Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) were introduced in 2007 to give buyers a better understanding of the energy efficiency of a property they may wish to buy. The EPC is a legal  requirement if you are selling or renting a property and are valid for 10 years from date of issue.

An EPC document includes an assessment of the current energy performance and estimated energy costs of the property as well as its potential future energy efficiency, if you were to implement the recommendations in the report.

1.The EPC rating graphic

The ratings graphic shows how efficient your property is on a scale from A (very energy efficient to G (not very efficient). The higher the rating, the lower your potential energy costs will be.

Each letter is also assigned to a group of numbers (from 1 to 100). The higher up the scale, the better the property's efficiency.  The first of two arrows shows the propertys current rating, whilst the second highlights the property’s potential rating if more energy-efficient features were to be installed.

The average EPC rating for a home in the UK is D.

The report goes on to details the changes you could make to improve the energy efficiency of the property, as well as detailing the estimated costs and potential savings you could make.

Who needs an EPC?

Sellers : It's a legal requirement to have an EPC for your home, before you sell it. You can arrange it through your Estate Agent, or directly with an EPC provider. The EPC register lists approved providers: https://www.epcregister.com/

Buyers. You should receive a copy of the EPC from the seller. Which you can use to plan energy efficiency improvements to the property or to negotiate the property price you pay.

Landlords. It is a legal requirement for buy-to-let properties to have an energy efficiency rating of E or above, before you can take on a new tenant or renew an existing contract. Later this year the rule will apply to existing tenancy agreements too.

Tenants. You should receive a copy of the EPC for the property you are renting. It will help you plan and budget for energy costs.

How can you improve the energy efficiency of your home?

• Insulate your floors, roof, loft and walls. Good quality insulation reduces the need for heating, which in turn reduces your energy consumption.
• Double glazing: heat is rapidly lost through single glazed windows. Double-glaze them to reduce your energy consumption. 
• Solar panels: the cost for these is reducing and they can provide cheaper, greener energy. 
• Low-energy lighting: low cost and easy to install, with no structural alterations required, low-energy light bulbs is a cheap, easy way to lower your energy bills.

According to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) and the Home Owners Alliance (HOA), you can enhance the value of your property by almost £50,000 simply by removing an internal wall to create an open plan kitchen and dining area.

Chief executive of the FMB, Brian Berry, said the work would cost less than £3,500, take seven days to carry out, and would add £48,417 to an averagely priced home in London.

"By investing in low-cost, high-return projects, not only will you make your home a more pleasant place to live, you’ll also be increasing its value significantly. Better still, these projects take no time at all so the hassle factor will be kept to an absolute minimum," he said. 

But what if this isn't an option? What other projects could you invest in to significantly add value in a short amount of time? Here are some options:

1. Build a garden room or outside playroom. Typical costs for this project will be in the region of £6,500, but will add an average (in Surrey) of over £35,000. A massive £28.5k profit.
2. Update your kitchen. With careful planning this could cost in the region of £4,000, but could add almost £27,000 to the value of your property.
3. Turn a cupboard into a downstairs toilet. With an initial outlay of just over £2,500 it could add up to £24,000 to the value of your property
4. Add an en-suite bathroom.  Converting part of a bedroom into a a bathroom can cost as little as £4,700, but add in excess of £14,500 to the value of your home.
5. Add a driveway. If you have the space, buyers will pay more for a property with added parking space. For an investment of £2,200 you could add £13,300 to the value of your property.
6. Install decking. For just under £4,000 you could add decking and lighting generating additional value of up to £9,000.

Potential returns will vary by property and location. Contact us if you'd like specific advise, before you invest the money.

If you're thinking about buying a new home, you'll need to budget for more than just the deposit. It's a stressful time, saving! You work hard to put away savings each month and feel like celebrating when you have saved enough for that all important deposit. But don't get carried away too early, as there are other costs that you need to take into account!

