The rising cost of living is affecting everyone, and online forums are buzzing with tips on how to reduce your outgoings. If you need some money-saving tips, then look no further. We have rounded up our favourites here.

Don’t leave devices on standby
‘Vampire devices’ are estimated to cost the average household £147 a year.

LED bulbs
Switching to LED bulbs may be an expensive upfront cost, but they can use up to 85% less energy to run than a traditional 60W bulb. They also tend to last significantly longer, so they will pay for themselves in months.

Use a comparison website
Check that you are on the cheapest energy tariff possible by using an online comparison website.

Smart thermostats
These automatically turn your heating down when you leave the house, so you can avoid paying to heat your home when no-one is there. 

Don’t use your tumble dryer
Take advantage of the warmer days to dry your washing outside or invest in a heated drying rack for rainy days.

Nighttime savings
Check to see if your energy company charges less for energy used at particular times of the day. Many companies charge less for energy between 10pm and 5am.

Don’t put too much in
It might seem like a sensible idea to put as much in your washing machine or tumble dryer as you can to avoid having to run it a second time, but if your machine is too full, it will not only struggle to adequately wash or dry your clothes, but it will also use more energy to run as it has to work harder.

30 degrees
Your washing machine can use up to 50% less energy when it is run on a 30-degree cycle instead of a 40-60 degree one, and experts say that your clothes will be just as clean.

Eco cycles
These do take longer, but they are more energy efficient.

Dryer Balls
These separate the washing inside your tumble dryer, which allows the air to circulate better. This, in turn, helps the water evaporate quicker.

Look down
Most supermarkets stock cheaper versions of items on the lower shelves, so make sure that you always look down.

Look for yellow stickers
Supermarkets often reduce the price of stock that will shortly be out of date throughout the day. If you are undecided about what to have for dinner, this can be a great way to get a bargain.

Batch cook
Batch cooking saves energy as you cook several meals at once in your oven. Use your microwave to reheat these meals, as it is much more energy efficient to reheat food in there than in the oven.

Just a cuppa
Only put as much water in your kettle as you need, so that you are not wasting energy boiling water you won’t use. Use your kettle to boil your cooking water before putting it in the pan, as it will use less energy than a hob to bring the water to the boil.

Bulk up
Use frozen vegetables to bulk up recipes that contain mince. Lasagne, shepherd’s pie, and spaghetti bolognese all work well with 50/50 quantities of mince and frozen vegetables, and it may even encourage your children to eat more vegetables.

If the rising cost of living is making you consider downsizing in NW London then please do give us a call on 020 7759 2199 or send us an email to enquiries@vitaproperties.uk and we will be happy to help you to come to the best decision for your family.

According to Which?, 28% of people experience a property purchase falling through. So here are our top tips on how to keep the house-buying process progressing smoothly so you can avoid it happening to you.

Avoid joining a chain if you can!

This applies to your choices as both a buyer and a seller. Once you become part of a chain, you are subject to any issues, such as buyers pulling out, in the chain. Many of us do not choose a property with our heads but instead, let our hearts make the choice for us. However, if your heart happens to choose a property without a chain, then your head will definitely thank it for it as it can save a lot of headaches!

If you are lucky enough to have multiple offers made for your property, choosing the one that has no chain can turn out to be a savvy decision for the same reason.

Set a realistic timescale

Make sure that you have a discussion shortly after your offer has been accepted about your preferred timescales. While you may need to accept that buying and selling properties may take longer than you would like due to the complexity of the process, it helps if everyone is working towards the same date as it tends to focus minds.

Be organised

Make sure that all of your paperwork is in order so that you do not cause any delays. It can be particularly helpful to make sure that you have all of your paperwork to hand so that if a query should arise, you won’t have to delay responding while you find it. Making sure you are easy to get hold of can also mean small queries can be answered quickly, avoiding any hold-ups.

Make sure you choose the right estate agent

Estate agents are not all the same, so beware of selecting your agent based purely on their fees. Instead, select one based on their experience and ability to help keep your house sale moving. Looking at reviews is a great way to find out how an estate agent has handled previous house sales. It is also important when you are selecting an agent to make sure that you are on the same wavelength and get along. Remember, the way they treat you is also how they will treat any potential buyers.

Part of our job is to help progress your house sale and chase things up where necessary. We liaise with the buyer, seller, and solicitor and ensure your house sale and purchase go through as smoothly and stress-free as possible.

Think outside the chain

If something goes wrong in your chain, consider selling and renting a property to avoid losing your buyer. This also puts you in a strong position when you find another property to make an offer on, as you will then be chain-free.

If you would like to know more about how we can help you sell your property in NW London, please give us a call on 020 7759 2199 or send an email to enquiries@vitaproperties.uk.

All landlords want a good tenant. Even better is a good tenant who wishes to rent your property for a long time as it means you won’t be faced with rental voids or the stress of frequently having to find new tenants. Long-term tenants also tend to take better care of properties as they are more likely to treat them like their homes rather than as just temporary accommodation.

So how can you find your perfect tenant? Here at Vita Properties, we know that the best way to attract your ideal tenant is through targeted marketing and consistent good service. So what does that mean?

