Cotswold Life, 10/07/15

What’s hot for summer purchasers

Jo Aldridge of Stacks Property Search investigates the psychology of buying property when the sun’s shining and the birds are singing.

The time of year at which we buy a property shouldn’t affect our choice. But decades of witnessing what elements of a property appeal to buyers, depending on the season, would indicate otherwise. In winter, property viewers concentrate on insulation, open fireplaces, and access during periods of inclement weather; while in the summer their attention turns to the garden, outside party space, and the way in which ergonomics allow for inside/outside living.

The correct advice is, of course, to prepare a list of your priorities based on lifestyle requirements at all times of the year, and to train yourself to view property with an understanding of how it will work for you when it’s cold and dark outside, even if it’s a sweltering 28C on the day you see it. The reality is that we’ll always be influenced by prevailing conditions, even if it’s just a question of being seduced by an ancient Wisteria that has just come into its spring majesty and is covering the front of a house with magnificent purple blooms.

June being one of the most popular months in which to get married, it’s worth pointing out that it’s particularly dangerous to select a property with a view to hosting a forthcoming wedding. It’s not unusual for parents of teenage daughters to see properties through the eyes of a mother and father of the bride rather than seeing a property as a home that meets every day needs. I recently showed the parents of two recently-engaged daughters a house that had just hosted a wedding party, and they were completely focused on the property as a venue rather than as a home. In the same way that a ‘perfect Christmas house’ may not be the wisest choice of property for 364 days of the year, a ‘perfect wedding house’ may turn out to basically unsuitable for life.

Other hazards that have the potential to lead you astray and prevent you making wise decisions include:

Outdoor swimming pools – my advice would be to avoid them at all costs! They represent a bottomless money pit in terms of maintenance costs, all for far too little use. Today’s preferred version is the plunge pool that allows you to dunk and cool, but takes up less space, and requires little maintenance compared to the full-sized thing.

A dilapidated outbuilding – a perfect setting for an al fresco summer party? Or will it require permanent attention to keep it safe and stop it falling down completely? A nicely renovated barn with underfloor heating and full sound system may not be as romantic, but it’s probably a great deal more practical, and will be a wonderful venue for year-round gatherings. Alternatively, just enough flat outside space for a Tikki bar, cabana or summer house, or any small covered space in the garden, probably thatched, or possibly tiled. Think Tom Cruise in Cocktail and get on trend.

Over-stocked flower beds – gorgeous in their blowsy June prime, but in order to maintain the vision of loveliness, you’ll rarely get to sit and enjoy. You’ll be on your knees weeding, feeding, separating, and generally tending. Or paying substantially for someone else to do it for you. Semi-wild gardens, with trees and long grass, and a small area close to the house that’s kept tidy as an ‘outside room’ will give you a great deal more pleasure if you’re not an aficianado.

Open plan – the sledgehammer approach to interior design is becoming slightly passe, and while it’s appealing in the summer, with doors wide open to the outside world, the winter months can bring with them a desire for smaller cosier spaces. Blended areas that interconnect kitchen/living/dining/sitting/playing and watching, whilst still providing some privacy is hot hot hot at any time of the year.

Wild flower meadows – they look amazing in a Timotei kind of a way, but require almost more attention than a formal garden. The speed at which fragile flowers such as buttercups and daisies can become beaten into submission by dandelions and thistles is mind-blowing. A paddock with a nice sprinkling of fruit trees is a more manageable proposition.

So please, please, please be careful when viewing day dawns warm and sunny, with a gentle breeze ruffling the leaves. This is a dangerous moment to view property. Even the most unsuitable houses can look ideal. Man-up, print your list of priorities out in a big font size, and instruct your head to remain fully in charge of the situation.

 

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If you would like the Stacks Team to help you with your property search, please call on 01594 842880 or email at enquiries@stacks.co.uk