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In these uncertain times we are sure of two things: we know how strong, supportive, and resilient our community is, and we are as confident about the property market now, as we were before we ever heard of COVID-19. Everyone needs somewhere to live, and our area is still the most wonderful place to reside, work and play....read more in our latest blog.

Just one of the properties featured in next months issue of Sussex Life magazine...

Click here to read Just one of the properties featured in next months issue of Sussex Life magazine....

Conducting A Property Viewing From The Comfort Of Your Own Home

In order to make the most of being at home, you may be thinking about the current value of your property and whether you may want to sell-up later in the year, or what you can do to maximise the value of your home. Many estate agents are now flexing with the current situation and offering virtual viewings in order to allow you to plan for your property transaction and search for the right property, but how do we value your property without ever stepping foot in your home?

The first solution is simple – online valuation tools. Online valuation tools have become increasingly more popular as their accuracy improves, and as people become more aware that the values are a rough guide rather than a solid appraisal figure. These tools look at land registry data to ascertain the price a property was previously valued at and then use matrices in order to give you a value in today’s inflated rate. Although the estimates can vary, they do give you an idea of the value your property could obtain on the open market, and allow you to have conversations with your agent about selling your home.

The next solution to have your property appraised remotely is more technological – by using video calling applications such as Skype, Zoom, Facetime, WhatsApp and others you can walk an estate around your home. You will be able to talk to the estate agent and they will also be able to guide you in terms of what they need to see to give you an accurate figure – they can also inform you of where the most valuable improvements can be made.

Finally, if you do not have the technology or the know-how to facilitate a video call, then sending over specific images of your property to your estate agent should be sufficient to give you an estimate of your property’s value. In principal, an estate agent will need images of the exterior of your property, including any gardens, garages and parking, as well as an image of each room of the property. If any further clarifications are necessary, your agent will call or email you so that your valuation isn’t delayed.

We would like to emphasise the fact that during this period you can make plans which will help to facilitate your property aspirations in the future – we are here to help you however we can.

Tips To Help You Cope Self Isolating

With millions of us now advised to self-isolate and practice social distancing to prevent further spread of Covid-19, we all must make adjustments. It might sound simple at first, to just stay indoors and end social meetings, but it can present various challenges such as anxiety, loneliness, and stress. There are coping mechanisms that we can incorporate into our daily routines to help combat any challenges we may face during this time. Continue below for some helpful ideas to support you in self-isolation.

1. Remember you’re not alone
It’s so important to remind yourself that we are all in this together. The whole country has been asked to quarantine so we are all going through similar thoughts and feelings; and everybody has their own personal circumstances to muddle through. Take some comfort in being a part of one big community doing your own part in battling through this pandemic.

2. Have conversations with people
The power of talking to someone is immense. Just because we can’t physically go and socialise doesn’t mean that we must stop socializing altogether. Make a conscious effort to pick up your phone and call family, friends, and work colleagues. You should try to do this daily. You could even create a new daily routine, such as having a morning coffee with a family member virtually. If you have the facility to do this over a video call, then even better!

3. Use social media
Similar to point number 2, use social media to communicate with your friends, family and work colleagues. This will help you to maintain your strong connections and relationships with people and help you to feel more supported, avoiding feelings of loneliness.

4. Plan your time
It can be very easy to lose all the structure from your days which can often leave us feeling unmotivated to do anything. By planning your time, you can recreate a routine into your daily life so that you feel more active and your body can release those positive hormones. Doing activities in the home can give you a sense of fulfillment and allow you to do things that you previously did not have the time to do. If you have children, planning a routine or schedule can also be helpful for them adjusting to being at home instead of school.

5. Use your support network
In stressful times, it can be easy to shy away from reaching out to people. But it is crucial that you do so. If there is something that you need and are unable to get for yourself, such as groceries, contact family or friends to ask if they can get these for you. They can leave them on your doorstep for you to collect so that you can maintain the government isolation rules.

6. Focus on the facts
There are so many articles about Coronavirus online, as well as ongoing news updates on TV; it can be a bit overwhelming at times. Within all this information is a lot of speculation; especially on social media. Try to stick to the respected health advice websites when looking for updates, such as the NHS, Public Health England, and Gov.uk. If you do start to feel overwhelmed, try to limit your news intake to just once a day.

7. Don’t ignore how you’re feeling
Don’t be hard on yourself if you feel stressed or worried. It is normal for those feelings to come and go at times. One way to manage your feelings is to write things down in a diary as a way of acknowledging how you feel. Reach out to someone to talk about how you feel, or to take your mind off it completely. You can also use activities that you enjoy in the house so that you feel in control and enjoy your time.

A Child's Top Ten Property Features

At some point or another we have all thought about our dream home and whilst most of us would be happy with a spacious home with a large garden, it appears from a recent survey that we’re just not being creative enough.

A survey carried out by home developer, Strata, questioned over 2,000 children between the ages of 3 and 11 and found out their most desired features for their home, resulting in some fantastical answers.

So, where do all the kids want to live? Well, it depends on who you ask.

The consensus amongst the girls was that the best place to live would be a fairytale style castle at the top of a hill and surrounded by the ocean. As for the boys, it appears that the popular choice was a multi-coloured LEGO block tree house, which would be a wonderful sight but terrible to walk around in.

From an interior design perspective, walls made from chocolate was, of course, the best option, with water slides instead of stairs also proving popular – making it a bit of a chore getting upstairs but going down should be fun.

Free time is clearly a valuable commodity to the young demographic, as instead of having a home that featured the perfect office to allow them to get productive, the kids would prefer a magic room that completes homework for them.

For the flooring, although they had the options of luxurious carpet or hardwood floor with underfloor heating, the clear choice was trampoline floors, allowing the owners to jump and bounce from one room to the next.

When quizzed on their kitchen needs, the common choice was a sweet shop/ice cream parlour instead of the usual granite countertops, as their dietary requirements appear to be sugar and more sugar.

Property developers may want to keep these points in mind when planning new homes for future generations. If you’re a landlord, then it could be worth considering installing a water slide and chocolate walls over the next 10 years if you really want to beat the competition!

Top 10 dream features for kids:

1. Magic homework room that does the work for you
2. Water slide staircase so you never have to walk
3. Dinosaur park with its very own scientist
4. Trampoline floors to bounce from room-to-room
5. House robot
6. Sausage-llama as a pet
7. Christmas market all year round
8. Petting zoo where David Attenborough works
9. Shark tank
10. Twelve toilets so no one ever has to queue