December is a month like no other. There are Christmas lights and festive cheer everywhere you go, and everyone's thoughts start turning to the new year and new beginnings.

If you're selling your home, the Boxing Day Bounce brings the year's largest audience to the property portals, with 2020 seeing Rightmove's biggest ever Christmas audience, up a whopping 54% on 2019.

As well as these regular annual happenings, 2021's shortage of supply means many buyers are still actively looking for their next home. And with talk of interest rates rising early in 2022, there's a real motivation to settle on somewhere soon to lock in a current mortgage deal.

All this means there's plenty of opportunity if you're keen to sell this winter, whether you're looking to switch agents and restore momentum, or simply to get a head start on next year.

This article takes a look at how you can use the spirit of the season and the year's biggest online audience to your moving advantage.

A TIME FOR SWITCHING AGENTS?
If you've been trying to sell for a while and you're having no luck, you might be thinking about giving your home to another estate agent. You might also be wondering when to make the switch.

Do you leave things as they are until the new year, or do you swap now to see if you can breathe some new life into your sale with the extra audience over Christmas?

Switching will automatically give you a shiny new listing badge, so why not start talking to other estate agents now to see what they think is your best option?

There's enough time to get you up and running in time for a Christmas launch, and sometimes the threat of losing you to another estate agent can produce one last hurrah from your existing one.

Depending on the length of your notice period, it could be wise to activate it now so you can move on as soon as possible after choosing your new selling partner.

IS THE BOXING DAY BOUNCE CRACKERS?
The Boxing Day sales don't just apply to shops on the high street. For the property portals, the festive season is the annual peak of activity.

But is it just browsers with no intention of getting off the couch? And do genuine buyers hibernate at the end of November, only to emerge sometime in January?

Of course, more window-shoppers look online over Christmas, but it would be crazy to assume that everyone thinking about buying a home was actively giving the portals a miss.

There is simply no other week when so many people have so much time to look for a home, so a better question to ask might be: if you're keen to sell, why wouldn't you put your home in front of the largest audience of the year?

DECORATION DOS & DON'TS
A touch of Christmas adds valuable festive cheer to any home, so don't feel you have to avoid decorations altogether. It's not like they'll come as a surprise - in fact, they're incredibly on-trend!

When choosing a tree, think of it as a piece of furniture: one that improves your room and fits neatly into a space. So, rather than engulfing your bay window or obliterating the view, try a size that looks comfortable beside an armchair or in an alcove, and leaves plenty of room to walk around.

Fairy lights trailing over the fireplace are a winner at any time of year, and you can add some delightful Danish hygge to shelves and window ledges - without overpowering a room - with little Nisse folklore figures.

What gets distracting is when tinsel and cards hang from every corner and obscure the ceiling, walls and your beautiful decor. So if you do favour the maximal approach, opt for two sets of decorating fun: a selling-friendly phase one for now, then a full-on phase two for the Christmas weekend when there's no risk of viewings.

WINTER WELCOMES & GARDENS
Nobody expects you to be outdoors manicuring your lawn in the depths of winter, but there are some staging tricks to add some seasonal warmth to the chill in the air.

A front door decked with a glowing lantern is an invitation full of welcome, while solar-powered stakes that charge in the day will light a pathway at night. And if the snow hits for a dash of wonderland magic, remember to keep your path clear to save your viewers slipping and sliding their way to your door.

For garden furniture that stays out in the winter under a protective cover, place a pot of snowdrops or aconites on top of the table for some pretty seasonal foliage.

And if your furniture sits in a covered spot for year-round use, adding storm candles and stringing lights overhead will keep it looking cosy and inviting, even if your viewers prefer to see it from the warmth inside.

MAKING MAGICAL VIEWINGS
During the winter, more viewings happen when the skies are darker, which gives you the perfect opportunity to create a cosy viewing experience.

If you're lucky enough to have an open fire, get it lit and crackling in time for your arrivals, and keep a well-stocked basket of logs or fuel at the ready for easy top-ups. For regular heating, set it to come on early enough so your front door opens to a warm and inviting home.
 
