Christmas is a time when families travel far and wide to meet up at Christmas, presents are loaded in the car, everyone is feeling festive but is your car prepared to travel for the long journey.
Before you drive:-
If you are travelling up to North Leeds for the festivities and you decide you would like to stay here for good, call David Phillip FRICS to help you find the perfect home, we have a database of people looking to move that we can match to properties in the area. Call 01134 676 400
If you are thinking of selling your home in the New Year and would like a free market appraisal, please give David a call
David Phillip Estate Agents, 86, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds, LS16 9AN w:davidphillip.co.uk
Covering Leeds, North Leeds, Bramhope, Adel, Cookridge, Otley and Huby
Think Christmas is a quiet time for a property search? – think again. Every year Rightmove’s traffic at least doubles between Christmas Day and early January.
In January 2021, visits compared to the previous year were up by 30% year on year and on January 4th 2022 there were over 6 million visits on Rightmove.
Boxing Day also has a huge spike with viewing figures up by 54% year on year
If you want to take advantage of this huge spike in buyers, then now is the time to start getting your home market ready.
At David Phillip Estate Agents we use lots of clever techniques and some of the best technology to ensure your home is marketed to its full potential in the dark months of winter: -
So, if you are looking to sell in January and keen to reach the Rightmove spike (there is a Zoopla and On the market one too) straight after Christmas, when families are generally together and thinking about their plans for the next year, start thinking about the marketing now and call David Phillip FRICS for a free market appraisal on 01134 676 400 w: davidphillip.co.uk e: info@davidphillip.co.uk a: David Phillip Estate Agents, 86, Leeds Road, Bramhope.
Covering Leeds, North Leeds, Bramhope, Adel, Cookridge, Otley and Huby
We are all getting into the Christmas spirit and pets are a big part of our families and can enjoy the festivities too. Whilst most of them like being pampered at Christmas when family and friends descend upon the home, it is important to try to keep them to as normal a routine as possible.
It is a time when there will be more temptation, novel tastes to explore and exciting smells around the home.
Christmas though can be hazardous for your animals if you’re not careful, food that may be delicious and toys and plants that are a big part of our Christmas can be highly toxic and dangerous for our pets.
Skinless and boneless white meat such as turkey is ok for dogs and cats, but be careful that it is not covered in fat, salt and gravy! (salt is a big no for pets)– and remember to watch your pet’s waistline too.
Kissing under the mistletoe may be fun for us people, but if a pet ingests this it can cause a dangerous drop in your pet’s blood pressure which may prove fatal.
At a time when we are filling Christmas puddings and cakes with raisins and currants, and grapes appear on our cheese boards, these if eaten can cause kidney failure in dogs
Chocolate can be easily sniffed out by dogs, but this is amongst the most dangerous food – make sure you haven’t any chocolate decorations on the tree, as pets can sniff these out!
Poinsettia can cause bouts of nausea and vomiting and ivy is not good for pets either. Although pine needles aren’t particularly toxic, these can be swallowed so sweep up fallen needles daily
If you want to protect your Christmas tree from playful pets, here are a few tips to help
If it does happen to be a white Christmas, grit used to de-ice the roads and pavements contains sodium chloride (salt) which can be hazardous to pets. If dogs and cats get it on their paws or fur, they have a tendency to lick, but this poses a risk. Ingestion of salt by pets can result in a high blood sodium concentration – this can lead to vomiting, lethargy, convulsions and kidney damage
Christmas is extra special when you have a pet at home, but make sure it is a safe and happy one for your pets.
If you are considering selling your 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 http://www.davidphillip.co.uk
Covering Leeds, North Leeds, Bramhope, Adel, Cookridge, Otley, Pool-in-Wharfedale and Huby
Since the Liz Truss mini-budget, it is fair to say that this has had a negative effect on the property market. The rising inflation rates which resulted in a hike in mortgage rates resulted in an unsettled market. When you add that to the increase in household and heating bills, the changes to stamp duty almost went un-noticed. October and November are two of the quietest months traditionally for new instructions.
