The Blog

Selling your home in East Sussex is a big task in itself as there’s so much to prepare. If you’re trying to tackle everything yourself, it can be daunting trying to attract potential buyers, but one of the best ways to do that is to have the right decor that gives off that ‘wow’ factor. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, ‘wow factor’ it is essentially any feature or quality that is impressive and—you’ve guessed it—makes people say ‘wow’ when they see it for the first time! When potential buyers are checking out your home, you want to impress them and get them to imagine their new lives in your home, and a space with a ‘wow factor’ does the trick. One of the best spaces to create a wow factor in is your living room because it can be done on a budget and without spending a lot of time and money on renovations. It’s also one of the most used rooms in the home where families gather, where people socialise and entertain guests, and where you wind down after a long day. It’s also one of the most important rooms when showing your home, aside from the kitchen and master bedroom, and is often one of the first rooms people look at when they view a property. With this in mind, we have detailed three simple ways to give your living room the wow factor and impress anyone who walks through your door. 1. Choose your furniture carefully The furniture in your living room obviously makes a major difference when it comes to looking drab and plain or exciting and bold. If you’re staging your home, you have some choice in this department. Choosing pieces of furniture that look cheap or are poor quality doesn’t do anything for the wow factor, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to choose expensive pieces to add flair. You can source vintage pieces or antiques that stand out from the mass produced or highly trendy furniture that a lot of people choose. The goal is to have a living room that stands out, so unique pieces of furniture will certainly accomplish that. If you’re working with the furniture you have, try and dress it up or rearrange it so your space is open and interesting. Consider giving old wood furniture a fresh coat of paint or a new stain to brighten them up, or try some DIY tricks to make outdated furniture look fresh and exciting. You can also use contrasting textures to bring some energy and boldness into the room. If your sofa is leather, get a plush throw to hang over it for example. Don’t feel discouraged if you aren’t inspired by the pieces you have – there are plenty of ways to make them exciting without breaking the bank. 2. Add the right decor Your decor can make or break a room so when it comes to the wow factor, choosing your decor pieces is especially important. The goal here is to create a focal point in the room where the energy can emanate from and draw people’s attention. Once you have the focal point, you can work from there to bring energy to the rest of the space. One great idea for a focal point is a colourful piece of art on the wall or a collage of pieces or artistic photographs that work well together. Hang your art on a wall free of clutter and obstruction so it can really shine in the space. Another idea is to strategically place a large plant in the room where it can make a dramatic statement. Oversized plants are also perfect for drawing the eye towards something else, like a gorgeous fireplace. A final focal point idea would be to have hanging lights over the main seating area or to place a lamp in a corner or next to a sofa where it can really make a statement. 3. Add a splash of colour The colour scheme of your room is another imperative aspect to creating the wow factor, so try to stay away from the trendy colour du jour. Again, you want to avoid the styles that seemingly everyone else uses because it is no longer bold and interesting. You want your living room to be memorable and stand out from the crowd, so don’t go for the usual neutrals and instead, go big. Choose contrasting colours that stand out for your furniture, textiles, decor, and walls. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different palettes – that’s what drives the wow factor. Opt for colourful and bold patterns on accent items like throws, cushions and rugs, rather than plain or solid fabrics. Pick an accent wall and paint it a bright or contrasting colour or put up wallpaper with an interesting pattern. There are so many ways you can create the wow factor in your home and these three tips are the perfect starting point. Why not experiment with your decor and then call the friendly team at Paul Stripp Estate Agent on 07891260449. We will be delighted to offer you feedback and provide you with a free valuation on your property in East Sussex.

