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How Long Do House Purchases and Sales Take?

Property

Sam Allcock

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03/10/2022

How Long Do House Purchases and Sales Take?

The average time it takes to sell a home in the UK has been increasing over recent years. In 2022, homeowners can expect 150 days or 5 months more than they did this previous year, according to Rightmove.

This estimate is thanks largely to an increase during post lockdown/stamp duty holiday era, where buying frenzy caused a backlog that continues today. Estimates say there are still at least another 100 days left on those processes alone before hitting the completion date.

Additionally, this estimate can be frustrating for those looking into selling their homes, especially if they’re dependent on getting new property after an agreed-upon date since there’s no telling how long each stage might take or what will happen along the way. However, there are estimates on how long each step takes.

How Long Does Each Process Take?

The home-buying process typically has seven steps, which can take anywhere from a few months to over a year, depending on the market. The first step is getting pre-approved by a lender, which can take a couple of weeks. Once you’ve found a home you like, the next step is submitting an offer, which usually takes a few days to hear back on.

If your offer is accepted, the next step is going through the loan process and ordering a home inspection, which can each take a couple of weeks. Once you’re under contract, the final steps are ordering a survey and appraisal, if required by your lender, and then closing on the loan, which typically takes 30-45 days.

So, there’s no one specific answer to how long each step takes – it all depends on the market conditions and how quickly each individual step goes. However, you can expect the entire process to take at least a few months.

Main Determinants of How Long It Takes to Sell Your House

Many factors can affect how long it takes to sell your home. Some of the most important include the location, the condition of the property, the asking price, and the housing market’s strength. Of these, location is often the most important. A home in a desirable neighbourhood is likely to sell more quickly than one in a less desirable area.

The condition of the property is also a key consideration. A well-maintained home is more likely to appeal to buyers than one that needs significant repairs. Additionally, the asking price is another important factor. If the price is too high, buyers may be discouraged from making an offer. On the other hand, if the price is too low, you may end up selling your home for less than it is worth.

Finally, the housing market’s strength can significantly impact how long it takes to sell your home. Therefore, homes tend to sell more quickly in a strong market than in a weak market. Consequently, if you are considering selling your home, it is important to be aware of these factors to make informed decisions about pricing and timing.

Tips for Selling Your Home as Quickly as Possible

Selling your home can be a stressful process, but there are some things you can do to help ensure a quick sale. Below are some tips for selling your home as quickly as possible:-

Maintenance

Always close look at your home and make any necessary repairs or updates to make sure your home is in good repair and well-maintained. A well-maintained house will give potential buyers the impression that your home is well-cared for and worth their investment.

Pricing

Ensure you price your home competitively. For example, if you price your home too high, it could sit on the market for months without generating any interest. Therefore, comparable research homes in your area to get an idea of what others are selling for and price your home accordingly.

Impression

Stage your home in a way that will appeal to a wide range of buyers. A good first impression means decluttering, deep cleaning, and depersonalizing the space so potential buyers can picture themselves living there.

Consult A Real Estate Agent

Consult with a real estate agent with experience selling homes in your area. Real estate agents can help you develop an effective marketing strategy and price your home competitively. The least you can do to ease up the process is to lessen the things that you need to do. Getting some specialised advice from a business like Kingsguard Legal Solicitors should take some load off.

Peel L&P launch new suburban build-to-rent company, Letta

Property

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03/10/2022

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Peel L&P launch new suburban build-to-rent company, Letta

Renters from across the North West will soon benefit from new energy efficient family homes as part of a recently formed partnership.

Regeneration business Peel L&P has launched a new suburban build-to-rent company called Letta with properties to be let and managed by Liverpool-based property agency Redwing, part of The Regenda Group.

Letta will deliver an initial pipeline of 100 new family homes for market rent across two sites in Bolton and one in Ellesmere Port and has identified a pipeline of up to 1,000 homes that can be delivered over the next five years. All homes are currently being developed by Peel L&P’s homebuilder Northstone.

