Today, Liz Truss has been announced as the new Leader of the Conservative party and tomorrow she will be announced as the Prime Minister and will get the keys to Number 10, Downing Street. So not only will there be a change of occupancy in Number 10 with Boris Johnson moving out, potentially number 11 will have a change of occupant too.

Even the best of planners can find moving day a little overwhelming and exhausting, but fortunately there are ways to make that all important house move a little less stressful.

Follow our moving day tips for both buyers and sellers to ensure all goes as smoothly as possible

Keep a running list of everything you need to get done

Have you cleaned the fridge and freezer, put out the rubbish, removed all the junk from the loft and cleaned out the gunk in the shower that you have been promising yourself you would do for ages – these are things that often get pushed to one side whilst you are busy packing, but are things that can definitely be left to the last minute when you have better things to do – so start planning well ahead. Make a list, allocate a day and time, prioritise and stick to your plan!

Put kids and pet arrangements in place early in the day

The kids will be excited and the pets are likely to sense that there is something going on too, children and pets running around can complicate the day and also be a little dangerous when so much big furniture and boxes are being moved. Ensure children are with friends or relatives and that pets are the same or booked into kennels.

Schedule pick-ups or drop-off early in the morning so that you can focus on everything else that requires doing. If the children or pets are going to be around ensure you have distractions in place to keep them occupied.

Tell your friends

Ensure you have informed friends and relatives but also your current and new neighbours too to be certain there is room for any removal vans that will be parked outside the house

Pack a cool bag

Moving day requires lots of stamina and energy, it is easy to get distracted and forget to eat or drink enough. Pack a cooler with drinks, grab and go snacks with a little extra for the movers, and at the end of the day when you are all finished maybe a bottle of chilled Champagne to celebrate moving into your new home. You’ll be so glad you stocked your cooler when you start flagging midway through the afternoon.

Pack a moving essentials bag

Pack a suitcase with all those essentials that you know you will need on moving day, these can include medicines plus a first aid kit, phone chargers, toiletries. Also pack any documents you may need as well as the really important ones such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, passports, driving licence and tax paperwork plus any valuables that may get lost in the move.

As well as your essentials moving bag prepare a first night bag too, this will include bedding, toilet paper, toiletries, hand soap and shower gel, towels for each family member and work clothes.

Ensure your phone is fully charged

You will need to co-ordinate things, with your movers, with the family, your Estate Agent and solicitors, so charge the battery fully the night before and keep the charger in your essentials bag

Leave out some cleaning supplies

Hopefully your house will have been cleaned prior to removal day, but once the furniture has been removed you may need to do some final touch ups. A broom, dustpan, sanitising wipes will all be helpful. Once the house is empty then go round one final time and you will quickly see any last minute cleaning requirements – store cleaning utensils in your car or downstairs cloaks so that they don’t end up on the removal van.

Have some change to tip your movers

If you have hired a professional moving company you will want to tip them at the end of the move – about £10-£15 per helper is sufficient – tipping movers isn’t necessarily required, but is highly appreciated!

Do one last walk through

If you do leave anything behind it may be difficult to retrieve, so check every cupboard including the very back shelves. Take a meter reading and turn off the water.

Leave feedback and reviews

Your solicitors and Estate Agent will really appreciate this, especially if they have provided a great Customer Experience. At David Phillip Estate Agents, we have a clean sweep of 5 star reviews and have won awards for our Customer Experience – reviews are always appreciated.

So… you are now ready (like Boris Johnson) for moving day – Good luck in your new home!

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: www.davidphillip.co.uk

E: info@davidphillip.co.uk

At David Phillip Estate Agents our Customer Experience is Key – that’s why we have received the most 5 star reviews from our Clients v all other agents in LS16 on the All Agents property review site (the largest review site for Estate Agents in the UK), which has consequently led to us winning Gold, Silver and Bronze in the All Agents People awards for 2022.

Within the Estate Agency industry there are various awards that you can pay to enter, but the real benchmark we judge ourselves by is the one voted by customers.

Take a look at our clean sweep of 5 star reviews and the comments our customers leave which cover a variety of topics ranging from our dynamic marketing, our beautiful photography, the number of portals we use and our great post sale service.

Congratulations to Charlotte Ford who won the Gold award for the Customer Experience in  LS16 – this is a real accolade and reflects her whole approach to work and the seamless service she provides her customers.

All we need now is more space on our office wall, as it is nearly full of all our previous awards – we won the same last year too.

