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When children grow up and families scatter, it can often leave homeowners alone in a big house! They may find themselves asking “why should I downsize?” especially when staying put seems a lot easier. But in fact, there are many advantages of downsizing: financial, practical and socially responsible.

“How do I know which offer to accept” is becoming something of a frequently asked question. Houses and flats in Surrey are always in demand, and we’re seeing an increasing number of sellers receive multiple offers for their properties. In this blog, we look at which offer you should accept, why the highest offer might not be the best offer, and the etiquette of gazumping.

What is stamp duty? Stamp duty is a tax paid by buyers when they buy property. The tax is paid on top of what you paid for the house or flat, so it’s important to understand so you can add it to your budget. Let’s take a closer look at what stamp duty is, how much you’ll pay and when you’ll have to pay it.

There are no two ways about it – a property near a good school will fetch a higher price than one that isn’t. This is good news if you’re selling, and an important consideration if you’re saving to buy a family home. In this blog, we look at how much more a property can command if it’s near a school and whether an amazing house is better than being near a good school. We also look at where to find school information, and whether you can still get your children into a good school even if your new home isn’t very close.

Getting a house ready to rent can be the last thing on a landlord’s mind. Firstly, there are all the pressures of buying the property or going through paperwork if you’ve inherited it. Secondly, letting property is a business – chances are that you’re quite focused on property management and gaining an income. However, getting a house or flat ready to rent is a vital part of the process. Unlike selling a house, where the new owners can paint over your design choices, potential tenants will have to live with whatever they see at the viewing. The property needs to be safe, above all, and it also needs to attract the right tenants and be easy for them to look after. In this blog, we’ll look at the most important things to consider when you’re getting a house ready to rent.

Property staging is the art of making your home appeal to a wide variety of buyers. It’s an important part of selling a property or attracting a tenant – the home’s new occupants will want to imagine what it would be like to actually live there. In this blog, we take a closer look at property staging (also called home staging) and share a few of our top tips!

Viewing a house or flat is exciting – you could be visiting your forever home for the first time! While viewing potential homes can be fun, it’s important to keep a level head and consider the bad points as well as the good ones. Above all, you should ask your estate agent questions about the property. If you find out something that proves to be a deal breaker, it’s better to know immediately. If you wait until the conveyancing process, you could find yourself having to pull out after you’ve already spent money on the survey. On balance, it’s better not to make an offer at all than to pull out of the purchase. In this blog, we share our eight questions to ask when viewing a property.

Would-be renters following the property press will know that the government has proposed a bill that could make it easier for pet owners to rent property. While we wait to see if the proposed bill will be accepted, pet owners may still face problems when trying to find somewhere animal-friendly to rent. However, by showing landlords what a responsible pet owner you are, and preparing for a conversation, not a fight, you should be able to overcome these difficulties. In this blog, we look at what the new bill could mean for renters, share our tips for renting responsibly with pets and how to persuade your landlord.

Inheriting property can be a very mixed bag. As well as the fact that it might well come into your life during a very emotional time, you will also find yourself with some decisions to make. If you are the sole inheritor, you will have to make the decisions on your own. And if there are several beneficiaries of the will, you’ll have to make decisions together, which can be even harder! In this blog, we look at the options for when you inherit property.

There is so much to do when you’re selling a house. As well as clearing out and packing up, there is also the paperwork to complete. This includes the TA10 form, also known as the Fixtures and Fittings form. While it may sound like a minor part of the conveyancing process, if you neglect it then it can cause all kinds of hold ups. In this blog, we look at why the TA10 form matters, and how to get it right so you don’t hold up the sale of your house or flat.