Stamp duty holiday, property sales, and changing priorities

Welcome to the July edition of the Tristram's monthly newsletter, where we'll be sharing our updates and the latest news from the property market.

First up this month we're sharing the Chancellor's announcement of a stamp duty holiday! This is fantastic news as it provides extra support in purchasing your next home! Next we're happy to share that new sales agreed are reaching pre-lockdown levels! The demand for property is translating into sales leading to an increase in asking prices. 

Elsewhere we look into the increased property demand and find out what priorities have changed when searching for a home. We hope you enjoy this months edition. As always if you have any property queries please get in touch!

Drive In Movies

4th - 9th August 2020

This summer, friends and family are invited to enjoy outdoor screenings of their favourite films from the comfort of their car -  there's something for everyone at the Adventure Drive-In.

Click here to read Drive In Movies.

Nottingham Pride Online

25th July 2020

ORGANISERS of this year’s Nottinghamshire Pride have announced this year’s annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community in the county will be going online – featuring performances and interviews with local activists and city leaders.

Click here to read Nottingham Pride Online.

SPLENDOUR At Home!

 

18th July 2020

 

Introducing ‘Splendour At Home’, a special one-off digital festival which will take place on our YouTube channel throughout the day on 18^th July, when the festival would have originally taken place.

Click here to read SPLENDOUR At Home!.

Demand Has Increased Asking Prices By 1.9%

 

Rightmove’s latest house price index for June has found that asking prices have increased in England by 1.9% on average. This is compared to pre-lockdown levels indicating the market is ploughing forward despite the recent pause on activity due to the coronavirus outbreak. The number of new sales agreed has also shown a swift recovery now being only 3% lower than this time last year! This is a bounce back from 97% drop due to lockdown restrictions. The pent-up demand has certainly made its mark on the market getting the property market moving once more.

Those that were anticipating a price dip upon the release of the property market from lockdown have been proved wrong, with homes coming to the market at an additional average of £6,266. Buyers are paying 97.7% of asking prices on average; further showing that people are keen to make up for lost time and purchase their new home.

Miles Shipside, Rightmove director and housing market analyst, commented: 'Following the initial shock of the early reopening of the housing market, England is getting moving again with a boom in traffic on Rightmove. There are no signs of panic selling or even a price dip. Some sellers who had agreed a sale before lockdown have been worrying that their buyer may try to renegotiate with a reduced offer.'

'On this evidence, buyers may now be trying to exchange quickly, as there are signs of high pent-up demand and upwards price pressure, rather than downwards. Lenders may also have been concerned about price instability affecting the risk profile of their low-deposit mortgages, so hopefully this will give them more confidence to increase their range of first-time-buyer products.'

The pause in the sector during Spring halted 175,000 people from bringing their home to market. They have not been deterred as record numbers of new sellers have requested valuations, and new listings are at a higher level than last year. The coronavirus pandemic has caused many to reconsider their lifestyles and push on with property decisions they had previously been hesitant about.

How Are Property Priorities Changing After Lockdown?

 

2020 has forced us to make many changes in our lives, from home working, to self-isolation, it has created a time period for us to step back and re-think what is most important to us. As life slowed down many transformed their lifestyles and now need their homes to fit into this. This drive for change has already started to be noticed by agents and property portals, with a decrease in demand for the more vanity features and an increase in lifestyle practicality. Findings from a report released by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) have also confirmed the trends.

 

Home Office
When searching for property, features such as spare rooms for home offices spaces have been key for many. Working patterns have changed over the past few months, with many opting for more flexible work routines for the long haul. Home working has been found to be very productive and provide a better work life balance for many. For those that no longer want to commute, space for a comfortable home office is a number one priority.

Garden or Balcony
Properties with a garden or balcony have dramatically shot up the priority list. According to RICS, more that four fifths of property professionals believed that there is an increased desire for gardens or balcony’s for potential buyers. The lockdown period we have all faced has shown many how important the great outdoors is and having access to that on your own property is the most convenient way of getting outdoors.

As well as this, having space for garden storage has also been high on the property wish list. This is so that bikes and garden furniture can be stored securely. The rental sector has seen a dramatic increase in searches for property with bike storage in line with the encouragement from government to cycle to work where possible.

Proximity to Green Space
Having a garden or balcony is not the be all and end all for everyone. For some, as a long as they are in proximity or easy access to public outdoor spaces, they can still meet their needs for getting into nature. There have been many home hunters looking outside of city life to be closer to nature trails, local parks, and cycle routes. Outdoor exercise has become a staple part of fitness routines, so having nice locations to cycle or jog is key to meeting the fitness goals for many.

Home Improvements
The UK is poised to spend billions on DIY and home improvements following our period of lockdown. Spending so much time at home has caused people to have less tolerance for the areas of their home that they have been meaning to change. From extensions, to converting rooms into different functions, society is certainly starting to take ownership of their lifestyles and make their environments fit into their preferred ways of living.