So… if you are considering selling your home, choose an Estate Agent that puts the Customer at the heart of everything it does.

Call David Phillip FRICS on 01134 676 400

86, Leeds Road, Bamhope, Leeds, w:davidphillip.co.uk   e-mail: info@davidphillip.co.uk

Covering the areas of Bramhope, Pool-in Wharfedale, Adel, Cookridge and North Leeds

Properties have seen a 1.3% drop in prices which is on par with the last 10 years and tends to be seasonal at this time of year. Yorkshire and Humber have seen a drop of -0.9%, however this is a 9.9% increase year on year.

After the uncertainty of the last two years, summer holidays are definitely taking a priority this year, distracted home movers, especially those in higher-priced homes appear to be putting their moving plans on hold until the Autumn moving season to enjoy time away with their families.

Some new sellers are pricing more competitively to secure a buyer quickly to beat the lengthy average time to completion and move home before Christmas and there is still a continued desire to move home.

Demand does continue to soften a little although supply constraints are improving, but there is still an imbalance.

People working form home are 5x more likely to move than those that expect no changes in working patterns, highlighting that pandemic factors still continue to influence the market – according to Zoopla around a third of the workforce now has the ability to work more flexibly.

Since the pandemic, about half a million older workers (50-70year olds) are leaving the labour market with retirement being the biggest driver and an important life-stage trigger. Older owners with excess space who are retiring or otherwise may be additionally motivated to move by concerns over the cost of living and the running costs of their current homes. This could apply to other types of households too.

Buyer enquiries to agents are down by 4% v the hot market of 2021, but remain a staggering 20% higher than the pre-pandemic market of 2019 and according to Zoopla 25% over the last five years.

New listings propertiesare up by 12% on the same period last year but are 6% down on 2019 – current stock levels are also lower than 2019 which is a market more comparable to 2022.

The latest interest rate is putting further pressure on buyer affordability, however the housing market is in a much better position to weather a sizeable jump in mortgage rates than has been the case in previous economic cycles. Talk of a major price fall seems wide of the mark but the shift from a prolonged period of cheap money to one of higher borrowing costs will have a greater influence on the market in general.

David Phillip commented “a drop in asking prices is to be expected this month as the market returns towards normal seasonal patterns after a frenzied two years, however house price growth and sales volumes are proving to be more resilient than many may have expected, giving the increase in the cost of living and initial increase in mortgage rates. Many would be home-owners have decided to put home moves on hold until September to make the most of their first summer holiday for two years

We tend to find sellers are pricing competitively at this time of year in order to find a suitable buyer quickly, with some hoping to complete their sale before Christmas, nevertheless, we are still expecting price changes for the rest of the year to continue to follow the usual seasonal trend, which mean’s nationally we will see the year end at around 7% annual growth, even with the wider economic uncertainty”.

Looking forward, September is always a busy month for the property market for the following reasons

• School’s admission deadline takes place at the end of January/beginning of February, so if you market your property in September then this potentially gives a buyer time to move into your preferred school catchment area in time
• School summer holidays are well behind us now and busy parents can now start to focus on home moving and the selling process again
• Gardens are still looking lovely with flowers in full bloom and still very photogenic – plus the evenings are still light for viewings
• During September, people use the New Year as a goal for being determined to move by.

So if you are considering a house move, or would like further information about the condition of the property market or would like 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

David Phillip, covering Bramhope, Pool-in-Wharfedale, Adel, Cookridge, Otley, Leeds

People’s working habits continue to evolve and more and more people are looking for flexible ways of working, which very often means working from home rather than from an office.

In today’s busy working world, the distance from home to work can often be a long and difficult commute which eats into your working day whilst also impacting on the environment – home working can reduce your carbon footprint with car emissions as well as saving travelling expenses at a time when the cost of petrol and diesel is going through the roof.

Today you do not necessarily need to physically go to work, you just work regardless of the location, and as long as you have the right environment in which to work, supported by the best technology and it works well for you as well as for the company you are employed by then this can be a viable alternative as long as it doesn’t impact on the Customer experience

If you are a small business then, working from home can also provide the advantage of not paying hefty business charges too.

So how do you make this transition from travelling to work to arriving straight to your ‘desk’ which can be a bit jarring first thing on a morning! - go straight to your ‘ to-do’  list and by starting first thing, this can be much more effective than starting with breakfast and allowing the morning sluggishness to set in  – have your breakfast mid-morning when you are ready for a break

Structure your day like you would  a working one (pretend you are actually going to work), working from home means you are your own personal manager, but try to segment what you do over the course of the day, and don’t feel guilty if you take a break!