Homes available will range from two to four bed properties, all with private gardens set within communities that are well-connected to green spaces, rich in biodiversity and close to key transport links and sustainable travel routes.

Northstone builds beyond the current building regulations for energy performance, with better insulated and triple glazed homes that feature smart household technology to help reduce energy bills.

The homes will be built across three sites, at Glisk, Northstone’s new Ellesmere Port development at Rossfield Park. Further properties will be located at Silkash, Northstone’s first scheme in Westhoughton and also available at Airie at Garnet Fold, Bolton.

Homes will be available to rent from November 2022.

Phil Wilson, Peel L&P’s Executive Director for Land, Communities and Homebuilding and Chief Executive of Northstone said: “The build to rent market has grown enormously, predominantly with successful city centre apartment schemes, however, following the pandemic and with the general pent up demand from families also wanting to rent, we now see the opportunity to offer high quality and well-managed rental accommodation in our suburban neighbourhoods that suit their lifestyle changes and more agile working patterns.

“With excellent commuter routes to nearby towns and cities, Northstone’s homes are ideal for people wanting to move out of the city centre with the flexibility of renting at more affordable prices rather than buying.

“Our new partnership with Redwing offers a better choice of housing managed by a trusted landlord and the reassurance of a homebuilder that’s heavily invested in creating sustainable communities and we’ll look to scale up the number of properties over the next five years.”

Michelle Brooks, Director of Operations at Redwing, said: “Redwing and Peel L&P have worked together on a number of exciting projects, including Plaza 1821 in Princes Dock in Liverpool. This new partnership will provide more high-quality, energy efficient homes across the North West and we’re proud to partner with Peel L&P on this exciting new business.”

Letta is derived from the Old English term ‘Leta’ meaning ‘put to rent’, which follows Northstone’s naming strategy for its developments.

To search for a home with Letta Homes, visit www.lettahomes.co.uk. Follow Letta on social media on Instagram at @LettaHomes and Facebook at @BetterWithLetta.

Reward raises £15,000 for Barnabus charity to support homeless people in Manchester

Finance

Sam Allcock

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03/10/2022

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Reward raises £15,000 for Barnabus charity to support homeless people in Manchester

A year-long fundraising effort by staff at Reward Finance Group in Manchester has raised £15,000 for its local charity partner Barnabus, which offers practical support to homeless and vulnerable people living in the city.

The money raised by Reward will provide much-needed funds to the charity, which is part of two action groups committed to ending homelessness under the Manchester Homelessness Partnership.

Barnabus was created in 1991 by founder Peter Green who initially walked the streets of Manchester armed only with some sandwiches and a flask of hot coffee. Deeply saddened by the chronic homelessness in the city, he worked with his wife Beryl to establish an organisation which continues to develop by providing direct support to those most in need. Equipping and empowering people to move away from a life on the streets and into a home through its support centre, case workers and tenancy resettlement team.

Speaking about the donation, Carol Price, fundraising manager for Barnabus, commented: “The generous and heartfelt commitment, energy and incredible fundraising support we’ve received from Reward has been a tremendous blessing and encouragement to our continuing and ever-growing work.

“We’ve been so thankful to partner with its team this year and have enjoyed seeing them exceed their fundraising goal at various events. The money raised ensures that we can continue to offer vital support, so that people can break free from the cycle of homelessness and have hope for the future. Our thanks and best wishes to all the team, we will miss you.”

From dragon boat racing to participating in an organised sleep on the streets as part of the Manchester CEO Sleepout, the team at Reward embarked on a range of fundraising initiatives to achieve its ambitious target.

Steve Noble, Reward’s managing director in the North West, added: “It’s truly heartbreaking to see the scale of homelessness when you walk through the streets of Manchester and so we knew we had to partner with a charity which provides more practical support to help tackle the problem.

