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Published: 22 August 2022

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7 Tips For a Smooth House Move

You have secured your new dream house, and the only thing remaining is to wait for moving day! It’s a thrilling time for anyone, single, couple, or family, and it’s easy to let the excitement get the better of you. In most cases, you will have a mountain of belongings to move from one property to another, so by planning in advance, you can make that move as smooth, efficient, and stress-free as possible.

1. Declutter in advance

It’s always best to start packing well in advance. In fact, it’s ideal if you can start packing up when you begin your new house hunt. This way, you can forget about the stress later on and instead begin to declutter and pack at the same time.

Sell any items of value that you don’t require to make a small profit and to offset some of the high costs of moving. Donate items to charity that aren’t worth selling but are still in good condition, and then recycle or bin the rest. This applies to everything, from clothes to knick-knacks. Streamline what you will bring to your new home.

2. Create a packing plan

Create a packing plan by going through what you need to have available until the day of the move. Once you have that list, you can then work out how you intend to pack up your belongings. This can be by theme, by room, or by both.

For example, you might have general bathroom boxes, bedroom boxes and kitchen boxes or you might instead pack by object type, for example packing away all your towels and tea-towels in one box and bathroom toiletries, hand soaps and so on in another. When packing, you should try and keep boxes at a manageable weight and ensure that items won’t break through the box, so don’t pile them too high! The last thing you want is for your valuables to become damaged in the moving process.

3. Label each box as you go

When packing up items in boxes, it’s very important that you label each box with its contents. This way, you won’t have to open every box right away and have your new home filled with items that don’t yet have a place to go. If you created a strategic enough packing plan, you should be able to unpack a few boxes and have everything you need to be comfortable whilst you unpack your belongings.

4. Disassemble furniture

Not every piece of furniture can easily be taken apart, but the chances are you will have at least one or two items such as beds or wardrobes. Disassembling these items can make moving your furniture and belongings so much easier. You might also want to invest in movers blankets so that your furniture doesn’t get dented when it is disassembled.

5. Have your children help you pack

If you have kids, it can be difficult to move to a new home, especially if they are worried about the change. You can improve this situation by asking them to help you pack. Have them declutter their own rooms and become involved and give them tasks disguised as games to help make the move fun.

6. Hire professional movers

Once everything is boxed up and labelled, you are going to want to hire professional movers. This takes out the heavy lifting, saves your back, and means your furniture is in good hands as it is packed up and moved into your new property. This is particularly important for furniture you couldn’t disassemble into small pieces.

7. Bring “First Night Boxes” with you

The last thing that you should pack are your “First Night Boxes”. These boxes should have clothes for a few days, towels, toiletries, bed linen, blankets, kitchen tools and utensils, such as a kettle, mugs, tea and coffee. Essentially anything you will need for the first few nights in your new home. Bring them with you in your own vehicle so that you can easily find them once all your other items are safely within your new home.

A smooth house move is one that is done well in advance. The last thing you want is to be scurrying about trying to pack everything away in a rush because your moving date is nearing, and you need to be out of the property in just a few days.

Decluttering for viewings is the perfect time to start packing and giving yourself that time means you can easily find items once you are in your new home, guaranteeing a stress-free move.

For expert advice and a smooth move, contact the team at Warren Powell-Richards today.

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Published: 20 July 2022

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How To Make the Most Of Your Patio Garden

No matter how big or small your patio garden is, there are loads of things you can do to bring it to life and turn it into a space that you’ll want to spend time in.

Here are our easy actioned top tips to help you make the most of your patio garden.

1. Keep it Bright

If space is limited, then bright colours will help make your patio area feel bigger and more spacious. You can even paint the side of the house too to give your patio garden an extra feeling of being light and airiness.

2. Give it a Focal Point

Whether it’s a fire pit, a pizza oven, or a patio dining set, giving your patio garden a focal point will make it more inviting to visitors and give the garden a sense of purpose. It also has the benefit of making the garden a functional space, rather than just an area that’s unloved and untouched.

3. Create a Tropical Paradise

Bring your patio garden to life by injecting some colour into it with a variety of exotic plants. These will work wonders in brightening the space up, and despite the UK’s cooler climate, there’s a surprising number of tropical plants that will grow here, including palm trees and tree ferns.

