TURNING LIFE AROUND Neil Maxwell
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espite the recent lockdowns the property market has proved resilient with a good level of demand and resulting sales and lettings. With the end of the stamp duty incentive on the 31st March hurtling towards us, everyone is working hard to facilitate these transactions, but with so many different parties involved, from solicitors to mortgage lenders, surveyors, Land Registry, local council, and estate agents there are a lot of moving parts to orchestrate. The different Lockdowns have provided the opportunity for those of us not on the frontline to look at our homes in a different way, and with so many of us now working from home the need for a study or work area has become a priority. Of course, some people are lucky enough to have a spare bedroom or a barely used dining room to turn into a home office, but others have had to be more imaginative, my top prize so far, goes to an airing cupboard conversion. COVID-19 has certainly turned life on its head, but there have been some positive outcomes for some. For instance, I recently visited a property where the owner had swapped a two-hour daily commute with a journey of twenty-three steps to a garden office. In addition, the family had been able to renovate their kitchen with the money they have saved from commuting, and with less daily journeys to make, realised they no longer needed to have two cars and now have one. They were next planning to install solar panels
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to offset their increased use of electricity due to being at home so much of the time. When we carry out valuations, air source heat pumps (which proclaim to save 52% on energy bills compared to a gas boiler), solar panels, power banks and other environmentally sound innovations are becoming the norm, both enhancing the saleability and value of a property, whilst also playing a vital part in safeguarding our environment. As electric cars become more common, my prediction is that homes with off-road parking, or at least, easy access to a charging point will very much add value to a property. On the subject of cars, it’s great that Enterprise Car Club have made Wimbledon Sports Club another spot for residents to hire cars by the hour, but we need more sites around our city. Bristol and Brighton each have around 18 car club pick up points dotted around their cities. Admittedly, both Bristol and Brighton have larger populations than Portsmouth, but the more convenient it is for people to use car clubs, the more likely it is that people will forgo car ownership, which has to be better for the environment and traffic congestion. One final note, although, at the time of writing, most of the shops remain closed, we are very much open and happy to provide all our services delivered in a COVID-safe environment, so if you’re thinking of moving or letting give us a call!