“Working closely with Barnabus has really opened our eyes to its commitment to not only helping homeless and vulnerable people but also empowering them to find a home and build a new life. The team here at Reward worked tirelessly to reach a fundraising target that exceeded our expectations and we’d like to both thank everyone involved and wish the charity all the best for the year ahead.”

Anyone hoping to also support Barnabus can do so by visiting www.barnabus-manchester.org.uk.

Top Tier ranking for Clarke Willmott’s Manchester office in 2023 Legal 500

Featured Businesses

Sam Allcock

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03/10/2022

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Top Tier ranking for Clarke Willmott’s Manchester office in 2023 Legal 500

National law firm Clarke Willmott LLP has been recognised as a Top Tier firm in the 2023 Legal 500 guide which ranks the UK’s top lawyers and organisations.

Clarke Willmott received prestigious Top Tier rankings for 11 of its specialist practice areas, up one from last year’s results.

The Manchester office of the firm has continued to be named as a Top Tier firm in intellectual property and was named in Tier 2 in a further three specialist practice areas: personal tax, trusts and probate, social housing and IT and telecoms.

Additionally, two partners in the Manchester office have been listed in the elite ‘Leading Individuals’ list, the Legal 500’s guide to outstanding lawyers – Roy Crozier for intellectual property and Lindsay Felstead for social housing. Senior associate Andrew Stone made the ‘Next Generation Partner’ list for his work in intellectual property.

Roy Crozier, who is also head of the Manchester office, said: “We are delighted with our numerous rankings in the Legal 500 again this year both for our specialist practice areas and for individual lawyers.

“This guide features the best of the best so to receive such impressive results again this year really showcases our strength.

“The Legal 500 is among the most prestigious industry guides and rankings are partly based on client feedback which is a great indication of the quality of our work and the services we provide.

“The recognition reflects the time we invest in developing relationships with our clients, our high level of service and our great people.”

The Legal 500 series is widely acknowledged as the world’s largest legal referral guide. It is an independent guide and firms and individuals are recommended purely on merit.

Clarke Willmott LLP is a national law firm with seven offices across the country including Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, London, Manchester, Southampton and Taunton.

For more information visit www.clarkewillmott.com.

Image: Roy Crozier

Purple AI launches tech to save NHS millions in lost medicine and time

Health

Sam Allcock

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03/10/2022

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Purple AI launches tech to save NHS millions in lost medicine and time

Manchester-based technology company, Purple, has launched a new platform aimed at helping the NHS reduce the £300m of medicine wasted every year and speed up operation waiting times.

It is estimated that nurses spend at least one hour of every shift searching for critical pieces of equipment and medication and only 31% of their total time is spent with patients due to admin.

Furthermore, the £300m in lost medicines could pay for more than 11,000 community nurses or almost 20,000 more drug treatment courses for breast cancer.

Purple’s ‘Intelligent Healthcare’ technology has been created to help increase efficiency, reduce costs and improve patient experience for healthcare organisations in the UK and USA.

The industry-first platform is an asset tracking, navigation and staff efficiency tool which is customisable dependent on the facility’s needs. It can serve as an interactive map for staff-only wayfinding support, for patient-experience wayfinding, to enable healthcare workers to keep track of hospital assets or a combination of all three.

The groundbreaking technology ensures all equipment is traceable and easily findable, thereby reducing time to task, and increasing time for patient care. It also enables incidents to be reported by staff and patients in real time, eliminating potential safety risks as quickly as possible.

With UK and US hospitals accommodating a regular influx of students, temporary and new staff on the premises – and hospital buildings being repurposed or refurbished – the staff efficiency module will enable all employees to move around confidently and efficiently during their shift. Patients will subsequently receive care more quickly and enjoy a more consistent experience, whether from new or more established members of staff.

The app has been meticulously designed to make the user experience as intuitive as possible, using formats and layouts that are familiar to most people.

Gavin Wheeldon, Chief Executive of Purple, commented: “This technology will create a new standard for how hospitals should be run, enabling critical assets to be tracked and located in a quick and easy way.

