Your home will certainly be more attractive to buyers with some general sprucing up. Larger projects such as garage conversions, loft conversions or adding a conservatory could reap high rewards if you have the time and money but even the small things can make a big difference. Improvements that create a sense of space & privacy will increase saleability. If you're making improvements to add value to your home be sure not to personalise the decor so it appeals to buyers.

Kerb Appeal - First Impressions Count

You only get one chance to make a first impression so make it count! Make sure the outside is welcoming. Tidy the garden, weed pathways & driveways, put wheelie bins out of sight if you can. Your front door will say a lot about the rest of the house behind it. Make sure it's clean, repaint it if appropriate, maybe renew the door number and doorknob. 

Redecorate

Giving your home a fresh lick of paint can give it a whole new lease of life and can be inexpensive. Keep to light neutral colours and avoid bold colours all together.

DIY

Try to look at your home through the eyes of buyers. There could be some little issues which you've been meaning to fix & although not deal breakers can give an overall negative feel such as; dripping taps, squeaky doors or floors, mouldy sealant in kitchens & bathrooms, limescale on kitchen & bathroom fittings, broken window handles and even blown light bulbs.

Kitchen makeover

Kitchens are often a focus for buyers, so it may well be the first thing they look to replace if they can't imagine living in yours. You may not be able to afford a completely new kitchen but there are smaller ways to improve what you have. Depending on your budget you could change cupboard doors or just the handles, change worktops, maybe renew the sink & taps. De-clutter and keep the worktops clear, this alone will make a difference.

Updating your bathroom

Bathrooms need to look fresh and clean. Re-grout tiles, paint the walls in a light neutral colour, clean away any limescale, replace taps, renew the shower curtain or replace with a new shower screen.

A loft conversion

To add real value consider a loft conversion, it's a safe investment & quite cost-effective. It's the easiest way to add a bedroom & maybe even an en-suite. This will immediately push your home up into another price bracket. Most loft conversions are considered permitted planning but always check with your local planning authority beforehand.

A garage conversion

Why not convert your garage into extra living space, particularly if you have alternative parking and use your garage for nothing more than storage.  Firstly, you will need to check with your local planning authority if you need planning permission or whether it will be classed as permitted development.

Katie from our  Waterlooville Lettings Office received these lovely gifts from very happy tenants.  

Tenants due to move into their new rental property, were so delighted with the service received they dropped these lovely gifts into the office.

These beautiful flowers were delivered to the Southsea Office from very happy clients.  If you are looking to sell, buy or rent, give your local office a call to discuss your requirements https://pearsons.com/our-offices

Now that the property market is open again here in England, viewings can be carried out with a few safety measures in place to keep us all safe.  To save time, mix-ups or any disappointment here are a few tips for a successful viewing.

Virtual viewings/video tours

If available, this is a great way to get a feel for the property and be sure it’s worth seeing in person. You may be able to tell whether the house ticks the right boxes for you or not. If it doesn’t, you’ll save yourself and the seller time and trouble.

Confirming the health of sellers, viewers & staff

If you or anyone in your household has displayed any COVID-19 symptoms in the last 2 weeks you must notify us immediately so we can cancel the viewing.  You should not be out viewing or in public if this is the case.  When confirming a viewing with you we will also confirm the health of our staff member and the household of where the viewing is to take place.

PPE

You should wear gloves for the viewing if possible, if not, you should sanitise your hands immediately before entering the property and refrain from touching anything. Social distancing must be observed at all times and therefore it would be safer to limit to 1 person inside the property at a time.

Q&As

Any questions about the property should take place outside, once the viewing tour has finished or over the telephone once you are back home.

Please read the Government’s advice here on staying safe during home moving.

A lovely gift was dropped in for Michelle in our Havant Lettings Office, as a thank you from very happy tenants.  If you are looking to sell, buy, let or rent, why not contact your local office for the best advice.  https://pearsons.com/our-offices

We have carried out extensive Risk assessments and put social distancing and sanitising procedures into all our offices, ensuring you can be confident we are doing all we can to protect both our clients and staff.  We will continue to follow Government Guidelines at all times, so whether you are looking to sell, buy or rent, please contact your local office to find out what we can do to assist you with your move.  https://pearsons.com/our-offices

An update from Pearsons

We have been very busy since the Government announced that the Property Market in England would be allowed to reopen.

We're now open to conduct valuations and viewings which can be carried out in a bespoke manner to suit your individual preferences. 

As always, the safety of our clients and staff remains our number one priority, so we have put in place protocols, following government guidelines, to keep us all safe and well.

We will, of course, continue to follow the official guidelines as things progress, and we will keep you up to date with any changes.

Pearsons are here to help with all of your property needs. If you're ready to move talk to us!

In the meantime, take care and stay safe.

On May 20th we had our second online auction of the year. The build-up was much more encouraging with more interest prior to the day and generally, you could sense that confidence had increased since the previous auction. In total there had been nine lots on offer and by close of business on the day of the auction there were only two left unsold.  This certainly bodes well for the future with new lots already registering for the 8th July and even September.

I do believe that the auction market was quicker to recover due to the fact that we are tempting cash buyers with either vacant properties or investment opportunities. Therefore, there is every reason to make a quicker decision with far less stress and a precise timescale. 

Whether you're a seller or a buyer an auction is the most positive option.

Our Denmead Office recently asked local children to draw a rainbow picture for the windows of the office, in appreciation for the NHS and all key workers and their wonderful artwork is now displayed in the window.  What a fantastic job they all did.