After a long winter it feels like it is time to clean the patio and get ready for Spring. All patios require a simple maintenance to keep it protected and looking its best, so what do you need to do to bring your neglected stone paving back to life?
First, declutter the patio, remove dead winter tubs and hanging baskets, and remove weeds (most weeds can simply be pulled or scraped up out of the paving) do a sweep then simply fill a bucket with one cup of washing up liquid, soap or soda crystals. Pour the warm soapy water across the affected area starting at the corners, and begin scrubbing to loosen dirt. Always scrub diagonally as this will be gentler on the jointing compound and less will come out during cleaning. You can also use a power washer but take care as excessive use can damage paving slabs and jointing.
Paving slab sealant can help you to protect your patio against the weather extremities like we have had this week in North Leeds. Sealant is completely invisible and won’t change the colour or appearance of the stone.
Over time, the jointing of your paving can crack and loosen. To ensure the longevity, you should repair any jointing that needs it – brush-in jointing compounds are easy to use and will help with this.
Once the patio is dry reset your furniture and you are ready to use.
While you should only need to clean your patio once a year ( a perk of choosing a patio over decking!), a small amount of maintenance will deliver a consistently clean finish all year round.
If you are considering selling your home, and Spring is one of the best times to sell according to Rightmove, it is well worthwhile taking time to improve this often neglected area of your home – stunning pots and hanging baskets can make all the difference, and investing in some good garden furniture too can turn your patio into a lovely entertainment area as well as adding value to your home.
For a free market appraisal call David Phillip FRICS on 01134 676 400. David Phillip Estate Agents, 86, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds w: davidphillip.co.uk
Covering Leeds, North Leeds, Bramhope, Adel, Cookridge, Pool-in-Wharfedale
According to Rightmove, Spring is traditionally the time when most people look at properties to buy on the Rightmove portal.
At David Phillip Estate Agents we always provide tips on how to make your property ‘show-home’ ready, however if you don’t want to be spending day after day doing housework, it is possible to do it all in one day! – so here goes – the one day Spring Clean! – and this Weekend might be the ideal time if you are housebound with the snow!
Before you start
The night before your big spring clean gather all your supplies in a bucket, include any cleaning products, rubber gloves, bin liners, baking powder and white wine vinegar plus your most upbeat CD’s to keep you motivated.
Plan your meals for the day, have a healthy breakfast, throw something in the slow cooker or choose a takeaway! – whatever meal you plan, you won’t want to be cooking at the end of your mammoth cleaning day – keep some snacks on hand too and put a nice chilled bottle of wine in the fridge to enjoy afterwards!
Start with an empty dishwasher, washer and dryer. Before you start on each individual room collect blankets, throws rugs and pillows and put them in the washing machine
Clean light fixtures and window blinds – spray windows with a glass cleaner and spray and wipe all the mirrors too.
The Bathroom
So you are ready to start on the first room – the bathroom.
Descale taps and chrome fittings, especially if you are in an area that has hard water, not only will limescale make the fittings look awful, but by leaving this you are much more likely to have leaks and need to replace fittings too. If you leave limescale for a long time then it can become really difficult to remove – white wine vinegar is great for descaling – use a toothbrush for any tricky areas.
Next it is the bath – use a microfiber sponge to rub your cleaning products into the bath and shower - leave for about 30 mins before you rinse away
Grouting is there to stop the walls and floors getting wet, use baking soda and hot (not boiling water),dip in a toothbrush and scrub away!
Use natural products rather than chemical ones for the essential cleaning of the toilet – again baking powder and white wine vinegar is a natural thing to use - leave for 15 mins, scrub and flush – also change your toilet brush at this time and pour a few drops of essential oil into the holder – put essential oils in the bathroom bin too so that it stays fresh, but this can also be used as an antiseptic – always ventilate your bathroom well after cleaning.
Hair, beauty products and toothpaste can bung up the bath, shower and sink, again white wine vinegar and soda poured down the plughole can help – leave it for 30 mins before washing away with water.
