There are many ways of adding value to your home, some more costly than others, but in the long term, they can really boost your property investment.
One of the first things that surveyors and potential house buyers will check for is subsidence and structural issues.
This can not only impact whether you can get a mortgage on a property, but also drop its market value. While cosmetic improvements, such as new bathrooms or interior decor, can make a home look more appealing, you need to tackle any structural issues first.
It can be expensive depending on the issue, but the added value to your home could make a big difference.
Types of structural issues include:
It is always best to get in a professional to survey any work that might need doing to ensure it is corrected properly the first time.
Homes with central heating are always going to be more appealing to a wider audience than less-modern systems, such as oil-fired or storage heaters.
If you are able, updating your heating system can add a lot of value and buying potential to your home.
It also works in conjunction to improve the overall efficiency of the house, which is becoming more and more important to house buyers as sustainable and renewable energy becomes more popular.
As well as updating the heating, you may also want to consider the following;
You can add value to your home by adding some extra space, such as another bedroom or a conservatory.
Loft extensions are very popular as they add an additional room to your home, without needing to extend outwards into your outdoor space.
Extensions and conversions do have a large upfront cost of course, but they can really add value to your home.
Decorating is the most obvious choice when looking to improve your home for buyers, and it is also one of the most cost-effective.
It’s not just about giving the walls the lick of new paint; adding new light fittings, replacing old carpets, tidying up the garden – these small tasks can add a lot of value to your home and attract potential buyers.
A few of the more important things to consider are:
While tidying your garden can create curb appeal, you can also use your outdoor space to add value to your home.
If your front door leads directly into your lounge or kitchen, you could look at adding a porch for additional space. Porches can also make plain frontages look more aesthetically pleasing while creating more space inside.
Likewise, look to optimise your back garden with a conservatory, or sunroom. Or if you are pushed for space, look at a smaller summerhouse to create the idea of more rooms available.
If you would like more advice about selling your property or would like to request a valuation of your home, get in touch with Argyle Estate Agents today.
With lockdown restrictions easing, there have been many changes to the rules regarding moving house in England and Wales. In order to stay safe while moving house, we’ve gathered the latest information for you.
Yes, restrictions have been eased to allow sellers and buyers to start moving forward with their plans.
Estate agents are also allowed to visit properties to conduct valuations and take photos and videos.
However, even though in-person house viewings are now permitted, it is still advised that home movers should conduct the majority of their property searches online to help prevent any continued spread of coronavirus.
Yes, many estate agents have already opened their branches across England. You might need to check if they are operating under restricted hours, or have a limited staff though.
Most agents are only accepting appointments via prior booking and must still adhere to safety rules regarding safe working spaces, so best to check with them first before dropping by.
Many agents are prioritising virtual viewings as a first stop for buyers, and then if the buyers have a genuine interest, in-person viewings can be arranged.
This won’t be possible with every property, but you should take advantage of it if you can.
At this time, open-house viewings aren’t permitted.
Estate agents are only conducting viewings that have been booked in advance, and social distancing measures must be adopted in all cases.
Everyone attending the viewing must wash their hands immediately upon entering the home. Viewers are advised to bring their own hand sanitiser and avoid touching surfaces. Wearing face masks is also advised.
If they are able, any current occupants should leave the property before the viewers arrive, and allow the agent to conduct the viewing. This is to minimise the possible contamination between households.
Those viewing the property must be allowed access to hand-washing facilities and it is advised that sellers provide separate towels or paper towels.
After the viewing, the seller should ensure all surfaces and door handles are washed and sanitised.
Surveyors are now allowed to conduct property surveys for home buyers, although they must follow a set of rules regarding Coronavirus precautions;
For sellers, when they are having a survey done, they should keep their distance, preferably by staying in a different room. They must allow the surveyor access to the property unaided to minimise contact.
You can still use removal companies when moving house, as long as you take precautions.
Pack up as much of your belongings yourself as possible, and where possible, clean them before storage.
