Over the last 10 years, we have seen a lot of changes to the weather, with longer drier spells causing drops in water resources, and only this week has there been a warning that there is a real danger of a drought – the last time this happened was in 1976.

According to the World economic forum, water scarcity is one of the five global risks and already affects a quarter of the world’s population.

Yesterday I posted about how to save water in your home in North Leeds, today we are looking at tips to save water in the garden (it’s raining today as I type too!)

• Water your lawn only when it really needs it - step on some grass if it doesn’t spring back then it needs watering and put a nozzle on your garden hose
• Water your garden at the coolest part of the day – early morning is the best time
• Deep-soak your lawn so that it goes right down to the roots where it is needed. A light sprinkling will simply sit on the surface, evaporate and be wasted
• Don’t water your garden when it is windy, as the water will be carried off to the areas that don’t need it
• If your children have a paddling pool, use the used water to water the lawn
• Use a broom to clean driveways instead of a hose and don’t use a hose when washing your car – soap down the car from a bucket and then use the hose to rinse off at the end – don’t wash your car as much in hot weather
• Check for leaks in pipes, hoses, faucets and couplings
• If you have a hanging basket, sandwich a layer of polythene between the moss and the liner of the basket to stop the water draining away
• Just water the base of the plants and soil as this is where they like to drink it - avoid over watering your plants as this is the most common way to kill them
• Use a water butt, you can then use the water to wash your car or feed your plants.

Bramhope and North Leeds has some beautiful gardens, so hopefully the hot weather will not impact them too much.

If you are considering selling your home and would like a free market appraisal call David Phillip FRICS on 01134 676 400 a: 86, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds, LS16 9AN w:davidphillip.co.uk

Last week was the hottest day on record, and already there is talk of a drought (although it is raining today in Leeds!)

Saving water is about adapting to climate change and living more sustainably. Most people don’t actually know how much water we use each day, but research has shown that 46% of people believe their household uses under 20 litres a day – this is the equivalent of a 2 minute shower, the truer figure is more like 142 litres per person per day. This means an average family of four in the UK could use more than 500 litres each day.

It has never been more important to save water, so…Here are some tips which can save you time and money around your home in North Leeds, as well as protecting the planet.

• Taking a shower rather than a bath and making it shorter – on average you will save 12 litres of water a minute. Install a water-saving shower head or flow restrictors
• Only use the dishwasher when it is full of pots and pans – the average dishwasher uses 10 litres of water each time
• Turn the tap off when you brushing your teeth or shaving – a running tap wastes approximately six litres a minute
• Check faucets and pipes for leaks, even a small drip can waste gallons in a day
• Use water twice in the kitchen – try to reuse water whenever you can and always keep one large jug of water in the fridge, this saves running the tap water to cool it for drinking
• Only boil as much water as you need, not only will this save water but electricity too
• Dual flush toilets have two buttons for different quantities of water to flow – the lower flush typically saves two litres per flush
• Wait for a full load before running your washing machine and use the Eco button if you can
• Don’t wash your hair every day, use a dry shampoo in between washes if you need to
• Cut down on utensils and crockery – if you can use the same mug or glass, but don’t cut down on drinking water – the less pots and pans you use the less water it will take when washing up

If we all do our little bit then hopefully the ‘forecasted’ drought won’t have such an impact, and the rain that is forecasted for this week will also impact in a good way too – read my blog tomorrow on what you can do to save water in the garden.

David Phillip Estate Agents, 86, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds, LS16 9AN  w:davidphillip.co.uk

E: info@davidphillip.co.uk

You have just inherited a property (according to research 36% of us are likely to do so) and it is likely to be an emotional time particularly if it was a much-loved family home or you have inherited as a result of a close relative’s death.

Certain questions will immediately spring to mind - should you sell it, keep it, move in or rent it, what taxes will you owe and what happens to the mortgage etc?

