 What do you think when you hear the term “woodworm”? Most people will associate the term with an abundance of tiny holes on your door frames, similar to that of a dart board; and rightly so, this is indeed one of the most recognisable signs of an infestation. But, there’s much more to woodworm than little dark holes.
Believe it or not, woodworm has a very interesting lifecycle and also leave behind them a number of clues to which can help us answer the all-important question, “is the infestation active or not?” How Does Woodworm Get Into Your Home? Infected timber. Whether it’s your grandparent’s furniture, Del Boy’s Queen Anne cabinet or simply firewood, if you bring infected timber into your home you’re at risk of an infestation. Once in your property, the beetle will look for cracks, crevices and existing exit holes for places it can lay its eggs. The eggs hatch downward into the timber and produce larvae. It is at this point that the damage is caused to the timber as the larvae eats its way up and down the timber. This larvae will eventually pupate after anywhere between two and five years before emerging as an adult beetle, ready to mate and start the process again. How Can I Spot Woodworm? There are a number of ways to spot woodworm, for example, the Deathwatch Beetle makes a ticking noise as it bangs its head against the wood, if you live in Camberley your home to the House Longhorn Beetle, an exclusive beetle indigenous to the Surrey area. See, told you woodworm was ‘un-boring’. The three common signs preservation specialists look out for are:
How Do You Treat Woodworm? There are a number of methods of woodworm treatment, the most common being a water-based spray treatment due to its effectiveness and its efficiency in killing the insect. The solution absorbs into the timber over a period of about an hour, killing all living woodworm and eggs near the surface. Should I Panic About Woodworm? If you own an art gallery or antique shop, yes lose it! But for the average homeowner, your concerns can be resolved efficiently by speaking to a specialist. The treatment can be completed ordinarily in under half a day and the water-based solution will protect your timber from further decay in the years to come. If you would like some assistance to find your perfect property/sell or let your property please contact Right Estate Agents on 0845 026 8527 or visit our website.
0 Comments
 Storms, heavy rain, wind, ice and snow will all impact on your roof, and the cost of the damage caused by a leak will almost certainly exceed the cost of fixing the issue quickly.In order to keep your roof in good condition we recommend the following easy steps – all of which are easy to do yourself and needn’t cost much (if anything at all):
Regular inspections First check inside your house. Look for dark or browning spots, or blistering and bubbling paint on ceilings; these are indicators of water damage. Also check for damp spots forming near fireplaces. If that’s all fine, move on to the loft. If possible, do this on a sunny day; you’ll see sunlight lancing in through worn or broken shingles. If it’s rained recently, any water damage should be obvious, but also inspect for signs of previous leaks or damp. With the interior of your home checked, it’s time to move on to the outside of your roof. The first and most important thing to consider is safety; do not walk on your roof. If you’re comfortable with heights, view your roof using a ladder, preferably with someone on the ground taking notes for you. If heights make you uneasy, find a good position to view your roof with a pair of binoculars. If neither of those options work for you, call a roofing maintenance professional. You’re checking for more than missing shingles or tiles. Dark patches or lines likely means damage. Also, look out for curling and cupping or a large number of chipped and buckled shingles. If your roof is visibly uneven and spotty it could be an indication that your roof is getting quite old and might need replacing. After inspecting the shingles or tiles, turn your attention to your building’s chimneys. It’s important to check the flashing and make sure that it isn’t peeled away, dislodged or otherwise damaged. Skylights, vents and any structures that penetrate through the roof should be checked to ensure sealant isn’t cracking or peeling away. Next, moss. First, you need to know the difference between black algae spots and moss: Black algae isn’t nice to look at, but it only affects aesthetics. It doesn’t harm your roof. However, moss is a problem because it holds water; it’s very important that it’s removed. If you catch moss early, you may be able to just sweep it away, but if moss has established itself for a while it needs to be killed off. You should opt for a product that has potassium salts of fatty acids rather than a product with a toxic formula that includes zinc sulphate. Only apply the mixture where the moss is growing. Again, if this isn’t a job you’re comfortable with, contact a roofing maintenance professional. Cleaning your gutters is an important job, especially around spring and autumn. If debris piles up too high in the gutters, it prevents water from flowing through to the downspouts. If this happens, water can end up soaking into the roof and start to rot parts of it. Gutters also prevent damage to the foundation which can lead to wet basements, staining, erosion, and massive bills to fix the damage. While you are up there, why not install a Gutter Brush? This is designed to easily and efficiently keep debris out of your guttering system. It requires very little maintenance although we recommend giving it a jet wash once a year. Finally, take a look at what’s around your roof: are there overhanging trees? Branches that lead directly to your roof not only provide easier access for squirrels, they can scrape and damage your roof and send shingles flying in strong winds. There’s also the potential for branches to break off in a storm and cause significant damage, and the shade they provide allows moss to grow more efficiently, so keep branches trimmed about 10ft away from your roof. Your first thoughts should always be about safety, and if you don’t have the proper tools and safety equipment and clothing (and some experience of the work involved) please contact a professional for help. If you would like some assistance to find your perfect property/sell or let your property please contact Right Estate Agents on 0845 026 8527 or visit our website.  If the first thing that springs to mind when you consider ways of increasing the value of your home is expensive renovation or extension projects, think again.
