Sellers more motivated to find a new home

The month of March is the best time of the year to put your property on the market, shows research from Rightmove.

As the days get longer and people spend more time outdoors, buyers and sellers become more motivated to find a new home. Many are looking for gardens and outdoor space, especially since the pandemic.

Rightmove reports seeing the most buyers asking about properties for sale. This leads to competition between buyers, which means sellers have the best chance of selling. The number of new listings coming to the market is at its highest figure in March, but as buyer demand is normally so high, it’s still the best month to sell.

“For any sellers who might be conscious of coming to market at a time when the number of new listings has traditionally been high, the data shows us that the level of demand in March means sellers are likely to meet with multiple potential buyers competing for their home,” said Rightmove’s Head of Property Data Tim Bannister.

Be in the best position to buy

If you are looking to sell, you are most likely looking to purchase a new property too. With the market so competitive at the moment, if you are actively looking to move, it’s important to make sure you have your existing property on the market, or preferably have sold it subject to contract, to give yourself the best chance of getting your dream home.

Inflation is a constant thorn in our collective sides, add to that interest increases on mortgages and increasing regulations and legislation, and the costs of running a rental property business can seem like they are forever rising. To offset these cost increases, a landlord has the right to increase the rent on the property(s) that they are renting out and we will discuss the rules around how and when to do this in this blog article.

How to handle rent increases

It is always advisable that rent increases are dealt with within the tenancy agreement, which will specify how often rent will be reviewed, the process of advising the tenant about a rent increase and how the increase will be calculated. The agreement must, however, follow Government guidance.

How often can rent be increased?

This depends on the tenancy type, for Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreements:

1. If the tenancy is still in the fixed term then there are two options:

   • The landlord can request a rent increase from the tenant, but the tenant has the right to refuse unless it has been written into the original Tenancy Agreement. If it is agreed, there needs to be a written and signed document to that effect.

   • The landlord will need to wait until the fixed term has ended and then renew the contract with an increased rent.

2. If the tenancy is a periodic tenancy, then typically, rent can only be increased once a year.

What notice period is needed?

If the rent is paid weekly or monthly, then the typical notice period for a rent increase is 1 month. If the tenancy is either a 1 year fixed or paid annually, then 6 months’ notice is required.

By how much can rent be increased?

There are no definitive rules on how much rent can be increased, the Government only states that the increase must be fair and realistic, which means in line with average local rents. Typically, rents rise in line with inflation, but the real test of reasonableness is whether the new rent amount is in line with average local rents. As such a landlord cannot reasonably ask a tenant to pay £900 for a property when the average in the local area for a similar property is £800. Be aware that if your current rental figure is well below the current average a big jump might cause your tenant to seek cheaper accommodation, you will need to weigh up the advisability of a large rent increase and every circumstance will be different.

Rent increases can be tricky and they are best dealt with in the contract. As long as they are done properly, with the right notice periods and in keeping with the average rents in the area for similar properties, then they shouldn’t be too onerous to manage.

Help manage your rental properties

If you need assistance managing any aspect of your rental property portfolio, from rent increases to inventory and check-outs, or just a tenant finds service we have a landlord service to suit. We have dedicated in-branch property experts.

the 30th of June, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th of July are all significant dates in the lettings world as this is typically when most tenancies begin and end. As you can imagine, it’s an extremely hectic period, for some agencies, it’s chaotic, here at DP we’ve conjured together detailed plans over the years on how to execute moving days efficiently and seamlessly.

In this article, we’re going to tackle a whole bunch of frequently asked questions regarding moving day.

1. When will I be getting my deposit back?

We get that you will want to get your deposit back as quickly as possible, but please be aware that there are a number of steps that we have to follow before it can be given back. In total, it can actually take us up to 4 weeks, and in rare cases slightly longer than that by a few days. There are a lot of things we need to go through for each property listed below.

• Checking the property is clean and left in the same condition it was in at the start of the tenancy

• Checking that those on Bills Included plans have not had any over usage of their gas and electric

• Agreeing on any costs with Landlords and Contractors to put right any damage over and above fair wear and tear

• To complete a thorough Tenancy Check-Out once everyone has moved out of the property and all keys are returned.