Property Demand Translating Into Sales

 

As the United Kingdom was plunged into lockdown, we saw property portals and online property websites reporting huge numbers of visitors and this online activity is now being translated into sales agreed. Zoopla are reporting a huge spike in sales agreed with current figures now matching those back in early March when the market was booming, showing that the property market in England is experiencing a true resurgence post-lockdown.

In the month following the reopening of the property market, up to 7th June, analysis shows that demand for housing was 54% higher than at the start of March, with new sales agreed having risen by 137% since the market reopened.
Interestingly, the higher the values of the property the greater the increase in the volume of sales agreed when compared to before the Coronavirus crisis. Home sales for properties priced £1m and above are 16% higher than three months earlier – this could be attributed to homeowners looking to trade up in terms of location or property size. The impact of the Coronavirus can be seen on the most searched terms for properties – with home offices and outdoor space now higher in buyers’ priorities.

Zoopla’s Director of Research and Insight commented:
“The rebound in housing demand over the last month is not solely explained by a return of pent-up demand.
“COVID has brought a whole new group of would-be buyers into the housing market.

“Activity has grown across all pricing levels, but the higher the value of a home, the greater the increase in supply and sales as people look to trade up.”

The analysis from Zoopla is supported by Rightmove’s recent data publication which revealed that 40,000 new sales have already been agreed since the market reopened – with the average asking price of properties up by an average of 1.9% compared to pre-lockdown.

Property expert Miles Shipside commented:
“Following the initial shock of the early reopening of the housing market, England is getting moving again with a boom in traffic on Rightmove,” said Shipside.

“There are no signs of panic selling or even a price dip. Some sellers who had agreed a sale before lockdown have been worrying that their buyer may try to re-negotiate with a reduced offer.

“On this evidence buyers may now be trying to exchange quickly, as there are signs of high pent-up demand and upwards price pressure, rather than downwards.”

Stamp Duty Holiday Introduced!

On 8 July the Chancellor announced a stamp duty holiday to last until 31 March 2021. This means that the tax level that is charged when property purchasers buy their next home has been raised to £500,000. The introduction of this will help buyers save 1000s of pounds when purchasing their next home. This will provide additional help to people that will have already taken a financial hit because of coronavirus. It will also support the property market to continue its bounce back. 

What does this mean:

First time buyers
Before this change first time buyers did not pay stamp duty on the first £300,000, and then had to pay 3% stamp duty on the portion of the property priced £300,000 to £500,000. However, now no buyer will need to pay stamp duty on the first £500,000 – including first time buyers.

Purchasing your next home
Before this change, if you have already owned a property, stamp duty on property and land was applicable over £125,000 (at varying rates in line with the price of the property). However, now the introduction of the stamp duty holiday allows the first £500,000 of your new property purchase to be free of this tax.

Buy To Let
Landlords and investors are also included in the stamp duty holiday which is welcome news. Many people who had been considering letting a property now have more incentive to do so, as well as the increased demand in the lettings market.

Steve Olejnik, managing director of mortgage broker Mortgages for Business, said it was “Those looking to move personal property into a company name because of better tax treatment may have been reluctant to do so because of the stamp duty implications, clearly that cost is lowered now."

 

A summary of the change in Stamp Duty Rates is included below:

 

 

Property Value	Old Rate	New Rate
£100,000	0	0
£200,000	£1,500	0
£300,000	£5,000	0
£400,000	£10,000	0
£500,000	£15,000	0
£600,000	£20,000	£5,000
£700,000	£25,000	£10,000
£800,000	£30,000	£15,000
£900,000	£35,000	£20,000

£1,000,000

£43,750

£28,750

 

 

 

How to prepare your property for sale

 

With demand for property prior to lockdown soaring, there are sure to be plenty of motivated buyers once restrictions are relaxed, therefore now is an ideal time to prepare your property for a quick sale.

Kerb appeal
As is always the case with selling properties, a first impression can make or break a sale with a poorly presented property often putting off buyers before they have even set foot in the home. In the summer this is especially important as buyers will often drive or walk past a property before they decide to book a viewing. With the summer sun shining a light on any less-than-perfect parts of the exterior of your property, you should ensure that flowers are planted, weeds are pruned and lawns are mowed. Extra attention to details, such as ensuring that the front door has been cleaned and the windows are streak-free will pay dividends in your selling process.

Accessories
A neutral interior will appeal to a mass market and increase the scope of your property in terms of potential buyers, but if you are looking to make the most of the summer then don’t be afraid of colour. Using accessories to add pops of colour around your home that reflect the brighter summer season – such as burnt orange and lemon – will make your property stand out from the crowd in those all-important photographs.

Lights
When we think of summer, we all first think of sunshine and brighter evenings – so make the most of this light when presenting your home for sale. Get rid of heavy curtains and dark blinds, which can make a room feel smaller and prevent the light from entering a room. Buyers want to feel that rooms are bright and spacious, so if at all possible have windows and doors open throughout the house to create a light, airy feeling (as well as bringing in those fresh summer scents).