You should also ensure all boxes are as clean as possible and provide handwashing facilities for the removal team.
You can find out more about the UK restrictions on moving house on the Gov.uk website, or contact Argyle Estate Agents on 01472603929 or email enquiries@argyleestateagents.co.uk
There has been a lot of confusion surrounding COVID-19 and the restrictions on the property market over the last few weeks, so here’s some clarity on moving house, sourced from Government websites, to help make things simpler.
There has been a lot of misinformation doing the rounds saying that no one can move house under any circumstances. Well, according to the Government’s official website, that’s just not true.
You are allowed to move house if you are at a point where you are under ‘contractual reasons and/or where the parties are unable to reach an agreement to delay.’
This means that if you are already at the stage where you have signed and exchanged contracts, then you can proceed with your move.
The Government guidelines state that if you can delay your move, you should try and do so to minimise the risk of spreading Coronavirus. Additionally, if you have symptoms of Coronavirus, then you should take every available step to delay your move.
If you are moving house within lockdown, there are a couple of things you can do to protect yourself and your family;
Stagger the move – work out with the other people in your chain to space out the moving days. So, the people at the end of the chain move first, leaving the house you are moving into empty.
You should then aim to move in only once they have left – preferably the next day so there’s no risk of you bumping into one another.
Deep clean – As well as cleaning your own home before you move, be prepared to have a deep clean of your new property before you bring in your furniture and possessions.
According to UK Finance and the Gov.uk website, many lenders are working with homebuyers and sellers to extend mortgage terms for up to 3 months, in order to facilitate delays due to Coronavirus.
Speak to your own mortgage lender if you need to delay moving house and then should be able to offer advice and help to sort you out.
The short answer is yes, there’s no restrictions on putting your house up for sale during lockdown. However, you are warned against having people over to your home, so you won’t be able to get an estate agent over for a valuation and you won’t be able to take viewings at your property.
If you and your chosen estate agent work together via email and phone, you still may be able to agree on a market price, send photos of your property, and offer virtual viewings of your home to potential buyers.
The only change will be that once you accept an offer, you are likely to be facing a longer moving process while lockdown is still in place.
As with selling your home, there’s no restriction on making an offer on a property, but the same restrictions to actually viewing and moving will apply.
You won’t be able to go and view the property in person, so you may have to rely on virtual viewings. And if your offer is accepted, you may be facing a longer moving process as well.
You can find more of the Government’s recommendations about moving during lockdown on the gov.uk website.
If you are ready to take that first step onto the property ladder, chances are you are going to need a mortgage. But where do you start?
A few mortgage facts;
When applying for a mortgage, it typically has two steps for you to complete. The first is working out how much you can borrow, and the second is a more in-depth look into your finances to confirm the first step.
Step one is fairly straightforward – the mortgage lender will run through a series of questions with you to work out the type of mortgage you want, or need, and how long you want it for.
They’ll get a sense of your financial situation, so even though you don’t need to provide evidence at this stage, it’s good to have a rough idea of your income and outgoings.
For the second step, you will need to provide proof of things like income, savings, and outgoings.
The mortgage broker will run through a more detailed affordability assessment to get a better idea of your overall financial situation, and how this may impact the amount you can borrow. You will likely be asked for hard or electronic copies of things like payslips, bank statements, and savings accounts.
Once your application has been approved, you’ll be given a ‘mortgage in principle’. This is key, as it allows you to make offers on properties.
Unless you are a cash buyer and have enough money to buy a house outright, you will need a deposit instead. This is a lump sum that you pay that goes alongside your mortgage.
So, for example, a deposit of £30,000 and a mortgage of £110,000 could, in theory, get you a house of up to £140,000 in value
You’ll often hear people talk about LTV when discussing mortgages. This simply means ‘Loan to Value” and is the amount of your home that you own outright, compared to the amount that is secured against a mortgage.