Descale the shower head – fill a small sandwich bag with white wine vinegar, for best results leave overnight, you can wash a shower curtain on a gentle cycle in the washing machine.
If you have children, wash plastic toys in the dishwasher, but remember to remove any batteries first.
Don’t forget your makeup bag – if you haven’t used a product for a while then throw it out, the only exception is seasonal items – wash makeup brushes with shampoo ( I saw a video last week – these can be washed in a cooking sieve – really easy!).
The kitchen
Next onto the kitchen – oven cleaning is time intensive, but by putting bi-carbonate of soda into a water spray, this will give you your own handy oven cleaning solution (avoid the heating elements) – leave this overnight and wipe clean the next day (ok this bit takes you over the spring clean in one day!) spraying with vinegar to remove any remains – if you don’t fancy getting stuck into the oven then a professional cleaner may help with this one to save you time too.
Get your fridge sparking clean - stains, food matter and water can build up – again a toothbrush and toothpaste are great at removing – the chemicals found in toothpaste will help to remove stains easily. Clean your fridge on the day before you do your main shop
To get rid of any fridge odours, cut a lemon in half placing one half at the top and one on the bottom shelf – this will absorb any odours and leave your fridge smelling fresh – lemon also de-odourises microwaves too – just add to a cup of water and heat slowly.
The Bedroom
Revamp your wardrobe – separate your clothes into seasons, try on your outfits, do they still fit, if the answer is no, then get rid of by donating to charity or selling on e-bay.
For the clothes you want to keep, bag up if they are out if season and store somewhere .
A golden rule for clothes – trash, give-away, store or put away for use
Bedsheets can be cleansed by using bicarbonate of soda (which can also be used for cleaning the mattress – leave for 8 hours, vacuum up any excess powder and your mattress will be as good as new)and wine vinegar as this can help breathe life back into them and help get rid of any lingering odours – make sure you rinse thoroughly afterwards though too, to get rid of the vinegar smell before using.
Deep clean your carpet, you’ll be surprised how much dirt, hair and dust can accumulate – remember to clean your vacuum cleaner beforehand.
Some final tips
Don’t use the same cloth around the house as this will hang onto grime from the previous surface – bathroom germs on kitchen counters is a definite NO
Feather dusters are notorious for spreading dust
Change your vacuum cleaner filter before your big spring clean
Clean a room from the top down
Don’t spray cleaner directly onto furniture as this can cause a build-up leading to greasy furniture and surfaces
Clean the washing machine - skin cellAccording to Rightmove, Spring is traditionally the time when most people look at properties to buy on the Rightmove portal.s and dust mites can linger in the machine drum meaning that washing is being done in dirty water .
Don’t worry if you are selling your home and not fully decluttered
So your home should now be spic and span and decluttered – if you are looking to sell your home, don’t worry if you haven’t totally decluttered every room as at David Phillip Estate Agents in Bramhope, North Leeds we have some clever photographic techniques to do this for you and enhance the look of your property.
Free market Appraisal
So once you have undertaken your spring clean in one day and are ready for marketing your home, book a free market appraisal with David Phillip FRICS t: 01134 676 400 w: davidphillip.co.uk e: info@davidphillip.co.uk. A: David Phillip Estate Agents, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds.
Covering Leeds, Bramhope, Adel, Cookridge, Alwoodley, Pool-in-Wharfedale
The housing market is starting to show some signs of improvement after the disastrous mini-budget of September with several indications that 2023 may become much more stable after a turbulent few months.
In a residential survey undertaken by the RICS UK in February, survey participants indicated that market conditions are improving, offering hope for the coming months after a UK wide sluggish start.
The new sales indicator in February improved from a net balance of -36% to -26%, however the average time taken to complete a sale is rising slightly and is currently approaching 19 weeks.
In an additional question included in the latest survey RICS analysed the difference between ask and sales prices in the current macro climate. In the mainstream market covering prices up to £500k around 60% of respondents agreed that sales were being agreed at below average price, this moved to 70% for properties between £500k and £1million. .
