Magical Penny

If you’re looking for a new home, you might be wondering whether it’s worth building one, rather than buying one. There are, as with everything, pros and cons either way, and it will generally come down to your finances and your lifestyle. However, there are some excellent reasons for building your own home rather than buying one that already exists, and it’s a good idea to think things through carefully before dismissing anything outright. Read on to find out more. 

A Brand New Home – Without The Premium

It’s certainly easier to buy a brand new home that someone else has already created, but if that never-lived-in-before feeling is what you’re looking for, it will come at a price. New build homes will have a premium attached to them, and that means that firstly, you’ll be paying more than you would for an older property (generally speaking), and, when you come to sell, you won’t make as much money as you otherwise would.

This is why some people choose to build their own home. It’s still completely new, but it will cost less because you’re not having to pay a middleman to cover the building costs; you’ll be doing that yourself. And it’s not just cheaper upfront, but over time too. The newer a property, the fewer repairs you will need to think about making. Buy an older property and you might be walking into a home that needs your help straight away.   

Completely Customisable

One of the best things about building your own home is that it will be completely customisable, and you can make it entirely your own. You can start before it’s even built by speaking to expert architects such as Lowe Design Build who can ensure you are making the most of the land you have, and that your home is exactly what you want it to be.

Although it’s possible that you’ll eventually find an existing property that fits everything on your wish list and ticks all the boxes, that could take a long time, and you’ll be beholden to the current owners as to how much you spend on it. For a home that is absolutely yours and fits you perfectly, as well as a property that will cost less than buying something already built, there is nothing that works as well as building your own home.

Cost-Effective

Although there will be more initial costs involved in building a property than in buying one (you’ll need to buy the land, pay for thorough research, organise an architect, hire contractors, and so on), over time those costs will diminish, and by the time you’re living in your home, it will be much more cost-effective than buying one would have been. 

Of course, this will require you to have funds from the start, which is why this option isn’t attractive to everyone, but when you consider the long term cost savings and the fact that you could own your property outright in a very short amount of time, it is definitely an option worth thinking about. 

{ 0 comments }

As business ideas go, buying land and then building on it so that you can sell the new property and make a profit is not a bad one by any stretch of the imagination. If you do it right and put a lot of time, effort, and research into the planning of it all, then you can be extremely successful, and the more money you make, the more houses with land for sale you can buy, and the more profits you can build.  

Only, of course, it’s not quite as simple as it sounds. The main issue, once you have dealt with the funding and the contractors, is the planning permission. Planning permission is going to be required if you intend to build a new structure (and often even if you intend to change an existing structure), and if you can’t get it, then you can’t build. If you do build without planning permission, you run the risk of having to pull everything down, even if the building is complete. The fines and penalties that go along with this are just not worth thinking about; your little business would be destroyed. 

So it’s clear that planning permission is vital if you want to build any kind of structure. How then can you get it? Read on for some useful tips. 

Have Quality Designs 

The most important part of the planning permission process has to be the design. This is what is going to inform the planning committee about what it is you are intending to build, and it is this that will give them an idea about whether or not it is going to be allowed. 

A good design must include the right scaling, and it must be completed by a qualified architect. A few scribbles on a piece of scrap paper is not going to suffice. You must also be at pains to explain just how the new building is going to fit in with its surroundings. You might design the most beautiful house but if it’s entirely different from everything else in the street then planning permission is unlikely to be granted, for example. 

Hire A Planning Consultant 

Although hiring a professional planning consultant is going to cost you more money than you might originally have costed for, having one on board could be the difference between obtaining planning permission and not, so you should at least consider the idea. In the end, a planning consultant who knows what they are doing can save you time, money, and a lot of effort, and help you to get the planning permission you’re hoping for on the first application. 

Make sure that whoever you hire has plenty of experience in obtaining planning permission in your area. Local authorities differ from place to place, and what works in one area might not be allowed in the next. Just because the professional you want to use has had a lot of success in the past, if that success has never been in your specific location, then it’s wise to look elsewhere. 

Have A Backup Plan 

The best plan you can have is to be sure about your design before you submit it, having thought about all the different problems that might come up and dealt with them before they were even noticed.  

This is not always possible, however, and it might be that you submit your plans even though there were a few points you just weren’t sure about. 

It’s always a good idea to have a backup plan in mind if this is the situation you find yourself in. You can submit your original plans in the hopes that they will be granted planning permission, but you can have a second set of plans, the revised version, ready and waiting just in case. That way, even if the second set isn’t what you first wanted, at least there will only be a limited delay in getting the project started. 