“Using the app will eliminate wasted time, lost drugs and apparatus and reduce safety risks. Operations are less likely to be postponed due to lack of equipment and fewer patients will be without necessary medicines due to loss or theft.

“As a result, nurses will be far better equipped to deliver the care patients need and the patient is more likely to have a positive experience.

“The NHS is under greater pressure than ever before, with performance data reporting a clear picture of rising costs, longer waiting times and staff shortages. This technology will help address many of these challenges, setting a precedent for a new way of working within the hospital environment.”

Purple has over a decade of experience supporting healthcare organisations across the world. Its strategic partnerships with St George’s Hospital in London and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust delivers WiFi solutions for patients, visitors and staff. The company also recently launched the NHS’ first interactive map in collaboration with Croydon Health Services NHS Trust. The new service will enable visitors and patients of Croydon University Hospital in London to plan their visit from the comfort of their own home or at dedicated information kiosks within the hospital and helps prevent missed appointments and wasted NHS time.

Backed by Sir Terry Leahy, former CEO of Tesco, Purple was established in 2012 and embarked upon a rapid growth trajectory in 2015. The company has worked with some of the most trusted hospitals in the world delivering digital wayfinding solutions for more than a decade.

Image: Gavin Wheeldon

Manchester’s Customer Experience Expert Advises Businesses – Don’t Cut Costs When it Comes to CX

Business support

Sam Allcock

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03/10/2022

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Manchester’s Customer Experience Expert Advises Businesses – Don’t Cut Costs When it Comes to CX

Businesses are potentially facing one of the toughest periods yet. With inflation rates, fuel costs and customers tightening their belts, the cost-of-living crisis is going to force many small and medium sized business owners to look at cost savings.

This week (3^rd-7^th October) marks National Customer Service Week, a celebration of service excellence, and local Customer Experience (CX) expert, Chris Lowe of insight6, suggest this year could be one of the most rewarding for businesses that get it right.

The phrase ‘the customer is king’ is never truer than in a competitive market. Many businesses will instinctively focus on driving new business to protect their profits but ensuring that your existing customers are happy is arguably more important.

Business owners should use the week as an opportunity to consider their customers’ wants and needs and asses how their business can continue to meet, and exceed, their expectations during challenging financial times.

Chris Lowe, CX Director at insight6 Manchester and West Yorkshire explains: “It costs a business at least five times more to find a new customer than to keep an existing one so it is vital to make sure that you are not losing customers before you invest in finding new ones – otherwise you are just throwing money away further down the customer journey.”

To help business owners navigate the next 12 months, insight6 has produced a CX Business Pack that can be downloaded for free, giving them resources to boost employee morale and improve the customer experience to drive profitability.

Chris added: “When times are tough, businesses, like the rest of us, try to save money but a common mistake I see is businesses cutting back in the wrong areas. Trying to speed up processes or cutting out the small extra touches that set their business aside. This is the time to really invest in the things that your customers will value and remember you for. The time and effort you put into delivering them an experience.”

Of course, you cannot achieve a world-class service by focusing on your customer experience (CX) for one week. To embed change in your company, build loyalty and drive profitability, you need a robust customer experience strategy.

At insight6, we have developed and delivered some of the most advanced CX programmes. Our bespoke feedback tools, trained researchers and CX solutions have earned us a reputation as the partner of choice for many.

If you would like to download a copy of the CX Business Pack go to www.insight6.com/get-your-free-cx-business-pack/

Deloitte North West reports financial results

Finance

Sam Allcock

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03/10/2022

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Deloitte North West reports financial results

Andy Westbrook, Deloitte practice senior partner in the North West, said:

“It’s been yet another outstanding year for growth within our region, which is a direct result of all of the hard work and commitment of our people. There’s been double digit revenue growth, alongside significant growth within our team and across all service-lines, particularly with the doubling of our Consulting North team three years ahead of schedule.

“With both the promotion of our talented people, along with us welcoming a whole new range of talent, there’s plenty to celebrate ahead of the move to our new office at 100 Embankment in Salford’s Greengate Square.”