4. Use a Pattern to Jazz it Up

Patterned floor tiles aren’t just for kitchens and bathrooms you know. They don’t absorb water, which makes them ideal for outdoor use too, and they’re a great way to inject some of your own personality into your garden.

5. Separate the Garden into Zones

If you don’t have much space then you’ll need to get creative here, as this is easier with a bigger garden.

You could have a chillout area with a hammock or a lounging chair, and a dining area for cooking and entertaining for example. Or you could invest in some troughs to grow vegetables and keep the rest of the patio as a seating area.

The possibilities are endless but having separate zones will give each part of the garden a clear function and purpose.

6. Create a Border with Raised Flower Beds

Raised flower beds around the edge of the patio will not only look great, but they’ll help to channel focus to the patio’s centrepiece. So, for example, you could have a dining area or a fountain at the heart of the patio. You could even attach benches to the newly built flower beds to give you a seating area overlooking your centrepiece.

7. Extend your Indoor Space

If your patio is directly next to your kitchen or dining room then you could consider laying the same tiles to create a seamless transition from inside to outdoors. This will give you an al fresco dining area adjacent to your main dining area, which would be perfect for the summer months. You could even consider having a canopy installed so you can dine outdoors while sheltering from our unpredictable British weather.

8. Create Different Levels

Adding steps or an elevated area to your patio garden will help make it feel more spacious, while also adding a nice aesthetic touch to it.

For example, you could have a raised decking area with your patio dining furniture, and have spotlights incorporated into the steps.

Having different levels will also help to separate the patio into zones, such as a dining zone and a chillout zone.

9. Let There Be Light

Use lots of lights to give your garden a brighter, more spacious feel. Natural light colours will do the trick, or if you want to get creative and inject some of your own personality into the garden, then you could consider multi-coloured lights or mood lights to really put your own personal stamp on it.

10. Add a Bar

If you enjoy entertaining, then this is ideal. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune either, get creative and make a bar out of wooden pallets, which can often be found for free.

If you’re restricted by space, then this doesn’t have to be an obstacle. You can opt for a wall-mounted bar that can be pulled down when needed or folded up against the side of the house when not in use.

11. Make it Functional

Giving your garden a function is like adding an extra room to your home. It could be that you want it to be an extra lounge area, in which case you can get an outdoor sofa, or if you want more dining space then you could opt for dining furniture.

There’s no right or wrong way to use your patio garden but giving it a functional aspect will stop it from being dead space.

Let us help you find your dream home (and garden!) Warren Powell-Richards are your local property experts. Call us or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

to chat with a member of our friendly and experienced team about our properties for sale.

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Published: 20 July 2022

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4 Steps to Buying a Rental Property.

Buying and owning a rental property should be treated as a business. Even if you are not planning on having a huge portfolio of property that you rent out, it’s imperative that you cross the t’s and dot the i’s.

It may seem complicated at first, but it need not be if you plan out what you need to do, when and how. You should also seek the advice and support of professionals, whether that’s a mortgage broker, an estate or lettings agent, or an accountant.

We have four essential top tips for you to think about when it comes to buying a rental property.

As ever though, before we go through them, just a reminder that we are here for you should you need to find the right rental property to invest in. Give us a call or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

So, what are the four steps to buying a rental property

1. Get your ducks in a row!

There are many things to think about when buying a property to rent out, but the most obvious is actually having the money to buy one in the first place! This could mean that you already have the means to buy a property, or you’re seeking a buy to let mortgage.

Either way, being able to show an estate agent that you are in a position to purchase is essential. Speak with potential lenders and outline what it is you are hoping to achieve and how much you need to borrow. There are forms to fill in about your income and your outgoings before the lender is able to tell you whether or not they are likely to give you a mortgage offer.

Remember, an agreement in principle will help you show estate agents and vendors that you are serious about purchasing and have the means to do so..

Top Tip You will need to have information to hand about your financial affairs, so make sure you know all the details.

2. Speak to the right people to get the right advice

Buying a property entails a lot of legal work. Unless you are trained in such matters, you will need a solicitor who knows the buy to let property way of doing things. If you’re buying as a limited company this is another difference too, so someone experienced in such matters should be engaged.

