It’s no secret that home renovations can give your home a boost in value. But knowing which DIY projects will reap the most benefits is a tricky one.

If you’re flipping a property or selling up in the next few years, being selective about what you renovate is always a wise choice. Some renovations are worth more in resale value than others.

If you’re looking for ideas on what renovations will add the most value to your home, here are Perry Bishop’s top four choices based on UK demand.

1. A Conservatory

Conservatories have always been popular with UK buyers. They add more living space and can sometimes even boost the amount of natural light that spans across the downstairs of your home. By choosing to install a double-glazed or solar-controlled glass conservatory, you could easily add value to your home.

Plus, the good thing about conservatories is that they can extend the square meterage of your home, without you having to pay for a costly extension. It’s a cheaper solution that can easily pay for itself if the market is there for it.

2. A Loft Conversion With a Bedroom En-Suite

It’s no secret that the more bedrooms you have, the more value you can add to your home. If you add an extra bedroom with an en-suite bathroom to your loft, you can boost your home’s value up into the next pricing tier. Some loft conversions can even add as much as 15% to the valuation estimate[1]!

3. A Garden Office

Since the number of people working from home is on the rise, installing a home office in your garden could be one of the best renovation ideas for your property. Summer houses that are properly installed as productive home offices can cost anywhere between £5,000 and £20,000[2]. But the value this extra space could add to your home could be well worth the investment!

4. An Open Plan Kitchen-Living Space

Open plan kitchen and living rooms can be a simpler DIY project than it sounds. If all you need to do is knock down the wall that separates your two main spaces, you can add value to your home without needing to extend it.

Just make sure you always seek advice from a professional before taking down walls. The last thing you want to do when you’re thinking of selling is to make your house structurally unstable!

Thinking About Resale Value?

If you’re thinking about the resale potential when renovating your home, we’d love to talk to you! Perry Bishop are your local property experts and are here to help. Our friendly team of agents can help get your home ready for buyers looking to move in 2022 and beyond.

Call your local branch of Perry Bishop. We look forward to helping you with any of your property questions.

[1] https://www.propertypriceadvice.co.uk/home-improvements/ten-of-the-best-ways-to-add-value-to-your-home

[2] https://www.homebuilding.co.uk/advice/how-to-add-value-to-your-home

Perry Bishop Cheltenham have enhanced their sales and lettings team with the appointment of Ross Burbidge as their new Branch Manager. Ross brings with him a wealth of property experience in and around Cheltenham, having worked as an estate agent for a number of years – most recently for independent agents Elliot Oliver. Although he grew up in North Devon, Ross came to Cheltenham to study at Gloucestershire University in 2007 and has remained here ever since.

Perry Bishop Director Gavin Wallace continues to oversee the Cheltenham and Leckhampton offices and will now be specialising in sales and lettings in Leckhampton and neighbouring villages. Gavin is delighted to welcome Ross to the team:

“The appointment of Ross strengthens Perry Bishop’s service offering across the whole of the town and surrounding villages. Ross has helped numerous families and individuals on the move in Cheltenham town centre, Bishop’s Cleeve, Winchcombe and beyond. He is highly regarded in the industry and has earned a well-deserved reputation for pulling out all the stops to ensure the best moving experience.”

Ross lives in Pittville and when he’s not selling or letting properties, he can either be found on the cricket pitch in Hatherley and the Reddings, cheering on the Robins at Cheltenham Town FC or having a flutter at Cheltenham Races. He also enjoys country walks with his partner and cocker spaniel, Lucky!

Ross is happy to deal with any of your property enquiries and is also available to provide an up-to-date valuation of your home. If 2022 is the year of your next move, do get in touch.

Call Ross on 01242 246980
Email: rossburbidge@perrybishop.co.uk
Or pop in to see him in branch, on the Bath Road – opposite Morans!

For the 4th  year in a row  Perry Bishop has been independently identified as one of the top estate agents in the country and will be included in  the Best Estate Agent Guide, compiled by the Property Academy with the support of Rightmove.  Only the UK’s top 5% of agents make it into the Guide.

Managing Director Phillip Bishop travelled through to Evolution London in  Battersea Park for this year’s EA Masters Conference, joined by eight other members of staff from across Perry Bishop’s branch network. The team were delighted to collect their certificates of excellence from Guest Speaker, renowned para Olympian Dame Sarah Story.