Deloitte North West

We’ve continued to grow and invest in our dedicated team in the North West, with headcount now at 1,242 people. This represents a 13 per cent increase over the 15-month period starting May 2021 to present.

Notably, we’ve doubled the size of our Consulting North team in FY22, achieving headcount growth targets three years ahead of schedule. The North West has also had the biggest intake of graduates, placements, and apprentices through our BrightStart programme, with 222 people set to join the team by the end of 2022. The North West office has recently seen 326 promotions, with 8 promoted to Partner and 20 to Director.

In the past year we announced our plans for a new state-of-the-art office after signing a 10-year lease for 43,000 sq ft of space at 100 Embankment in Salford. The new office will help to accommodate our forecasted headcount of 1,875 in the North West by May 2025.

We’ve also continued our charity work throughout the region, announcing our newest partnerships with Manchester Youth Zone and the Hive Youth Zone in Birkenhead as part of our 5 Million Futures programme. Our partnerships will allow us to support MYZ and the Hive in creating safe spaces for children, giving them access to a wealth of sport, creative, education and employability skills.

New Round of Promotions at Express Solicitors

Featured Businesses

Sam Allcock

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03/10/2022

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New Round of Promotions at Express Solicitors

Manchester based PI firm announces promotions for 10% of whole workforce as it continues to attract loyal staff who develop and progress

Express Solicitors reported a substantial round of promotions across all areas of the business this September. Some 43 staff members have been promoted, which equates to 10% of the firm’s entire workforce.

James Maxey, Managing Partner said ‘Our firm has quickly grown from a handful of people to almost 500, and I am incredibly proud to have so many fantastic employees working at Express Solicitors. These promotions are well deserved and demonstrate how committed we are to retaining and developing our people. It is important to provide all staff with clearly defined career pathways.’

Amongst those promoted are 4 Principal Partners who are all specialists in different fields of Personal Injury: Robert Weeden, (Employer’s Liability), Robin Patey, (Road Traffic Accidents), Sarah Mawdsley & Jonathan Flattery (Occupier’s & Public Liability).

Non-lawyers in the departments of Finance (John Bush) and IT (Stuart McLachlan) were also made Partner this September. John Bush, Partner (non-lawyer) said ‘since joining Express Solicitors in 2014 as Finance Manager, I have seen the firm go from strength to strength and I am thrilled to have been made a partner at such an exciting point in the firm’s journey.’

The firm has a history of promoting non-lawyer department heads to the position of Partner to show recognition of their hard work and achievements. It is noticeable that some of those promoted to Partner level started their careers at Express working within the New Client Team, progressing through the ranks over several years to the very highest levels in the business. Something that is very rare to see today in large firms.

Jonathan Flattery promoted to Principal Partner said ‘I am delighted to have been promoted to Principal Partner. Having started in the new client team over 10 years ago this completes my career cycle. In that time Express Solicitors has continued to expand and plays an important role within the sector. I look forward in continuing to work to drive the business forward.’

Angela Dobbs upon being made Partner said ‘I am proud to be part of a progressive and ambitious law firm, especially one which takes action to recognise the value of employees.’

In addition to the promotions, Express has recruited some 241 people in the past year alone as part of its rapid growth strategy, including 7 at Partner level.

The PI specialist firm have also awarded 45 new training contracts this year and have 62 trainees currently working within the firm. Mr Maxey states that ‘Express Solicitors has the aim of being the largest provider of training contracts in the UK as we recognise through our Excellence Academy that it’s vital to properly develop the firm’s lawyers of the future as early as possible.’

Express Solicitors, who say they are still recruiting heavily, report that they continue to attract a high level of interest from lawyers and non-lawyers across all areas of the business. They note that this is especially true of law graduates and paralegals who wish to join the firm due to its investment in people with the first 6 weeks wholly dedicated to training at their Excellence Academy.