As we have been calling people from our database, some potential buyers have commented that they may put of their property search until the New Year, and if you have decided to sell your home, research shows that January is always a busy time for people looking to move, for various reasons. You will want to choose an agent that will get you the best price in the quickest time.
Modern technology to support your sale
At David Phillip Estate Agents we have clever techniques to ensure your property reaches the biggest audience by using all the key Property Portals. We use the most modern technology to support your sale too, including 3D virtual tours, property videos and local area videos, plus effective social media campaigns.
We are confident that our professional photographer will showcase your property in the best way possible, but a little preparation on your side can make that extra difference too, and by this we don’t mean running the Hoover around the house and putting a few things under the bed!
Here are a few tips that will ensure your property is show-cased in the best way possible to encourage a quicker sale and at the best price.
Outside the property
Curb appeal – this is what a potential buyer will first see when viewing your home and therefore it is important that it is a positive one. Ensure the door is painted to a high standard with appealing hardware that can easily be seen, steps are clean, no dead leaves and no overflowing dustbins. When you are having your photos taken, remove any vehicles from the front of the property. If your photo doesn’t have lighting outside then use the photographic enhancement service at David Phillip Estate Agents.
Wash the windows and doors – another important part of ensuring good Curb appeal.
Mow the lawn and de-weed – ensure the front garden is well kept, cut back the grass and get rid of the weeds – if your property looks good from the outside then people will want to take a look inside.
Clean the gutters – dirty gutters are a sign of a badly kept property, also clogs can result in water damage both internally and externally. Blockages and obstructions can also become a home for unwanted pests such as bees, birds and rodents.
Straighten stone slabs - these can look really unsightly and can also be dangerous.
Potted plants – these can be cheap to buy, are easy to look after and make the front of a property look much more appealing, plus they can be moved around if required.
De-clutter
This is particularly important especially after Christmas when you don’t have Christmas decorations hanging around. By getting rid of clutter, not only will your home appear bigger, which is an advantage when your property photos are being presented, but it will also give the impression that the home has been well looked after.
We have a rule we follow, ‘use it, love it, bin it’ – use these early stages of home selling as an opportunity to take things to the tip, charity shop, or sell on local websites, E-Bay or Gum Tree. Not only will you make some money but also start getting rid of things in advance of removal day – and less things to move will have an impact on the overall removal cost. If you are looking for a professional de-clutterer, we recommend Clutter Therapy based in Leeds.
De-Personalise
You have probably had some wonderful times in your current home, but when it comes to selling try to think of it as a house, not a home, after-all it soon won’t be. Try and get into this mind-set early on, ensure that the property looks great but allow viewers to use their own imagination – your taste may be completely different to theirs. Remove personal photographs and ornaments – you’ll need to pack these anyway. There is a balance between your home having too many personal items and de-personalising it, so play around with keeping some items but removing others.
Deep-clean and repairs
No one will buy a dirty house including you, so try and leave the house in the same condition as the one you would like to move into. You may have managed to live around those small repairs, but if they are easy to mend then make sure this has been sorted before any viewings take place, and if you don’t enjoy DIY then hire a professional who can do the job for you – holes in walls, creaky doors and broken shelves, don’t look appealing!
So now your house is ready to market make sure you choose the right Agent to sell your home
If you are looking to sell your property in 2023, then call David Phillip FRICS - with over 30 years’ experience selling properties in North and West Yorkshire you can be sure you are using an Estate Agent with local knowledge enabled by the best technology and modern sales techniques. T:01134 676 400 w: davidphillip.co.uk a: 86, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds, LS16 9AN.
Covering Leeds, North Leeds, Bramhope, Adel, Cookridge, Pool-in-Wharfedale, Otley and Huby
Christmas Traditions from around the world
At David Phillip Estate Agents we are starting to enjoy Christmas events already including the Lily’s of Bramhope Christmas event last week and, are looking forward to receiving one of their Christmas wreaths. In the next couple of days we are visiting Castle Howard for their Into the Woods spectacular, (this year we are taking David’s 2 year old Grand-daughter Sienna which will be great fun), Harlow Carr Garden’s Glow is next week and I always look forward to visiting York for the Christmas shop.
