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The end of a calendar year gave us a chance to look back at property trends and analyse data to see how the market fared during the last 12 months. December is traditionally a quiet month as people focus on festivities rather than moving home. As such, there was little to report on house prices.  

On the outside, selecting a good tenant may feel as simple as accepting the person who makes the highest offer, especially if the most recent news is to be believed. A survey undertaken for the New Economics Foundation found tenants were willing to go to extreme financial lengths to secure a rental property. As a result, landlords have had the luxury of waiting for the ‘highest bidder’ to emerge.

Although we are almost at the end of 2023, the news keeps coming. November saw the Chancellor deliver his Autumn Statement. Although there were no major changes for home movers, there were some peripheral announcements to note.

If you are looking to redecorate, why not consider Sweet Embrace™? Here are some ideas of how to use the current Dulux Colour of the Year.

The safety of tenants has become of paramount importance in the private rental sector, and rightly so. One of the areas that has been improved immeasurably is electrical safety and now new guidelines have been issued to provide greater consistency when it comes to checks.

On 7th November 2023, the King’s Speech marked the opening of a new session of Parliament. In his first address of this nature, King Charles III announced the Government’s key priorities for the year ahead and with a General Election expected within the next 12 months, the contents were hotly anticipated.

There are millions of people in Generation Z – or Gen Z for short – and they are highly likely to need rental accommodation as this age bracket encompasses undergraduates, those leaving university and young professionals. 

What you think Generation Z want from a rental property and what they would actually like may surprise landlords hoping to target students, recent graduates and young professionals. A new survey of more than 2,500 people aged between 16-25, featured in an article published by PBSA News, set out to establish what was important to them in a rented home.

The majority of homeowners and prospective movers will have a mortgage as part of their property plans, therefore it’s important to keep tabs on both interest and mortgage rates. In August 2022, the Bank of England increased the interest rate by 0.5 percentage points to 1.75% – the biggest increase in 27 years. 

We have become somewhat accustomed to rock bottom interest rates that barely nudge 0.25 percentage points either way for months. When the main interest rate rises, mortgage rates usually rise in tandem, so if you already have a mortgage or want to take out a home loan, now is a good time to seek professional advice.

Moving home presents an excellent opportunity to change purchasing habits, especially at a time when many people need new items. The small but conscious choices made can make a big, collective impact on the environment, and there’s no need to compromise on style either.

The option of buying second hand, scanning Gumtree or Facebay for free items and upcycling what you already own are the most sustainable approaches to home styling but sometimes purchasing new is the preferred option.