Housing sales remains broadly positive (ring today for a valuation)
Richard Donnell, research Director at Zoopla said “the background for housing sales remains broadly positive with employment levels hitting record highs, continued low mortgage rates and growth in first time buyer numbers”
“The annual increase in property transactions is a reflection that, despite uncertainty, households continue to make decisions to buy and sell a property”
Miles Shipside, Rightmove Director and housing market analyst comments “longer daylight hours and green shoots appearing in gardens heralds the start of the traditionally more buoyant spring market”
Buyer affordability is on the rise
Sellers’ subdued pricing is now being outstripped by higher average wage growth, meaning that buyer affordability is on the rise at the fastest rate in nearly eight years. Buyers are also being given the leg up by cheap mortgage rates.
He continues “market conditions are more favourable for sellers further north, though agents say that it is still a very price sensitive market where asking too much at the outset scares off buyers”
This north’s market conditions are backed by the National House Price Index that shows, Yorkshire and the Humber have seen an annual change of plus 3.6%, with an average time to sell taking 76 days – the fourth fastest region in the Uk.
Free market appraisal
So … If you are looking to sell your home in the buoyant spring months then call David Phillip Estate Agents for a free valuation t: 01134 676 400 w:davidphillip.co.uk e:info@davidphillip.co.uk
At David Phillip Estate Agents based in Bramhope, North Leeds, we have invested in some of the best technology to ensure that you receive an amazing customer experience working outside the 9 to 5 working day.
Using 3D virtual viewings potential buyers can ‘walk around’ your property 24/7 from the comfort of their armchair, which means that the actual viewings around your home are from serious buyers only – and effectively the second viewing.
We also believe that our clients should be able to access information on the progress of their sale at a time to suit them best.
Property File Plus which is part of Zoopla/Jupix and of which we are part allows you to:-
Once you have instructed David Phillip Estate Agents, and your property is being marketed as available you will receive an e-mail with a link to set up your account.
So, if you want an estate agent that can offer you a transparent 24/7 customer experience (and pricing too)then call us on 01134 676 400 w:davidphillip.co.uk e:info@davidphillip.co.uk
As a new agent in North Leeds, using great photography is key to us, as is capturing the best images possible, using high quality equipment (a professional photographer) and carefully considering what homebuyers want to see.
Here are a few guiding principles that we use when marketing our clients homes:-
Never scrimp on the cost of a Professional photographer, some agents feel it is part of their role to take the photographs, and true, Smart phones are now advanced, but it is not just about a shoot and grab picture - An Agents time is much better spent communicating with clients.
We always use horizontal landscape views, which are more pleasing on the eye than vertical – although a different set of photographs may need taking for use on social media.
Without furniture then a space is just walls, floors, windows and ceilings - furniture provides scale, lights and adds character – a personality. People decorate their homes to their own tastes, but this does not always appeal to the masses and sometimes the decoration can take over the room – a lick of neutral paint may do the trick prior to photos being taken
A cluttered, messy photo can reflect lazy work from an agent – everything should be removed from kitchen and bathroom surfaces, especially around the sinks.
Old towels are a definite no in bathrooms as are clothes hanging over radiators, and kitchens should be curated with a nice set of dishes, bowls of fruit or flowers.
In some properties it is difficult to photograph an entire room at once, we often move furniture around so that we can capture the perfect angle, photograph through doorways and always keep internal doors open – the TV should never be left on!
Working around the weather is key, but we have some clever sky replacement techniques if the elements are against us and our photographer will always ensure that cars and dustbins aren’t in the shot. Shooting external photos at dusk can give dramatic results – we use dawn to dusk techniques whenever possible which enhance the pictures.
A professional photographer will shadow and colour boost – space and natural light are two qualities home buyers are always looking for.
Only the best photos should be used, buyers don’t want to sift through an entire library of images, d at least 5 pictures should be used to give searchers a flavour for every room, remembering that it is the first two weeks when a new property will get the most viewings.
Detailed views on Rightmove shows how well your agent is marketing your property, at David Phillip Estate agents we averaged 146 viewing per day from October 1st which hi-lihgts the priority we take on getting the best photographs possible for clients.
Lesa Brown, Director at DavidPhillip Estate Agents, Bramhope, Le
It's long been understood that colour has the power to transform behaviour and shape the way that we perceive a wide variety of goods and services. Businesses spend millions in branding and marketing to encourage us to chose their brand above others.
In our homes, we also use colour to affect the mood and ambience of each room. With brands such as Dulux investing heavily in the branding of colours to reflect the style, heritage and personality that we want to portray.