What’s Happening In The UK Property Market?January 2023 The housing market remains uncertain heading into 2023, but there’s some optimism among homeowners and first-time buyers, particularly as one developer has launched an innovative new scheme. Read on to find out the latest. House Prices See New Year Bounce Back While house prices fell towards the end of 2022 (see below) and are expected to continue falling in 2023, there was at least some positive news to start the year for potential sellers! Property portal, Rightmove, has reported the biggest New Year bounce since 2020, with average prices rising by 0.9% according to their data. And while there’s usually an increase in demand in January, the figures still make for positive reading for sellers, as there’s been a surge in demand from potential buyers too. Rightmove has reported a 55% jump in the number of people contacting estate agents about homes listed on the site in the first two weeks of the year. This is coupled with an increase in the number of homes entering the market, as the company has also reported that the 5th January was the third busiest day ever for homeowners asking estate agents to value their home. House Prices Drop For Fourth Month in a Row  High interest rates and the rising cost of living contributed to a fall in house prices for a fourth consecutive month in December. Figures released by major lender, Halifax, showed a 1.5% decrease in the average asking price, which now stands at £281,272. However, while there’s traditionally a seasonal slowdown in December, the fall wasn’t as sharp as expected, and was lower than November’s drop of 2.4%. On an annual basis, prices grew by 2% compared with December 2021, representing the slowest year-on-year growth since October 2019. And while the market slowed significantly towards the end of 2022, average prices still remain way above pre-Covid levels, and so far the start of 2023 is looking similar to the starts of 2016, 2017 and 2018, although some forecasters are predicting a 10% drop in 2023. Mortgage Approvals Drop to New Lows Figures released by the Bank of England suggest that mortgage approval levels have fallen to their lowest level in two years. Just over 46,000 mortgages were approved in November – a drop from October’s figure of 58,000, as would-be homebuyers have been increasingly put off by rising interest rates and cost of living pressures. The slump is expected to continue as uncertainty takes hold of the market and the cost of living continues to be volatile. Rents Rising at Fastest Rates on Record Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that rental rates increased by 4% on average in 2022 – the fastest rise since records began seven years ago. A quarter of private tenants surveyed in December said their rent had risen in the previous six months, as many landlords have passed on the increases they’ve faced on their buy-to-let mortgage rates. The ONS figures also showed that renters pay significantly more on their living costs than homeowners, with their weekly expenditure on housing accounting for 24% of their income – 8% higher than those with a mortgage. New ‘Save To Buy’ scheme launched for first-time buyers An innovative scheme by one leading home developer could pave the way for thousands of renters to get onto the property ladder. The initiative, set up by new homes developer, Fairview, will see all of the money paid by tenants in rent be put towards the deposit for their home. Under the scheme, rent is paid at a fixed cost for between six months and two years, but instead of going to a landlord, the money will be set aside until the renters have a big enough deposit to obtain a mortgage on the property. At that point, they can go through the usual mortgage application process and buy the home they’ve been renting. The scheme is currently running at two of Fairview’s developments – New Hayes in West London and Epping Gate in Loughton, Essex. However, it’s expected to be rolled out to a number of other developments over the next few months. The scheme is open to anyone who is classed as a first-time buyer, and the only stipulation is that you must have a deposit equivalent to 1% of the property’s value when you first move in. This is handed over to the developer when you first exchange contracts, and from that point, 100% of your rent will go towards the deposit to buy the property. There’s also an option to top up your monthly payments if you can, which means getting on to the property ladder sooner. For more property news and updates and a more detailed overview of the East Sussex area, get in touch with Paul Stripp Estate Agent. We are your local property experts. Call us on 07891260449 or email info@paulstrippestateagent.com.