Meanwhile, in a further report Catherine Mann, a member of the bank of England’s monetary Policy committee has identified indications of a revival in the Uk’s property market. The observation from the member of the BoE’s MPC, which sets the base interest rate, follows Halifax announcing a rise in house prices in February at a time when mortgage rates are decreasing and lenders are offering more competitive rates.
Mann stated in an interview with Bloomberg TV “we see a reduction in mortgage rates from the high point last autumn, we see more competition in terms of products coming from various lenders”
That suggests to me that there is more revival in process as opposed to a continual downward momentum”.
Mann downplayed concerns over the potential impact of a market slump, noting that falls are coming off the back of a significant 28% increase in prices since the start of the pandemic
“there is some price depreciation, but it’s really not much compared to how much prices on average appreciated over the last couple of years” she said “We have to take into account what the starting point was”
According to Halifax, house prices rose by 1.1% last month, the second increase this year and by 2.1% from the previous year.
David Phillip commented “improving consumer confidence, recent reductions in mortgage rates and a continuing resilience in the employment market are helping to stabilise prices following the falls of November and December”
If you are considering selling your home, and we are now approaching Spring which is the best time of year to sell, call David Phillip FRICS for a free market appraisal.
David Phillip Estate Agents, 86, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds LS16 9AN, w: davidphillip.co.uk
Covering Bramhope, Pool-in-Wharfedale, Adel Cookridge and Otley
Our new piece of innovation to increase the audience further is in partnership with On the Market using Smart Board.
At David Phillip Estate Agents, it is key that your property reaches the greatest audience possible to ensure a quicker sale at the very best price.
We subscribe to all the key property portals including Rightmove, On the Market, Zoopla and the video portal Home on Film. On Rightmove we have invested in Premium and Featured listings to ensure our vendors properties are easily noticed and displayed with further photographs where required.
In 2023, according to Rightmove in LS16 we achieved the highest average number of detailed views per day which shows the quality of our listings for our vendors – we achieve this by using beautiful photography, property videos, 3D virtual tours and dolls house floor plans amongst some of our techniques.
Take a look at our for-sale boards, prospective buyers who walk or drive past a property can scan the QR code on the sign board which will then take them either through to the property listing or to a virtual tour. Not only is the Smartboard very user friendly but you are also able to input your contact details if you are interested in receiving further information or want to arrange a viewing.
Take a look at our first Smart Board at the beautiful Catton House, on Breary Lane in Bramhope. Simply scan the QR code, take a look at the property, walk around the 3D virtual tour and arrange a viewing.
If you are considering selling your home and would like a free market appraisal call David Phillip 01134 676 400.
David Phillip Estate Agents, 86, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds w:davidphillip.co.uk e:info@davidphillip
Covering Bramhope, Leeds, North Leeds, Adel, Cookridge, Alwoodley, Pool-in-Wharfedale and Otley
I noticed the first daffodils of Spring as I came into Bramhope this week, the daffodils in our garden are starting to bloom and the sun is shining today too.
If you are looking to sell your property at this busy time of year then it is important to not only get your home market ready but also your garden too.
At David Phillip Estate Agents we have the following tips to ensure your garden looks lovely for any property viewings you may have over the next few months
Order summer flowering bulbs and seeds now – on a miserable winter day, browse the internet for inspiration on which seeds and bulbs to plant and grow, these can all be ordered early for planting in early Spring.
Clean out the greenhouse so that it is ready for the cuttings and seedlings of spring. Algae, moss and grime has probably accumulated on the outside of the greenhouse over winter, wash this down to let in more light over the spring months, remember to disinfect the inside of the greenhouse too - this is also a good time to remove any potential homes for pests that can survive in the smallest spaces over winter.
Any pots and seed trays should be washed too to help prevent diseases like ‘damping off’ from infecting any young plants you may have planted – once you have cleaned the green house, ventilate it well for a couple of days and repair any damage or broken glass panes.