Take advantage of morning hours to plough through meaty projects without any distractions, and leave calls and virtual meetings for the afternoon, having uninterrupted time can help with higher productivity, and modern technology means you can still attend meetings albeit in a virtual way .

Find out what music motivates you for different tracks, this can help if you have been used to having  noise from an office in the background.

If you work from home, but have other members of the family around then maybe they need reminding that just because you are working from home doesn’t mean you are ‘home’, as it is easy to get distracted by things going on around you.

Put a loose definitive ‘finishing time’ in each day – you would if you had a train to catch, and try not to let your work life bleed into your home life – a boundary for both areas is important

Choose a dedicated work space, this provides you with a place where you specifically ‘ work’, it might be a local coffee shop, table or chair, but you may want to create a room or area within your home that provides a place to work

• It could be the extra bedroom that you don’t use, bedrooms tend to have good natural light as well as overhead lighting, and usually there is some sort of wardrobe that can be used for storage
• If you don’t have space below, then maybe you have space above such as an attic, this can provide enough distance from the main relaxing area of the home , but can also provide an area of peace and quiet
• Always wanted a library at home, then this may make sense to turn this area into somewhere you would want to work too.

If you are looking for a home that provides you with the ideal working space, and that feel of actually ‘going to work’, then take a look at Catton House, 29, Breary Lane, Bramhope – the external space is over 40ft in length, is powered for electricity and also has plumbing.

With windows overlooking the beautiful garden this separate buiIding adjacent to the property provides you with the privacy and space to set up a designated large office (it could also be a gym, extra living area too).

If you are looking to move home, then any property with further outdoor living space/office can also add a price premium to your property too.

To take a look around the beautiful Catton House call now on 01134 676 400.

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

David Phillip Estate Agents – covering Bramhope, Adel, Pool-in-Wharfedale and Otley

July has proved to be one of the hottest months on record, which means that this can be tough on our local wildlife including wild bees.

There are over 250 bee species in the UK from bumble bees, mining bees and honey bees. Bees pollinate over 90% of the world’s crops so it is vital that we help to keep them thrive

Honey bees for example require a steady supply of water to make honey and for members of their hive. When it is hot rivers, ponds and birdbaths can be a little risky, but there are things that you can do in the garden to help bees quench their thirst.

• Bees don’t like getting their feet wet so a bee watering station made from corks is an ideal option – simply fill a bucket with water add the corks and you have created a landing strip for the bees to land on. Marbles are equally as good if used in a saucer
• Bees are known to bring back as much as a gallon of water to their nest so ensure you keep filling up the birdbath or saucer
• Bee friendly plants are easy to grow – scatter them across the garden so that there is a sufficient amount of supply of pollen throughout the summer – bees love flowers that are yellow, purple of blue – avoid plants that are ‘double’ or have extra petals
• Allow some weeds to grow such as dandelions which bees find particularly appealing
• Avoid chemical fertilisers and chemicals as these are the biggest killers of bees – the biggest disappearance of bees over the last 20 years coincides with the increasing use of chemicals.
• Bees require secure places to live – dead trees, branches and abandoned animal burrows make excellent places for bees to build a nest – leave a small saucer filled with fresh water close to the shelter and then create nesting and overwintering spots for pollinators
• If you see a bee looking dazed feed it water and sugar, hopefully this will revive it quickly, don’t feed it honey
• Plant through the seasons to provide a source of food for bees – small trees like hazel and holly help bees at different times of the year. Ivy is a good food for Autumn so try not to cut it back until after flowering. Spring – daffodils, hawthorn, flowering cherry, crab apple. Summer – lavender, foxgloves lupins. Autumn – single flower-dahlias, autumn Asters, Japanese Anemones. Winter – snowdrops, Ivy, Winter honeysuckle, crocuses
• Cutting the grass less often gives pollinators shelter and a place to feed – raise the notches on the mower to lift the cutting blade a few centimeters
• Support local bee-keepers who are best known for nurturing these on-site bee communities, but they often rescue swarming beehives too, which protects the colony from extermination.

Bramhope and the surrounding areas has some wonderful gardens that are ideal areas for bees to thrive, David and I are certainly enjoying seeing the bees around the plants in the garden, so hopefully doing our bit too to save them from extinction.

If you are considering moving home and would like a free market appraisal, call us now on 01134 676 400

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

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

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

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