No-one in during the day? Agree some advance-warning times with your agent, perhaps 24 hours, so you can set the timer before you leave.

Lighting comes into its own at this time of year, particularly lamps for highlighting comfy corners and creating a mood, so make sure they're all working and fitted with soft-tone bulbs.

When you've got multiple viewings on a single day or evening, why not make a thing of them? Leave out some M&S mince pies, keep a pot of mulled wine gently on the go, and set the atmosphere with music from the likes of Nat King Cole, Nina Simone, or Norah Jones.

It's a heartless soul that could resist such a coordinated campaign!

Final words
December allows you to present your home like no other month, take advantage of the year's biggest audience on the property portals, and seize the seasonal spirit.


If you'd like to talk about restarting or launching your move in time for the Boxing Day Bounce, why not get in touch? We’d love to hear about your plans.

Tring office: 01442 820420
Berkhamsted office: 01442 863000

With the annual tax return deadline a couple of months off, what better time to explore preparing in advance to avoid all that late-night uploading on January 31st?

Using the tips in our handy guide, you can make a start right now. Then you can use the Christmas break to collate your receipts, claim all your allowances and submit your return, well before the deadline.

More than that, you'll find ideas for streamlining your record keeping for the future, and ways to minimise your tax liabilities through caring for your buy-to-let and having a long-term plan.

BREAK UP THE TASK
Most of us leave our tax returns to the very last minute, which means a slow build-up of anxiety that grows over the year until the deadline looms. Fortunately, it doesn't have to be that way and there are some tools at your disposal to make the task feel smaller and more manageable.

Envelopes
If you prefer a paper system, but you find the paper overwhelming, here's a neat trick: get 12 x A5 envelopes and label them from January to December. Drop in your receipts each month, and write on the back what the purchase was for if it isn't obvious on the front.

Apps
Online banking has come on leaps and bounds, and many banks let you split your account into multiple areas. This means you can tag your buy-to-let expenditure for easy finding when tax time comes. There are even apps for expenses where you can photograph your receipts, link them to payments and turn your paper trail into a digital one.

Accountants
If your portfolio is growing and your tax is getting more complicated, or you simply can't stand paperwork and forms, employing an accountant can remove the task of doing your return. Just supply them with all your receipts and details of your income, then leave them to it.

Managing agents
With a managing agent, you'll have no receipts and paperwork at all. As well as organising the maintenance, repairs and legal compliance of your property, they'll be able to send you a simple statement of your income and expenditure at the end of every tax year.

USE ALL YOUR ALLOWANCES
The best way to minimise your tax bill is to take advantage of every tax-deductible expense.

There are more allowances than many landlords realise, and they mount up to significant savings on your tax bill. Having a good managing agent on your side will help you claim everything you're entitled to without having to do any research.

Among the allowances available to landlords are:

• Fees for letting and managing agents
• Costs for services like gardeners, window cleaners and house cleaners
• Accountancy fees
• Buildings and contents insurance
• Maintenance and repairs
• Gas, water and electricity bills
• Ground rent and service charges
• Council Tax when you have no tenant
• Legal fees including eviction costs
• Subscriptions to landlord associations
• Other direct costs of letting and managing your property including phone calls, travel and advertising

Are you making the most of these at your buy-to-let? If you're not sure about what you can claim for your property, get in touch and we'll talk you through.

MAKE TAX-EFFICIENT REPAIRS
Unlike improvements, repairs and maintenance are still fully tax-deductible, which makes looking after your rental property a wise financial move.

Not only can you claim back your costs, but you’ll also protect the value of your investment. Your tenants will love you for looking after them and their home, which means longer tenancies, fewer complaints and minimal void periods.

While you can't usually claim for improvements, there are exceptions. For example, replacing a broken single-glazed window with a new double-glazed one is considered perfectly acceptable by HMRC, with the bonus of improved energy efficiency. How's that for two birds with one stone?

CONSIDER SETTING UP A COMPANY
If you own (or plan to own) more than one buy-to-let, or you're already a higher rate taxpayer, it's worth exploring whether holding your properties within a company would be right for you as there are certain tax advantages.