Logically, most homes have a cap on their value. This depends on the location, size, type, and general condition. There are limits to how much you can increase value, although maintaining a high standard of repair and fittings will always help keep a property at the top of the ladder. There are other ways, though, that make a home more attractive to buyers and for which they’re willing to pay top prices. These revolve around how the interior is presented and the kind of lifestyle promises the house makes. Underpinning this concept is the humble notion of storage. Granted, it doesn’t sound as exciting as a new conservatory or kitchen extension. But the difference that clever storage can make can be just as dramatic. Self Storage Secrets Revealed Cluttered rooms create closed in, claustrophobic spaces. The problem we all face is what to do with all the possessions we have that we couldn’t imagine being without. One of the best kept secrets to an easily managed, clean, tidy home is self storage facilities. Long thought to be just for people with vast storage needs or those looking for somewhere temporary to stow belongings during a house move, self storage is increasingly being used as a natural extension to everyday home storage. Making it work revolves around thinking seasonally, only keeping at home those things currently in use. Seasonally we change many of life’s aspects, such as the equipment we use in the garden, the clothes we wear, the games we play, and the leisure activities we pursue. Most of those include equipment we only use for a few months during the year, and the rest of the time they lie around in garages, lofts, cupboards, and under beds. Think how much more space there would be if all those items were relegated to storage outside the home. Self storage facilities are a cheap alternative to extensions or interior design renovations. With rolling contracts that renew each week (in many cases), you’re not locked into long term commitments and there are many space sizes available to cover all needs and budgets. Add easy access and long opening hours, convenient locations and affordable plans, and self storage offers a quick and easy way to clear the home decks and open up your living space. Finding Hidden Storage Areas Having segmented your possessions into those you’re using and those you can store away, the next step is to find those hidden areas in the house that provide additional storage for what’s left behind. Furniture can be a big help, with modern designs in tables and beds offering storage areas in the form of shelving, drawers or lift up mattresses. Use these to hide away the multitude of small possessions we all have, keeping surfaces clean and clear. Shelving is fashionable in every room, and a great way of utilising nooks and crannies. It also has the advantage of providing a way to store items such as books or collectibles without the need for floor-standing furniture. Opening up the floor space automatically creates an illusion of space, and another way of creating a similar effect is to choose furnishings on legs rather than that which sits on the floor in a solid block. Other little used areas are the spaces under the stairs; little strips of wall above and between doors; or the lost areas underneath kitchen cabinets. All are the low-hanging fruit of home storage areas, easy to capitalise on with shelves, hooks or containers where you can neatly organise household items from cleaning equipment to non-perishable foods. Storage is the invisible oil that makes a household run smoothly. When possessions are organised, easy to find, neatly arranged and attractively displayed, the house becomes a home that offers a comfortable, stress-free lifestyle. And that’s exactly what buyers are looking for, making the perceived value just that bit higher than the next house in the street. If you would like some assistance to find your perfect property/sell or let your property please contact Right Estate Agents on 0845 026 8527 or visit our website.  Selling your home can take a bit of work. You’ve agreed your asking price, now it’s time to try and achieve it. Remember your prospective buyers are going to be seeing a lot of homes and they may already be tired and stressed with the whole process. Make it easy for them to choose your property over the next three they see. Don’t give them any easy reasons to dislike it.
