
Should I lower my asking price?
By Orchards Estates on 4th Jun 2023,It can be challenging to sell a house, especially if it sits on the market for a long time with no interested buyers. As a last resort, a lot of homeowners...

How to Prepare for Tenant Turnover
By Orchards Estates on 14th May 2023,Being ready for tenant turnover is one of the most important components of maintaining a rental property as a landlord. Landlords must react quickly to...

The best thing landlords can do
By Orchards Estates on 9th Apr 2023,The rising cost of living is squeezing everyone’s budgets, which means it is more important than ever for landlords to do everything they can to try to...

How to pack and move home like a pro
By Orchards Estates on 2nd Apr 2023,Moving home is one of the most stressful things you can do, and packing to move is the cause of a large proportion of that stress. But there are things you...

Do I need an EPC?
By Orchards Estates on 26th Mar 2023,Everyone who is advertising their residential property for rent in the UK is required by law to commission an EPC. In Scotland, it is required that the EPC...

How can you help your tenants with the cost of living crisis?
By Orchards Estates on 19th Mar 2023,The rising cost of living has affected everyone. It is always in a landlord’s interest to help their tenants, wherever possible, be happy and content in...

Spring cleaning tips for a sparkling home
By Orchards Estates on 12th Mar 2023,Spring is in the air and many of us will be considering doing a spot of Spring cleaning to get our homes ready for Summer. A deep clean can help us to...

Are you considering renting out your property in Martock, Crewkerne, Stoke sub H
By Orchards Estates on 5th Mar 2023,Do you have a property in Martock, Crewkerne, Stoke sub Hamdon, South Petherton and Yeovil that you would like to rent out? Renting out a property is a...

The first things to do when you are moving home
By Orchards Estates on 26th Feb 2023,Moving home is one of the most exciting and stressful things you will do so it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by all of the things that you need to do....

The top ten features people want in a home in 2023
By Orchards Estates on 5th Feb 2023,These are the top 10 things that homebuyers are prioritising in their property searches in 2023. Open plan living The versatility offered by open-plan...

Pension vs Property
By Orchards Estates on 29th Jan 2023,Rising mortgage rates, increasing regulatory pressure to improve the EPC ratings of their rental properties and the prospect of paying increasing amounts...

How to make the most of your outdoor spaces in the Winter
By Orchards Estates on 15th Jan 2023,Even in Winter you can make the most of your rental property's outdoor space and getting on top of small jobs now means that it will be ready for you to...

Will 2023 be a good year for landlords?
By Orchards Estates on 2nd Jan 2023,Rents for new lets rose steadily throughout 2022 with Zoopla revealing that there had been a 12.3% year-on-year rise for new lets in October. It was not...

Tips to save on heating bills
By Orchards Estates on 26th Dec 2022,With energy bills soaring, we are all looking for ways to stay warm without breaking the bank. Here are 10 tips for keeping those heating bills down while...

Why you should use a lettings agency to manage your Martock, Crewkerne, Stoke su
By Orchards Estates on 18th Dec 2022,Managing your own rental property in Martock, Crewkerne, Stoke sub Hamdon, South Petherton and Yeovil is certainly possible but there are many advantages...

How to update your rental property on a budget
By Orchards Estates on 11th Dec 2022,Do you want to give your property a makeover but are worried about the cost? Try these budget-friendly ideas to help make your property more desirable to...

Five rental property maintenance jobs you should do now
By Orchards Estates on 4th Dec 2022,Your rental property is one of the biggest financial commitments that you will ever make so it makes sense to make sure that you are doing everything you...

Simple storage solutions to banish clutter
So you’ve tried selling off your unused items, have taken everything that doesn’t spark joy to the charity shop and yet you are still struggling to...

How to choose the right letting agent for you
By Orchards Estates on 20th Nov 2022,Choosing a letting agent to manage your property can seem like a difficult task. There are so many available and of course, they all say that they are the...

Tips to help keep your pet calm on Bonfire Night
By Orchards Estates on 30th Oct 2022,One of the highlights of ours work is getting to meet all of our clients' furry friends. Our pets give us unconditional love and companionship so naturally...

Are qualifications or experience more important when choosing a letting agent?
By Orchards Estates on 16th Oct 2022,Studies have shown that most people have already chosen the letting agency they are going to use to let their property before the agent even sets foot in...

The pros and cons of being a buy-to-let landlord
By Orchards Estates on 9th Oct 2022,Buy-to-let property is often seen as an attractive way of accumulating wealth or as an alternative option to a pension. However, while purchasing...

We want to put our house up for sale but is there any way we can vet who comes?
By Orchards Estates on 13th Mar 2022,Q. We want to put our house up for sale but is there any way we can vet who comes to look around it? A. I’m interested in...

Purchasing a home as a single buyer
By Orchards Estates on 20th Feb 2022,If you are looking to purchase a home on a single salary, either as a one income family or as a single applicant, you might think that your options are...

What if it smells of damp
By Orchards Estates on 13th Feb 2022,Q. We have seen a 1900-ish property, which would be perfect for us, except that it smells of damp. It is empty but we’re told that the...