We really love the Christmas events and traditions in Yorkshire, which made me wonder what other traditions might be taking place this Christmas around the world. Here are a few:-
Mince Pies, inspired in the Middle East and brought back by the crusaders. Early mince pies contained meat, fruit and spices. They commonly had 13 ingredients that were thought to represent Christ and the Apostles and were a large oval shape to represent the manger. Meat had disappeared from the recipe by Victorian times. We love the Mince pies from Betty’s
Mistletoe, hanging mistletoe in the home is a pagan practise, but I hadn’t realised that for each kiss a berry had to be plucked until none remained!
The Christmas tree has been around for many years in Northern Europe, but when Prince Albert put up a tree at Windsor Castle in 1841 he started the evergreen trend.
In Sweden – there is the Yule Goat made from straw, who is believed to guard the Christmas tree. In the Swedish city of Gavle the community comes together to build a 43 foot tall goat at the start of advent – this has happened every year since 1966, although since this tradition started the goat has been burned down 29 times – the last time in 2016!
Straw is commonly used for decorations in Scandanavian homes because it reminds them that Jesus was born in a Manger.
In England, the turkey is the star of the festive feast – Turkeys were first brought to the UK by William Strickland in 1526, and although the bird became fashionable in high society in the 19th century, it was enjoyed by the masses when Edward VII made it de rigueur as part of the Christmas Dinner.
Imagine though if you live in Greenland, the traditional Christmas dish Kiviak takes a full 7 months to prepare and begins with hollowing out a seal skin and stuffing it with small sea birds known as auks to ferment. On Christmas day the treat is served straight from the seal!
Spiders are considered to be the symbols of goodness and prosperity in Poland which is a perfect sentiment for the Christmas season – Spiders webs are common on Christmas trees because, according to legend a spider wove a blanket for baby Jesus.
In Iceland there is a tradition known as Jolabokaflod – people exchange books on Christmas Eve and then spend the rest of the night reading and eating chocolate – as a result, Iceland publishes more books per capita than any other country – this sounds a really good tradition.
In Norway, people hide brooms in a safe place on Christmas Eve, as it is believed that witches come out to look for the brooms to ride on.
In Venezuela, the residents of Caracas head to church on roller-skates on Christmas morning – the main roads are shut to allow for this tradition to take place.
So, that covers some of the world’s more unusual Christmas traditions Whatever your plans are this year, we hope everyone is enjoying making the most of the Christmas in North Leeds, and if you are thinking of celebrating Christmas in a different home next year and live in Bramhope, Adel, Cookridge, Otley, Huby or Pool-in-Wharfedale then please call David Phillip FRICS for a free market appraisal.
David Phillip Estate Agents, 86, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds t: 01134 676 400 or visit our website davidphillip.co.uk
Overview with David Phillip of the Rightmove and Zoopla UK Houseprice Index
The spike in mortgage rates after the mini-budget in late September has led to a reduction in housing market activity, more pronounced in new buyer demand than sales agreed.
New buyers are currently sitting a little on the side-lines, as they watch the outlook for mortgage rates and what the economic headwinds means for jobs and incomes, demand has fallen although only to levels normally associated with pre-Christmas
New sales are still being agreed by those with offers and the motivation to move e.g. would-be first-time buyers facing steep rent rise and older households less reliant on mortgage finance to fund a move. Second stepper demand according to Rightmove is down by 15%.
Sales volumes are down 28% from a year ago, but this is on-par with the pre-pandemic period. We are transitioning from an unsustainably strong market to a more balanced one, albeit with demand-side headwinds for households most sensitive to higher mortgage rates.
The fallout from the mini-budget has clearly delivered a shock to many sellers and buyers. New sales have been more resilient though than some may have expected.
Committed buyers and sellers continue to bring homes to the market and agree on deals, although these are fewer in number and harder to negotiate and hold together over the buying cycle. Zoopla’s data shows that one in 15 homes formerly sold is returning to the market after the original sale has fallen through.