Image: John Bush

Manchester charities awarded shares from £1million

Finance

Sam Allcock

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03/10/2022

0

Manchester charities awarded shares from £1million

Six charities based in Manchester were nominated by the public to each receive a £1000 grant as part of the Benefact Group’s Movement for Good Awards.

For the fourth year running, the Benefact Group is giving away £1million to charities through its Movement for Good awards. Members of the public were invited to nominate causes close to their hearts, with another 250 awards of £1,000 available now for donation.

Coffee4Craig, Federation of Jewish Services and The Tree of Life Centre Wythenshawe are some of the local charities set to benefit from the money, following overwhelming public support in the city. More than 6,500 kind-hearted residents have voted for charities across the city so far.

In total, more than 202,000 people around the UK supported the Movement for Good awards, with over 3,900 charitable causes up and down the country receiving votes. The 250 winning charities were picked at random from those nominated, following 250 previous winners being selected in June.

It’s quick and easy to nominate, you can vote for your favourite charity online at: www.movementforgood.com

Thanking supporters in Greater Manchester, Mark Hews, Group Chief Executive of Benefact Group, said: “We would like to thank every single person who took the time to nominate a good cause as part of our Movement for Good Awards. Benefact Group is the fourth largest corporate donor in the UK and has an ambition to be the biggest. Owned by a charity, all of its available profits go to good causes, and the more the group grows, the more the group can give. As a company whose purpose is to contribute to the greater good of society, charitable giving is at the heart of what we do. We know that £1,000 can make a huge difference to the incredible work that charities do and we’re looking forward to seeing how this financial boost will change lives for the better.”

A further 120 £1,000 grants will be given away in December and £500,000 will also be given in larger grants later this year. For more information about the awards visit www.movementforgood.com

Movement for Good is funded by EIO plc, part of the Benefact Group.

Brabners Commits to Bringing About Positive Change with B-Corp Status

Blog

Sam Allcock

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30/09/2022

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Brabners Commits to Bringing About Positive Change with B-Corp Status

Leading law firm Brabners is trailblazing once again by becoming the UK’s largest law firm – and first outside London – to achieve B-Corp status, joining a select group of businesses to be certified globally.

In what they describe as a significant milestone on the start of their ESG journey, Brabners plan to use the accreditation as a framework to continue to evolve the business. In becoming a B Corp, Brabners is in great company: they are amongst a global network of 5,000 businesses – with over 800 in the UK – independently recognised for being purpose-driven, committed to creating benefits for all stakeholders, and operating as a force for good.

Other B Corp-certified businesses include Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s and Innocent Drinks.Certifying body B Lab is a not-for-profit network transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet.

Alongside all accredited organisations, Brabners has pledged to adopt the ‘triple bottom line’ framework for evaluating business success – an industry standard introduced by B Lab – which means the treatment of people and planet are adopted as measures of success, alongside profit.

The accreditation as a B Corp comes hot on the heels of their announced plans to invest £50k to kickstart a new project that will restore more than 400 hectares of internationally important peatland in the Yorkshire Dales. It also follows the firm’s commitment to the United Nation’s ‘Race to Net Zero’ campaign in 2021.

Brabners CEO Robert White said: “Achieving B-Corp status is a fantastic achievement. One that reflects our commitment to delivering on our purpose, ‘to demonstrate that business can bring about positive change’; and one that all our colleagues can be extremely proud of.

“Businesses across the world are switching on to the B Corp movement, which represents and aligns with how we want to act as a business. As a purpose-led, values-driven organisation that is guided by our mission to make the difference, for our clients, our people and the broader communities we serve.

“Achieving B Corp status represents a significant milestone on the start of our ESG journey, and we are looking forward to the huge opportunity to tap into the knowledge base of the B Lab network, and to contributing to the development of the B Corp movement in the coming years.

“To be the first UK law firm outside London to be accredited is a privilege and I am hopeful that we will be joined by many others, in the near future.”

To find out more about their mission, visit the Brabners website.

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