If you are the executor or beneficiary, you will have to wait until probate is complete, which means you actually don’t have to make an immediate decision as this can sometimes take several months, this will give you some time to decide what to do – Probate is when the executors of the will sort out the deceased’s affairs and settle any outstanding debts before assets are handed over to the beneficiaries – there is very little can be done to the property at this time but it is a good idea to create a short-term plan to maintain the home while the estate settles. You’ll also need to provide for upkeep and start thinking through your long-term goals and discuss any ideas with siblings or any other heirs who may have a stake in the property. During probate the executors of the will are required to transfer ownership of the property into the beneficiaries name via the land registry – these forms are available on the government website.

Lenders are usually sympathetic, so it is a good thing to inform the mortgage company as soon as you can – most mortgages have a grace period which means repayments can be suspended until the estate is sorted. If the person died without a will, then you will need to apply a ‘grant of representation’ to access their bank account – if the deceased person has a life insurance this can be used to clear the mortgage, if there was no life insurance, the lender can let you know what is expected.

Once the executors of the will have settled debts and taxes and the mortgage is in your name the property is yours.

Taxes that are due could be inheritance tax if the combined value of the deceased’s estate comes to more than £325,000 (anything above this then 40% will be due to pay to the tax man) and if you sell the property then you would have to pay capital gains tax.

Inheritance tax is due within 12 months of death and should be settled by the executors of the estate, it is possible that this can be paid in annual installments which should hopefully avoid a situation where the property has to be sold in order to settle the inheritance tax bill.

Capital Gains tax is only due on a property if you decide to sell it – capital gains tax is also due on any profit – this is levied at 18% on gains form residential property if you are a basic-rate income tax payer, if you are a higher or additional rate taxpayer the rate rises to 28%. Everyone gets a capital tax allowance of £12,000.

Income tax is due of you start earning income from the property however stamp duty is not levied on inherited properties.

If you decide to sell the property, clear the contents, keep the items you want to keep, sell or donate others and if the contents are worth money sell via an auctioneer – we recommend Hartleys Auctioneers in Otley.

Does the property require some modernisation? it may be helpful to strip out carpets and paint the walls in order to make it look more appealing, at David Phillip Estate Agents we can recommend what is the best course of action in terms of updating. Once the property is on the market then it is generally the same as selling any other home.

If this is the first property you have owned, once inherited it means you are no longer a first time buyer which means you may forfeit some of the Government initiatives which includes first time buyers relief on stamp duty.

If you have inherited a property that is currently being rented out, then you may become and ‘accidental landlord’.

The third and easiest option is to move into the property, you will need to put the property in your name on the mortgage if there is one – at this point you will have to pass the usual affordability and credit checks.

Hopefully this answers some of the initial questions you may have but it is always better to contact your solicitor and if you require a valuation for probate call David Phillip FRICS on 01134 676 400.

David Phillip Estate Agents, 86, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds LS16 9AN, covering Bramhope, Pool-in-Wharfedale, Adel and Cookridge

W: davidphillip.co.uk  e: info@davidphillip.co.uk

July is the perfect month for alfresco dining and the peak gardening season is well underway which means that there are plenty of jobs to keep your garden looking at its best in July

Hoe and hand weed borders often so that weeds don’ have time to set to seed. Add mulch to grass and soil as this not only helps suppress weeds but it keeps moisture in the soil which helps to protect your plants against the summer heat. Create perfect edges for your beds and borders – create the edge, remove turf, hone the edges and mulch the bed

Feed, water and deadhead summer bedding in pots, borders and hanging baskets regularly – this will encourage more to follow and keep terracotta pots damp to keep plant roots cool

Cut back early summer perennials such as delphiniums, lupins and geraniums after flowering to encourage more blooms for a second burst of colour. To prevent wind and rain damaging the plants put supports in place around tall herbaceous perennials.

Feed and deadhead or ‘summer-prune’ roses to keep them flowering strongly, some roses may repeat flower – avoid leaving the odd inferior bud and don’t leave the branched end of stems which carried previous flowers in place - If the plant thinks flowers are still present, it will delay the production of new flowering shoots.

