Bathrooms & Washrooms

7 things that devalue a property, according to an expert

Retaining the value of your property is an importance to every homeowner. You want to maintain the elements that led you to purchase your house. Home improvements can be an expensive venture, but it’s no surprise that doing certain things, can enhance the value of your home. Over time, your property will need to be given a new lease of life in the form of refurbishment, redecorating or even a large renovation. However, some improvements to your property might make it less attractive to others. According to Bankrate UK’s October survey, 46% of buyers had their prospective property down valued. Many factors such as the location, square footage and local schools can determine the value of a property, but some things are in the homeowner’s control.

There are several things that homeowners should avoid as they have a negative impact on the home and the property’s value. From outdated interior to dodgy DIY, we’ve asked Thomas Goodman, property expert at MyJobQuote.co.uk to share the top 7 things that devalue a property.

1) Poor workmanship

innocent task to do around the house, but after time you’ll be able to tell the difference. Professional work is second to none in quality, when buyers step into your home and agents do a valuation, they will take note of details. Your DIY tiling job might look appealing to you, but amateur work doesn’t have the same finish. Uneven floors, unsafe electrics and poorly fitted kitchen units could all bring down the value of your property. Whilst some jobs can be of high standard, you should always hire a qualified tradesman for areas including plumbing, heating and gas. If these jobs are not completed to a high standard, they may also be a potential hazard.

Completing DIY jobs on the cheap usually backfires in the long term and will only give the potential buyer and surveyor a chance to negotiate on selling price.

2) Dull exterior

The outside of your house is as important as the inside. Your exterior is the first thing people see when they arrive at your door. Estate agents name this as ‘kerb appeal’, if your garden is unkept this will set the tone for the inside of your house. Artificial grass might be a low maintenance option, but it can deter some people away, especially if they are a young family. Broken fences are a common feature of an unkept garden, fences add a sense of privacy to a property, so ensure yours is fixed and solid. Your exterior doesn’t have to be anything extravagant, but vibrant flowers, plant pots and cut grass will make a big difference to the ambience. Take some time to put TLC into your exterior as this is where first impressions are made.

3) Loud interiors

Everyone has their own individual style, but loud interiors might not appeal to all buyers. A bright yellow wall in the kitchen could be comforting for you, but it might portray your room in a different light to others. The way forward is to keep things simple, quirky décor, such as textured wallpaper, is best to be avoided. Embrace neutral colour schemes and opt for warming hues such as light grey and terracotta. They might seem far from exciting, but it’s the best way for surveyors to see the potential and for buyers to imagine themselves residing in your home. It’s the next best thing to a blank canvas.

4) Old kitchens

In terms of properties, kitchens have been revolutionised the most due to technological advances. From the way we cook, to the size of the breakfast bar, they have changed throughout the years. The three most important elements are the tabletops, cabinetry and appliances. A modern kitchen will help to sell a house. It can be expensive to have a complete overhaul and refit the entire unit, but potential buyers might be put off if they must visualise the amount of work they need to do.

This piece was brought to you by the experts at www.myjobquote.co.uk

Read the rest of this article on our website, click here

As we move forward into 2021 and the challenges that continue to face us, we would like to take this opportunity to reiterate our policy of stockholding and how it is even more relevant at present

“‘These are challenging times for all businesses, and the last thing we need to make our projects even more stressful is a delayed chain of supply,” says Managing Director, JIS Europe, Richard Thelwell. “We are able to maintain the chain of supply quite simply due to our longstanding policy of stockholding providing further financial stability to ourselves but as importantly to our customers.”

Furthermore the Sussex Range is manufactured from 100% stainless steel including our recently introduced Black Edition of powder coated rails.

“More and more people are coming round to the durability and sustainability of stainless steel, particularly after the year we have just had, we all need to be aware of our environmental and social impact.”

“On a practical note our customers don’t want to go to the expense and disruption of fitting out their bathroom to 2 years down the line find that an inferior mild steel rail rusts, leaks and they then need a complete re-tile when the replacement isn’t dimensionally identical to the original.” Stainless steel is 100% recyclable, and manufactured from over 90% recyclable material. It does not rust, flake or corrode. It is the sustainable, durable choice.

We source our rails ethically and take our social responsibility seriously, from our sourcing to our manufacture to our charity initiatives.

We offer 3 formats of rail throughout the range: Electric, dual fuel and central heating only and we offer both a polished and satin finish as well as the Black Edition Range.

“The cornerstones of our business are quite simply quality, stock holding and ultimately customer service. The three work hand in hand.”

“Wishing you all health and good will in 2021”

Should you require further details please visit our website www.sussexrange.co.uk or contact us on 01825 722988 and info@jiseurope.co.uk

Scudo to become part of the BathCom community

Harrison Bathrooms, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of bathroom products to retailers and distributors, has been approved to supply its Scudo range to BathCom.