So, using our example above, with a £30,000 deposit on a £140,000 property, the deposit is 21% of the property, and the LTV is the remaining 79%.
Obviously, the larger your deposit, the better, as the more deposit you have, the lower your interest rate could be when applying for a mortgage. This is because lenders will opt for less risk with smaller loans.
There are different types of mortgage you can go for, depending on your circumstances;
This is probably the most common mortgage type. When you have a repayment mortgage, you pay a monthly amount that pays off the interest and part of the total every month.
Repayment mortgages are usually set for 25 – 30 years and, at the end of that term, you should have paid off the total amount and so own your home outright.
There is also an option for an interest-only mortgage when applying for a mortgage where you pay only the interest on the loan each month, but don’t pay anything towards the total amount.
These types of mortgages are harder to get as lenders are hesitant to give loans if they are unsure about getting the full amount back.
With a repayment mortgage, you will need to have a separate plan in place for how you plan to repay the original loan at the end of the mortgage term.
Mortgages come with different interest rates. A fixed interest mortgage is set for a certain amount of time, typically 2 – 5 years, and within that time, the interest you pay each month will be fixed.
This means that if the market interest rate goes up, you won’t pay any more than your fixed amount. This goes the other way too; if the rate goes down, you will still pay the same amount.
Once the term is over, you can negotiate another fixed term with your lender.
If you choose to have a variable interest rate mortgage, the rate you pay each month could move up or down, in line with the Bank of England base rate. So some months you may pay more, and sometimes you may pay less.
Mortgages can seem daunting when you first decide to step on the property ladder, but getting professional mortgage advice is a step in the right direction.
If you would like to discuss your mortgage options, please contact Argyle Estate Agents on 01472 603929 or email enquiries@argyleestateagents.co.uk.
Buying a property can be a minefield, filled with twists and turns, so it’s always a good idea to be ahead of the game and so you should know which questions to ask when buying a home.
Knowing the right questions to ask can give you a big leg up when it comes to buying your next property.
This is a good question to start off with as it gives you an idea of what type of seller they are. If they are moving for a new job, or something time-restricted, then that tells you that they are likely looking for a quick sale. You can use that to your advantage when making your offer.
They have seen a lot of houses and properties in their line of work and so can give you an honest appraisal. They might also highlight aspects of the house, both good and bad, that you might not have considered.
Parking spaces, additional land, furniture, garden buildings such as sheds and greenhouses – sometimes not everything is listed in the brochure so it’s always worth asking just to check.
You should also ask about the garden boundaries and the responsibility of each boundary. Sometimes, fences and borders alongside your property will be the responsibility of one of your neighbours, and vice versa.
If you are looking at rural properties, you should also enquire about public footpaths in case any of them cross over your land.
This is another good question to ask when you are considering making an offer. If the property has been on the market for a long time, you might be able to offer way below the asking price.
This is a double-edged sword as well, as a property that has been on the market for a long time might have issues that are not immediately obvious, such as problem neighbours, or boundary concerns.
This will help you understand if there have been a lot of owners in a short period of time – this could indicate a problem with the property.
If it has changed hands a lot, you might need to ask why. It could be a perfectly reasonable explanation, but it’s good to ask.
They might not have a minimum offer figure, but if they do, it saves you both time if you know how far down you can push your offer.
This also gives you a good starting point to research the local area and see if the sellers expectations are realistic or not.
The agent won’t be able to tell you the figures offered, but they can tell you how many offers the property has received. This will help you to decide what approach you want to take, and what kind of offer you want to make.
This can also be a deciding factor if you are considering several properties for purchase – you may prefer to go for something with less competition.
A simple question but one that has a big impact for some buyers!
If you enjoy relaxing in the garden in the evenings, then a south-facing property will give you more sunlight in the afternoons.
Other people prefer morning sunshine, so a north-facing property is preferable.
It might not be a big deal for you, but if it is, you should find out sooner rather than later.