Should I accept the first offeron my house?
By Orchards Estates on 2nd Jan 2022,ASK THE EXPERT Q. I only put my house on the market a few days ago and I’ve already had an offer. I am tempted to wait for a better one,...

Should I buy or should I rent?
By Orchards Estates on 22nd Nov 2021,Why would someone write an article on buying versus renting a home? What’s in it for the author of the article? Why would you read one? What is it you...
The Magnificent Seven – Tips for home buyers
By Orchards Estates on 11th Oct 2021,At Orchards Estates we love helping people find their ideal home. Over the years we’ve built up loads of knowledge about the process and what to do, and...

Buying Versus Renting A Home…That Old Debate
By Orchards Estates on 6th Sep 2021,Why would someone write an article on buying versus renting a home? What’s in it for the author of the article? Why would you read one? What is it you...

"Ask The Expert" - Should I sell first or find first?
By Orchards Estates on 23rd Aug 2021,Q: We’ve decided that we want to move but our friends are giving us differing advice… should we put our house up for sale before we start looking for...

Is that your best offer?
By Orchards Estates on 30th Nov 2020,One of the recurring questions we get asked by people selling their homes with us is ‘Should I accept this offer?’ Depending on our response this is...

The reasons behind estate agents recommending particular solicitors
By Orchards Estates on 2nd Sep 2019,These days it doesn’t really matter where your solicitor or conveyancer is based and with the use of the internet you may not ever meet your solicitor....

I’m thinking of buying some land to build on. What’s your advice?
By Orchards Estates on 7th Nov 2018,Q. I’m thinking of buying some land to build on. What’s your advice? A. The best piece of advice where land is concerned is...

How To Be A Landlord
As a landlord instructing a lettings agent, your biggest expectation should be peace of mind that your property is being properly managed. You want your...

How to attract premium prices for your Buy To Let Properties
By Orchards Estates on 15th Jun 2018,how can you ensure you are attracting the highest quality tenants who are prepared to pay a premium price? Here are five simple ways that don’t break...

Proposed increase on amount of tax paid on limited company BTL dividends
If you have a buy-to-let property business in a limited company, the Office for Tax Simplification (OTS) is proposing some big changes that could increase...

How to get a premium price for your buy to let
By Orchards Estates on 25th May 2018,The tenants looking for these specific requirements are willing on average to pay a premium to have the right things for their lifestyle. It also means...

My ‘cash buyer’ actually has a property to sell.
By Orchards Estates on 16th May 2018,What is a cash buyer? It turns out that my ‘cash buyer’ actually has a property to sell. How can this sort of thing happen, and what can I do?...

Are Cash Buyers on the decline?
By Orchards Estates on 9th May 2018,It is 50 years since the first decimalised coins hit the high street of the UK, and five years since the Land Registry first starting recording details of...

Are London Buyers Skewing House Prices in South Somerset?
By Orchards Estates on 21st Apr 2018,In a word, no. Interestingly, statistics reveal that of the 7,430 people who moved into South Somerset between mid-2015 and mid-2016, only 520 came from...

First-Time-Buyers Numbers Up 7.1% in 2017
By Orchards Estates on 16th Feb 2018,Somerset first-time-buyers are part of the overall rise in the property market...

First-time buyer numbers at highest in 10 years!
By Orchards Estates on 5th Feb 2018,Somerset first-time-buyers are getting onto the UK's property ladder with ease....

Could adding rent payments to credit scores help tenants become future buyers?
By Orchards Estates on 9th Jan 2018,Could adding rent payments to credit scores help tenants become future buyers in Somerset?...

November saw an 11% increase in Buy To Let sales
By Orchards Estates on 30th Dec 2017,Buy-to-let sales are on the rise, what does this mean for Somerset landlords?...

First-Time Buyer Deposits set to rise 57% over the next 10 years
By Orchards Estates on 7th Dec 2017,First-time buyers deposit look to rise by 57% over the next 10 years in Yeovil and South Somerset...

Budget Comment – SDLT removal is good news for sellers!
By Orchards Estates on 23rd Nov 2017,Philip Hammond, Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced the removal of SDLT (Stamp Duty) on all sales to first time buyers under £300,000 in his autumn...

Budget 2017 - How will this affect our local property market
By Orchards Estates on 22nd Nov 2017,The Chancellor Philip Hammond saved the best bit in his Autumn Budget to last when it came to the property market in South Somerset, including, Yeovil,...

Another Successful Open Home
By Orchards Estates on 14th Oct 2017,Another great open home in the Villages today, this time in Stoford...

First Time Buyer Event - how the evening went
By Orchards Estates on 3rd Jun 2017,Yeovil First Time Buyer Event with Chamber of Commerce...

Talking Sense, not nonsense - The Estate Agency Jargon Buster
By Orchards Estates on 20th May 2017,Estate Agent Jargon Buster...

First Time Buyer Event
By Orchards Estates on 18th May 2017,Yeovil Chamber of Commerce First Time Buyers Event...

What buyers and tenants are looking for in properties in South Somerset
By Orchards Estates on 8th Apr 2017,What buyers and tenants are looking for in a property in South Somerset...

With 7,173 people in Private Rented Properties in Yeovil
By Orchards Estates on 2nd Mar 2017,investing in property in Yeovil buy to let...