When you're working out your 'buying a house' budget, you also need to take account of the cost of buying, your mortgage fees and moving costs - on top of your deposit. It all adds up and can easily plunge you into debt if an unexpected bill hasn't been taken into account.

Here's what you need to know about and budget for:

1. Mortgage fees. On top of your deposit you need to take account of the charges that your mortgage provider will require as part of the application process. These can vary from a few hundred pounds to several thousand pounds. Shop around to get the best possible deal. Also bear in mind that an electronic transfer fee is often applicable when the mortgage is paid out. This is often in the region of £50.
2. Surveyors fees. You may view this as a necessary evil in order to comply with your mortgage, but having a professional survey could save you thousands in the longer run. A basic survey could be as little as £250 to £300, but really amounts to little more than a valuation. Paying extra for a homebuyers report, or even a full structural survey, could identify issues that enables you to renegotiate the price or save you money and headaches in the longer term.
3. Legal fees. You will need a solicitor to carry out the legal searches on your property; to identify if a new motorway is likely to be built alongside your new property, for example. Fees for these are typically less than £250. Whilst the paperwork for the purchase of your property could cost £1000 to £1500.
4. Stamp duty. Depending upon the purchase price of your property you will need to pay stamp duty to the Government. If you are a first time buyer you won't pay stamp duty on the first £300,000. Whilst you are only exempt from paying stamp duty on the first £125,000 if you are not a first time buyer.
    

   Rate	Charge Band
   0%	Up to £125,000 First-time buyers: first £300,000 for property up to £500,000
   2%	Over £125,000 to £250,000
   5%	Over £250,000 to £925,000
   10%	Over £925,000 to £1,500,000
   12%	Over £1,500,000

5. Estate Agent fees. You only pay estate agent fees of you are selling a property. So if you are a first time buyer, you shouldn't need to budget for Estate Agent fees. If you are selling, the fees are typically one to three per cent of the final sales price. With VAT usually chargeable on top of that.
6. Moving costs. Unless you are prepared to rent a van and move yourself, you will need to budget for a professional removal company to move your possessions. Fees are typically £400 to £600.
7. Decorations and refurbishment costs. It's worth being clear exactly what is included within the sale. If you need to buy carpets, curtains, curtain rails and more, these can quickly eat into your budget. Even a fresh lick of paint can add up. And that's before any more extensive refurbishments that may be required. Where possible get quotes up front, so you know what costs will be applicable after you've purchased the property.
8. Rates. And finally, make sure you know what rates are payable (to your Local Authority) for the property that you are purchasing. As this can often be another overlooked cost.

Buying and selling a home can be a stressful process, so it's important you are aware of the pitfalls that can cause a sale (or rental) to fall though. If you address these early in the process your chances of the deal going through is much greater.

According to the NAEA (National Association of Estate Agents) Propertymark, these are the factors that most commonly cause issues:

1.      Nuisance neighbours. If you've had an issue with a neighbour eg over boundaries, shared access or anti-social noise you're better off being honest early in the process rather than risk it affecting things later down the line.

2.      Structural problems. If you know of any structural problems with your property, you should fix them straightaway. Or, as a minimum, get a contractor to provide an estimate for the work, so this can be included as part of the negotiation. 

3.      Japanese knotweed. This invasive plant has deep roots that can damage the foundations of properties. If you think you have any, call a professional to get rid of it. Not only can it significantly devalue your property, it puts it at risk of subsidence and could affect the ability to get a mortgage on the property.

4.      Rail timetable changes. If you're within a commuter belt. Changes to timetables can affect the saleability (or rental) of your property.

5.      Planning permission. Have you had any work carried out on your property whilst you've been living there? Such as extensions or conversions? If you have, make sure you have all the documents you need to prove they have been completed in accordance with local planning regulations.

6.      Remaining lease length. If your property has a short lease time remaining, you should provide this information as early as possible.