All leading supply and demand indicators Zoopla measure continue to point to a slowdown from very strong market conditions – they also do not see any evidence from their analysis of any evidence of forced sales or the need for a large double-digit reset in UK house-prices in 2023
One in four homes for sale since September has experienced a price reduction of any size. Over one in ten (11%) has recorded a reduction of over 5%. Price reduction has been the greatest in Southern England, where sales activity has fallen back the most – over the last few weeks, Zoopla claim, that there is clear evidence that buyers are starting to get bigger discounts from sellers as sales are agreed. This measure has seen an increase over the Autumn period but the most important factor shows that this is still below the 2018 levels.
Leeds continues to be in the top ten of the Zoopla City Summary at 6th place with a year-on- year increase in October of 8.6% year on year. Nottingham (10.5%), Manchester (9.3%), Bournemouth (9%), Birmingham (8.9%) and Liverpool (8.7%) are the only cities outperforming Leeds.
In October, 8% of unsold properties on Rightmove were reduced in the month, this is broadly in-line with the 7.5% of properties that were reduced in October 2019, however it is double the 4% on the more normal market of 2019. Price reductions are usual in November with sellers pricing more competitively to try to find a buyer in the last months of the year. There are signs that more existing sellers, whose properties were already on the market and remain unsold, are willing to take their agents’ recommendations and reduce their prices to ensure they achieve a quicker sale.
Data from the Zoopla Valuation and property risk business Hometrack, shows that the gap between the first asking price and the agreed sales price has started to weaken in recent weeks by on average 3%. Historic data shows that discounts to asking price in the region circa 5-7% are consistent with annual price falls. The positive is that strong house price growth has given sellers more room to negotiate on the asking price. The prospects for 2023 really depends on how willing sellers are to adjust asking prices in line with what buyers are prepared to pay – a rapid broad repricing of homes for sale in quarter 4 will support sales volumes going into 2023.
David Phillip commented” there is still uncertainty in the property market, but what we do know is that the exceptional price growth of the last two years is unsustainable against the growing affordability constraints and the general market uncertainty.
The drivers and motivators to move home have, and will continue to shift. As a result of the pandemic, greater labour market flexibility and the rise in retirement, these factors are now being compounded by rising living costs.
Mortgage rates exceeding 6% have been the primary factor behind the recent drop in market activity, however the era of historically low interest rates is over, but there are signs that mortgage rates and availability are now settling.
David Phillip commented “there is still uncertainty in the property market, but what we do know is that the exceptional price growth of the last two years is unsustainable in the current economic headwinds and the growing affordability constraints. I see many Agents who have ripped up the rule book on valuing properties during the market frenzy, we are now back in more familiar territory, and pricing correctly at the outset is even more critical to securing a quick sale”
“We are hearing from many potential sellers that they are turning their attention to Christmas this year especially after the Covid restraints of previous years – but they are, ready to jump into the home-moving activity of the New Year. We have already taken photos and filmed the video for a property in Bramhope that we are launching in January”
If you are considering selling your home and looking to market in January 2023, call David Phillip FRICS for an accurate valuation. David Phillip has been selling homes for over 30 years in all market conditions. Having a 100% sales valuation accuracy score (the highest in the area) on the All Agents portal, you can be sure you are pricing your property realistically but competitively.
David Phillip Estate Agents, 01134 676 400, 86, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds LS16 9AN, w:www.davidphillip.co.uk
Covering Bramhope, Adel, Cookridge, Otley, Pool-in-Wharfedale and Huby
Small Business Saturday is an annual event that was created to encourage consumers to shop locally - in person and online at small local businesses.
This event is taking place tomorrow on December 3rd and represents a significant opportunity to increase sales for small businesses during the holiday shopping season.
The concept was first introduced by American Express in 2010 as a way to put small businesses in the spotlight after the recession that occurred in 2008. It is designed to support all online and brick-and-mortar small businesses and encourage consumers to shop at small locally owned businesses, such as salons, grocery stores, and service-based businesses. It also helps to promote small businesses that exist online.
In terms of what constitutes a small business, this could include businesses that operate as sole proprietorships and partnerships, as well as small corporations and /or limited companies.