BathCom, the online community of independent bathroom retailers, offers increased profit opportunities to its nationwide members through group buying power. The community members will now have access to Scudo’s full range of bathroom products as part of the new partnership.

Scudo offers a quality product at a valuable price point from sanitaryware and shower enclosures to bathroom furniture and brassware. With more than 1200 products and a stock value of £6m, retailers will benefit from delivery within 24-hours from Harrison Bathrooms’ 18-van delivery fleet.

David Allinson, sales director of Scudo, said: “Scudo not only offers retailers a full suite of quality bathroom products, it can also increase profit opportunities, especially when purchased through an independent group such as BathCom. We look forward to becoming part of the online community and increasing our distribution channels nationwide.”

Scudo is part of Harrison Bathrooms, a longestablished, family-run business with roots within the industry spanning more than 100 years.

Mike Nicholls, managing director of BathCom, said: ““Our mission is to offer members access to quality products with increased profit opportunities from the UK’s leading suppliers. Our community aims to ensure member retailers maintain their independence whilst benefiting from the buying power of a national group. The new partnership with Scudo meets this objective offering our members access to some of the UK’s leading quality bathroom products.”

For more information on Harrison Bathrooms or to stock the Scudo range, visit:

www.harrisonbathrooms.com

Home improvement trade body warns Government not to ignore tradespeople & independent retailers as UK set to open up for business

An institute representing thousands of tradespeople and independent retailers has called on the Government to support the home improvement industry to play a full part in the economic recovery that will be needed now that the route out of lockdown is clear.

C

ommenting on the day that the Prime Minister announces how the UK will emerge from lockdown over the coming months, the British Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom & Bathroom Installation (BiKBBI) has called for immediate action to help independent retailers open their doors and installers get to work, as well as longer-term interventions that stimulate consumer demand, open up supply chains and support skills development.

Damian Walters, Chief Executive of BiKBBI, said: “Tradespeople and independent businesses in the home improvement industry cannot afford to be ignored by the Government as we finally begin to open up the country.

“Our industry has felt the economic impact of the pandemic more than most. Installers in England and Wales invested time and money into Safe Operating Procedures that allowed them to continue serving customers through the most recent lockdown, but our members north of the border were forced to down tools as the Scottish Government took a much more restrictive approach. As a result, far too many tradespeople have struggled to make ends meet due the additional expenditure needed to work safely or the loss of income from being unable to work at all.

“Meanwhile, the industry’s independent retailers were forced to close their doors while larger competitors carried on trading thanks to loopholes that allowed them to classify as trade suppliers. The loss of business could force many shops to close for good, doing further damage to high streets that are already struggling.

“Our industry is one of the cornerstones of the UK economy, providing products and services in demand across every part of the country and offering a route to skilled work for people from all walks of life. It’s vital that every effort is made to help it quickly recover from the hit it has taken over the past year. This means immediately declassifying independent Kitchen, Bedroom and Bathroom retailers from being ‘non-essential’ so that they can compete on a level playing field with large trade suppliers. It also means working with the Scottish Government to ensure that installers in Scotland can get back to work as quickly as possible.

“Beyond that, it must include efforts to stimulate the market through tax incentives that encourage people to invest in their homes; moves to quickly unlock supply chains that have slowed over recent months; and continued support for the education and training initiatives needed to maintain a skilled workforce.

“The Prime Minister has offered a glimmer of hope to tradespeople and independent retailers who have had to contend with such huge challenges over the past year, but more will be needed to help them play a part as the national recovery gets underway.”

Ultimate Kitchens offers the industry leading cabinet, manufactured in our 12,000 sq foot factory, using the highest quality materials, offering over 100 cabinet colours, with Blum integrated soft close hinges and Legrabox drawers as standard.

It doesn’t matter if you're looking for a kitchen cupboard 511mm wide, or even 900mm deep, our factory is set up to manufacture bespoke kitchen, bedroom and bathroom cabinets along with living furniture. Having full control over what we can manufacture means that we can provide the right solution for your project. Our cabinets are delivered rigid and now, as we continue to improve our service, you can have all doors, drawer fronts and wireworks fitted in our factory to save you time during the installation.

Our service:

• We manufacture and supply cabinets only for kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms and living areas. • We manufacture and supply complete kitchen solutions. • We cut and edge laminate worktops, made to measure. • We offer a door drilling service. • We offer a door hanging service. • We can install internal wireworks in our factory for you. • We offer a single or two man delivery service – direct to site or to your premises. • We offer a 72 hour delivered remedial service. • We have 30 day credit accounts available.

For more information follow the links below:

Take a tour of our factory – www.pkbtrade.co.uk/PKB-Trade-Factory See the quality features of our cabinet – www.pkbtrade.co.uk/cabinet-construction Have a look at the ranges available – www.ultimatekitchens.co.uk

If you’re looking for a supplier to save you time and money whilst delivering a quality product and high level of service contact us today. Call us today on 01733 295565 or email sales@pkbtrade.co.uk