This is also a good time to maintain fences, gates and trellises – check for weather damage or decay, by doing this early it will give you more time in the garden in Spring.
Once repaired, power-wash to remove dirt, moss and mildew – when this is dried fully then a couple of coats of paint stain or wood preserve will make it look much better.
Hunt down any garden pests that may have been hibernating and take a look at the crowns of your perennials to check for snails, aphid colonies that have been sheltering over the winter months.
Install water butts and start collecting rain water – make the most of the rainy weather as well as being environmentally friendly, rainwater is the best type of water for plants as some plants don’t react well to tap water which can often be too alkaline.
If you haven’t already done so, now is a great time to set up a compost area in your garden – if you don’t buy a ready-made compost bin, then build one yourself using any spare wood you may have.
Compost is all organic waste and once it has broken down your plants will thrive in the lovely rich compost.
The ideal compost needs to be a good mixture of vegetable peelings, grass clippings, paper and woody prunings – you will need to aerate this once a month by turning the compost with your garden fork.
So as we come out of the winter months and into Spring, the extra effort you take in getting your garden ready will pay dividends in the Spring months, and if you are looking to sell your home in the next few months, then prospective buyers will notice and appreciate the hard work you have put into the garden as well as getting the interior of your home market ready.
At David Phillip Estate Agents, we think that if someone is looking at your property, then the garden is key (adding kerb appeal too!) – especially as North Leeds has some wonderful gardens. Not only do we provide floor plans for all our properties, but on our Premium plus package we use site maps too which show the layout of your home – supported by property videos, area videos and 3D virtual tours.
For a free valuation call David Phillip FRICS t: 01134 676 400 davidphillip.co.uk w: davidphillip.co.uk a: 86, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds, LS16 9AN
Covering Leeds, North Leeds, Bramhope, Cookridge, Adel, Pool-inWharfedale, Alwoodley and Otley
You have found the property of your dreams, have started thinking about the furniture you will buy to fill it and then you learn from the Estate Agent selling the property that they have accepted a higher offer from someone else- this is gazumping. If a property has been sold to a second buyer for more money than has already been agreed with the first buyer and the seller wants to maximize the amount they obtain from the sale of the property.
This has happened twice in Bramhope this week alone with viewers we have been showing round a property as they ‘lost’ (or were gazumped on a property they had under offer, but also where a sale fell through as another agent agreed an offer from someone with a higher ‘cash’ price.
Although Gazumping isn’t illegal, it is a practice that is considered unethical and hugely frowned upon – although it unfortunately does happen.
Until there is an exchange of written contracts which comes fairly late in the sales process, it means that the seller can still technically accept other offers as all you have is a verbal agreement which is not legally binding. When you look at properties on Rightmove or the other portals and see that they have been sold STC – this means that an offer has been accepted but the sale is still only ‘subject to contract’ until exchange has been agreed.
This broken promise can in fact cost the buyer a substantial amount of money – solicitors and searches may have already been paid for.
There is no way you can ensure that you aren’t gazumped and an ‘honest’ Estate Agent would avoid this practice, there are some things you can do to help prevent this happening:-
Estate Agents are obliged to pass on any offer they receive, there are though some agents who invent a higher offer at the last minute so that the buyer feels forced to increase their offer to prevent them from being gazumped – if this does happen, ask to see the proof of the other offer in writing, but don’t be panicked by the Estate Agent into increasing your offer ie gazumping your gazumper. At the end of the day, work out how much you can afford and stick to that amount.
Gazumping happens less frequently in Scotland, most Estate Agents are solicitors and under the terms of the Law Society Gazumping isn’t allowed.
There is also a practice known as Gazundering (which is also perfectly legal but unfair), when at the last minute, a buyer withdraws their offer and makes a new one for less money. As the buyer is depending on the seller going through with the sale this is risky. To avoid wasting money on conveyancers the seller may accept the revised offer particularly if the sale is part of a chain.