Check for clematis wilt – this is a fungal disease which causes rapid wilting and in severe cases can kill the whole plant. Large-flowered hybrid cultivars are very susceptible, but the smaller flowered species are much more resistant.

Cultivate kitchen garden crops – tomatoes, peppers and cucumber crops require regular feeding with a high potash tomato fertiliser, water regularly and consistently.

Late sowings of beetroot, radishes lettuce and salad crops grow quickly in warm soils for an extended season of fresh vegetables. Pick courgettes before they become marrows

Clear algae, blanket weeds and debris from ponds and keep them topped up – remember to keep the bird bath topped up too.

Give the lawn a quick-acting summer feed, especially if you didn’t feed it in Spring. All lawns require feeding in order to maintain vigour. Mowing the lawn regularly keeps it in good health, helps to encourage thick grass and deters weeds. Watering once a week is usually sufficient to ensure the water reaches a depth of around 10cm. If you want to encourage wildflowers for pollinating insects, it is time to stop mowing and enjoy the visits to the flowers that appear

Sow biennials such as foxgloves, forget me knots and wallflowers for blooms next year

Water and feed sweet peas regularly – pick the flowers every few days and remove seed pods to prolong flowering.

So your garden should now be ready for the remaining summer months, enjoy alfresco dining and make the most of the summer weather.

If you are considering selling your home and would like a free market appraisal with David Phillip FRICS call now on 01134 676 400 a: 86, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds, LS16 9AN www.davidphillip.co.uk – covering Bramhope, Pool-in-Wharfedale, Adel, Cookridge and North Leeds.

When selling your home, at David Phillip Estate Agents we always advise pricing your home competitively but realistically (we have 100% sales valuation accuracy on the AllAgents property review site), this now this is even more important as the market re-aligns to some sort of normality plus buyers are even more conscious of a realistic price at this time when household bills and the  cost of living is increasing.

Properties are still moving quickly although we are seeing more ‘price reductions’ on Rightmove, where properties have been overvalued or the Estate Agent has recommended ‘offers over’ which is really off-putting for buyers, and we think it is a ‘put your finger in the air and think of a number’ valuation – the price then often reduces to a guide price! So, it is even more important to price your property competitively so that your home isn’t overlooked in favour of something priced realistically.

So, here are the 8 good reasons not to overprice your home, (most of them are common sense too!)

Your property could take longer to sell

Homes that are overpriced can take more than two months longer to sell compared to accurately priced properties according to Zoopla. The extra time it took an overpriced property to sell ranged from an average of 68 days in the North East to 49 days in the West Midlands.

Fewer buyers will see your home

Most buyers use property portals like Zoopla and Rightmove to ‘kick start’ their search for a new home, and one of the key search filters is the maximum price you want to pay.

As a seller, if you price your home too high, it is likely to appear in fewer searches and bypass many potential buyers, it may also compare unfavourably to homes listed in the same price bracket that have been realistically priced – and that is a big chunk of the market.

Buyers can be suspicious of properties that have been listed on the market for too long

While it may be tempting to test the water with a high price, or list at ‘offers over’ reasoning that you can always discount later if your home does not sell, this approach is likely to trigger suspicion among potential buyers. People tend to be wary of properties that have been on the market for too long, assuming there must be something wrong with them.

Bear in mind also, that a price reduction will be noted next to the home for sale on the property websites- there is no hiding place from this one!

Offers over

Some agents will advise you market your property at ‘offers over’, (apologies for labouring the point on this one) however, through experience this may dissuade people from looking at your property – buyers fear that they will be outpriced and therefore don’t even bother viewing – if the property had been listed at a ‘guide price’ then people know more realistically what they are likely to pay – this also means that your home is likely to get more viewings too (buyers have told us they have discounted looking at properties for sale at offers over) generally resulting in more offers, and therefore potentially a sale agreed over the guide price (people always have a search criteria price ceiling on Rightmove – and ‘offers over’ may eliminate potential viewers).

