A Positive Start to 2017

Welcome to the Oakwood Estates February Newsletter!

We hope to bring you news of what's going on with us, the local area and the property market so you are up to date. If you see something in our newsletter you wish to discuss further, please do not hesitate to give us a call.

Until next time,

Oakwood Estates.

Younger Generation Prefer Renting Over Buying

Falling home ownership levels have revealed a changing attitude among younger generations, who are simply choosing to rent rather than own a home.

According to figures from the Local Government Association (LGA) home ownership in the UK has fallen to its lowest level in 30 years, with ownership rates among 25 year olds dropping from 46% to just 20% in the last two decades.

Many experts are pointing the finger at a lack of affordable housing available for first time buyers, however the results of a recent tenant survey conducted by Knight Frank found a different cause.

38% of under 35s and 49% of under 25s stated that renting was a conscious decision, and that it suited their lifestyle. Rather than laying roots in an area and settling down, under 35’s prefer to have the freedom to move.

Grainne Gilmore, Head of UK Residential Research at Knight Frank, comments: “There has been a generational shift in the private rented sector (PRS). More households are now living in rented accommodation for longer, and while housing affordability is certainly a factor here, rented accommodation is also becoming an established flexible form of tenure, an attribute welcomed especially among younger workers.”

The PRS industry only looks to expand over the next three years, with many experts estimating investment to rise to &50 billion by 2020. This could trigger a movement in focus for investors, moving from medium-term capital to long-term income-generating assets.

A Guide to Downsizing

For a lot of older homeowners today, downsizing can be a great way to have a good clear out after your kids have left home, but also a fantastic way to free up some equity from your home. This financial boost also will most likely come with the added bonus of a reduction in running costs as you move to a smaller home. While there are plenty of benefits of downsizing, moving home can still be a complex and stressful experience, so we’ve put together a quick guide on what to consider to help make your move a much smoother transition.

Decide what you REALLY need

The most important step to a successful downsize - and a step you’ll want to take as early as possible - is taking a good look at all of your possessions and cutting away as much as possible. This is the part where you have to consider your day to day life and think about how much you use all of these items. You should ask yourself, do you still need all of that seating in the living room, or do you need such a large dining table? If the answer is ‘no’ to these sorts of questions, then it’s time to start dividing item into the ‘keep’ and ‘get rid’ piles.

While it may be hard at first to get tough of some sentimental possessions you’ll benefit on moving day when you have less stuff to move and won’t have to worry so much about how you fit all of it in.

Don’t Throw Anything Away

Once you’ve decided which items don’t belong in the ‘keep’ pile, it’s time to see if you can get some extra cash from your unwanted possessions. Obviously there will be some items that may not be fit for use anymore and would be better off taken to be recycled, but the items that are in good condition can be used to help fund new items more suitable for your smaller home.
As we said earlier, separating your items early is the best strategy as you will now have plenty of time to use websites such as Gumtree and Ebay, you might even be surprised by the how much interest some of your items generate and how much money they bring in.

Assess Your New Space
At this point you should have divided your items and possibly sold a few of them generating some extra cash. Even though you’ve probably gotten rid of a lot of possessions, it may still be a challenge fitting everything that remains into your smaller space.

If you’re already part way through the moving process and have agreed on which house you’re going to buy, start looking at measurements of each room and compare them against the measurements of your furniture. Your King size bed may fit into your new bedroom, but will it leave room for much else? Start planning how everything is going to fit in and figure out how to get the absolute most out of each space. You may need to invest in smaller and more suitable items for your home such as a dining table that seats 4 instead of 8.

Prepare For The Big Day
Last time you moved home it was most likely into a house of roughly the same size or bigger, however, this time you have to consider that you’ll have less space to work with, meaning it won’t be just as simple as getting everything in and unpacking it later.

Whether you want to label all your boxes with ‘Living room’, ‘bedroom’ etc. or use a colour coded system, it’s best to know what goes where before you begin shifting everything. As with any move, it’s wise to move the bigger items such as beds and chairs first, as this will give you a better idea of where to place all the small things.

Normally when a family moves into a bigger space they initially use the extra room to store things they’re too tired to unpack right away. If you’re downsizing then you probably won’t have room for a bunch of items to be out of sight and out of mind, so you should begin unpacking and organising all of your items as soon as you can. Moving into a smaller place and being surrounded by boxes for the first couple weeks will only ruin the experience for you by making it feel even smaller. Get organised early and get the full use out of your new home.

Oakwood Estates' Hottest Properties

Take a look at some of our Hot Properties currently on the market.

Old Windsor - Ashbrook Road - A converted and spacious Four Bedroom Semi Detached house located in the highly desirable location of Old Windsor. The property comes with two bathrooms (Master En-Suite), Two reception rooms, separate kitchen, large garden, double garage and driveway parking. Unfurnished. Available 13th March 2017

Richings Park – Apsley Walk - Executive four bedroom semi-detached townhouse available to rent set in the highly anticipated Sports Club development in affluent Richings Park. Four bedrooms, three bathrooms, lounge/diner, separate kitchen, ground floor w/c, rear garden and garage. Unfurnished and Available 28th March 2017.

Datchet – Agars Place - Stunning four bedroom detached house available in the highly sought after village of Datchet. With a double garage and off road parking for three cars. Walking distance to Datchet Station with connections to London Waterloo. Unfurnished. Available End of March.

West Drayton – Newcombe Rise - This well presented two bedroom end of terrace house is situated on a sough after development in West Drayton and nearby the High Street with its variety of shops and transport links including West Drayton Train Station.

Meet Oakwood Estate's Newest Team Members

We're happy to introduce our two newest team members, Lucy and Jamie. Get to know more about our two new negotiators below.

I am Lucy Bloor and am the Lettings Negotiator for Datchet and the surrounding areas. I have always had a keen interest in the property market and began my career in Lettings at the beginning of 2016. I thoroughly enjoy a high paced environment that fuels my passion to succeed. Being a Lettings Negotiator is rewarding as I find our clients their ideal home. In my spare time I enjoy socialising with friends and I have a keen interest in fashion.

I’m Jamie Henderson, I have joined the Oakwood estates team as the new Lettings Negotiator for Richings Park and Iver. Even though I am new to the company I have always had a passion for Properties and helping people find what’s right for them. I am dedicated to providing a first class service. I look forward to working with you.