{ 0 comments }

Acquiring a property is the dream of any person. It is a process that will change your life and that of your family forever. But, for it to be a purchase that you do not regret there are a series of keys that you must follow. Before you look at buying a home, you may want to consider your mortgage options; and thankfully there are many. And if you already have a property and really need to stay in the house but access some of the value in the house, then you may want to look into a Reverse Mortgage. 

Before investing in the house of your dreams you must make sure to comply with a series of indicators that will make it known that your investment is what you were looking for and that it will be completely beneficial for you and your family. Do you know which ones they are?

1. Location and connectivity: The place where the construction is located is essential to know if it is convenient for you to acquire it or not. The proximity to your work, your children’s school, proximity to supermarkets, pharmacies and hospitals will bring you enormous benefits. In turn, if the neighborhood is in a process of economic growth, it could positively affect the home equity.
2. Borrowing capacity: When you do the search, make sure it fits your monthly income and that the determined dividend is not a problem every month. Always take into account the extra expenses for repairs, maintenance, common expenses, bills and any other detail.
3. Green Areas: According to specialists, it is ideal to opt for a home that has nearby parks or outdoor areas. This will enhance your quality of life and will add value to the property.
4. Real estate: Companies play a fundamental role when it comes to home sales. Assessing their commitment, track record, financial strength, the prices they offer and the guarantees are aspects that you cannot ignore. This also involves finding out who is the builder in charge of the works and the types of materials used in the construction.
5. The space: The value of the property you want to acquire will vary according to the size and distribution of the construction. Consider that there are times when it is positive to invest a little more, if the property better accommodates the number of people who will live in the place and the amount of things you need to store. Measuring the spaces where you will place your appliances and furniture and checking the location of plugs and connections never hurts.
6. Compliance with standards and certifications: Experts recommend checking if the construction company has certifications on the home, the materials used and the building permits.
7. Inspection: Before signing any paper, visit the property and check that all facilities are working properly. Checking the finishes, the windows and doors, the taps and the kitchen and bedroom furniture is essential.
8. Enforce the agreements: When you decide to acquire a property, you have the right to demand everything that has been committed in the transaction.

Buying a home is an exciting prospect (if it is something you want for yourself) but it is always important to look at how it can make your life easier, before you make the commitment. 

{ 0 comments }

When you are choosing to invest in property, you have to make sure you get the essentials right. This is something that you are going to need to work on as much as possible, and there are a lot of factors that will impact upon your investments. So, it is crucial that you need to do what you can to ensure your investment is protected, and this means taking care of the essentials. 

Think about some of the most important factors that you need to do in order to improve the property, and there are plenty of excellent essentials that play a part in helping with this. When you are looking at making the best choices when buying a house, it is essential that you look at how you can improve the property and enhance your potential ROI in the future; these are some of the key ways of being able to do that. 

Are Your Renting or Selling?

The first thing to keep in mind is the fact that you will need to choose whether you are going to be renting or selling your property. This is definitely something to consider, as it is going to inform the decisions you make moving forward, and there is a lot to keep in mind with this right now. Making the right choices to improve your home is one of the key things you can do when it comes to deciding whether to sell or rent, and there are plenty of decisions to make here. 

Make Sure You Conduct a Thorough Survey

Conducting a thorough survey of the home is something that you need to make the most of as much as you can. There are a lot of ideas that can help you when it comes to making the best of this, but you need to know what you are dealing with. And getting an in-depth survey conducted is one of the best things you can do that helps you to understand what work may need to be carried out on the property, as well as being able to figure out how much it might cost you when it comes time to deal with these problems. 

Update the Property

Being sure you do as much as possible to update the property as much as you can, and this involves taking the right steps to achieve this. You need to upgrade and modernise the home wherever you can, and there are a lot of benefits to this. You have to think about the best possible ways of being able to update and repair the home, and companies like Halls Construction are perfect for being able to achieve. 

You have so many things to consider when it comes to investing in your first home, and you have to make the right changes that are going to boost the curb appeal of the property. Making the best possible changes at home is so important, and there are a lot of things that you need to work on as much as you can to take things to the next level right now. These are a few of the things you have to make sure you get right as a business owner. 

{ 0 comments }

This year has been tough on us all, with the pandemic causing many businesses to lose out on profits and lose clients. Due to this and the uncertainty of the future, a lot of companies are looking for ways to cut costs. It can feel a bit of a minefield when you first try to seek ways to save your business money, but there are some simple ways that can save costs without impacting areas of your business too much. After all, there is a fine line between saving your business money and cutting costs to the point that your business suffers.