Sometimes people may put in an inflated offer to secure the property, only to reduce and re-negotiate further down the line – at this time other interested parties may have moved on to another property.

You can create problems further down the line

Buyers requiring a mortgage will need a valuation survey carried out by their mortgage lender, and even if you have found a buyer at an inflated price, then it may return a value below the offer accepted – at this point the buyer may try to negotiate a discount or even pull out of the sale altogether. If the buyer does pull out, then you may need to re-advertise your house arising even more suspicion.

You can waste your chance of a first impression

Buyers prefer properties that are fresh on the market rather than those that have been listed for some time and especially with a price reduction too – and you only get one chance to make a first impression. If you price correctly then you may have several buyers interested at the beginning which could push up the price naturally.

If you have over-priced in the first place then you may not get this interest

The market may change

Sellers who overprice their homes, risk the local property market changing while they wait to sell. The stamp duty holiday saw an increase in house prices and although house prices are remaining consistent, the market is showing signs of adjustment, and if your home has had a price that has been inflated then this may cause problems later down the line – we have already noticed price reductions in LS16 and LS21 taking place.

Homes that have to be reduced can take up to 2 months longer to sell, that could be enough time for the market to shift down a gear.

You run the risk of losing the home you want to buy

At David Phillip Estate Agents, we are finding that people who have sold their property and ready to proceed are in a much better position to have an offer accepted on their dream home. We are currently taking offers from people who are proceedable. Property chains can be long and complex and not everyone will be prepared to wait for you to find a buyer at your overpriced asking price.

You may be hit with higher Estate Agency fees.

Given the time it takes for overpriced homes to sell, you may decide to instruct a new agent in the hope that they might be more successful in finding a buyer – at David Phillip Estate Agents, we have sold properties unsuccessfully listed by other agents, but our fees need to be paid too, this can put the overall price up too. We do though have fairer fixed fees so that you know exactly what you are paying, and also unlike other agents, we do not tie you into lengthy contracts as we are confident in our ability to sell – as long as your property is priced correctly.

As the dynamics of the property market continue to change if you are considering selling your home you need to use an Estate Agent that has experience in all market conditions. David Phillip has over 30 years’ experience and knowledge selling properties in North and West Yorkshire and is a fellow of the Royal Institute of chartered surveyors so if you are looking for a realistic valuation and market advice based on experience then call us 01134 676 400.

David Phillip Estate Agents, 86, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds, LS16 9AN  www.davidphillip.co.uk

Covering properties in Bramhope, Pool-in-Wharfedale, Adel, Cookridge and North Leeds

New Estate Agency listings that don’t display a price can no longer be uploaded to Rightmove from today.

The portal has introduced new data fields to comply with National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team material information rules.

Fields such as price on application POA and offers invited have been removed, so a listing will not be set ‘live’ unless there is a price in it.

As with the other portals of Zoopla, Rightmove and On the market, Rightmove has introduced new data fields for tenure and council tax on new listings.

Speaking at the Propertymark national conference yesterday, David Cox, Legal Director of Rightmove warned that none of the portal’s listings are technically compliant now.

This is because CRM systems have failed to provide the required data to automatically enter data into the fields

Cox said agents can enter the relevant information in the property description but wqrned that the lack of co-operation from data companies means no listings will be fully complete.

Dedicated categories such as tenure or Council tax will say “ask the agent2 if no information has been provided through the required data fields.

Cox urged agents to ask their CRM provide about providing the required data.

At David Phillip Estate Agents all our vendors can be reassured that we are fully compliant with all aspects surrounding the new legislation and that their portal listings have all been amended accordingly.

When we started our business, we invested in Alto CRM which is powered by the Zoopla Property Group (ZPG) – not only does it ensure that we are fully-compliant but it also allows us to have a fresh and relevant database of buyers looking for homes in the local area.