01424 772954 paulstrippestateagent.com/ January Newsletter - Updates on the market and Paul Stripp Estate Agent Ltd As we welcome in the New Year it's time to briefly look back at what has happened to the property market over the last year. Where do you think was the most searched for location within England? Well according to Rightmove, it is still London, predictibly. During the pandemic people were coming away from the cities to find a quieter way of living. However now that we have hopefully turned a corner with the pandemic, people are starting to return to their offices, this of course having an impact on the property market. It is my opinion that Battle and surrounding areas sits nicely as sellers and buyers look to relocate along the trainline but still remain outside the city. What impact will this have on 2023? Due to the price of living and mortgage rates increasing as well, buyers and sellers are taking more time to look into their finances so that they are not overstretched resulting in buyers who are more thorough in their research and slightly lower budgets. What have we seen so far? What I am seeing is those buyers that are out viewing are far more committed than before for the reasons above plus if someone is out viewing in the wind and the rain they are not there to waste sellers time. Making it more imperative than ever that your home is warm and presentable for viewings to ensure your home stands out in the crowd. To summarise the above This artificial price rise is now at an end and there seems to be a consensus that prices are coming back to what they would have been pre-covid, back to the natural rise and fall of the housing market. An Update On My Business We continue to grow. So far to date, we have sold over £7,000,000 of property in the local area. Our business growth has been exponential since we started and I believe this is rooted in the service that we provide and the trust our clients have in the business. To honour that trust we invested back into the business, last January we employed Ami Pitman who has been invaluable. Ami continues to develop her skill set in the industry and has recently undertaken professional training and successfully completed the course.I also recently passed my level 3 in residential sales which is equivalent to an a level and compliments my existing level 3 in lettings and property management as well as my 15 years in the industry. We have our sights set on further qualifications which I see as fundamental to improve standards in the industry and provide our clients with that trust and security that only formal qualifications can give.Currently we are in the process of becoming members of Propertymark which will further raise our service levels and security we can offer clients.Additionally, in the spirit of transparency I am also investing in block chain technology that wil provide greater communication between the sellers solicitor, buyers solicitor and myself. All with the aim of speeding up the process of sales progression which everyone who knows me, knows I am extremely passionate about. Faster process mean less fall throughs; it is as simple as that. My success rating is way above the national average however I am confident that I can raise that further.Furthermore, I have always been an advocate of professional marketing and now very excited to be rolling out my own means of marketing clients homes which will give more flexibility, more content and also reduce the amount of viewings that could be avoided. I cannot say too much but the technology should be with me in 5 weeks. All at no additional cost to my clients. This is an exciting time for my business and my family. I intend to make the most of this year and I look forward to working with you. To all my previous clients, thank you so much for your trust and your business. To my existing clients, thank you for your business and heres to getting you over the line this year. Kind regards, Paul p.s interested to know the different methods to present your price? Click the link below https://youtu.be/HrHlbmKkAkw

Paul Stripp Estate Agency Comments

The future of estate agencies in the UK is changing – or is it? In recent weeks, Boomin, the digital property matchmaker, launched to dislodge the main portal websites such as Rightmove, Zoopla, and On the market. Founded by the Bruce Brothers who started Purplebricks, Boomin has been enticing agents to sign up for free (we know because we’re one of them!). What Does Boomin Mean for Estate Agents? Boomin has many estate agents worried as it appears to be setting itself up to connect buyers and sellers together without the need for an estate agent at all. Whilst Boomin has publicly advised that they have no intention of making estate agents redundant, it seems more certain than ever that if Boomin doesn’t make this move, then another tech giant such as Facebook or Google shortly will.  How Can Estate Agents Fight Back? Unfortunately, the dark truth of technology is finally catching up with Estate Agency – an industry that is years behind in tech. In our opinion, if the estate agency industry is going to survive the next decade, then we’ve got to start moving with the times and rebuild trust in the estate agency name.  Boomin may not succeed in making estate agents redundant, but it’s not really Boomin that we need to worry about; it’s what comes after Boomin.  While this may all sound a bit doom and gloom, estate agents do have one major thing going for them – they’re human! Regardless of how sophisticated AI gets, people will always want to deal with people, especially when it comes to your most important asset and one with highly emotional ties.  Technology can do a lot, and there’s no doubt that our industry is going to change very quickly, but nevertheless, I foresee a brighter future for Estate Agents, one that combines the usefulness of the internet with the personal touch provided by physical estate agents.  To find out what sets Paul Stripp Estate Agency, Battle, apart and why we are confident that we have a space in the new modern world of estate agency, get in touch with us today.