Banbury Living Dec 2022 - Jan 2023

THE HOME MOVING
Guide
WE WENT TO THE EXPERTS AT THE HOME
OWNERS ALLIANCE TO FIND OUT ABOUT
THE HOT TOPICS IN THE HOUSING MARKET
WHY AVOID THE
BUSIEST DAY TO
MOVE?
While it may seem sensible to move on
a Friday, moving at the same time as
large swathes of other people can put
pressure on the professionals helping
you move, which can mean a greater
risk of delays.
Of course delays can occur at any time,
but on the last Friday of the month, it is
also peak time for conveyancing fraud
and you will need to pay more for a
removal company. If there are delays in
transferring funds at completion, you may
have to spend the weekend in a hotel or
on a friend’s sofa.
For those reasons, moving on the busiest
day of the year isn’t for the faint-hearted,
especially with the August bank holiday
also happening that week, pushing more
moves onto the remaining four days.
Tips on avoiding moving day delays
Suggest a mid-week move to all in your
chain pointing out the potential downfall
of choosing to move on a busy day like
Friday. Savings are possible, for example,
removals firms may offer mid-week
deals on prices. See our guide to house
removals costs at hoa.org.uk/advice
Book the removals firm. Make sure
everyone in the chain knows you’re
working towards that date and book
your removals firm well in advance, so
you only need to confirm as soon as you
exchange. It’s best to ask them to come
to your house to assess the volume of
your belongings. This ensures you have
the right sized van and number of team
members on the day of your move.
Choose a removals firm you trust and
have rapport with.
Talk through what would happen if a
delay occurred. For example, do they
have emergency storage if needed?
HOW TO ADD VALUE
TO YOUR HOME
Significant home improvements are
expensive, so it’s important to consider
how your plans will add value to
your home. More and more of us are
choosing to improve rather than move.
So, here are 10 ways to make your
property better to live in, in a way that
can also add value to your home.
If you have lots of plans for home
improvements, it makes sense to focus
on projects that will also add value. That
way what you spend now will be reflected
in the price of your property when you
sell. But what adds value to a house?
We asked over 300 members of the
Federation of Master Builders (FMB) and
estate agent members of the Guild of
Property Professionals which projects
will add value to your house. Here’s what
they said.
1. Knock down a wall for open plan or
broken plan living
Our research found that removing an
internal wall to create an open plan
kitchen and diner was the best way to
add value to your home.
Not only will this add value to your home,
it should also make it more pleasant to
live in, with more and more of us opting
for open-plan living. Knocking down walls
means more communal spaces where
families can enjoy quality time together,
whether that’s chatting while dinner is
cooked or keeping an eye on kids while
they do their homework.
Best of all, this is a relatively simple
project that most builders can complete
in under a week.
2. Build a garden room
Another option is to add another living
space outside. With so many more of
us working from home, it is great to
delineate living and working space and
claw back that guest bedroom but having
a dedicated office. Or it could be used
as a gym!
3. Spruce up your kitchen
A new kitchen isn’t just a treat for you,
it can also significantly boost the value
of your home. Putting in a new worktop,
cabinet doors or floor doesn’t have to
break the bank – it costs around £4,000
on average. But, it could add £17,000
to the value of a London property, or
the FMB and The Guild of Property
Professionals found it could add
around £15,000 to the average home in
Cambridgeshire.
4. Create a downstairs loo
A downstairs toilet is a big attraction
to a variety of different buyers. Adding
one will make your home attractive to
young families with children, those that
like entertaining and don’t want guests
wandering upstairs, to older buyers who
might be looking to future proof their
homes.
So, turning wasted space, such as an
understairs cupboard into a loo can add
value to your home. This is a great project
if you have a limited budget because for
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