There is lots to discover with this question. Firstly, you can judge how much of your own money you will need to invest if you do buy the property. If the boiler is 10+ years old, you might need to budget in for a new one, but if it was replaced last year, you won’t have to worry for a few years yet.
Secondly, it can highlight potential issues with the property, such as damp, subsidence, or structural issues.
A factor to consider if you think the house or property will need work doing in the future. Older houses are quite sturdy but may be in need of modernisation.
Very old houses may require more serious work doing on them, and may even be listed, which will restrict the changes you can make.
If any legal complaints have been made against them, the estate agent must tell you
There’s no point moving into a dream home if you’ve got the nightmare neighbours next door! If there have been any legal proceedings against the neighbours, the estate agent is legally obligated to tell you.
You should also ask the seller as well if you get a chance. They can tell you good things about the people you are potentially going to be living next to!
If you can ask the seller directly, even better.
You’ll likely have an idea of parking when you arrive, if the property has a drive or allocated parking. If it doesn’t, ask about how they manage parking, and if there are any issues you should be aware of.
This is especially a factor if you own more than one car, or have frequent visitors.
Even if you love the property, it is always asking the estate agents if there are similar properties in the area you can visit. If anything, it will help you make a decision, and you might find somewhere even better!
For many people, a new year means a new home! If you are looking to get your house up on the market soon, you need to make sure it is Buyer Friendly.
There are lots of great tips and tricks you can do in order to make your home buyer friendly. We’ve gathered our favourite ones right here for you to use!
When you’re eager to put your house on the market, you don’t want to spend a lot of time and money on big renovations.
Instead, focus on the quick wins that will improve the overall look of your home.
This may include fixing broken doors or replacing a threadbare carpet in your hallway.
You don’t want to spend too much effort here, but focus on the cosmetic look of your home.
You’ll probably have a good tidy up ready for your agent to take photos of your home, but don’t let it slide once they are done.
You may suddenly get a viewing request and the last thing you need is having to do another mad tidy up before they arrive. Keep on top of the tidying and you’ll never get caught out by a last-minute potential buyer.
You might have bold tastes when it comes to decorating your home, but one person’s art is another’s trash. You may love the bright orange in your bedroom, or the neon pink in your bathroom, but you need to think about general tastes.
If you have the time, repaint your walls with something more neutral, and reduce the amount of bold colours in your furnishings and carpets. People like to see a blank canvas when they are looking for a new home, so you want to make this easier for them.
There are two reasons to remove personal items from your home when selling. The first is so that you don’t have personal pictures or identifying items in your brochure pictures. The second is so that potential buyers can see the house as they picture it – as their home.
You’re trying to make them see themselves living there, not you, so take out anything that reminds them of that.
Dark and dim rooms do not make for good brochure pictures, and that goes double for when visitors are viewing your home.
Make sure that all the curtains and blinds are open to let as much natural light in as possible. Put up mirrors to reflect light into darker corners and, during evenings and winter, use indoor lighting to keep everything looking bright.
You may love Mr Tiddles or Spot more than anything in the world, but not everyone is a pet lover. The idea of animal hair on furniture or animal smells can be really off-putting to some buyers, so keep them out of your pictures.
Also, when visitors come to view your property, keep pets out of sight. You want your guests to be focused on your fabulous home, not on the dog or cat winding its way around their legs.
First impressions count and so when potential buyers pull up to your property, you want to make sure they see your house at its best.
Clean your doors and windows regularly, make sure your bins are put away, and keep your garden tidy. If you are having views in the evening, or in the darker months, opt for some outdoor lighting to enhance the welcoming look of your home.
With these tips and tricks, you can get your home Buyer Friendly in no time!
If you need some more information about selling your home, get in touch with our expert team today.
Buying your first house can be both exciting and terrifying! On one hand, you are about to have your very own space for the first time, but on the other, there’s a lot of hoops to jump through!