First, the rent you receive is not added to your personal income. Instead, it attracts corporation tax which currently stands at 19% (2021-2022) with no upper tiers (unlike Income Tax), although that rate is due to increase.

Second, you can claim back all the interest on your mortgage as a business expense - an advantage that grows with your portfolio.
 
Setting up a company is easy enough, and can be done in about 15 minutes. But mortgage lending is different with fewer lenders and slightly higher interest rates. It's not the right option for everyone, so speak to a financial advisor with experience in this field to see what's best for you.

HAVE A CAPITAL GAINS TAX PLAN
Capital Gains Tax can be a real downer on your business, particularly if you're a higher rate taxpayer, with a large chunk coming off your profit when you sell your buy-to-let.

You can offset some of this with your annual tax-free allowance (£12,300 for 2021-2022) and also if the property was your main home before or after you rented it out, but there is a much better strategy.

If you never sell your buy-to-let, you'll never pay Capital Gains Tax on it, so it's our advice to hold your property for the long term. In fact, plan to never sell.
 
Look for properties that will give you a lifetime of service, and then look after them. If you'd like to know the best types of property to rent out in Berkhamsted and Tring, contact our lettings team for advice.

As values increase over time, you can use the capital in your property to continually expand your portfolio, or release funds for enjoying life, with zero Capital Gains Tax liability.

If you do  sell, remember that you can deduct the costs of improvements from your profit like extensions, loft conversions and modernising. You can also deduct the stamp duty you paid, as well as the fees of estate agents, surveyors and solicitors.

It's also worth thinking about timing your sale, as the capital gain will be added to your personal income for that year. So if you're disposing of other assets like stocks and shares, or if your income is likely to fall (perhaps you're about to retire) it could be worth holding off until the next tax year to reduce your bill.

Final words
Taking a proactive approach to your tax throughout the year will make the task of completing your return easier. You'll also have the time and brain space to ensure you claim all the allowances available to landlords.

If you own a buy-to-let property in Berkhamsted or Tring, why not get in touch to see how we can make your life as a landlord simpler and more profitable?

Tring office: 01442 820420
Berkhamsted office: 01442 863000


Important note:
Nash Partnership do not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. This article has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal or accounting advice. You should consult your own tax, legal and accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction.
 

It's the middle of November, and your thoughts are perhaps turning to putting your feet up for Christmas. But with the new year just six weeks off, it's also natural and exciting to look forward to new beginnings, so what better time to start thinking about your decor for 2022?

To help you make a start, our style experts have been scouring the media for the latest trends and, putting it all together, it's clear that 2022's watchword is evolution rather than revolution.

So many of us sunk our energies into improving our homes during lockdown and beyond, so instead of drastic changes, there's a focus on subtly merging vintage, natural and zen elements with a deft updating of timeless classics.

This means good news for everyone: whatever your taste, 2022 has a trend to fit.

So, whether you're getting ready to sell, planning the decor for your next home, or simply looking for a new look, read on for 2022's key design developments to be up-to-date and thoroughly on-trend.

A RETURN TO NATURE
If you struggle with being too neat, but you're not over-keen on clutter, you'll be glad that hard-line minimal and maximal style are both set for a softer tone. For 2022, instead of trying too hard, there's a move towards a gentler, easier and relaxed authenticity with a fresh and breezy colour palette of natural colours to reflect an optimistic return to normal.

Rustic vogue broke through this year with its stylish updating of cottagecore and modern farmhouse for a universal audience. Neither too country nor too urban, the look emerged from people moving out of town, but with a spark of city-style brought along for the ride.

Bringing in the zen are curves, organic shapes and floating surfaces that focus on longer sightlines and seeing more of the floor. Think shelves (instead of bookcases) with invisible fixings; tables and chairs with stem-like legs; wall-mounted sideboards; and elevated pot plants in slender stands.

2022's COLOURS OF THE YEAR
With everyone rediscovering nature and feeling blessed to get outdoors, it's little wonder that 2022's colours of the year reflect the natural world and the feeling of a fresh start.

According to independent British paint specialists, Fenwick and Tilbrook, both greens and earthy yellows are the order of the day for 2022.