Here are three top ways that you can save your business money.

Look at your outgoing bills 

As a business, you can soon accumulate many outgoings. It can be hard to track everything that you are spending, and soon all the little costs can add up. It is important to look at your bills such as your internet and phone and see how you can make these smaller. You could look at using an all-in-one telecoms service such as 3cx phones, which can significantly impact your business. Another way is to get in touch with your current phone and internet providers and see what they can do to cut you a deal. It could be that they offer you a loyalty discount or find you a better and cheaper plan based on your usage.

Get smarter with your marketing

Marketing is an integral part of any business, but it is important that you are smart with it. Some companies tend to splash a lot at areas that they have heard work well or that have worked with other companies in the past. This doesn’t mean that they will work with your company. It is worth taking some time out to look at your current marketing plan, what you spend money on, and see what is working and what isn’t. It could be that you are spending a lot of money on print advertising when most of your income is being made from digital clicks. If this is the case, switch your expenditure around and cut costs in the areas that aren’t working. See how much this makes a difference, and continue to change things around until you find a balance between what you are spending and your return on investment.

See if you can hire freelancers 

It could be that you have areas in your business that you hire whole teams for but don’t need it. If you are a small business that requires a new website, for example, it is often cheaper to hire a freelancer than a full-time employee to do this. By hiring a freelancer you know the rate upfront and only pay for the work that you receive or the hours they put in. You also don’t need to pay for upfront costs such as national insurance, tax, sick pay, or holiday pay. Freelancers can often be more specialist and get the job done quicker than someone in-house as they can dedicate all their time to that one task.

{ 0 comments }

While the internet enables us to find information quicker and easier than ever before, it has also given rise to a lot of so-called ‘experts’ and misinformation. This means people end up believing things that are not actually true. So take a look at some of the common car insurance and life insurance myths you need to stop believing:

Life INSURANCE MYTHS

We are going to start by taking a look at some of the common myths that concern life insurance. So, let’s clear those up for you first:

I don’t need coverage because I do not have any dependents and I am single

This is one of the common myths that we see circulating. A lot of people assume that life insurance is only designed for the breadwinner or people that have children. This could not be further from the truth. Life insurance is for all, and you will be surprised by how much of an impact it could have. Plus, the sooner you get life insurance, the cheaper it will be overall. This is because life insurance gets more expensive as you get older, as a lot of insurance policies do. You can use https://discountlifecover.co.uk/ to help you find reasonable priced insurance if you are worried about the cost. 

I am young and healthy, so life insurance is not needed

We don’t want to make things bleak and depressing, but problems can arise no matter how old you are. We all like to think that things won’t happen to us, but you only need to turn on the news to hear stories about car crashes and other sorts of tragedies that no one would have expected. Therefore, it is important to be prepared and protected for all possibilities, and this is exactly what life insurance is all about. 

All life insurance payouts are taxed

Well, some life insurance payouts can be taxed, it really depends on your circumstances and where you are based. A lot of life insurance payouts are not taxed. It tends to be the big earners and big payouts that are taxed, but again, this differs from state to state and country to country, so the best thing you can do is your research to find out what rules and stipulations are going to apply to you. Your insurance provider will also be able to advise you on this as well, so make sure that you capitalise on their expert knowledge and use it to make the right decisions for you.

CAR INSURANCE MYTHS

Now that we have helped you to understand some of the common myths regarding life insurance, let’s move onto car insurance myths:

It is best to let your policy automatically renew every year

There are no prizes for remaining loyal when it comes to auto insurance. If your policy is due to run out soon, you would definitely be better off doing a car insurance comparison to see if you can find a cheaper deal elsewhere.

Black box policies have a curfew

A lot of people overlook black box policies because they believe that they will not be able to drive after a certain time. This is not the case. When black box policies first came out, there were a few that operated in this manner but times have moved on. Insurers now base their premiums on factors relating to driving behaviour, for example, accelerating, braking, speed, and mileage. For young drivers, black box policies present an effective method for reducing your premiums.

You can drive any car with a comprehensive cover

There is a huge misconception that you are automatically covered to drive someone else’s car if you have comprehensive cover. While some of these policies will offer third party liability, it is not a given. You need to check the terms and conditions relating to your specific policy before you drive someone else’s vehicle.

You don’t need to pay an excess if the claim was not your fault

If you can prove the claim was not your fault, you will get the excess waived. However, you will usually have to pay it first, and then it will be sent back to you.

