Finding The Perfect Pad In lockdown Is More Difficult Than You Think! - Heres My Top Tips

Have you ever tried looking for a house in normal times wanting every aspect except maybe one to be the "perfect home" let alone when we are not allowed to visit, buy, move or view houses?.

I have my house on the market at the moment and 99% of all enquiries are coming from down south. Either to get away from the more built-up areas for a more relaxing way of life or they have decided this is the time to be nearer to family after the problems they have faced whilst in lockdown.

Finding the perfect pad in lockdown is harder than you think, houses are selling in days and well over the asking price in my area the prices have risen about 8.3% and there's nothing new coming on the market because it's practically impossible to go through the process without some risk one way or the other.

So you have very quickly and successfully sold your big pad and want to slightly downsize, change your lifestyle to suit this new climate of more serenity more quality time with the family and back to the great British outdoors! you're now stuck in a rental with most of your possessions in boxes, in the garage the spare bedroom at friends and its storage! you feel split! from the exhaustion of having to pack what you knew was your world, your safe place called home now forced into this very odd time where you have the cash but no home! where do you start?!

I always say start at the beginning! So I will share my tips to help you through the minefield of moving in lockdown.

MY TOP 9 BIGGEST FREE GIVEAWAY POINTS TO FINDING THE PERFECT PAD AND STAYING SANE IN THE PROCESS!

Be Realistic

1. Make a list of what you want, keep it to about 8 you may be Lucky and get 3! if you want to wait for that effect pad set a time limit ( I want to be in by September 2021) etc.

2. Write down locations or screenshot an enlarged map with say a 3-mile radius of your perfect location.

3. Keep optimistic but realistic.

4. Keep talking to each other if there's two of you or more.

5. Don't let it consume you. 

6. Set yourself a realistic budget for the area and size of the house and stick to it.

7. Ask yourself how long are you prepared to live in rental accommodation? and write it down give yourself targets like we are 3 months away from our ideal move-in date and we cart find anything then you can widen your search when you get to your targets.

8. How much work are you happy taking on and do you really know about the costs involved in say putting a bathroom in. Most fitters charge in the region of 5 k to take out the old bathroom and fit a new one, then there's the flooring about 1k then the wall tiles this can be in a large bathroom anywhere from £500 to £2000 then there's the bathroom suite, the taps, the shower these all add up nearing another 5k at least, don't underestimate, there's nothing worse than having to skimp when you have a fabulous idea in your head.

 9. Be clear about what you are looking for don't be too sketchy for instance when you have too many options it gets messy, like do we put all of our money into one house or do we use some to buy a holiday cottage somewhere to escape to in England Ireland Scotland Or Wales. When you have too many options too many variants, you get confused, you give in, don't. Just say what it is you really want, it may be after discussing it with your other half or family that actually the option you all really want and now can have because of working from home, A full-time Holiday house, one by the sea may be or in the mountains.

Do your homework! 

6 things to check - Pre Viewing

1. Where is the local Hospital

2. Where are the Doctors

3. The dentist

4. The nearest favourite Supermarket, butcher etc, get the postcode and check if they deliver.

5. How much are the outgoings the council tax, water, sewerage, yearly outgoings on the house

6. What work needs doing now and how much it will cost and what work needs doing that can wait and jot down the cost and a timeframe it can wait till.

Don't forget you must respect peoples sanctuary these are their homes don't give your opinion to a homeowner, for instance, the kitchen that has taken them 1 year to complete you are going to rip it out, only implement not comment.
Please wear masks gloves and shoe coverings and limit your viewing to 20 minutes if you like it go back, but covid is all around us and there are often vulnerable people around us who need us to keep them safe.

I was delighted to have been able to Help Alison Gibb, interiors feature writer and stylist along with her husband, Douglas Gibb, who is an amazing Interiors photographer find a new pad to lay there hat for a while, what a dream team they are together, they create features for interiors magazines, Alison has been asking my advice about which may be suitable to make an income from as well as be there home and as I have a lot of experience with Holidays lets and Boutique style mini Hotels I was able to help advise. Im not attached to anything so my advice is impartial and crucial to some peoples search to find that perfect pad.

By the way, husband and wife team Alison and Douglas actively look for good stories for magazines. They could be anywhere – they adore to travel! who doesn't! I'm longing to pack my bags, are you?.

If you feel your own home might be of interest to Alison and Douglas, please send her some snaps, if it gets featured in an amazing interiors magazine do let me know and we can share it with all the readers a way of inspiring others to share your work.

She also writes about travel. She is also a travel correspondent for the Sunday Post PS Magazine supplement

If you would like Alison to visit your hotel or holiday property and write about it, either for the Sunday Post or on here, my blog, she would be delighted to discuss.

 Here is the blog she has written about her experience with me helping her find that perfect pad, it's now live on her website do have a read and I hope you will keep us updated if your pad gets featured... 

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Kerrie