• Checking for any remaining Tenant rental arrears and identifying any outstanding charges such as lock changes, key cutting or late payment charges

• Checking for any End of Tenancy cleaning invoices as well as any possible costs for replacement bulbs and smoke detector battery costs etc

As long as we are in agreement about any possible deductions from your deposit, then the deposit will usually be repaid via cheque within 10 working days, so please provide a forwarding address.

2. How do I get my deposit back?

 We use a company called My Deposits for deposit protection, and they have been managing your deposit in a third-party account if you’ve been living at one of our Managed Properties. Just visit https://www.mydeposits.co.uk/ when you are ready to get your deposit back. Once we’ve given the property the all-clear and you’ve completed the process, your deposit is usually paid back to you within 10 working days.

3. I have a maintenance issue, how do I report it?

Maintenance issues should always be reported to us, whether you are in the start, middle or end of your tenancy, all issues must be reported to us in a timely manner, this is for the new tenants to not be in a position of having to deal with maintenance issues at the start of their tenancy. you can simply report a repair from our website navigation bar.

4. How do I return my keys?

To minimise the number of people needing to come to the office, all keys must be returned by one Tenant only from each property no later than 11 am on the date your contract ends,

Please put all keys in a sealed envelope or sealed plastic bag with the address of the property written on the front and post it through the letter box of our Central Leeds Office on 23 Hyde Park Road

It’s really important to get all your keys back to us. If you don’t return them, we will have to replace the locks for security reasons, the cost of which is then charged back to you. The address for DP central is 23 Hyde Park Road, LS6 1PY.

5. what do I do regarding end-of-tenancy cleaning?

Since we organise for a professional clean to be done at the start of every tenancy and at the end of every tenancy, only a professional clean is up to DP standards, you can opt to arrange this cleaning yourself and provide us with the details of cleaning company used. Otherwise, we will assume you would prefer for us to go ahead and complete the cleaning with our cleaning services providers and provide you with the invoice.

6. Do I have to cancel my standing order?

Unless you really like to give out free money, we highly suggest you immediately cancel your standing order with us at the end of your tenancy. This is to stop you from overpaying, please be advised that it can take us up to 15 working days to process the refund for you though.

We have various resources in place to help you.

If you’re still looking to make a move somewhere, our Moving guide is a valuable link to keep around.
Also, many FAQs are covered in our Tenant handbook, please, make sure to give this a read as it is highly recommended for all of our tenants to know its contents, pages 13 and 14 are particularly important.

Wooden decking looks spectacular, but it does require maintenance to keep it in good condition, especially during the Summer months. To help out, here are some of the things you might want to do throughout the year to keep your chill-out area in tip-top condition.

1. Keep It Clean

The first step is not to let grime or dirt build up. As this is an outside area, you are going to find it gets covered in dust and soil as well as leaves.

Regular cleaning with a power hose on a fairly low setting can help stop problems from building up. You’ll find that mould and mildew quickly build up if you leave your decking to the elements. A quick wash down every so often will make all the difference.

Make sure you take the time to clean between joints and remove any dirt or soil. Use something like a putty knife for the groves and sweep the debris away. Then employ a standard wood deck cleaner before giving everything the once over with your power hose.

Cleaning up after a party or event on your decking also makes sense. If you have a barbecue, make sure that any spilt grease is wiped up fairly quickly.

2. Sealing Your Decking

One of the things you will need to monitor is whether your decking needs to be resealed. Hopefully, a reseal should only need to be carried out once every few years. When water starts to get into the wood it can cause big problems with dampness and rot set in.

There’s a simple test you can do to see if it is time to reseal the wood. Take a small glass of water and pour it onto your decking. If it beads, it’s okay. If it seeps into the wood, you more than likely need to reseal it.