7.      Flight paths. Noise form airports is cited as one of the common reasons why a purchase fails to go through. Be honest with prospective purchasers (or tenants) about how much you can hear and at what time of day you're disrupted.

8.      Parking disputes. If you have a dispute with a neighbour over street parking or shared driveways, try to resolve them with your neighbour first. If necessary, check the deeds of your property to see where boundaries lie.

9.      School catchment areas. This is one of the most important factors for parents of school age children. Make sure you are up-to-date with the local schools, so you can advise if your property falls within the catchment areas.

10.  Damp.  Not only can damp cause damage to a property it can also be a health risk. Most cases of damp are simple and inexpensive to fix. If you're concerned get a specialist company in who can advise what works need carrying out and the potential costs. You may need to factor this into the sale price of your home.

It's long been understood that colour has the power to transform behaviour and shape the way that we perceive a wide variety of goods and services. Businesses spend millions in branding and marketing to encourage us to chose their brand above others.

In our homes, we also use colour to affect the mood and ambience of each room. With brands such as Dulux investing heavily in the branding of colours to reflect the style, heritage and personality that we want to portray.

One of the most often overlooked items, when considering our colour schemes, is the colour of the humble front door. Yet this is one of the first things that potential buyers or tenants will see. Helping them form an impression of your property, long before they step through the front door.

Current colour trends typically take property owners down one of two roads. Bright yellow, pink and turquoise are very much on trend, giving properties a wow factor with a flash of vivid colour. The other option, also popular, is to adopt a more traditional, subtle, muted colour such as deep blue, dark grey and sage green. As timeless colours they help create an impressions of style and heritage.

So, can the colour of our front door influence the potential sale or letting of your home? Many agents think so. But, it would appear, that the choice of colour is dependent upon where you live.

Here's what Country Life suggest:

• If you live in the country or in a country village, avoid paint altogether. Instead use varnish on bare wood to compliment the countryside.
• If you live by the sea, chose a colour that matches the ocean.
• If your property is constructed in yellow sandstone a duck-egg clue can be appealing
• If your property is constructed with brick, adding a contrasting colour such as deep blue is popular.

Taking all of the above into account, according to Country Life's research blue is the most popular colour when it comes to selling or letting a property.

Historically, the Christmas and New Year holidays see record visits to sites such as Rightmove and Zoopla, with over 1.6m properties viewed online as people escape the Christmas turkey to think about their next move.

Understandably, many people are reluctant to sell or let their property until after the New Year. But, if you are thinking of moving, selling or letting a property in January, can you afford not to put your property in front of potential buyers at this important time of year?

Even if your property is listed with an agent, you don't have to conduct viewings, if you don't want to. The likelihood is that potential buyers or tenants would prefer to wait until the New Year anyway. Instead, get your property listed, so you're ready to take action as soon as the holiday season is over.

Here's what we recommend:

1. Book your market appraisal now. We can discuss with you a strategy to get your property in front of buyers or tenants by the 21st December, so that your listing is available for all those buyers researching over Christmas.
2. Get your home ready for selling. Use your preparations for Christmas as a time to de-clutter and to fix those DIY jobs.
3. Get your paperwork in order. Get your payslips, bank statements, tax returns and employment contracts together, so you are ready to apply for your next mortgage, demonstrate that you have the funds in place for your next property or be able to quickly complete the tenant application process.
4. Get a surveyor lined up to complete a survey on your property. Unless you are buying a new property, which will come with all or some of  a 10 year NHBC guarantee, chances are that you will need some form of survey completing on your next property. Use the run-up to Christmas to decide who you are going to use and what type of survey you are going to undertake.

If you are thinking of selling or letting before or just after Christmas, planning ahead will ensure you get a head start in the New Year, will ensure your property is in front of potential buyers over the Christmas break and still enables you to enjoy family time without disruption. Voila!

Get in touch today, if you'd like to arrange a free market appraisal of your property.