Set dress
Set dressing refers to the arranging of a room or space in order to paint a picture of the kind of lifestyle which could be enjoyed in your property. Never is it more important to set dress your garden than throughout the summer months, with potential buyers wanting to know that they will be able to enjoy the outdoor space which your home provides. Tempt potential buyers by showing off your outdoor spaces with garden furniture, fire pits and barbecues.

Viewing times
During the summer months many people like to start work early and leave early in order to benefit from the longer evenings; make sure that you can accommodate as many viewings as possible by being flexible with your viewing times. Allowing people to view your home early in the morning, as well as in the afternoon will help bring more people through the door as well as showing off your property in favourable lighting.

Law Update: Electrical Installation Condition Report Requirement

 

From 1st July the new Electrical Safety standards come into effect for new tenancies. Landlords will have to ensure that electrical installation inspections and testing are carried out for all new tenancies. The electrical inspection and testing must result in an Electrical Installation Conditions Report being produced by a qualified professional. This report must be provided to the tenant of the property, as well as the housing authority if required. Should a tenant request the report, landlords will have 30 days to provide this to them. Reports remain valid for a 5 year period, after which a new inspection, test, and report should be generated.

In a bid to improve the safety of tenants across the United Kingdom, the Electrical Safety Standards will mean that the electrics in properties should be safer and more uniform. Despite calls to delay the implementation of these new requirements, the government has made clear that landlords providing safe homes for their tenants is of upmost importance, even during the current health pandemic. The new electrical safety requirements will be applicable to all existing tenancies from April 2021.

If a landlord does not have an Electrical Installation Conditions Report in place for their new tenancies, the government can impose large fines and even prison sentences for non-compliance. Landlords must ensure that they take all practicable steps to meet compliance and be able to demonstrate this should any exceptional circumstances prevent them from complying.

If you are concerned about how the new regulations may affect your properties, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to advise you.

 

 

From 1st July the new Electrical Safety standards come into effect for new tenancies. Landlords will have to ensure that electrical installation inspections and testing are carried out for all new tenancies. The electrical inspection and testing must result in an Electrical Installation Conditions Report being produced by a qualified professional. This report must be provided to the tenant of the property, as well as the housing authority if required. Should a tenant request the report, landlords will have 30 days to provide this to them. Reports remain valid for a 5 year period, after which a new inspection, test, and report should be generated.

In a bid to improve the safety of tenants across the United Kingdom, the Electrical Safety Standards will mean that the electrics in properties should be safer and more uniform. Despite calls to delay the implementation of these new requirements, the government has made clear that landlords providing safe homes for their tenants is of upmost importance, even during the current health pandemic. The new electrical safety requirements will be applicable to all existing tenancies from April 2021.

If a landlord does not have an Electrical Installation Conditions Report in place for their new tenancies, the government can impose large fines and even prison sentences for non-compliance. Landlords must ensure that they take all practicable steps to meet compliance and be able to demonstrate this should any exceptional circumstances prevent them from complying.

If you are concerned about how the new regulations may affect your properties, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to advise you.

Returning To Work Safely

The latest updates from the government include a return to work strategy with steps for how to do this safely. Understandably, many people have concerns about returning to work including travelling to and from work places. Each business is different and will require different adaptations to their operating procedures to facilitate a safe environment but the same guiding principles will apply. That is to safeguard the health and wellbeing of staff members and customers. Eight separate guides have been published by the government to support different types of businesses - these guides can be found here. We have summarised the 5 key points applicable to businesses returning to work below*:

1. Work from home if you can
The message continues to be to work from home where at all possible. However, it is acknowledged that not all businesses are able to operate from home. Businesses that have not been told to close by government are now able to go back to work. Employers should discuss operating procedures with their staff.

People should try to avoid public transport in their work commute. However, where this is not possible, the people are asked to wear face masks where possible.

2. Covid-19 risk assessment
All employers need to carry out a Covid-19 risk assessment. This is in line with current health and safety employment and equalities legislation. The risk assessments should be undertaken in consultation with their workers or trade unions, to establish what guidelines to put in place. If possible, employers should publish the results of their risk assessments (all businesses with over 50 employees are expected to do so).

3. Maintain social distancing
Work spaces should be redesigned to respect the 2-meter social distancing guidelines. This can be achieved with staggered start times, one-way walking systems, and changing seating layouts. Designating specific entrances and exits can also minimise close contact.

4. Risk management where social distancing is not possible
It is acknowledged that not all workplaces will find it easy to manage social distancing at 2 meters apart. In this instance, employers should look into putting barriers in shared spaces, creating workplace shift patterns or fixed teams minimising the number of people in contact with one another, or ensuring colleagues are facing away from each other.

5. Reinforcing cleaning processes
Work spaces should be cleaned more often with extra attention to objects with high contact, such as door handles, and office equipment. Hand washing facilities and sanitising stations should be provided at entrances and exits.
For further information please head to the following website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19

*These key points have been taken from gov.uk guidance published on 11 May 2020