PygottandCrone

Rental market in prime position to bounce back

Preparing your property for sale

With demand for property prior to lockdown soaring, there are sure to be plenty of motivated buyers waiting now that the property market restrictions are relaxed, therefore now is an ideal time to prepare your property for a quick sale.

Kerb appeal
As is always the case with selling properties, a first impression can make or break a sale with a poorly presented property often putting off buyers before they have even set foot in the home. In the summer this is especially important as buyers will often drive or walk past a property before they decide to book a viewing. With the summer sun shining a light on any less-than-perfect parts of the exterior of your property, you should ensure that flowers are planted, weeds are pruned and lawns are mowed. Extra attention to details, such as ensuring that the front door has been cleaned and the windows are streak-free will pay dividends in your selling process.

Accessories
A neutral interior will appeal to a mass market and increase the scope of your property in terms of potential buyers, but if you are looking to make the most of the summer then don’t be afraid of colour. Using accessories to add pops of colour around your home that reflect the brighter summer season – such as burnt orange and lemon – will make your property stand out from the crowd in those all-important photographs.

Lights
When we think of summer, we all first think of sunshine and brighter evenings – so make the most of this light when presenting your home for sale. Get rid of heavy curtains and dark blinds, which can make a room feel smaller and prevent the light from entering a room. Buyers want to feel that rooms are bright and spacious, so if at all possible have windows and doors open throughout the house to create a light, airy feeling (as well as bringing in those fresh summer scents).

Set dress
Set dressing refers to the arranging of a room or space in order to paint a picture of the kind of lifestyle which could be enjoyed in your property. Never is it more important to set dress your garden than throughout the summer months, with potential buyers wanting to know that they will be able to enjoy the outdoor space which your home provides. Tempt potential buyers by showing off your outdoor spaces with garden furniture, fire pits and barbecues.

Viewing times
During the summer months many people like to start work early and leave early in order to benefit from the longer evenings; make sure that you can accommodate as many viewings as possible by being flexible with your viewing times. Allowing people to view your home early in the morning, as well as in the afternoon will help bring more people through the door as well as showing off your property in favourable lighting.

Rental market in prime position to bounce back

How to make your own face mask

Restrictions abroad are being lifted

As some of our closest neighbours across the pond in Europe begin to lift their most severe lockdown restrictions, there are now questions concerning our own lockdown and when it will end. As well as the question of when is the question of how; we look at other European countries to see what we can glean from them, as well as the sentiment of the British public.

Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Austria are among the leading European countries who are taking steps to end their own lockdowns, with schooling at the top of each of their lists. As lockdowns begin to ease, it seems that reopening schools, albeit daycare and primary schools only in most cases, are amongst the first to return to normality. When our own restrictions are eased, expect early-years childcare to be amongst the first to return to normality.

As well as schooling, smaller retail units are also being reopened fairly promptly, with countries producing lists of “approved businesses” – including hairdressers, DIY shops and flower shops. Germany has opened retail units based on their size, with any business that has a floorspace less than 800 square metres allowed to trade as usual, as long as social distancing measures are still adhered to. Austria has taken a more stringent view on opening “non-essential” shops, allowing shops to open with a floorspace of less than 400 square metres, half of that of the German restriction.

In terms of our own restrictions, we may see a clear-cut policy of the Government allowing shops with a specific floorspace to reopen, as in Germany and Austria, or we could go down the route of specific retail units being allowed to open due to their economic significance.

Whilst these lockdowns abroad are slowly lifted, it is important to note that there are still strict measures in place. Lockdowns across Europe are not being simply lifted, instead there is a slow and steady opening of schooling facilities, shops by necessity or size and social distancing measures are still strictly enforced.

The wearing of face masks is also becoming a familiar sight across the continent as people return to their daily lives; in some countries such as Austria the wearing of masks is obligatory in order to quell a second peak of infections. There is some scientific consternation around the efficacy of wearing face masks, and the British Government has indicated concerns that making the wearing of face masks obligatory could have detrimental effects on the supply of PPE to the NHS, therefore this may not be something we see widespread across the UK.

Whilst the past month or so has seen life in the United Kingdom, and indeed across the world, change enormously due to the coronavirus there are encouraging signs from our European comrades that life will start to return to normal in the fairly near future. Expect a measured and hesitant approach to relaxing lockdown regulations as the Government seeks to hone an exit strategy that allows for the economy and health services to recover, whilst simultaneously avoiding another surge in cases – therefore early years schooling, potentially followed by secondary schools and specific retail outlets will most likely be the first to reopen. Interestingly, it seems that as a country we are amongst the most concerned with regards to the threat of coronavirus, with a March poll published in the Journal of Risk Research finding that the UK had the highest level of perceived risk out of all the countries surveyed – this could indicate that we would be amongst the most receptive to a slower and more measured easement of lockdown restrictions than our closest counterparts.