It can become confusing and stressful if you don’t know what to do, which is why we’ve put together this simple guide to help you out.
A typical deposit can range from anywhere between 5% and 35%, although the average is around 10%. Obviously, depending on what kind of price range you are aiming for will influence how much of a deposit you need.
Buying a house at some point in the future means you should start your savings plan.
Think about your current earnings and look for ways you can add more to your savings pot each month. Cancel non-essential Direct Debits, cut down on frivolous spending and give yourself a budget to stick to.
If you can bring in some extra cash – with a second job or freelance work – even better!
There are a lot of online calculators that can give you an idea of how much you can borrow, but don’t rely on these too heavily. They are only rough estimates to give you a headstart.
The better option would be to arrange a meeting with a mortgage advisor, who will have a much clearer idea of the figure you will be looking at. But remember, these are just estimates – nothing in concrete until you get your Mortgage in Principle (see step 4).
Once you know how much you can borrow, and how much of a deposit you’ll have, then you can start searching!
You might decide to stay close to home and so already know the area very well. Or you may have your eye on another city, country or even another country!
The key thing here is to research, research, research! For the purposes of this guide, we’ll look at moving in England only, as other countries will have their own processes for buying a home.
There are lots of factors you consider before deciding on a place to live, and it will depend on your individual circumstances.
If you don’t drive and rely on public transport, then being close to transport links will be a top priority to you. If you have children, you’ll want to know which schools are local to you and which catchment areas apply.
You should also keep in mind what kind of life you want to have; if you want to enjoy the nightlife and convenience of a city, then you want to be close to the action. If you prefer peace and quiet, and don’t mind having to travel to the shops, then a rural location might be a better choice.
This is the next step up from finding how much you can borrow. This is when you get your mortgage approved and go through all the credit checks, paperwork, etc…
You’ll have to provide documents of earnings, savings, outgoings and incomings, etc… so that they have a clear picture of your finances.
You’ll also have to have a credit check done, and decide what kind of mortgage you want.
Once that is all sorted, you know for sure how much you can borrow and can start getting serious about house hunting!
Now comes the fun part! Start looking for your dream home!
Get online and search, drop into your local estate agents, and begin narrowing down your options. You’ll have some preferences on what house you want; number of bedrooms, off-road parking, fitted kitchen, etc…so that will help you when searching.
As soon as you have found a property you like the look of, get in touch with the agent and arrange a viewing. This is a great way to strike any unsuitable properties off your list – sometimes you visit a property once and know straight away it’s not for you. Other times, there will be something about the property itself – it’s not suitable for a mortgage, for example, that takes it off your radar.
You may need to visit a property a few more times before deciding it’s the one for you. You can read more about what to look for in our guide to choosing your next home.
Your estate agent can help you here and offer advice about the best price to go with, but you can also do some of your own research.
Online property websites such as Zoopla will give you an idea of what prices other houses in the area have sold for. You can even match like-for-like almost, so if you are looking at a 3-bed semi-detached on a particular road, you can look and see what the neighbours houses sold for.
You also need to take into account any additional work that needs doing. If the windows or boiler need replacing, factor that into your offer.
It’s best to aim lower with the idea of haggling a little, but don’t offer something ridiculous – that just wastes everyone’s time. You also need to prepare for the seller to reject your offer, or someone else comes in and gazumps you. It happens, unfortunately, but you just have to accept it and move on.
Once your offer has been accepted, the paperwork will begin!
The legal term for transferring a property from one person to another is called ‘conveyancing’, so you’re likely to hear it a lot.
The paperwork will mostly include;
It feels like a lot, but if you keep clear records and use a Financial Advisor, it will go smoothly.
Once all the paperwork is done and dusted, you will finally complete! This is where you will officially exchange contracts, get the keys and the new house will be yours!
You can finally move in!
Choosing your next home can be a stressful experience, whether you are a first-time buyer or getting ready to move up the ladder.