So, if you are considering selling your home and would like a free market appraisal, call David Phillip FRICS on 01134 676 400

86, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds, LS16 9AN www.davidphillip.co.uk e:mail info@davidphillip.co.uk

Covering Bramhope, Pool-in-Wharfedale, Adel, Cookridge and Otley

June is national rose month, they have long been the symbols of love, beauty, war and politics, and if you are from Yorkshire, the lovely white rose is its symbol.

Roses come in more than 150 species across the Northern Hemisphere, but keeping them looking lovely is easier than you think.

Here is a guide to help you grow:-

• You can purchase roses already potted in soil from your local nursery, which are ideal for novice gardeners as they establish quickly, are versatile and look lovely
• Roses come in different forms, ranging from patio roses, shrub roses, ramblers and climbers – most need sun and heavy soil to survive although some will survive well in partial shade and poorer soil
• Water roses regularly so that the soil stays moist but not waterlogged – always water the rose at the base of the stem – never the flowers
• Roses should be pruned annually to promote healthy growth, encourage flowering and control the shape
• Fertilise the roses regularly
• Container roses can be planted at any time of year however, bare root roses can be planted from November to March
• Some shrub roses have a good fragrance, but if you want a scented shrub rose then English roses are perfect for growing in a mixed border, large container or as a part of a rose garden
• Many plants grow well with roses – climbing roses work well with clematis and rambling roses can be trained to grow up a tree.
• The best time to plant roses is in Autumn when the soil is warm and the water table is at its highest. You can plant a potted rose at any time of the year and a bare-root rose from October to March.
• Roses should be planted in a well- prepared hole with added compost to improve the soil structure and aid water retention. Back fill with soil and firm in well.
• Pruning is essential for the overall health, vitality and appearance of roses with winter being the key time to cut back on most varieties, except rambling roses, which are pruned in summer immediately after flowering.
• Roses can suffer from a few problems including black spot, aphids, die-back and bloom balling.

These easy steps can be followed by an amateur gardener like me, and national rose month has inspired me to head for the Garden Centre where I picked a beautiful potted ross named ‘Joie de Vivre’ – which is as the name suggests!

For further information or if you would like a free market appraisal call David Phillip FRICS on 01134 676 400. Selling houses in Bramhope, Pool-in-Wharfedale, Adel and North Leeds

86, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds, www.davidphillip.co.uk  e: info@davidphillip.co.uk

This month is a busy one for ‘completions’ at David Phillip Estate Agents, but what exactly is completion?

Completion is the day when as a buyer you collect the keys for the property and you can start moving into your new home. This is always a week day so that the banks can transfer money and is always agreed in advance. So what can you do to ensure the day runs smoothly.

Plan ahead for your removal day – clean the property, plan the removals and start packing up your belongings. Always communicate regularly with your conveyancing solicitor, they will be working as quickly as they can, but a helpful nudge in the right direction will never go a miss. Ensure your paperwork and funds are in order.

Prior to completion, the buyer’s conveyancing solicitor, will request the money from the lender and check all the mortgage conditions have been met.

Your conveyancing solicitor deals with the paperwork and deeds, confirms the transaction and signs off the mortgage completion statements if you are the seller – this all takes place on completion day.

A Redemption certificate will be requested by the seller’s solicitors if there is a mortgage on the sellers property.

Completion statements of all payment made and received will be set out by both sets of solicitors – any invoices to be paid, including the Estate Agents fees will be set out, the final checks will then be made and then the buyer’s solicitor will transfer the purchase money to the seller via the banking system. If the seller fails to transfer the funds on completion day then a fine will be issued, however, if you were unable to pay because your buyer did not come up with the money then they will pay a penalty.

Once the seller’s solicitor has received the funds then they will instruct the Estate Agent to release the keys which can then be collected from the Agent’s office. If the funds are not received from the buyer’s solicitor generally by 4pm, then completion will not take place until the following day.

If there is more than one party in the chain then this has the potential to also cause issues – if any of the chain falls through then this can halt the process or even bring the sale to a grinding halt.