So there you have it: some of the most common car and life insurance myths debunked. Hopefully, you now feel like you have a much better understanding of what does and does matter when it comes to auto and life insurance, as well as the different factors you should consider when purchasing.

{ 0 comments }

This can be a great investment decision and will provide you with a chance to provide a tremendous boost to an existing income. Alternatively, you can establish it as your main business venture. The choice is entirely up to you. Here are some tips on how to approach this challenge the right way and gain the success that you deserve. 

Setting Your Budget

You do need to make sure that you are setting your budget before you start flipping homes. It’s important that you know how much you should be putting into your budget. If you have cash in hand, then you can spend as much as you like within reason. If you are borrowing as a starting point, then it’s important that you are a little more frugal. You shouldn’t try and borrow more than you can afford to pay back. In particular, you need to consider that the interest will mean that there’s a set time for when you will have needed to shift the home on the market. 

Finding The Right Homes

If you are flipping properties a key point will always be finding the right homes that you want to flip. It is essential that you don’t buy homes with issues that are too difficult or too expensive to fix. If you end up in this situation, then you will have purchased a property that is riddled with problems that don’t fit into your budget. This is how a flipped home quickly becomes unprofitable. This does mean that you need to complete the right checks. For instance, an asbestos survey will be essential. If you don’t take this step, then you won’t know whether the home is filled with asbestos. This is quite common in older homes. 

Hiring The Right Contractors

If work is needed on the home, it’s important to be prepared for the fact that you likely won’t be able to handle all the work yourself. Instead, you will need to choose the contractors. It’s essential that you choose contractors who you can trust to deliver the right level of quality. You should also make sure that any contractors you work with are fully insured. This will provide you with peace of mind that if there is any issue with the work, it can be resolved without delay. 

Working To A Deadline

As mentioned when you are flipping homes, you are always going to be working to a deadline. You’ll need to think about how much time you should spend working on the home after you buy it. Ideally, you should be aiming to get the home ready for the market in about three months. This means you should buy in the spring and be ready to sell through the summer season. 

We hope this helps you understand some of the key factors that you should consider and keep firmly in mind before you start flipping properties. While not for everyone, flipping homes can be a fantastic investment opportunity. You just need to make sure that you are approaching it the right way from day one. 

{ 0 comments }

Property can be a great investment, but it’s important to carry out due diligence before you part with your cash. Although you can get high returns from a property investment, there are risks too. By taking extra precautions to ensure you’re investing wisely, you can increase the likelihood of making significant gains. With this in mind, take a look at these 4 things you must do before you invest in your next property:

1. Get to Know the Area

If you’re purchasing a property in an area you’re unfamiliar with, it’s vital to spend time getting to know the location. Visiting the area or undertaking online research can help you to establish which properties are in a favourable location. Furthermore, being able to identify up and coming locations will help you to select properties which are set to grow in value in the near future. These can be a great investment opportunity, so it’s well worth spending your time researching the area and finding out everything you need to know.

2. Consider All Financing Options

Even if you can afford to purchase a property outright, this isn’t always the best way to invest. In some instances, taking out a mortgage can be a savvy way to retain your liquid assets. However, there are numerous different types of mortgages, such as fixed-rate, standard variable rate, tracker, capped rate and expat mortgages. Looking at each financing option in detail will help you to choose the right type of mortgage or loan for your investment and could increase your future returns.

3. Check the Data is Fresh

When you’re preparing to make a property investment, you’ll come across a variety of data. Some of this can be extremely valuable, but it’s important to be able to differentiate between useful and useless data. If you’re buying in a densely populated area, for example, looking at sold prices in a five-mile radius may not give you a true indication of what a particular property is worth, especially if local properties are a mix of terraced houses, flats and sprawling detached estates.

Take the time to identify which data provides accurate and meaningful information. Double-checking that online data was collected recently, for example, is a good first step to ensuring it tells an accurate story.

4. Develop a Strategy

Having an investment strategy is critical to your success, so think about what your goals are. Do you want to renovate a property and sell it quickly for a profit? Generate rental income as well as capital? Or are you going to live in the property and hope it increases in value? These are all viable forms of investment, but the varying targets may affect your search criteria.

Choosing to Invest in Property

Investing in property can be a great way to use your capital. Although property investments are less risky than some other types of investment, they’re never guaranteed. By conducting thorough research and getting to know the market, however, you can ensure you’ve got all the information you need to make an impressive return.

{ 0 comments }