Rental market in prime position to bounceback

How to make your own face masks

Rental market in prime position to bounce back

The effects on the property market of Covid-19 are clear; with the general populous on lockdown there are bound to be fewer movements. However, new research from the Zoopla Rental Index has indicated that people are already making rental plans for once the lockdown period is over, a positive sign for the lettings market.

In the two weeks to 14th April, demand for rental property increased by almost a third, albeit this is following the downturn due to the coronavirus in March which saw a 57% fall in demand. Year on year, rents are up 2.4% which is largely in line with annual growth seen towards the end of 2019 and in February of this year. Essentially, we are seeing demand for rental properties growing much more quickly than for sales properties, and rents are holding steady in unfavourable conditions.

“The flexibility of the rental market is one of the key factors which has allowed activity to bounce back more quickly than other parts of the property market,” said Gráinne Gilmore, head of research, Zoopla. “The rise in demand in the first two weeks in April indicates that some tenants are already mapping out their next move.

“As with the whole housing market however, activity levels and rental growth will likely be closely aligned to the economic landscape of the UK once the lockdown eases and the immediate impact of Covid-19 starts to recede.

“Rental growth has increased steadily for the last 3 years as demand has increased in the face of dwindling new supply. However, If the responses to COVID-19 contribute to a rise in unemployment, as some official bodies have forecast, this will reduce the scope for any additional growth in rents. We expect growth to moderate this year, but to remain in positive territory.”

How to make your own face mask

How to make your own face mask

As the country enters the next stage of its strategy to ease the lockdown restrictions whilst preventing the spread of Coronavirus, the Government has issued new advice to the public on how to stay safe whilst in public spaces (such as shops and public transport). The Government has asked people to wear face masks to cover their nose and mouth where social distancing is not possible. This advice has been detailed in the Government Covid-19 recovery strategy, detailing its plans for lifting the UK out of lockdown; which can be viewed here.

To prevent any additional pressure to the NHS in obtaining crucial PPE supplies, the Government has issued instructions on how to make your own face mask at home, by simply using elastic bands and some cotton fabric or even just an old T-shirt. Your face mask should be worn so that you can breathe comfortably whilst covering your nose and mouth. You should sanitise or wash your hands before putting it on and taking it off, and you should wash your face mask regularly.

We share how to make your own face mask at home below*:

Making a face mask using an old T Shirt

You will need
• One old T-shirt that you no longer want
• Scissors

Method
Step 1: Cut a straight line across the width of the T-shirt (front and back) approximately 20cm from the bottom of the T-shirt.

Step 2: From a point 2cm below the top right-hand corner of the fabric, make a 15cm horizontal cut through both sides of the fabric that is parallel to the top of the rectangle.

Step 3: Cut down towards the bottom of the fabric until you reach approximately 2cm above the bottom edge. From here, make another 15cm cut that runs parallel to the bottom of the fabric to make a rectangle that can be discarded.

Step 4: To make the ties, cut open the edge of the 2 long strips of fabric. Unfold the main piece of fabric and place over the mouth and the nose. The 4 strips act as ties to hold the cloth face covering in place and should be tied behind the head and around the neck.

Making a face mask using a piece of cotton fabric

You will need
• two 25cm x 25cm squares of cotton fabric
• two 20cm pieces of elastic (or string or cloth strips)
• needle and thread
• scissors

Method
Step 1: Cut out two 25cm x 25cm squares of cotton fabric. Stack the 2 squares on top of each other.

Step 2: Fold over one side by 0.75cm and hem, then repeat on the opposite side. Make 2 channels by folding the double layer of fabric over 1.5cm along each side and stitching this down.

Step 3: Run a 20cm length of elastic (or string or cloth strip) through the wider hem on each side of the face covering. These will be the ear loops. Use a large needle to thread it through. Tie the ends tightly.

If you only have string, you can make the ties longer and tie the covering behind your head.

Step 4: Gently pull on the elastic so that the knots are tucked inside the hem. Gather the sides of the covering on the elastic and adjust so the covering fits your face. Then securely stitch the elastic in place to keep it from slipping. These elastic loops fit over the ears.

*Our step by step guides have been taken from the Gov.uk website here

Rental market in prime position to bounceback