The Best Estate Agent Guide is a website (www.bestestateagentguide.co.uk) that provides an independent reference source for sellers and landlords, who can search for the best sales and lettings agency offices in their areas.

Over 3 billion data points are analysed in the annual search for the top performers – the biggest assessment of any industry. The awards are made for property marketing, results and customer service – which consumers consider to be among the most important criteria when deciding which agent to sell or let their property.

“These awards follow a rigorous and independent assessment and we are thrilled to have been recognised as among the best in the country for both our sales and lettings service” Phillip Bishop.

Join us on Saturday in the grounds of Faringdon House for a glorious fireworks display, a huge bonfire and live music – all organised by Faringdon Rotary Club.

We are delighted once again to sponsor this popular event, which enables everyone in our town to enjoy a spectacular and safe firework display and at the same time help raise money for the invaluable work of our local Rotary club.

Gates open at 6pm. Live music at 6.30pm and after fireworks. Firework display at 7pm.

• Family ticket: £28 or £35 on the night (for 2 adults and 2 children)
• Adult ticket: £10 or £13 on the night
• Children (5 -17 years old): £8 or £10 on the night
• Under 5s: Free of Charge

Tickets on sale at Tesco, Waitrose, The Barbers Shop, Faringdon Town Council and The Pump House.

Alternatively, call Faringdon Rotary Club on 01367 810655/244616

faringdonrotaryclub.org

We look forward to seeing you there!

Moving house is a pretty stressful event at the best of times, and that’s when everything runs like clockwork.

Unfortunately, life doesn’t always run so smoothly, and there are plenty of potential pitfalls and oversights that you’ll want to avoid if your move is to go as planned.

Here are 6 of the most common moving house horrors you might come across, and how to avoid them.

1. Not Packing An Essentials Box

As moving day horrors go, this isn’t too bad, but it can be extremely frustrating. Just imagine, you’re sitting in your new pad, feet up on the sofa after a long day and your phone battery is down to the final 2%. There’s a mountain of boxes in front of you, and you can’t remember for the life of you where you put that phone charger. Damn!

Substitute phone charger for kettle and tea bags in the above scenario and you’ve pretty much got the same situation.

Just remember when you’re packing up your old place – keep a box of essentials separate from everything else!

2. Furniture Doesn’t Fit

This is an awkward one, especially if it’s something valuable or sentimental to you. Equally, if it’s the sofa or a bulky bed, then you might not have somewhere to sit or sleep for a few weeks while you’re waiting on a new one to be delivered.

It’s always a good idea to measure up in advance, unless you have furniture that can be taken apart and easily reassembled, or if you’re lucky the new place might have double doors into the garden so you’ll breeze through the back door with that swanky sofa.

Again, as with most things, preparation is key. If you’ve measured up in advance and there’s just no practical way of getting your bulky furniture into the new place, then at least you’ll have time to donate or sell it and get something new ordered. And on the plus side, it’s one less thing to have to take with you on moving day!

3. Forgetting To Notify People Of Your New Address

If it’s the in-laws then maybe ‘accidentally forgetting’ isn’t such a bad thing! But on a serious note it’s important you inform a few essential people, such as your bank, employer, and utility providers. After all, you don’t want to be paying for someone else’s gas and electricity in your old place too!

A good way to avoid this is to make a list of all the companies and service providers you use a few weeks before you move, and tick them off as you notify them. It’s also worth getting in touch with Royal Mail and having your post redirected for a few months, as you’re bound to miss someone out.

4. Damaging Items

If you think your smartphone is fragile, just imagine what could happen to your 60 inch Plasma screen if you drop it! The best way to avoid damage is to package everything overly cautiously and don’t rush. Just remember, you can never have too much bubble wrap, and it’s better to take your time and get everything in the house in one piece than finish by lunchtime and have broken glass on your new living room carpet.

Of course, accidents can happen though, so make sure you’ve got your contents insurance in place ready for moving day. And, if you’re using a removal company, check they’re insured too before you hire them.

5. Running Out Of Time

If you’re a naturally laidback person then it’s time to focus and be organised. Just for a few weeks at least!

If you’ve never moved home before it can be easy to underestimate how long it takes to get everything packed up, especially if you’re wrapping your valuables well to protect them.

