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After a long period of stability, mortgage rates have hardly been out of the news headlines. In September, everyone held their breath as the Bank of England – responsible for UK-wide monetary policy – made its latest announcement.

We’re barely into autumn and already the interior design experts are predicting which trends will be big news in 2024. Livingetc – the glossy magazine and style bible – has already published its colour predictions for next year and there are some interesting shades in the spotlight.

As estate agents with many years of experience under our belts, we have continued to help buyers and sellers whatever the market conditions. People will always need to move home but why people move very much depends on the market and wider financial implications.

There’s no doubt that the property market is cooling after the unsustainable pandemic levels. While the interest rate and inflation have served to moderate buyers’ plans, property values are naturally returning to more sensible levels. Equilibrium is being provided by falling mortgage rates.

Move or improve? It’s a conundrum many homeowners face when the property market changes. For those thinking of staying put with an idea to extend, convert or perhaps replace their kitchen, it’s worth pricing up any improvements before you commit.

In August 2023, the National Trading Standards Estate & Letting Agency (NTSELA) team updated its guidance to consumers and property professionals regarding how a property’s status is described during the marketing process.

After questioning more than 2,300 UK-based homeowners, residents and tradespeople, the Rated People Home Improvement Trends Report 2023 found this year’s most popular home improvement job will be painting and decorating. And why not? It is relatively quick and easy to change the aesthetic inside our homes with a tin of Dulux and some new accessories.

Subletting is a recurring subject in the world of rental property. For those who are not familiar with the term,subletting is when the original tenant named on the legal agreement moves out and rents the entire property to someone else. Alternatively, the original tenant stays in the property and rents out a room or multiple rooms. Unless the landlord has agreed to subletting, the act will be a breach of the tenancy agreement and constitutes grounds for eviction.

July is a month when people are away on annual leave or are juggling school holidays, and home moving activity usually reflects this. In the last four weeks, however, Rightmove found buyer demand remains strong. In fact, it’s currently 3% higher than the same time in 2019.

Getting ready to sell your home usually involves clearing out, tidying away and sorting out. Surprisingly, the ancient art of feng shui closely mirrors the above and its principles can help you prepare your property for sale. We explore exactly what feng shui is and single out the best bits of advice for home sellers.

Traditionally, home improvements would encompass new bathrooms, new kitchens and replacing pebble dash exteriors for smooth render but the green agenda has seen our property ‘to do’ list undergo a makeover of its own.

If you love following an interior design trend, your luck is in. Bloomcore is gaining in popularity just as summer reaches its zenith. This botanically-led aesthetic is already trending on social media, with 2.5 million TikTok views, and rising, under the #bloomcore hashtag. Now style bibles Ideal Home and House Beautiful have started reporting on the design movement.