The main goal of this event is to give small businesses a revenue boost during the festive shopping season and for shoppers to buy locally and encourage friends and family to do the same so for example it may be to buy a lovely Christmas wreath from Lilys of Bramhope, enjoy some Christmas pampering at No.11 Bramhope, Browns or Richard Goodhall’s. Enjoy one of the local eateries Bramhope has to offer such as The Corner Cup, Bramhope Deli, Popsies Fish and Chips, the Fox and Hounds, the village Bakery and Pizza or Le Raj. If you are looking for Christmas cards and supplies then Yorkshire Corner and The Village Newsagents are full of great things to purchase and Bramhope also has a well established quality butcher in Wilkinsons and fresh fruit and veg atthe village Grocers. Not forgetting Stancliffe pharmacy and Classic cleaners too.
So if you are out shopping or eating tomorrow, call into one of the local businesses in Bramhope, and if you are considering selling your home, David Phillip Estate Agents are a small Independent Estate Agency selling properties locally in Bramhope, Adel, Cookridge, Leathley, Pool-inWharfedale and Huby – it is David’s name above the door and he has been selling properties in North and West Yorkshire for over 30 years – we also shop locally too in our business using Apollo 3D for our professional 3D virtual tours and Home on film for our area videos.
If you would like a free market appraisal with David Phillip FRICS call 01134 676 400
David Phillip Estate Agents, 86, Leeds Road, Harrogate, Leeds, LS16 9AN. W:davidphillip.co.uk
Covering Bramhope, Otley, Huby, Adel, Pool-in-Wharfedale and Cookridge
Shop local, eat local, love local
The Government’s Help to Buy scheme ends on March 31st 2023, having closed to new applicants on 31st October 2022. This means you needed to have reserved your property and submitted your Property Information form to your Estate Agent by this date in order to use the scheme.
The main reason for the scheme was to help first time buyers with affoardability. At the time it launched lenders were unwilling to extnd their risk and lend to first time buyers with lower deposits. At this point, the Government stepped in with Help to Buy schemes to build lender confidence and to get house builders building for first time buyers. However, it has been reported that over the years the scheme was propping up the profiThis means you needed to have reserved your property and submitted your Property Information form to your Estate Agent by this date in order to use the scheme.ts of the housebuilders and contributing to inflating house prices – this meant that it some cases the first time buyers were often paying more than required.
So, many first-time buyers will be wondering what there will be to replace this scheme. Here are some different options that are available which cover a mixture of solutions: -
If you are a first-time buyer and are looking to get on the first step of the mortgage ladder, David Phillip Estate Agents work in partnership with MAB Bingley, or if you require any information re the housing market then 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, Huby and Otley
Barclays customers are being offered up to £2,000 towards energy efficiency-related home improvements on a ‘test and learn’ pilot scheme.
The Greener Home reward is available to all new and existing Barclays Uk residential mortgage customers with no additional lending required for eligibility. Customers can register for the cash reward online and then make and pay for a selected improvement.
The selection comprises biomass- boilers(£2,000 available) and air and ground source heat pumps, solar electricity panels, solar battery storage and solid wall insulation (£1,000 available); and flat roof/loft/pitch roof insulation, floor insulation and double, triple and secondary glazing (£500 available).
Barclays stipulates that the work must be completed by a TrustMark-registered business or tradesperson. The lender will also be collecting data and insights throughout the pilot with a view to rolling out wider home improvement support measures in the future.
The scheme was announced following Barclays research showing three-quarters (75%) of home owners intend to make energy efficiency-related changes to their homes, with the vast majority (90%) hoping to make improvements within five years. When asked about the changes homeowners hope to make in the future, installing solar electricity panels (57%) and solar hot water heating (42%) were the top priorities.
More than seven in ten (73%) stated that the cost of the work was the primary issue holding them back while 56% said they lacked sufficient cashflow to pay upfront costs. The perceived lack of immediate return on investment or ‘payback period’; also played a part into the decision-making process, with 23% admitting that it had put them off.
The CEO of Barclays Bank said “we hope this pilot will go some way towards encouraging consumers to make energy efficient-related home-improvements”.
