little things can create a good first impression on your neighbours.  

Be a considerate neighbour  

When moving to a new home, it’s vital to be a good, kind neighbour and considerate of your surroundings. This can be as simple as not being disruptive with noise pollution, taking your rubbish bins out at the correct times, parking in the correct place; there are so many unwritten rules of being a good neighbour and creating a good first impression.  

Clear communication is a key rule to maintaining a positive relationship with your neighbours and keeping you and your community safe. Exchanging numbers with your neighbour allows you to communicate clearly if you feel something suspicious is occurring. The more people you know in your area, the safer you and your property will be.  

If you're considering upgrading a potential property through a home renovation, it can be an exciting process, but it can also present challenges. Instead of buying a move-in-ready property, you have the option of renovating a character-filled, fixer-upper. We have compiled 10 steps to follow to guarantee success throughout a home renovation.

Step one: Find a property and make a renovation plan

With our 10 steps to successful renovations, you can easily lay out a plan and begin your renovation journey. But to begin your renovation adventure, you need to find the right property. Study potential properties and uncover their hidden value.

Make sure to have a survey completed. The most detailed survey you can receive for a property is a level 3 survey, which is the most thorough analysis of the entire property’s building structure and condition. The overall report provides extensive details, including recommendations, estimated costs, and a timeline for any necessary work. This can help you produce a solid plan and give you an idea of where to start.

Step two: Understand your legalities

When you decide to complete renovations on a property, you need to understand the legalities. This will include ensuring you have planning permission in place (if needed). Even though plenty of home alterations don’t need planning permission, it’s always beneficial to check before diving straight in. You can apply for planning permission before you purchase a property.

Once you exchange contracts and have secured your property, it will be your responsibility to have the right insurance in place. Home insurance during renovations can come at a higher expense, but it is worth every penny as it provides you with peace of mind throughout the entire process.

Although a house warranty is not a requirement when renovating your property, it protects you from any flaws in the potential design, materials, or overall build quality, and will also cover any problems that occur for 10 years as a result of these factors.

Step three: Calculate your costs

Correct cost alignment is crucial for delivering a successful renovation project. You're looking to get the best value for money. Being vigilant about potential hidden costs is crucial to staying within the right budget. Always overbudget by 10% to provide yourself with flexibility, and you can utilise any remaining funds for enhancing your home's interior design or landscaping your ideal garden.

Step four: Understand EPC and ways you could improve it

If you’re renovating your home, consider the future and its resale value. Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) are now more important than ever in terms of increasing value; the future may create difficulties for homes without a good EPC score, so the quicker you take this into account, the better.

You can enhance your EPC rating by installing insulation in your home and surrounding pipes, replacing light bulbs with energy-efficient ones, upgrading your boiler and heating system, installing solar panels, a smart meter, and installing double or triple-glazed windows.

Step five: Discover a trustworthy contractor

This is a crucial step because this individual will bring your ideas to life. Become your own project manager and oversee the entire project, and if you’re a seasoned pro, get stuck in and knock a few walls down. Shop arounFd, gather ideas from different contractors, and take into account positive references and reviews.

Step six: Organise the removal of materials

A renovation project always leads to plenty of waste, especially if the demolition of walls is part of the plan. By organising a skip hire for the property, you can create less hassle for everyone involved, and the skip hire company will be able to dispose of the materials. You could potentially sell certain elements of the property to generate additional revenue.

Step seven: Protect the property’s original features

The main attraction when you buy a fixer-upper is the original character features. These can easily be rediscovered and highlighted throughout the home renovation, adding a timeless charm to the property. By utilising these original features, you have a chance to save some money on new materials. Particular attention should be paid to certain features such as:

While renovating, remain careful around these areas to avoid potential damage to the original features.

Step eight: Update your plumbing and electrics

Even though rewiring and plumbing are expensive renovations, they're definitely worth it. This allows you to add certain light features or bathroom looks that suit your lifestyle. By completing this, you could also add characteristics that cut down your energy bill and increase your EPC rating, improving the property’s end value.

Step nine: Turn structural problems into upgrades

While the property is stripped back, this gives you the perfect opportunity to fix or improve any structural issues in the home. This allows you to match the home to modern-day living, potentially creating an open-plan living space or inserting large bi-fold doors leading to the garden.

Take a look at the floor plan, external and internal features, and identify the potential characteristics it could offer. Is there conversion potential for the loft, basement, or garage?  Identifying these key potentials can present a substantial increase in your property’s value.

Step ten: Create a snagging list

As you finalise the property by adding all your interior and décor, you finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

What is a snagging list?

A snagging list typically indicates that the home renovation is complete. This is an inspection completed at the end of building work to identify any minor defects and meet the standards you expect, potentially achieving perfection.

Examine your completed project and pinpoint any minor issues you wish to address or monitor to allow issues to be flagged up in a timely manner. The contractor can assist in resolving these issues, ensuring a flawless completion of the project.