3. Preparing for the Seasons

You may want to do some maintenance a couple of times each year, usually in the Spring and Autumn. This means giving your decking a good clean and sweeping away any debris, especially in the late Autumn after all the leaves have fallen. If you notice mildew developing, deal with it straight away with either a shop-bought product or a solution containing water and vinegar.

When it snows during the winter, it is advisable you clear this as soon as possible. Use a flat shovel and work with the length of the wood rather than crosswise to avoid cutting into your decking.

Spring is usually a time when we get to work in the garden, so don’t forget about your decking either. A good clean and tackling any repairs puts you on an even keel before the summer starts in earnest.

4. Planters and Pots

Many people have pots on or around their decking. These can cause a problem if the planter drains t onto the wood. The water doesn’t get a chance to evaporate and can cause the wood underneath to rot. There are two solutions to this.

• You can move your pots around at regular intervals to give the decking a chance to breathe.

• You can make sure that the pots have suitable protection underneath them so that the water doesn’t get into the wood in the first place.

The good news is that regular maintenance can help keep your decking in pristine condition. Most jobs take less than half an hour with the right equipment and will prolong the life of your decking

When moving into a rental property, it can be all too tempting to think that the responsibility for insurance lies with your landlord – after all, you take out insurance policies for buildings and contents together, don’t you? If you own your own home, then yes it makes sense to have a policy that covers both. As a tenant however, your landlord is only responsible for insuring what they own. The responsibility for insuring your belongings lies with you as the tenant. In this article, we take a look at the importance of having insurance for those renting and what it should cover.

What is Tenants Insurance?

Simply put, Tenants Insurance is a contents insurance for anyone renting accommodation who would like to protect their personal belongings. A good policy should protect against such events that cause personal property to become damaged or removed, such as floods, fire or theft. Research carried out by Nationwide earlier this year found that of over 1,000 tenants who took part, only 52% had any kind of contents insurance to protect their belongings, all of which poses a question – could you afford to replace everything you own in the event of a fire or flood in your rented accommodation? 19% of the tenants who took part in the research believed that it was their landlord’s responsibility to arrange contents insurance, which could be a costly misconception indeed. As outlined previously, it is the responsibility of the landlord to insure the property itself and any contents that they own, such as carpets, any built-in wardrobes, bathroom and kitchen etc. This can also include white goods that are included in the rented property such as washing machines.

What Does A Tenants Insurance Policy Cover?

Each policy will vary according to what is offered by the individual insurer, but a good policy should cover damage to personal possessions from such events as:

• Burst pipes

• Leaks

• Fire

• Flood

• Storms

• Theft

• Earthquakes

• Vandalism

• Subsidence

• Riots

• Theft (there must be signs that entry has been forced).

Depending on the insurer, you may find that some policies cover replacing spoilt food if there is a power cut to the property and the fridge or freezer stops working. It might also cover the same eventuality in the event of a fridge or freezer breakdown.

What Might Not Be Covered?

Your policy documents will outline for you what isn’t covered under tenant’s insurance so it’s very important that you read through everything before taking out a policy. Typically, exclusions might include:

• Any damage caused if the property has been left unoccupied for more than 30 days

• Any damage caused by usual wear and tear

• Any theft of items or damage not caused by forced entry to the property, such as leaving doors unlocked or leaving windows propped open, allowing entry. Similarly, if you allow a person to enter and they steal or damage your personal possessions, this is unlikely to be covered.

• Any items taken from outside the property such as jewellery, mobile, tablets etc. (This can normally be added as an extra cover – usually called Personal Belongings Away From Home)

• Your policy will likely have a single item limit for theft or damage – that is the maximum that any single item will be covered for.

• Any theft or damage to any items used as part of a home business (usually covered under your business insurance policy)

What if I Accidentally Break Any of the Landlord’s Property?

This would be covered if your policy includes tenant’s liability insurance. This would then cover any repair or replacement costs of any items that have become broken accidentally such as any furniture left for the use by tenants or white goods etc.

Final Reminders

• You are responsible for insuring your possessions as a tenant.

• Although it is not a legal requirement to have contents insurance as a tenant, it certainly makes very good sense, unless you can afford to potentially replace everything you own.

