Property Rescue Blog

In the current property market sales are slow.  Beleaguered buyers are less than keen on the introduction of new policies that might slow down the sale or make it even more expensive than it is already…and understandably so.  The advent of Home Information Packs places an obligation on the seller to provide certain information ready for anyone who might want to buy their property, but how onerous is that obligation and is it likely to quicken or elongate property purchases?

Home Information Packs, or HIPs as they have become known, were introduced gradually from 1 August last year.  As from 14 December 2007 every home in England and Wales needs a HIP, unless that home meets certain exceptions.  In brief, these are:

• Accommodation that is used for holiday lets at least 11 months a year.  But the accommodation must be restricted to holiday use by planning regulations – the owners’ intentions on property use are not enough.
• Accommodation or land that is sold as a ‘mixed sale’, i.e. part of another sale.  This is a complicated ruling but might, for example, apply to farms where barns, sheds or outbuildings are considered part of the lot for sale.
• Park homes.
• New builds.
• Properties about to be demolished (where planning permission to demolish has been granted) and properties considered as unsafe to enter.
• Properties for sale without vacant possession, i.e. with a tenant in situ.

This is only a basic list and you are advised to consult an estate agent or solicitor to find out the details for your own situation.  Most homes for sale do need a HIP if they are to be sold on the open market; the cost of preparation can range from a few hundred pounds upwards.

Commentators have yet to agree on whether HIPs are worthwhile.  Some are holding to the opinion that the information provided in a HIP is unlikely to be of much use should the sale take several months to conclude.  However, potential buyers are able to see the HIP at an early stage in negotiations and at least they have the opportunity to take note of any factors that might stop them going ahead.  There is some evidence that the necessity to prepare a HIP is holding back home owners from putting their property on the market.  In overall terms the HIP is a relatively small part of the ‘moving house’ budget, so one could draw the conclusion that deterring the less than serious vendor is no bad thing.

Forecasters say the market is unlikely to pick up over the next few months.  For some, the delay is frustrating but little more than inconvenient.  But for others, delays can mean splitting up their family or risking financial meltdown.  If you find yourself in this situation call Property Rescue.  They guarantee to make an offer for your home whatever its condition or location.  Best of all, selling privately to Property Rescue means you don’t need to prepare a HIP…hooray!

For more information on selling your home fast call Property Rescue in complete confidence.  There is no obligation to proceed and no pressure will be put on you if you feel their offer isn’t what you want.

It used to be the case that most people ‘stayed put’ when they retired.  They’d give up work, grow veggies on the allotment or concentrate on the garden, and live out the majority of their retirement years in the family home.  But attitudes are changing as we come to expect more from our retirement and our general health improves allowing us to travel more and do more.

It’s not unheard of for people in their 70s or beyond to embark on a major new project such as building their own house or going off to travel the world – and why not!  The growth in the market for travel, leisure and property within the ‘silver sector’ is surely something to be celebrated.  Our society is undergoing a sea change in attitude; no longer do we see retirement as a long period of rest, instead we look at it as a time when dreams can be fulfilled and – after the demands of a career and family – both couples and singles can indulge in well earned ‘me’ time.

Such big plans are not for the faint hearted as they often require a complete upheaval in terms of financial and/or living arrangements.  If money is needed to finance these plans – as is usually the case – decisions need to be taken about how that finance can be made available.  With final salary pensions only for the fortunate few, most people find themselves in a position where they need to make a choice about how they fund their retirement dreams.  For some, this will mean selling their existing property so that they can free up capital by downsizing or moving into rented accommodation.

In a slow property market achieving that sale can be elusive, putting the retirement plans on hold.  Some people find themselves caught in a chain where nothing seems to move, while others are let down at the last moment by a buyer pulling out further down the chain causing the sale to collapse.

Property Rescue’s guaranteed quick house sale spells an end to broken chains, disappointed sellers and failure to sell.  Property Rescue guarantees to make an offer for your property – that’s any type of property in any location and any state of decoration or repair.  The process is quick, simple and straightforward and will save money on the costs that would be incurred if the house was to be sold on the open market; for example, sellers don’t need to prepare a Home Information Pack and they won’t pay an estate agent for finding a buyer.

For more information on how to sell up quickly and realise your long-held dreams, give Property Rescue a call in complete confidence.  There is no obligation to proceed and no pressure will be put on you if you feel their offer isn’t what you want.

With all the media speculation about a property price crash, the fallout from the US sub-prime mortgage collapse, the hike in repossession rates and the cost of living spiralling, it’s easy to draw the conclusion that people are going off the idea of putting their money into property.