If you're considering upgrading a potential property through a home renovation, it can be an exciting process, but it can also present challenges. Instead of buying a move-in-ready property, you have the option of renovating a character-filled, fixer-upper. We have compiled 10 steps to follow to guarantee success throughout a home renovation.

Step one: Find a property and make a renovation plan

With our 10 steps to successful renovations, you can easily lay out a plan and begin your renovation journey. But to begin your renovation adventure, you need to find the right property. Study potential properties and uncover their hidden value.

Make sure to have a survey completed. The most detailed survey you can receive for a property is a level 3 survey, which is the most thorough analysis of the entire property’s building structure and condition. The overall report provides extensive details, including recommendations, estimated costs, and a timeline for any necessary work. This can help you produce a solid plan and give you an idea of where to start.

Step two: Understand your legalities

When you decide to complete renovations on a property, you need to understand the legalities. This will include ensuring you have planning permission in place (if needed). Even though plenty of home alterations don’t need planning permission, it’s always beneficial to check before diving straight in. You can apply for planning permission before you purchase a property.

Once you exchange contracts and have secured your property, it will be your responsibility to have the right insurance in place. Home insurance during renovations can come at a higher expense, but it is worth every penny as it provides you with peace of mind throughout the entire process.

Although a house warranty is not a requirement when renovating your property, it protects you from any flaws in the potential design, materials, or overall build quality, and will also cover any problems that occur for 10 years as a result of these factors.

Step three: Calculate your costs

Correct cost alignment is crucial for delivering a successful renovation project. You're looking to get the best value for money. Being vigilant about potential hidden costs is crucial to staying within the right budget. Always overbudget by 10% to provide yourself with flexibility, and you can utilise any remaining funds for enhancing your home's interior design or landscaping your ideal garden.

Step four: Understand EPC and ways you could improve it

If you’re renovating your home, consider the future and its resale value. Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) are now more important than ever in terms of increasing value; the future may create difficulties for homes without a good EPC score, so the quicker you take this into account, the better.

You can enhance your EPC rating by installing insulation in your home and surrounding pipes, replacing light bulbs with energy-efficient ones, upgrading your boiler and heating system, installing solar panels, a smart meter, and installing double or triple-glazed windows.

Step five: Discover a trustworthy contractor

This is a crucial step because this individual will bring your ideas to life. Become your own project manager and oversee the entire project, and if you’re a seasoned pro, get stuck in and knock a few walls down. Shop arounFd, gather ideas from different contractors, and take into account positive references and reviews.

Step six: Organise the removal of materials

A renovation project always leads to plenty of waste, especially if the demolition of walls is part of the plan. By organising a skip hire for the property, you can create less hassle for everyone involved, and the skip hire company will be able to dispose of the materials. You could potentially sell certain elements of the property to generate additional revenue.

Step seven: Protect the property’s original features

The main attraction when you buy a fixer-upper is the original character features. These can easily be rediscovered and highlighted throughout the home renovation, adding a timeless charm to the property. By utilising these original features, you have a chance to save some money on new materials. Particular attention should be paid to certain features such as:

While renovating, remain careful around these areas to avoid potential damage to the original features.

Step eight: Update your plumbing and electrics

Even though rewiring and plumbing are expensive renovations, they're definitely worth it. This allows you to add certain light features or bathroom looks that suit your lifestyle. By completing this, you could also add characteristics that cut down your energy bill and increase your EPC rating, improving the property’s end value.

Step nine: Turn structural problems into upgrades

While the property is stripped back, this gives you the perfect opportunity to fix or improve any structural issues in the home. This allows you to match the home to modern-day living, potentially creating an open-plan living space or inserting large bi-fold doors leading to the garden.

Take a look at the floor plan, external and internal features, and identify the potential characteristics it could offer. Is there conversion potential for the loft, basement, or garage?  Identifying these key potentials can present a substantial increase in your property’s value.

Step ten: Create a snagging list

As you finalise the property by adding all your interior and décor, you finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

What is a snagging list?

A snagging list typically indicates that the home renovation is complete. This is an inspection completed at the end of building work to identify any minor defects and meet the standards you expect, potentially achieving perfection.

Examine your completed project and pinpoint any minor issues you wish to address or monitor to allow issues to be flagged up in a timely manner. The contractor can assist in resolving these issues, ensuring a flawless completion of the project.

An EPC provides a rating of your home’s energy efficiency and its environmental impact. The rating ranges from ‘A’ (most efficient) to ‘G’ (least efficient) and includes recommendations for improving energy efficiency. The certificate helps potential buyers understand the energy performance of the property they are considering buying, as this will dictate how much it costs to run said property.

How long is an EPC valid for?

Once your home been issued its EPC rating, it will be valid for 10 years. This means that if you have an EPC rating that was issued within the last decade, you can use it to sell your property without needing a new assessment. However, if your EPC is older than 10 years, you’ll need to commission a new one before you can place your home on the market.