Having a plan in place before you begin will remove a lot of heartache from the process in the long run, so we’ve gathered our best tips together to give you a good head start.
1) Do the numbers add up?
Before you even begin a serious property search, you need to do your homework and find out exactly how much you can afford.
There’s no point falling in love with a house that is way out of your price range, so go and see your mortgage adviser or bank first to get an idea of the budget you are looking at.
And don’t forget the include additions such as estate agent fees, moving costs, stamp duty, etc…into your total.
2) Focus your search
When you start your property search, it’s important to have a few set parameters in place to begin with. Otherwise you could end up with literally hundreds of possibilities but not necessarily the best choices.
As you search, it’s helpful to use filters to narrow down your choices; do you want a garden? Off-road parking? Do you want 2 or 3 bedrooms? A city location or something more rural?
Ask yourself these questions as you search and it will help you to sift through quickly to find the right property for your needs.
3) Research lots of areas
You may have a general location in mind, such as a town or city, but it’s unlikely you’ll know everything about every area. Once you have picked a location, get online and start researching.
You might want to consider the following to narrow down your choices;
You should also consider local events, such as festivals or concerts, that may be happening nearby. Will that affect where you live due to parking or noise?
4) Think about transport
Whenever you move to a new area, you should always think about transportation. If you drive, you have the option of living further away from local shops and businesses if you want a quieter area, but if you rely on public transport, this may limit your choices.
Check bus times to see if you can still get about in the evenings or weekends, and how much local taxis might cost if you needed to use them. All of these factors can influence where you choose to look for a new home.
5) Visit at different times
Once you have picked out a specific area, or even chosen a house, you should try and make a few visits at different times of the day. This will give you a better idea about general noise levels, if parking is ever an issue, how busy the area is at night, etc…
Typically, most people visit prospective houses at the weekends or in the evenings, but if you are going to be living here 24/7, 365 days a year, you need to know what it’s like all year round.
6) Second viewings are vital
It is easy to get swept away when you visit a home you like for the first time. You’re trying to take everything in, while not looking ‘too keen’. First impressions are definitely important, but you will always benefit from a second viewing.
On the second time around, you can take things at a more practical and steady pace. You may notice things you didn’t see before, such as indications of damp, possible draughts in certain rooms, how good the natural lighting is, and so forth.
7) Use the loo!
You can learn a lot about a house – and more specifically, its plumbing – when you use the toilet. Check the water pressure is good when you flush, and if there is hot water from the sink when you wash your hands.
If you try and make different visits at different times of day, you’ll get an idea about how warm or cold the house is during the evenings as well.
8) Ask questions
Don’t be afraid to quiz whomever is showing you around, whether that’s the home owners or the estate agent. There’s no such thing as a stupid question when it comes to buying an home, so ask away!
They probably won’t be 100% honest with you about anything negative to do with the house, but you can certainly get an idea of things if you ask strategic questions.
For example, ask them why they are moving if it’s a homeowner, as they might reply that they wanted a ‘quieter location’ which gives you a clue about local noise levels.
9) Market research
If you are thinking about the offer you want to make, look around at similar properties in the area. This can help you to decide how close to the asking price you want to go.
You should also factor in any work that the home requires, such as double glazing or damp proofing, as this can give you leverage on your offer. Listen to your estate agent or financial adviser when they give advice about how much to go in with.
10) Don’t lose your head
When you fall in love with a new home, it can be easy to get fixated on closing the deal. However, sometimes things don’t always work out the way we planned and you might have to consider walking away if the situation requires.
It’s not worth getting yourself into financial difficulties, or ending up with a home you didn’t really love, just to get through the moving process faster.
There will always be another chance to find your perfect home.
Moving home can be a stressful time, so the last thing you want to deal with is a house filled with clutter!
Streamlining your stuff is a great task to get done before you move, so you’re not bringing a load of unnecessary clutter with you. Follow our top tips for decluttering your home, ready for the big move!