One of the most often overlooked items, when considering our colour schemes, is the colour of the humble front door. Yet this is one of the first things that potential buyers or tenants will see. Helping them form an impression of your property, long before they step through the front door.
Current colour trends typically take property owners down one of two roads. Bright yellow, pink and turquoise are very much on trend, giving properties a wow factor with a flash of vivid colour. The other option, also popular, is to adopt a more traditional, subtle, muted colour such as deep blue, dark grey and sage green. As timeless colours they help create an impressions of style and heritage.
So, can the colour of our front door influence the potential sale or letting of your home? Many agents think so. But, it would appear, that the choice of colour is dependent upon where you live.
Here's what Country Life suggest:
Taking all of the above into account, according to Country Life's research blue is the most popular colour when it comes to selling or letting a property.
Local presence, and the amount of marketing are also key.
Zoopla Managing Director Charlie Bryant said "our findings also show vendors want their money to work harder for them in the current climate. 44% of consumer respondents told us that the amount of marketing an agent will do is extremely important to their appointing them.
This is very good news @davidPhillipestate agents based in North Leeds as our whole ethos is based around the best customer experience, and matches the findings of Zoopla.
Transoarent fees are key, we have fixed fairer fee packages so clients can choose a package which best matches their requirements - we don't believe in commission.
David Phillip was previously a shareholder at one of Yorkshire's biggest Independent Estate Agencies and has been providing realistic valuations for over 30 years in North and West Yorkshire, his local experience will ensure a realistic price to help a quicker sale.
Lesa Brown a Director of the company said "marketing our vendor's properties effectively is key to us, we have in introduced the best technology, modern sales techniques and have a heavy focus on social media.
Some of the marketing techniques include
- Early Bird, to market properties before they appear on Zoopla and Rightmove
- Featured properties on Rightmove and Zoopla
- 3D virtual viewings to ensure that always open house
- 24/7 hi-viz for sale boards - to be seen 24/7
- an obsessive approach towards social media
These marketing techniques are clearly working as between October 1st and December 31st we had over 250,000 ad views on our properties on Rightmove which is an extremely high figure, we also have data from Rightmove that shows all our properties have an average 146 detailed views per day which is a staggering amount.
So @davidphillipestateagents we are very pleased with these findings as our philosophy around Estate Agency is reflected in their findings.
At David Phillip Estate agents we are always viewing statistics where our performance is measured against other Estate Agents in North Leeds, so imagine how pleased we were when Trudy ran through the property viewings report for Bramhope at our meeting this morning.
From October 1st to December 31st based on detailed views from all sources, covering 53 agents, the average detailed viewings of properties per day is 65.5 we are delighted to see that David Phillip Estate Agents covering North Leeds has an average of 146 detailed views per property per day – this is the number one position for the area, which is amazing considering we have only been open a short while.
So…. How are we getting these unrivalled results, well here are some of the reasons
So, if you are looking to Market your property in January 2018, why use an Estate Agent that might average 65.5 detailed viewings per property per day when you can use an agent in North Leeds that will give you an average of 146 detailed viewings per day!
For further information call David Phillip Estate Agents t:01134 676 400 or visit the website davidphillip.co.uk, you can also find us on social media.
Whether you voted to leave or stay, Brexit is beginning to take it's toll on the UK housing market. Which ever way you look at it, we're facing uncertain times; not helped by the fallout from the latest historic events at Westminster.
So, should you be concerned? And could Brexit affect your property investment plans? Let's look at the statistics…
To start with, according to Rightmove, average UK property prices dropped by £5,222 or 1.7% in November with a similar fall forecast for December. These latest statistics represent the largest month-on-month fall since 2012.
But it's not all doom and gloom. Rightmove's figures are skewed towards the London property market and, outside of London, there are areas reporting increases in property values.
If you look at the figures over a longer period, specifically since article 50 was triggered, the UK’s house prices have risen by 8.13 per cent on average (from £215,078 to £232,554), according to latest ONS UK House Price Index report.
Add to that reports by Zoopla that 55% of consumers are still expecting property prices to increase in 2019, there is still confidence in the market.
A recent survey of industry experts also revealed a cautiously positive outlook for 2019. Whilst most expect some short-term volatility, non are expecting a price crash, more a 'softening' of the market.
Confused?
Well, the simple fact is, that the property market has always been susceptible to cycles. It is not unusual for the property market to go up and down over time. Typically, once it’s been down, it comes back even stronger, and then the cycle repeats itself.
Confident buyers and investors see a market downturn as an opportunity to get a bargain, giving them the opportunity to gain more when property prices go back up again.