“Catkin is our hero colour for 2022,” says Anna Hill, F&T’s brand director and former local resident.

“Yellow is a happy hue, promoting feelings of confidence and energy and as such is often used in entertaining spaces such as kitchens and dining rooms. This particular shade is uplifting but earthy so it isn’t a buttery yellow that’s often a love or hate when used in interiors," she says.  

"Catkin is a rich mid-tone ochre that suits both modern and traditional properties, warming up cool north facing spaces. Yellow can stimulate mental activity, so is also a great choice for a home-based office”.

You can see the rich, warm and earthy Fenwick & Tilbrook Catkin (pictured), paired with Kingfisher, a beautiful deep blue inspired by the feathers of the infamous British bird. The two create a contemporary colour block statement. Woodwork and ceiling is in Fenwick & Tilbrook’s Puffball, a gentle mushroom white.

For further colour inspiration, check out Fenwick & Tilbrook's website.

STYLISH SUSTAINABILITY
Hot on the heels of COP26, the emphasis on sustainability continues the trend of recent years.

If you've ever moved home with a flatpack chest of drawers or wardrobe, you'll know how they're only truly happy when you leave them where they are. To escape the cycle of buying again and again, the move is toward what might be called "proper furniture" – intentional purchases that stand the test of time and bring continued enjoyment, no matter how many times you up sticks.

How might that look? Well, if you're in the market for a new sofa, think of those 1970s Danish couches with rich leather upholstery and simple, clean lines. Or, if you're buying new, picture a classic chesterfield, redressed in opulent velvet and given streamlined modernity by removing the buttons.

Could this affect our relationship with fast furniture in favour of longer-lasting and timeless pieces? And will the likes of IKEA widen their focus to include durability as well as design?

ACCESSORIES & TEXTILES
If you're simply not up for decorating or major purchases, a few chosen accessories can transform everything from the corner of a room to your entire home. (Not to mention the health benefits of a day's retail therapy!)

The return of velvet adds a sumptuous dash of tactile style, from couches, curtains and cushions, and onto headboards & throws.

Elsewhere around the home, handmade and artisan wares are more popular than ever, particularly with sites like Etsy giving rise to cottage industries around the globe. Timber trays and organisers, clay pots and vases, leather footstools and woven bedspreads all play their part in a natural, organic style.

And if you've admired loft-living from afar but found it slightly too rugged or raw, you're in luck. Refined industrial lighting is very much in vogue, from polished metal fittings in brass and steel to vintage Edison bulbs shedding your home in their softly golden glow.

BETTER HOME WORKSPACES
Working from home is different for everyone, but one thing's for sure: there's a move away from temporary, makeshift solutions. It's time to give yourself space!

Multi-functional spaces are not the answer to everything, particularly when your work involves video calls, visits from clients or deep concentration. If you do need an office at home, the most important thing is to have a space that truly works for you. Consider these five elements for the right combination of functionality, practicality, and style.

Location: Your workspace should nurture a healthy business, mindset and homelife. Where can you work happily and undisturbed, then shut off when you're done? If your home is quiet during the day, that space could be in the hall or on the landing. But if your household is active while you work, find a place to hide. A lesser-used bedroom, an under-utilised loft, or perhaps a cabin in the garden?

Equipment: Think about what you need to work efficiently and comfortably. A proper, ergonomic chair is essential – you only get one back!

Storage: Organisation doesn't have to mean hidden away. Think about what inspires you to work: open shelves where everything's in reach, or everything in cupboards for a feeling of peace?

Colour: The consensus among interior designers is to go for subtle blues, greens and whites. Very conveniently, they fit perfectly into 2022's colour palette.

Styling: Welcoming and unfussy. Pictures on plain walls; a rug for a cosy acoustic; plants to freshen the air.


We hope you enjoyed our roundup of 2022's key design trends and it's inspired you to enjoy a striking start to the new year at home.

If you'd like any advice on the best ways to style and decorate your home to get it ready for sale, why not get in touch? Our sales experts are here to help you get things right.

Berkhamsted office: 01442 863000
Tring office: 01442 820420