An accountant who understands your financial position can work out the correct taxes that need to be sorted when the time comes. Buying to let may be a sound financial investment but get the tax side of things wrong and you could be in for an unwanted and hefty bill at some point.

Top Tip Do your research and ask people for recommendations.

3. Location, location…yield

So, you’ve got your ducks in a row, and you’ve spoken with your mortgage and financial advisers. Now, what about the property?

• What sort of property do you want?
• What sort of tenant do you want?
• Do you want students, an older couple, a family or professionals?
• Will you allow pets?

All these factors have to be taken into consideration because it affects where the property is and what type of property it is. Student properties may have a good annual yield, but you may not want the hassle of dealing with students, some of whom may be known for having parties!

You may also be set on a certain location, but a good lettings agent will discuss the right areas with you and advise whether or not your investment will be sound.

Top Tip Know your goals and what sort of a landlord you will be. Remember, it’s a business so it has to make business sense.

4. To manage, or not to manage?

When you have a property you are renting out, there are all sorts of things you have to do. Like maintenance, for example. Sometimes, a tenant will call you to say that the boiler has stopped working or that the fridge is broken. Then, you have gas safety certificates to sort, and now electrical safety certificates too.

So, what sort of a landlord will you be? If you don’t really have time or the skills to do the work, then you should consider a managed letting service. By this, we mean an agent will find you a tenant, do the checks, and make sure the deposit is secured where it should be, and then manage the property for a fee. If you employ a lettings agent to manage your property, this could save you a lot of time and take a headache away from you.

Top Tip Be honest about how you want to run your property and make a choice that suits you.

The first steps to becoming a landlord can seem tricky but with the right support, you can do it. Need advice? Warren Powell-Richards are your local property experts. Call us or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to chat with a member of our friendly and experienced team.

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Published: 20 July 2022

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How to Choose a Letting Agent: 7 Questions to Ask

Choosing the right letting agent is an important decision. Your property is a valuable asset and entrusting someone else to manage it for you isn’t something to be taken lightly.

Working with an expert letting agent can help save you time and even money. Plus, you can rest assured that you’re managing your property in the right way and leaving yourself less open to risk.

If you’re thinking about working with a letting agent, here are our tips on how to choose a letting agent and the best questions to ask them before you commit.

1.  Are You Regulated?

One of the first things you need to check when speaking to a potential letting agent is whether they are registered as part of a government-approved letting agency redress scheme.

Working with an unregistered letting agent can result in fines for landlords, so it’s always best to check.

2.  Are You Part of a Client Money Protection Scheme?

Just like the previous question, you also want to ensure the agency is part of a client money protection scheme – particularly if they will be handling tenancy deposits and dealing with rent collection.

3.  What Are Your Fees?

Of course, asking about fees is a given. But some letting agent fees are hidden in the fine print and may only crop up in certain situations.

For example, some letting agents charge a commission if you want to sell your property to a tenant in the future (since they introduced you and are therefore responsible for the sale).

When inquiring about fees, make sure you ask about all charges you could be liable to pay – not just the standard stuff.

4.  What Marketing Strategies Do You Use?

A good letting agent is always on the hunt for new ways to market their properties. Depending on who your target market is, modern forms of marketing (like blogging and social media) can be highly desirable.

Make sure you ask how your letting agent will market your property to see if it’s the right fit for you.

5.  Do You Know the Local Area?

Naturally, having a local letting agent has its benefits. Someone that knows the area well can market your property to potential tenants much more effectively.

Quiz the person you speak to about what’s nearby and ask to see their published local area guides.

6.  How Long Does it Take to Fill Vacancies?

Every landlord wants to fill voids as quickly as possible. And finding a good tenant usually takes time.

Regardless, a good letting agent will have the facts on the average time it takes them to fill vacancies, so make sure you ask for the figures.

7.  What Are Your Opening Hours?

When your letting agent is available to speak to you is important. You need someone that can work around your lifestyle and be ready to answer your questions when you have time to speak.

While most letting agents in a local area have standard opening hours, some may be open or available out of hours, too.

Enquire With Warren Powell-Richards Today

At Warren Powell-Richards, we are your local letting experts. If you’re thinking about working with a letting agent to help manage your property, our friendly team are happy to answer all your questions.

Give us a call today or browse our letting agent services at wpr.co.uk.