Making your home ‘market ready’ does require time and a little bit of investment to make help it reach its maximum resale valuation. There is a lot you can do to spruce up you home that needn’t cost the earth – simple techniques can freshen up your rooms and present a much more appealing, newer model. Here’s our top eight tips: 1. Ramp up the curb appeal They say first impressions count, so the exterior of your home is the place to start. Tidy the gardens, touch up the paintwork or wash down the PVC, make sure the guttering isn’t blocked or leaking and give a shiny big house number pride of place. Think of putting up a few hanging baskets and adding an exterior light if your viewings are likely to be in the winter. It will add to the all important welcoming touch. 2. De-clutter and de-personalise If you want your home to appeal to as many buyers as possible, you need to help them picture themselves living in your space. And they can’t do that if all they can see are your personal belongings and family portraits adorning every inch of space. Clutter can also make rooms seem smaller and give the impression of a lack of storage space. The best thing to do is box up your personal possessions and store them away – treat it as starting the packing up process early. All being well, you’ll have to do it at some point anyway. 3. Repair Buyers don’t want to think about repairs the minute they move in, and you don’t want simple ‘little fixes’ putting them off. Fix the leaking tap, the cracked windowpane and if the lights have gone out replace the bulbs. 4. A mini-makeover If your kitchen is dated, freshen it up with a lick of paint, new cupboard doors and drawers or door handles. If you’ve got carpet replace it with lino or tiles if your budget will stretch. Installing new taps and re-grouting in both the kitchen and bathroom are good ways to achieve an instant result. In the bathroom, install a new shower screen or curtain and add a new bath mat and fresh, fluffy towels. 5. A lick of paint If you’ve gone for bold colours, tone them down with natural shades. It may not be to your taste, but the more neutral the better. Freshen up white paintwork and generally give everywhere a once over with the paintbrush. It’s a cheap way to achieve an instant transformation and make your rooms light, bright and airy. But don’t forget to do it in plenty of time so that buyers aren’t hit by paint fumes as soon as they enter through the front door. 6. Accessorise While you don’t want to clutter your rooms, nor do you want them to look completely un-lived in. Add houseplants to add interest and colour, add cushions and throws on your sofas, look at adding mirrors to increase the sense of space and light, particularly in smaller or darker rooms. 7. Re-visit the layouts You want to get across the size of your home and how buyers can make the most of the available space. If you know your target market is going to be families, it’s no good having the second bedroom as a study. If it’s meant to be a single room, add in a single bed. If it can fit a double add a double. Look at each room from the doorway – does the flow seem right, if you shuffled the furniture could you make it look bigger? 8. Clean! Grubby homes do nothing but deter would-be buyers. Dirt and grime can make it seem like there’s a lot of work to be done when really it’s something that can be fixed with a squirt or two of Flash. Spend some time deep cleaning and giving it a once over before each viewing. And don’t forget to rid your home of pet or tobacco smells – there is nothing quite as off-putting as a smell of wet dog. If you would like some assistance to find your perfect property/sell or let your property please contact Right Estate Agents on 0845 026 8527 or visit our website.  We’ve mentioned it before and we’ll probably mention it again, but changes that have a long lead time are easily ignored until the last minute – then, there’s a panic. Think about the system crashes at HMRC when everyone tries to file self-assessment tax returns on the last day. We’re putting this in big letters so you’re not in a panic at the eleventh hour:
From 1 APRIL 2018, all landlords will be required to meet new minimum energy efficiency standards. Those in the residential sector will be required to bring their properties up to a minimum Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of Band E. The crucial thing to note is that you won’t be able to grant new tenancies or renew existing ones if the property falls below that level. And that applies even if your tenant is perfectly happy with things as they are. The Government is determined to improve conditions for tenants, and landlords have to fall in line, even if it will take a long time for them to realise any financial benefit. If the tenant is paying the fuel bills, they’ll be happier, but with estimated bills to bring standards up to the required levels averaging £1,400, it’s your profits that will feel the pinch. A few exceptions You may not need to make the improvements:
That leaves most landlords with band F or G properties in the position of needing to consider changes to their property’s glazing, draught proofing and loft and/or cavity wall insulation. What to do now Firstly, review your position. Work out which of your properties might need an upgrade. There are various arguments ongoing about solid wall properties and the amount of insulation they offer, so it might be worth having an EPC reassessed if you’re in this situation. Make sure you know the work you need to do and whether you have access rights to carry it out. For example, if you own a flat in a block, there may be restrictions on the work you can undertake. Check the dates that your tenancies expire. You may be able to schedule works accordingly and renegotiate rent to help recoup some of your outlay. There’s a hefty fine Most of all, don’t pretend the problem will go away. If you’re found in breach of the rules, fines are steep. The £5,000 you could be paying out would most likely have covered improvement costs several times over. With everything else landlords are having to deal with, this extra responsibility and cost isn’t welcome, but in the longer term making properties more energy efficient should improve both their resale value and their rentability. If you would like some assistance to find your perfect property/sell or let your property please contact Right Estate Agents on 0845 026 8527 or visit our website. |
AuthorRight Estate Agents Archives
January 2018
Categories |
RSS Feed
Right Estate Agents are registered
members of The Property Ombudsman scheme (TPO) - www.tpos.co.uk Contact Us |
What our customers are saying..."We recently used Right Estate Agents to sell our home. The team were very efficient and really helpful. Thank you
very much! We really appreciate the job you have done for us.” - Mr Clarke |