Set a date to do it
You don’t want to start too far away from your moving date or you’ll just end up accumulating more stuff in the meantime. But at the same time, if you wait until only a week before the move you’ll be creating more stress – the weeks before a move are pretty intense!
Aim to start decluttering about a month before your move. That will give you enough time to get it all done, and still leave a bit of wiggle room should anything unexpected comes up.
Read up before you start
There are lots of different schools of thought on house management and tidying up. A couple of months before you start decluttering, have a read around and see if any of them resonate with you.
For example, Marie Kondo has become popular with her ‘sparking joy’ method of clearing out unwanted items, while Mrs Hinch has some excellent cleaning tips you can use. Whichever method you choose, get your cleaning and packing supplies ready before you start.
Make a plan and work your way through the house room by room. If you try and do several rooms at once, you’ll easily find yourself overwhelmed. Work each room until it’s done, and only then move onto the next.
If you can’t do every room in one day, don’t worry. Spread it out over a weekend if you need to so you’re not rushing and stressing yourself out. If you need a bit of a motivator, give yourself something to look forward to once you finish a room, like a cuppa and a biscuit, or 10 minutes chilling out on your phone. Just don’t forget to move onto the next room afterwards!
Make clear divisions; sell, donations, throw away, keep
If you create clear areas for each, then it’ll be easier for you to see where you stand. You can use different tablecloths or sheets laid out on the floor, or boxes if you prefer, but keep it within these four choices.
In the end, every item should fall into one of the four options; sell, donation, throw away, keep – , so nothing is left out. You should also make plans to get the throw away and donation boxes out of the house as soon as possible. The longer you leave them, the more likely things will end up back on the shelves and in cupboards.
Empty everything out
As well as going room by room, you should also work this way within each room. Go from cupboard to cupboard, drawer to drawer and empty each one in turn.
Lay everything out on the floor, or on sheets to help you sort through faster. This will help you stay focused and ensure that every nook and cranny is sorted before you move on.
Sort your paperwork
Paperwork easily takes up most of the clutter in our homes; from junk mail and bank statements, to old receipts and insurance forms – we seem to have a never-ending stream of it through our letterboxes.
You have two choices when it comes to paperwork – do it first or last. Either start off by going into each room, gathering all the paperwork you find, and bringing it all together in one place to sort through, or;
Sort paperwork into a separate pile as you declutter and then sort through it all once the rest of your decluttering is done.
The choice is yours, but it’s always best to do paperwork in one go. Get yourself some binders or paper storage boxes to help organise the important documents you have to keep.
If it’s broke, don’t fix it – get rid of broken items
A hard and fast rule for decluttering is this; if it is broken, chuck it! Once your start clearing out your junk and you see how many items end up on your ‘Throw Away’ pile, you’ll see what we mean!
Don’t hold on to broken or damaged items on the hope that one day you’ll get round to fixing them, or find a use for them. You won’t. Just get rid!
Whether you are selling or just giving things away for free, there’s plenty of ways to go about it.
Have a buddy if you struggle to let go of items
If you know that you are one of those people who struggles to part with their possessions, then employ the help of a friend or family member. Tell them that it’s their job to remind you of why you need to declutter and to ask the important questions, such as;
Check expiration dates to clear out your kitchen
Sell By and Use By are your best friends when it comes to sorting out your kitchen. Go through every item and check the expiration dates. Anything that is already out of date, or will be out of date by the time you move needs to be chucked or used up.
Items past their expiration dates can be thrown away. The other items either need to be moved to the front of your cupboard to get used up first, or donated to a local food bank.
Minimise your spending – don’t buy more than you need until you move or you’ll have to pack it too!
If you are moving home in a month’s time, you should only buy items to last you up to that point. For example, only buy enough loo roll to last you until you move, otherwise you’ll have to pack it and take it with you – which is a big waste of space in your packing boxes!
And there you go! Follow these simple rules and you’ll have a clutter-free home ready for moving in no time!