If you have been gazumped, this is a really awful thing to have happened to you, and it may even have an impact on whether your purchaser wished to proceed. At David Phillip Estate Agents, we completely frown upon this unethical practice.
If you are considering selling your home and would like a free market appraisal with David Phillip FRICS, call 01134 676 400
A: David Phillip Estate Agents, 86, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds w:davidphillip.co.uk e:info@davidphillip.co.uk
After a quieter quarter 4 of 2022, with most regions registering a small price fall and demand down by 50% in December, demand has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, in line with 2018 and 10% higher than in 2019. At the end of 2022, UK house price inflation had slowed to 6.5% from 8.3% at the end of 2021, a trend matched across all regions except London according to Zoopla.
It is likely that demand will improve further in the coming months as mortgage rates continue to fall and ‘would-be’ movers realise that large price falls are unlikely to materialise.
The average asking price of newly listed property increased by £14 this month compared with January to take the median price to £362,452. This is the smallest ever increase from January to February and a sign that more sellers are heeding their agents’ advice to price right the first time. At David Phillip Estate Agents, David Phillip FRICS has been valuing properties for over 30 years, and on the All Agents property portal is voted 100% valuation accuracy which is key.
Average mortgage rates have edged downwards after the turbulent months immediately following the September mini-budget. The latest data shows that someone looking to take out a five-year mortgage with a 15% deposit would now be looking at an average of 4.82%, compared with 5.90% in October.
Though it is still very early in the year, this month’s key metrics suggest that many buyers are seeing reasons to get on with their moves, and have the confidence to return to a market which, so far, is stronger than many expected. The number of potential buyers contacting agents is up by 11% in the last two weeks compared with the same period in 2019.
This demand is now beginning to translate into sales say Rightmove, as the number of sales agreed in now just 11% down on the same period in 2019’s more normal market, picking up from 15% down at the start of the year, and vastly improved from the 30% down in the aftermath of September’s mini budget. This is quite a remarkable turnaround given the rapid increase in mortgage rates less than 6 month’s ago. Perhaps even more surprisingly, it is sales in the firs-time buyer section which are holding up strongly, and thus starting ‘chains’ that will add further impetus to the top end of the market.
The number of available homes for sale is up by 48% on the record low levels of last year, and this slower-paced, greater-choice market appears to be suiting the mass of buyers who need to organise a mortgage and who often lost out to cash buyers in the frenzied best bid scenarios of recent years.
Most price falls were as a result of Buyers negotiating harder on price. Moreover, the discounts to asking prices to achieve a sale widened quickly at the end of 2022, but this gap between asking price and sales agreed is between 3-4%
David Phillip commented, ”the frantic market of recent years was unsustainable in the long term, and all key indicators now point to a market which is transitioning towards a more normal level of activity after the turbulence at the end of last year. We are now seeing buyers who have more choice and sellers who have more confidence which is a much more positive situation”.
If you are considering selling your home knowing that the market is returning to its pre-pandemic levels of normality and would like a free market appraisal with David Phillip FRICS, please call 01134 676 400
David Phillip Estate Agents, 86, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds w:davidphillip.co.uk e:info@davidphillip.co.uk
Covering Bramhope, Adel, Cookridge, Pool-in-Wharfedale and Otley.
Rightmove will be the headline sponsors of the new series of Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway which begins on Saturday 25th February at 7pm.
The ITV programme is one of the most popular entertainment shows on television, reaching millions every episode and is returning for a 19th series.
Rightmove says the sponsorship comes at the beginning of the Spring selling season, coinciding with two of the traditionally busiest months for home-moving activity on the property portals and March and April.
Rightmove’s ‘this is it’ advert will be used during the sponsorship to create a number of visuals (idents) for the programme. New, short branded Rightmove visuals will open and close each episode of Saturday Night Takeaway, as well as appear either side of each advert break, creating maximum impact with viewers.
The original ‘This is it’ advert shows a couple imagining what their new home and life could be like if rather than letting uncertainty and a search for the ‘perfect’ time get in the way, they took the leap now, encouraging viewers at home who may be considering a move this year to take action.