As much as you won’t want to live among boxes for a few weeks before your move, it’s often necessary in order to have a smooth moving day when the time comes.

So unlike your school exams that you didn’t revise for until the night before, don’t leave your packing until the last minute, or you’ll be running around like a headless chicken on the morning of your move!

6. Getting An Injury

Ok, so you’ll have to be really unlucky to trip over a box and break your leg, but it’s not completely impossible.

A more likely injury is a pulled muscle or a back spasm. Ouch! Just take your time with all the heavy items, make sure you’ve got plenty of pairs of hands to help out, and don’t overstretch yourself!

Talk To The Experts

Here at Perry Bishop, we provide advice that can help you avoid these Halloween horrors! Call your local office for further information. Our fang-tastic teams look forward to helping you with your next move!

When our talented videographer Dane isn’t producing wonderful video tours of the properties we’re marketing, he also loves to take his drone out and about above the skies of some of the fantastic towns in which Perry Bishop works.

This latest video captures Cirencester beautifully, depicting some of the town’s stunning landmarks. If you’re thinking about a move to Cirencester, watching this may just help you make up your mind and if you already live or work in this special town it makes you realise just how lucky you are.

Anyone who sells with Perry Bishop can enjoy a video tour of their home, which really does ensure your property stands out from the crowd. For more details talk to your local Perry Bishop office.

Enjoy the film. We realise that Cirencester is already a popular tourist destination, but this may just encourage a few more visitors to venture to this lovely market town – packed with fascinating history and a High Street that’s hard to beat.

Welcome to Cirencester

This month’s House Price Index Report, published by property portal Zoopla, takes stock of what’s happened in this record year for property sales but crucially also looks ahead to next year – specifically the outlook for sales and price growth and the economic trends that will impact buyer demand in 2022.

Here’s the Executive summary:

• 2021 a record year with sales set to exceed highs of 2007 (1.5m)
and over £473bn of new sales agreed – £95bn higher than 2020.
• No sign of any cliff edge in demand. The impact of the pandemic
on activity has further to run – albeit at a less frenetic pace.
• Further room for above average price growth in most affordable
housing markets where the current rate of growth is highest.
• The primary headwinds in 2022 will come from higher living costs
and increased mortgage rates which will impact buying power.
• UK house price growth to slow to +3% over 2022 with 1.2m sales.
• House price growth will be greatest in the North West and East
Midlands (+4%) and lowest in London (+2%).

“It is now clear that the impact of a global pandemic on the UK housing
market was not going to be short lived. We believe the impact of the
pandemic has further to run into 2022, supporting market activity and
sales volumes. The primary catalysts will be an ongoing re-evaluation
of housing needs, increased housing equity and moves in parts of the
labour force to more hybrid working. ”

To read Zoopla’s UK House Price Index in full click here.

Homeowners making energy efficiency improvements before selling are banking as much as 16% extra on average, compared to those who haven’t made any improvements, according to a new study from Rightmove.

The study analysed over 200,000 homes listed on Rightmove that had sold twice, with an improved EPC rating the second time, to understand the impact of energy efficiency improvements on the final sold price of a home.
Those who had upgraded their rating from an F to a C, are adding an average of 16% to the price achieved for their home. Moving from an E to a C is banking sellers an extra 8% on average, and moving from a D to a C is resulting in an average of 4% extra.

Based on the current national average asking price of property, £344,445, this could mean an additional £55,111 for someone moving from an F to a C rating, £27,556 for someone moving from an E to a C rating, or an extra £13,778 for someone moving from a D to a C rating.

This comes as the government releases its Heat and Buildings Strategy, designed to set out how to lower the carbon emissions of homes and commercial buildings. Rightmove’s data suggests buyers are willing to pay a premium to secure a home more ready for the future.

In the last five years, more than one in five (22%) homes in Great Britain has upgraded from a D rating or below, to a C rating or above. The South East topped the regional list at 26%, followed by Wales (24%) and the East of England (23%).

At a local level, Cardiff leads the way with the biggest proportion of its homes improved from a D rating or below, to a C rating or above in the last five years, with more than a third (35%). Coventry (34%) came second, and Barry in Wales (33%) came third.

Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s Director of Property Data comments:

“Ahead of Cop26, many people will be more conscious of their personal impact on the planet, and will be looking for ways to be greener, including in their home. Although some of the bigger improvements to make homes more energy-efficient can be costly, in its latest strategy, the government has outlined ways it wants to support green choices.
“Our study suggests the longer-term value upgrading the rating of your home’s Energy Performance Certificate can have when it comes to the time to sell. While this naturally needs to be balanced with the investment needed to improve it, we expect that the energy efficiency of a home will increasingly be a priority for buyers in the next few years, and these initial numbers suggest people are willing to pay an extra premium for a home better designed for the future.”

article courtesy of Property Reporter

Looking to move house but can’t find one to move to? Buying new could be the answer.

2021 has been a great year for anyone selling up, particularly in our part of the world where house prices have risen more than 10% year on year. Naturally, many of us contemplating a move are keen to take advantage of the buoyant housing market but have held back, unable to find anywhere to move to.

Buying brand new could be the perfect solution in a market where the number of properties for sale is low. Buying a new home also offers you much greater certainty of the sale completing, with no fear of the seller pulling out due to a change of heart or a break in the chain they find themselves in. Getting mortgage approval for a new home is also usually very straight-forward, as it’s highly unlikely any nasties will show up on the survey for a new build home. And if you’re concerned about energy costs – and with the recent announcement of significant hikes in gas prices, who isn’t? – then buying a brand new home, boasting green credentials and a high EPC rating is a no-brainer.

A number of other real advantages of buying new, include:

• Lower maintenance
• Peace of mind – sold with a warranty
• Personalisation – choice of fixtures, fittings and finishes when buying off plan
• More favourable financial incentives

At Perry Bishop, we sell a lot of new build homes and have had the pleasure of working with a number of national, regional and local developers – large and small – bringing to the market beautiful new homes and apartments across Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire. We don’t sell ‘cookie-cutter’ homes. We work with award-winning developers who build bespoke new homes to very high standards – quality materials, contemporary fixtures and fittings and energy efficient. For inspiration, ask us about some of the beautiful new homes we are currently marketing across our region, including:

Green Walk, Standish – stunning new homes, including apartments and large detached family homes, set in an area of outstanding natural beauty in the Stroud Valleys.
Daintree, Christian Malford – stylish development built with energy efficiency in mind, located in this beautiful Wiltshire town.
The Hendon, Great Somerford – Exclusive development of detached family homes in this attractive and thriving North Wiltshire village.
Pinnigers, East Tytherton – Six stunning heritage barn conversions, each one unique, set in wonderful rural location but within each reach of train service into London. Only 1 remaining!

Coming Soon:
• Stroud Valleys – two x cottage-style properties in Nailsworth and three  cottage-style homes in the village of Horseley.
• New Bovis development in Cam, South Gloucestershire
• New penthouse apartment in Tetbury
• Exclusive development in Cirencester
• 4 & 5 bedroom executive homes in Sutton Benger

Please do get in touch with your local Perry Bishop team for further details of any of our new home sales.

If you live in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire or Wiltshire and are interested in buying new why not join our Local VIP Club and be among the first to hear about planned new developments in your area.

Think of an estate agent’s office as a petrol filling station. Over the past eighteen months there have been queues of buyers wanting to find a property. The uplift in enquiries has kept agents rushed off their feet. The demand is higher than it’s ever been in working memory for many in the property business.

Things will probably normalise at the pumps before long. Apart from the blame game – how did this happen and why? – everyone will soon be going about their business as before.

But the property industry is not like the fuel business. With fuel there is a distribution issue. With property there is currently a supply issue. This difficulty will resolve itself when enough people in the existing housing stock want to move on, and the builders start building. Let’s hope Michael Gove – the nineteenth housing minister in the last twenty years – will remain in office long enough to help.

Like fuel the property market will take time to settle, although it will take longer. But everyone should be aware that with property there is no normal. It is either flying high or flying low – or heading in one of those directions. Buyers and sellers must play the cards they have. But, buyers’ market or sellers’ market, it all usually evens itself out in the end.

So, be a property optimist. Don’t let the market rule you. Do what is suitable for you and your family when you need to. That way you will rule the market and not be a panic buyer or seller. And if everyone does what you do there will be more property at the pumps.

Join our local VIP Buyers Club today to find out about properties coming on stream before they hit the property portals and find out what your property is currently worth by clicking here.

We look forward to helping you with your next move.