Checking your EPC’s validity

You can refer to the certificate itself to check if your EPC is still valid as it should state the date of issue and the expiry date. Additionally, you can look up your property’s EPC through GOV.uk, where you can download a copy of the certificate and verify its validity. 

When should I get a new EPC?

Even though EPCs have a 10-year life-span, there are circumstances when you might consider getting a new one before selling your home:

As summer concludes and autumn approaches, homeowners have a final opportunity to finalise their move before the year ends. While each season brings its own set of advantages and challenges, there are compelling reasons why now might be the perfect moment to make your move. Let’s look at why now is a great time to sell your home and maximise your profits.

Sales agreed is high

All the evidence shows that the market has been very active in recent months, with Zoopla’s House Price Index showing that the number of new sales agreed increased by 8% between June 2023 and June 2024.*

This indicates a robust market, in which movers have plenty of confidence and are prepared to move quickly. When buyers are pro-active and already have the necessary finances in place, chains move faster and are less likely to break, reducing the likelihood of your move falling through.

Demand has also increased

As you may expect, with sales agreed being so high, demand also increased over the course of 12 months, with Zoopla showing an increase of 6%*. As confident buyers look to secure their dream move, sellers are able to find a buyer without having to wait for too long, speeding up the whole process.

A major benefit of high demand is that it often leads to competitive bidding, which can drive up the price of your property and increase the amount you receive. Additionally, having multiple potential buyers gives you the freedom to negotiate a completion date that suits you, allowing you to move quickly and take advantage of the busy market.

More homes are for sale

The number of homes for sale is a further indication of consumer confidence in the market, with an astonishing increase of 19%.* This gives the market a lot of variety in the types of properties available, allowing more people to find their dream home with less hassle.

With more properties on the market, you have greater scope to narrow down your search and find a property that perfectly matches your needs and preferences. Whether you're looking for a particular style, size, or location, the increased inventory makes it easier to find your dream home instead of settling for something that isn’t quite right for you.

House price overvalued

Zoopla estimates an 8% overvaluation in house prices,* indicating that properties are currently selling for more than their true value. While this may initially sound like a negative, it actually makes now a great time to move, as it gives sellers the perfect opportunity to sell at a higher price and release a larger amount of equity.

Selling in an overvalued market can provide you with the capital needed to move up the property ladder to a more desirable home or a better location. However, it's crucial to move quickly, as Zoopla anticipates the 8% overvalue to vanish by the year's end as house prices return to their true value by the end of 2024.*

Shorter days, falling leaves, and the beginning of colder weather all signify the arrival of autumn. Whether you love it or loathe it, adding a few nice touches to your home can make you feel more connected or, if you prefer, insulated from it. Here are a few tips to give you a head start, so you are ready for its arrival.

Warm up your home with textiles 

Throw a few cushions down or add a throw to your sittee and snuggle up to a cosier way of life with a variety of sumptuous materials. Whether you love wool, velvet, or leather, you can make comfort appear aesthetically appealing, which will freshen up your rooms. Warm colours, when the fire is lit, will warm you from the inside out. Luxury can become a feeling that can make your living spaces seem wonderful, so take some time to make the most of your surroundings. 

Invite nature indoors 

If you are in the mood for cosying up by the fire and you like celebrating the seasons, adding some leaves, chestnuts, dried flowers, or pinecones to your fireplace will help make it centre stage. An inviting rug in blazing autumnal colours or simply some logs piled next to the fire will set the scene for cosy nights while reinvigorating your interior. Creating an indoor garden is a good hobby to keep you busy during colder months and can fill your home with beautiful scents. 

Bring your indoors outdoors

Preparing your outdoor areas is important because it allows you to enjoy them all year-round. Making an early start by making the most of warmer September days to maintain your garden is always a good idea. Whether you are building an outdoor room from scratch or simply preparing it for the changing seasons, add throws, blankets, and cushions here too. Completing it with candles and other creature comforts that add some autumnal ambiences will allow you to enjoy a different perspective of your home. 

Don’t forget your bedrooms

If nothing else, the changing seasons are a great excuse to refresh your home's appearance, and sometimes it’s all too easy to neglect your bedrooms. They, too, will benefit from some new cushions, rugs, and blankets. A new bedspread can make a big impact but if you want more, consider redecorating by using autumnal-inspired paint. Autumn’s colour palette also offers huge inspiration for year-round decorating ideas and furnishings. 

Make your rooms glow with light   

Light a path to your home, then adorn each room with nice lighting to allow them to look beautiful. Play with light and add and take it away when and where you feel is best by using different light sources. You can do this with lanterns, candles, lamps, and ambient lighting which partners well with natural light, in conjunction with all the other decorative details you have added, including any mirrors. Then you can switch up or play down light levels to suit your mood, perhaps to relax after a tough day at work.