So, should you buy or sell now, or wait until the outcome of Brexit is more certain?
That really is up to you. If you need to move, have found the perfect property at the right price and are confident about your finances, there's no reason not to proceed.
Regardless of how you decide to proceed, bear in mind that buying a property is, for most, about securing a home or long term rental income. The property market is pretty resilient, and as long as you’re not looking to buy and then sell immediately, houses tend to survive the bumps in the road.
Please note: This article does not represent investment advice. When buying or selling a property you should seek independent advice. If you have a specific property that you are interested in buying or selling, please contact us to discuss how we could help you.
Use it, love it or bin it – tips for de-cluttering plus a photographic enhancement service to help you de-clutter!
You want to move house, but have accumulated so much ‘stuff’ over the years that the idea is a little scary, and with Christmas out of the way you may also be left with wrapping paper, boxes and your Christmas tree on top of it all!
If this sounds like you, then you may need to de-clutter, particularly if you are thinking of moving home. There are two reasons for this, the first, to make your home as tidy and presentable as possible to enhance your photographs and improve your viewings, the second is so that your move is less costly and also less stressful.
At David Phillip Estate Agents we recommend to start on your primary rooms first as these are the rooms that people will look at on Rightmove or Zoopla. Try to be ruthless, if items don’t relate to your present lifestyle and have no place in your future aspirations, and are of no sentimental value then get rid. Clothes that no longer fit can be taken to a charity shop, and likewise books that you have read.
Taking things to the tip isn’t always the only option, why not hold a stall at your local car boot sale or sell things online on sites such as e-bay and Gumtree.
Facebook has local pages where you can sell unwanted items, and local community sites such as the ones for Bramhope, Adel and Cookridge make ideal places to sell your unwanted items locally – do a search on Facebook to find details.
Another option is to give items to friends or family who will make use of them, and of course charity shops.
After Christmas there is of course extra de-cluttering or re-cycling
By removing clutter and not allowing it to build up again is like learning a new habit as well as being quite therapeutic, however, if you are wanting to market your home early in January, why not take advantage of the David Phillip photographic enhancement service too. We can take a photo of any room in your home and by using clever photography we can make that untidy room market ready and de-cluttered – it is part of our bespoke packages.
January is a good time to sell, and we know more people view Rightmove and Zoopla at this time of year. So, if you have a property to sell in North Leeds then get it market ready sooner by ringing David Phillip Estate Agents in Bramhope t:01134 676 400 w: davidphillip.co.uk
Before we opened David Phillip Estate Agents in Bramhope, North Leeds, we did extensive research to ensure the best Customer Experience - this included the most up to date technology, modern sales techniques and the use of the property portals.
Rightmove is used by all agents but at David Phillip Estate Agents we want to give our client's properties even more exposure (or eyeballs) so we decided to take the Gold Package on Zoopla.
In a previous role as a Northern Sales Director for the Regional Newspapers of DMGT (Daily Mail) I was always very impressed by the innovation and ambitions of Zoopla who were then also owned by DMGT.
So now being a customer of theirs I am impressed how they provide us with a one stop shop - we use their property brochure service and Jupix CRM (to provide our customers with a seamless experience)
We also love the extra functionality we get on our website through Zoopla, with Moveit working with our preferred partners, USwitch to find you the best energy supplier and Property Profile plus, buyers can book viewing appointments via our website and our clients can track their property progress.
We also like the fact that Zoopla partner with JPI who own the Yorkshire post and Harrogate Advertiser series.
At David Phillip Estate Agents we have been advising potential property sellers to get their properties market ready for the audience spike on the main property portals on Boxing Day and into January.
We follow some of the industry experts and today have read an article all about Rightmove and Zoopla going head to head in their Christmas advertising campaigns
Zoopla are spending an extra 23% more year on year and estimate that 90% of ABC1 adults in the UK will see their advert an average of 12 times.
They are trying to keep Zoopla front of the audience mind at all times, which means your property will always be at the front of somebodies mind. They have done this by investing more than any other property portal in advertising over the last five years!
They are also trying a multi-media approach that will extend the crabs on outdoor advertising, radio, Youtube and video on demand too.
Zoopla certainly seem to be good at been smarter about property, and get your property the exposure it deserves and this is why at David Phillip Estate Agent we choose Zoopla as one of our property portals.
So.... if you are wanting to sell your property in the New Year, get your property market ready sooner rather than later. We are open for Business on December 27th, and don't worry that your property still has all the decorations up - using our photographic enhancement service we can have these removed by the time we market!
Happy Christmas everyone!
All facts and figures taken from Zoopla.
"*" indicates required fields