But it seems not!  Us Brits still regard our home as our castle and remain convinced that bricks and mortar are probably the best investment we will ever make.  It was President Theodore Roosevelt that said “real estate is the basis for all wealth”, and according to the statistics, we believe him!  Recent surveys show that although the market is generally more jittery, we remain committed to putting money into buying and improving our homes.

However, the jitters are real and whilst not dampening our enthusiasm for property they have, it seems, made us rather more cautious when it comes to buying and selling.  Houses are remaining on the market for weeks or months, buyers are few and far between and prices are being slashed because sellers are desperate to achieve that elusive sale.

People who need to sell their home fast are faced with a real problem – how to market their house effectively and achieve a sale that won’t fall through at the last minute?  Property Rescue has helped thousands of people who need to shift their property in super fast time.  Because they have access to excellent financial backing they guarantee to make an offer for any home in the country, no matter where it is or what type of property it might be.  If the owner accepts the offer, the sale can go through very quickly indeed.

The owner saves on fees through not having to employ an estate agent and the sale is guaranteed to conclude because the buyer isn’t entering into a chain.  For those who need to relocate to another part of the country, or who are intending to move abroad, or simply need to sell fast for personal or debt reasons, the service offers a real lifeline.

Property Rescue will be pleased to answer all questions in complete confidence.  There’s no charge for a valuation on your home and no obligation to proceed if you decide the service isn’t right for you.  Give Property Rescue a call and sell your home fast!

Generally, the completion of a housing sale from start to finish in the UK takes 7 months. Even though the market has seen exponential growth in almost all sectors, the process of selling your home is still a protracted one.

The major drawback of this is that in most cases, the majority of a persons capital is tied up in their home. If a situation arises whereby a homeowner requires instant capital, for example to finance a new business venture, the drawn out nature of selling a property proves a significant hindrance.

Capital release is not the only incentive for an expedient sale. Property chains often hinge upon the completion of a series of sales. Recent figures speculate that 1 in 3 transactions in the UK is part of a chain. The major financial headaches with chains occur when a link is broken. All the non-refundable expenses, legal fees, surveyor fees and estate agent fees are then lost throughout the chain. The primary reason for a chain breaking down is when funds are not available to complete the transaction. The cascading effect of a chain failing can be massive and cost all parties involved a hefty price.

Equally you may find yourself in situation where you are in danger of being gazumped out of a dream home. The property sector has become increasingly competitive in the last twenty years and a recent survey found that 1 in 10 home buyers had been ‘gazumped’ in 2007. Calls for this practice to be made illegal have fallen on deaf ears. The best way to prevent this happening is to sell your own home before making an offer on a new property. Sellers are most likely to consider another offer if there is a delay at the purchasers end.

You may find yourself in a position where you need to sell your home quickly either due to a collapse in a chain, debt management or to take advantage of a business opportunity. Property Rescue is able to complete transactions within 48 hours if the need arises. Although the offered price will be below market value, it may pay dividends further down the line.

There has been a debate raging amongst sellers, buyers, estate agents, lawyers, developers and others involved in the property sector as to how the process of buying and selling property in England might be speeded up, clarified and made less vulnerable to last minute breakdown.

In many countries a ‘sealed bid’ system is preferred whereby the sale is made to the highest bidder on the day the bids close.  This has advantages and disadvantages; on the one hand it’s hard to predict what the selling price will be and buyers may find themselves paying well in excess of the next closest bid; on the other hand the seller may find that bids fall short of expectations.  Despite this, the obvious advantage is that everyone knows where they stand from the moment the bids are unsealed in the lawyer’s office.

But in England we have little choice as to how we sell our homes and almost everyone is familiar with the well publicised down-sides, such as:

• the length of time it takes
• the costs involved in legal, professional, and estate agency fees
• the stress caused by not knowing whether the sale will stand or fall
• the possibility that the chain will break down at the last minute
• the inevitable trail of uninterested buyers that pass through your home before the ‘right one’ comes along.

Unless our legal system is changed there seems little option but to put up with such complaints.  Of course, one choice is to take a price below market value and sell through a company such as Property Rescue.  At first glance, this course of action may not seem appealing, but it is worth studying the benefits:

• sale completed within a very short space of time, sometimes just a few days
• no chain, no broken promises
• the seller pays no legal fees on the sale, and no estate agents fees
• no ‘viewings’ that go on for weeks on end
• guaranteed sale on the date you want
• any type of property can be sold, even those labelled as ‘hard to shift’

In a market of uncertainty, the time taken to sell a home is likely to lengthen from its current average of seven months; this, together with the possibility of buyers dropping out due to poor survey results, interest rate rises or lack of funding, make the Property Rescue proposition worth a second look.

If you want to sell your home and need a fast turnaround, give Property Rescue a call to find out more.  The contact will be completely in confidence and there will be no obligation on you to proceed if you then decide to sell your home via traditional routes.