It is standard for completion to happen between 7 to 28 days after exchange of contract – our ‘normal’ is 7 days, however we have exchanged and completed on the same day, which is becoming increasingly common – it also speeds up the conveyancing process and means you don’t have to pay a deposit on Exchange of contracts. There are though downsides, other than the high stress levels – because it can happen at very short notice it may make it difficult to arrange the removal company and if anything does go wrong there is very little time to put it right! – same day exchange and completion is much easier if the sale is chain free and a cash purchase.

Once you have completed the sale, the buyer’s solicitors will call the Estate Agent selling the property to confirm key release – keys can then be collected from the Estate Agents.

So, if you are considering selling your home and would like further details and information regarding the house selling process, call David Phillip FRICS on 01134 676 400

A: 86, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds, LS16 9AN w: davidphillip.co.uk e: info@davidphillip.co.uk

At David Phillip Estate Agents we actively monitor the Rightmove performance reports v our competitors in Bramhope (LS16 9).

Yesterday we were pleased to record that we are still holding the number one spot for the following key areas which means we therefore have market share in these areas too*.

• Highest number of sales agreed year to date
• Highest number of new instructions
• Highest stock levels

How are we achieving this:-

• We have a clean sweep of five-star customer reviews on the All Agents (the UK’s largest review website) portal – this is because of our professional and efficient customer experience
• We have the highest average views per property per day on Rightmove, this is because we pay for clients to have featured and premium properties, we use 3D virtual tours and in some cases site plans too – the viewiers of our property stay on the site longer
• We present properties in the best way possible using beautiful photography, 3D virtual tours, area videos and descriptive copywriting
• We assist buyers in staging their homes to ensure the best impression
• We were shortlisted for the best small agent in 2021 for the Yorkshire Regional property awards and have also won the best agent in LS16, along with gold, silver and bronze people awards in the @allagents annual awards
• We have a fresh and relevant database of people who are motivated and ready to move to the Bramhope area.

So, if you are considering selling your home call David Phillip FRICS (who has over 30 years’ experience selling homes in North and West Yorkshire) on 01134 676 400.

A: 86, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds e: info@davidphillip.co.uk w: davidphillip.co.uk

*Data taken from Rightmove plus, year to date LS16 9.

If you own a property and there is an adjoining wall, hedge or fence in between, it pays to know what you are responsible for as this can prevent hassle or in the worse case, legal wrangling in the future.

On all modern properties there will be a plan drawn to scale which is registered at HM Registry – this will also be on the purchase deed. If you don’t have a copy it can be found from the Land Registry.

Once you have the documents check if there are any ‘T’’s on any of the boundaries (this is referred to as a ‘T’ mark)then this shows the ownership and responsibility to maintain. If the ‘T’ is matched by another ‘T’ so that it looks like an elongated ‘H’, this shows that the boundary is a party fence/wall – this shows joint responsibility.

So, as one would expect, the owner of the property is in most cases responsible for the maintenance.

With fences, the presumption is that the posts will be on the owner’s side (the back of the fence that faces the owner’s side), however, to make the fence appear nicer from the owners side without showing the posts then the fence can be erected with the fence and the posts entirely in the owner’s garden.

You can only hang things on your neighbour’s fence paint it or use it to support your plants with their permission.

Anything you do to your neighbour’s fence without permission, including staining or applying preservatives to your side of the fence is classed as criminal damage.

If the boundary for the front of the property is less than 4 inches high then planning permission isn’t required, however, if you neighbour has decided to put up a fence they need to put this in writing giving you 30 days’ notice ahead of the work going ahead.

Unless the deeds specify that the boundary needs to be maintained, then there is no legal requirement for the owner to maintain the wall of fence or to keep the hedges tidy, however if someone is injured because of negligence then the owner could be liable.

If you would like free market advice or would like a free market appraisal with David Phillip FRICS call on 01134 676 400

A: 86, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds w:davidphillip.co.uk e:info@davidphillip.co.uk