If you are considering selling your 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, Huby and Otley.
It is now quite common for young people looking to purchase a home, and particularly first-time buyers, to receive a contribution towards the deposit from parents or other family members to help with their house purchase – in fact 49% of first time buyers aged under 35 received help from the Bank of Mum and Dad according to research by Legal and General in October 2020. Two thirds of these buyers state that they would not have been able to buy without the help and that on average a sum of £20,000 was being gifted.
First time buyers face significant hurdles, with the rising cost of living, rent and more recently mortgage payments. With the need to provide ever increasing deposits, the Bank of Mum and Dad is now busier than ever and is pretty much becoming one of the biggest mortgage lenders. It is key that parents and their children know what they are doing, their responsibilities - when how and indeed if repayments are to be made.
Here is everything you need to know about bank of Mum and Dad Mortgage options whether it is one of the following
Advice for parents – before you get involved in your child’s house purchase, it is strongly advised that you get a financial adviser, who will advise you on how much ‘assistance’ you can afford to give.
The vast majority of parents give their children a gift of cash to boost their borrowing power and make up the shortfall in their deposit so that they can borrow more and/or access a cheaper mortgage deal.Most banks will accept a deposit that has been gifted or partly gifted, but they may ask for written confirmation stating that it is a ‘true gift’ and doesn’t require repaying, firstly, for affordability calculations they will want to know that the money isn’t a loan that requires regular payments, secondly if the property had to, in the worst case scenario be repossessed that you don’t have an interest in the property.
Most lenders would prefer that the gifted deposit was from a close or immediate relative such as a parent, a sibling or a grandparent – you can also receive a gifted deposit from a partner, but in some cases, Aunts, Uncles or friends may not be entertained by lenders.
Children and the person who gifted, won’t have to pay any tax on money gifted immediately, however, further down the line, an inheritance tax bill could be due. Everyone is allowed to give up to £3,000 a year away, and it is immediately exempt from inheritance tax. You can also carry over any unused allowance from the previous year – this means that two parents could gift their child up to £12,000 without inheritance tax being a problem if they hadn’t gifted any money to anyone in previous years – if you want to gift any more, then you could be liable for inheritance tax.
If the person gifting the money was to die within seven years’ it would still be classed as part of their estate for inheritance tax purposes. This means if their estate is worth more than £325,000 including the gift, then up to 40% tax would be due on the excess.
The amount of tax due on the gift decreases as the 7 year’s elapse, how much tax is due will depend
| Years between the gift and death | IHT Tax rate |
| Less than three | 40% |
| Three | 32% |
| Four | 24% |
| Five | 16% |
| Six | 8% |
| Seven or more | 0% |
It may be that you do not want to gift the money for the deposit, but are prepared to lend.
It is relatively easy to set up a loan agreement and this should set out any interest payments and when the loan should be repaid by. This should be made known to the Mortgage Lender (if one is involved in the purchase) as this may have an impact on the mortgage affordability calculation. The loan details should include when it needs to be repaid (ie if the property is sold), what should happen to the money if anyone involved in the loan requires the money back or dies.
Borrowed deposits may often come with ‘strings attached’ and because of this mortgage deals may be restricted by some lenders.
If a gift or lending the money is not possible there are other alternatives which include:-
As with any type of help which can be seen as very generous, parents need to be aware of the advantages and the disadvantages of using the Bank of Mum and Dad
The pitfalls
The benefits
If you are borrowing money from your parents for a deposit, then you will need to let your Conveyancing Solicitor know and also provide the following information to your Mortgage Lender
Even with so many relaying on the Bank of Mum and Dad for funding, and the country facing up to the implications of Post Covid-19, higher interest rates, mortgage rates and increases in the cost of living, nearly 74% of those who have seen their incomes fall say the crisis has made them no less willing to help loved ones onto the housing ladder.
If you are considering selling your home and would like a free market appraisal call David Phillip Estate Agents on 01134 676 400.
86, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds, w: davidphillip.co.uk
Covering Leeds, North Leeds, Bramhope, Adel, Cookridge, Pool-in-Wharfedale, Otley and Huby
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