With lockdown measures easing substantially from the 19th of July, here at Orchards, there are some regulations that will remain, and some that we have phased out as the world reopens.
During 2020, and into 2021, our staff were set up to work from home. We can confirm that the team are now office-based again, poised and ready to greet you (socially distanced of course).
At Orchards, we are positioned in an area with a high volume of period properties, dating back centuries; even the local market has been around for 800 years. We are in a locality that combines its history with easy and convenient modern living. When we read about a show home in County Durham being fitted with second-hand items from the British Heart Foundation’s charity shops, we were inspired by this idea.
Last week, the first properties went onto the market in the East Midlands as the initial phase of the Government’s ‘First Homes’ scheme. This latest initiative has been designed to help local people onto the housing ladder. Coinciding with this is the launch of the ‘Own Your Home’ campaign, highlighting all the support available to purchasing your first home.
In a country where home ownership is a reality for nearly two-thirds of the population – higher than many European countries, including Germany, France, and Switzerland – it’s no wonder that a successful industry has been built around it since the early 1800s. Known as stewards in the beginnings, and estate agents later in the early 20th Century, there are now approximately 16,500 agencies in the UK, all here to assist with buying and selling homes.
The government has announced that as notice periods - previously extended to six months as an emergency measure during the pandemic - will be set at four months from June 1.
An announcement this afternoon says this will offer tenants continued protection throughout Step 3 and into Step 4 of the government’s roadmap out of the pandemic; Step 4 will begin from June 21 at the earliest.
Following our blog post back in February, the Government Debt Respite scheme, or ‘Breathing Space’, has now come into force. This new prescribed Section 8 notice will offer greater legal protection, benefitting an estimated 700,000 individuals in the first year.
The two separate ‘breathing spaces’ are standard, and mental health crisis. Standard is available to give legal protection from creditor action for 60 days to those struggling with debt. Mental health crisis is available for the duration of relevant treatment, plus 30 days.
At any given time, 25% of the adult population are looking to move within the next 12 months. Are you one of these, checking and rechecking the online portals for your dream home, the right upsize or downsize, somewhere nearer to what (or who) is important to you? If you have not yet found what you are looking for, it could just be that it is waiting in the wings for you.
As you may have read from the April issue of The Magazine, there have been numerous changes and updates at Orchards over the last few months. Three of those are our new recruits, Emma, Emily, and Carla. With the increase in demand for moving home, they are welcome additions to our thriving team, continuing our focus on passion for property, and customer service for our clients. Not only have we added to our staff, we have also upsized our physical office space in order to accommodate them.