As part of the sponsorship, Rightmove will feature in the famous ‘Win the Ads’ segment of the programme, and its branding will be available to see in both the live and streamed content of the show.
Matt Bushby, Chief Marketing officer at Rightmove said “we want to encourage people to take action and get moving in 2023, particularly those who may have held back on their plans towards the end of last year because of the uncertainty. Our headline sponsorship is timed to coincide with some of the busiest months of the year for Agents, and as the UK’s number 1 property website, we hope to help stimulate activity further by reaching people on one of Television’s most loved shows and getting more people contacting their local Agent about a move this year”
If you are considering moving home and would like a free market appraisal call David Phillip FRICS on 01134 676 400. David Phillip Estate Agents, 86, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds, LS16 9AN w:davidphillip.co.uk
Covering Leeds, North Leeds, Bramhope, Adel, Cookridge, Pool-in-Wharfedale and Otley
Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway will air from 7pm -8.30pm on ITV1.
When it comes to moving home, you may already have decided the type of property in which you would like to live, your price range, the quality of the schools in the area if you have children and the commute to work (or a home office if you are now working from home more!) , these are all key factors.
People often overlook though the culture of an area, what the community really stands for, what the local shopping and entertainment is like. These are now even more important particularly after the months of lockdown when our ‘normal’ lives have been disrupted
David Phillip commented “The UK housing market is highly localised and only by thoroughly researching individual areas, communities and streets can you be confident you are making the right decision to put an offer on a house – fail to do the research and you may have bought something you may want to move on from pretty quickly, which will be costly both financially but also in terms of emotional investment too”
Here are the things you may need to consider
Local videos showcase a property
So, once you have considered all these things and you think you have located the perfect potential community in which you know you will feel happy and contented, make contact with a local Estate Agent. At David Phillip Estate Agents, we have invested in videos of Bramhope, Adel, Harewood, Pool-in-Wharfedale and Otley. Local videos showcase a property in a whole new way. Rather than just looking at static photos and literature, you can look at the landscape surrounding these beautiful areas, the local businesses operating there, the sense of community and the recreational areas too, plus it also portrays a feeling of excitement that still pictures can’t always show.
And, if you are selling your home, sending a potential buyer a video showing where thy could be living and the community in which they will become involved, creates a much more positive impression – in other words, it’s not just the property you are marketing but the area too!
“We think that the quality of the films we are providing to our clients, really enriches the customer experience and sales outcome when buying and selling a home”, said David - it’s not just about the property but the community and lifestyle too!“
If you are considering selling your home and can see the benefit of adding a local video, contact David Phillip Estate Agents t: 01134 676 400 w: davidphillip.co.uk or take a look at the videos on our website and on some of our current properties for sale – or as we enter winter February, it is good to see Bramhope in the full bloom of summer!
86, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds LS16 9AN
Covering:- North Leeds, Bramhope, Pool-in Wharfedale, Adel and Cookridge
Recently, I read with interest about a vendor who had failed to declare that his house had Japanese knotweed behind the garden shed. He was sued by the purchaser leaving him with a £200,000 bill after he denied the plant was growing in the garden. The vendor had answered ‘no’ to the question on the TA6 property information form asking if the property had been affected by knotweed at the property when he sold it.
Japanese knotweed is hell bent on:
The UK Environment Agency describes Japanese knotweed as ‘indisputably the UK’s most aggressive, destructive and invasive plant’ that is notorious for its propensity to spread and cause damage to building structures, as well as the difficulty and expense of getting rid of it - and unfortunately it can have a drastic effect on residential property sales, so what do you need to know about this troublesome plant.
If you are selling a property and unsure of the position around knotweed then call David Phillip FRICS for further advice, and if you require a free market appraisal then call us on 01134 676 400. A: 86, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds www.davidphillip.co.uk
Covering Leeds, Bramhope, Pool-in-Wharfedale, Adel, Cookridge and Otley
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