Identify your perfect tenant

A listing is just like a dating profile. If your ideal tenant finds the listing for your property online and doesn’t like the look of it then they won’t bother to consider it. So first take some time to think about who your ideal tenant is and then consider if there is anything you can do to make your property and your online advert more attractive to them.

Location, location, location

Highlight the proximity of the local services and attractions that your ideal tenants would use. For example, if you would like to rent to students then mentioning the distance to the university would be a good start. For families let them know which school’s catchment area your property falls within and for young professionals focus on distance to transport links and local nightlife.

Take an objective look

Try to see your property through the eyes of a potential tenant. Is your property in need of a fresh coat of paint or are there things that you have been meaning to fix but haven’t got around to yet? Things like this can be a red flag for a tenant as it may give them the impression that you are a neglectful landlord.

Research

Look at similar properties in your area to ascertain what your competition is offering and make sure that you are not trying to set your rental price too high in comparison to them. Good tenants always have their pick of properties so do not price yourself out of their search by setting your rent too high. It can also lead to it taking longer to find tenants so the rental void may cancel out any gain you make from the higher price.

Choose your letting agent carefully

If you want good, long-term tenants then choosing the right agent to manage your property long-term is as important as choosing an agent who will be able to market your property well and find tenants fast. The key to getting long-term tenants is to treat them well and if your managing agent does not do that then you will have a high turnover of tenants and word will soon get around amongst tenants that it is unwise to rent through that particular agent reducing your pool of potential tenants. Here at Vita Properties, we have been responsible for managing hundreds of properties in NW London and our happy landlords and tenants are proof that we truly are agents who care.

If you are a landlord and would like to discuss how we can help you both find good tenants and keep them long-term or are a potential tenant looking for a property to rent in NW London then please give us a call on 020 7759 2199 and we will be delighted to help you.

Clean and clutter-free properties always sell faster than dirty and cluttered ones. Clutter has the effect of making your property look smaller which is the last thing you want when you are trying to make your property look as attractive as possible to potential buyers.

During viewings, buyers are assessing your property to ascertain whether it has ample space for themselves and their families to live in and enjoy. If every surface and perhaps even parts of the floor are covered by your belongings then that can be enough to put many viewers off of your home as they are distracted by the sight of them rather than focusing on your home’s positive features.

So if you are thinking about putting your property on the market or have already done so, now is an excellent time to declutter your home. If you need an idea of where to start then take a look at our top five decluttering tips.

Ask for help

Tough jobs are much easier to do if you have help so ask a friend or family member to spend a day with you helping you to declutter and sort your belongings.

The One-Year Rule

If something hasn’t been used for at least a year then you probably do not need it. You then need to decide whether you would like to keep it for sentimental reasons, or if it should go in the bin or be donated to a charity shop. 

Keep, Rubbish, Donate

Label three boxes with keep, rubbish, and donate. Then pick up an item and decide which one of the boxes it should go in. Do this with every item in the room but bear in mind as you do it that once the keep box is full you will need to put everything else into either the rubbish or donate boxes.

Throw away things that are broken

If after a week you haven’t fixed something that is broken then you are unlikely to. You also probably don’t need it if you haven’t bothered to fix it.

One thing in, one thing out

This simple rule will prevent you from allowing clutter to build up again after you have decluttered. Every time you bring something new into your home you must get rid of one thing.

If sorting out your clutter seems too overwhelming at the moment renting a storage unit and putting your excess belongings in it until you are ready to sort through them is a better plan than leaving them laying around for a potential buyer to have to step over. 

Every time keeping your house clutter-free starts to seem hard just remind yourself that space sells, clutter doesn’t.

We are always happy to give you advice on things that you can do to help ensure that you achieve the best price possible for your property in NW London, so please feel free to give us a call on 020 7759 2199 and we will give you our professional and tactful advice!

Area Overview

NW3, NW6, NW8, W9, NW2, NW1

Mar-May 2023

Key Findings

• Rental values averaged £769 per week for flats and £2,335 per week for houses over the last 3 months. Properties let over the last 3 months achieved an average of £49.99 per square foot per annum in rent, up from
• £44.29 at the same time last year, and up from £48.89 6 months ago
• The number of properties let over the last 3 months was up 3.2% versus the same period last year, but up 20.0% from 3 months ago.
• Achieved rental values rose by 12.9% compared to the same period last year, and rose by 2.3% versus 3 months ago.

Current Availability

Key Findings

• 52.3% of properties have asking prices less than £1,000 per week, down from 56.0% from the previous 3 months and down from 61.3% from the same time last year.
• 19.6% of properties have asking prices of £2,000 or more per week
• 25.8% of flats and 26.2% of houses currently available have seen a reduction in asking rents since they were first put on the market

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While we make every effort to ensure our information and data is as robust as possible, we cannot guarantee its accuracy or completeness Those looking to place reliance on LonRes content do so at their own risk LonRes shall not be liable for any loss or damage, direct or indirect, arising from inaccuracy or incompleteness of the data or any decision made in reliance upon the data. None of the information or data within this report is intended to constitute investment advice or a recommendation to make Cor refrain from making) any kind of investment decision and may not be relied on as such

June 5, 2023, the NW3, NW6, NW8, W9, NW2, NW1 catchment includes all properties let within the aforementioned area.