• Give your items in each room a replacement value in today’s market, not what you originally paid.

• Don’t overvalue or undervalue anything – you might end up with not enough to replace an item or paying too much for your premium.

Renting really is no different from owning a property in terms of the need to insure your possessions. It is highly recommended to take out a tenant’s insurance policy along with a tenant’s liability insurance. The peace of mind will be worth it should the worst event happen.

We may provide tenants insurance in future

We may for a small fee added to the rent each month provide comprehensive tenants insurance in future, please keep an eye out for an article on our news page as well as our social media.

Council tax is something we all have to pay but there is so much more to it than simply getting an annual bill from the council and making sure you pay it on time. In this article we will take a detailed look at everything to do with council tax, what it is, who it applies to, what the bands mean and describe who is exempt or entitled to a reduction.

What is Council Tax and what does Council Tax Pay for?

Let’s start right at the beginning and explain what council tax is. Council tax is a charge levied by your local council to pay towards the services that the council provides such as libraries, refuse collection, police and fire service, street lighting, street cleaning and road maintenance for example. In case you were wondering why road maintenance falls under the services paid for by council tax rather than coming out of your car tax payment, this is because your car tax is actually an environmental tax based on your car’s CO2 emissions and simply goes into the national coffers at the exchequer to be used as they see fit. Car tax has nothing to do with road maintenance!

Who has to pay Council Tax?

Typically, anyone over the age of 18 has to pay council tax for the property they live in and a full council tax bill is normally based on at least 2 people over the age of 18 living in the property. There are, however, exemptions and discounts that can be applied to council tax bills.

Who is exempt from Council Tax?

According to the Government, the following are disregarded as far as council tax is concerned:

• those living in the household who are under 18 years old

• those living in the household who are on certain apprentice schemes

• those living in the household who are 18 or 19 years old and in full-time education

• a full-time student at college or university (course should be for at least 1 year with 21 hours of study per week as a minimum)

• those living in the household who are under 25 years old and get funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency

• those living in a household who is a student nurse

• those living in the household who is a foreign language assistant registered with the British Council

• For those living in a household who are severely mentally impaired – this link gives more detail about exemptions and discounts for disabled people

• those living in the household who is a live-in carer for someone who is not their partner, spouse, or child under 18

• those living in the household who is a diplomat

Even if you are disregarded according to the rules set by the Government, the discount or exemption is not automatic and you will need to apply to the relevant local council to have your discount or exemption registered.

One point to note is that, in a lot of cases, disregarded people will merely mean that the rate of council tax payable is discounted rather than abolished completely. For example, if you live in a property where everyone is a registered full-time student, then no council tax needs to be paid, but if everyone in the property falls under a different category and is “disregarded” then you will only be entitled to a 50% reduction in council tax, for example, if someone who is severely mentally impaired is living with their carer then the 50% discount applies, even though both are disregarded.

Council Tax Reductions

Even if you are not exempt and wouldn’t qualify for a discount on your council tax bill through being disregarded, there are other circumstances that qualify for a council tax reduction. Again, you will need to apply for any reduction as these are not automatically applied.

So, what qualifies for a council tax discount?

1. A single adult living on a property. If you are the only person over the age of 18 in the household then you could be entitled to a 25% discount on your council tax.

2. Second Adult Rebates can be claimed if there is a second person on your property over the age of 18 but are on a low income. The size of the rebate is dependent on their individual circumstances and also the local rules set by your council.

3. Council Tax Reduction. To qualify for a council tax reduction, you will need to be on a low income and claim certain benefits. Typically, you will need to be able to show that you have a low income and receive certain benefits such as Jobseeker’s Allowance, Pension Credit, Income Support or Employment and Support Allowance. Claiming Universal Credit does not automatically entitle you to help towards your council tax bill. As for the second adult rebate, council tax reduction rules can be set by each local council individually and you will need to talk to them to see what you might be entitled to. The rules applied will depend on whether you are working or a pensioner. To apply for a council tax reduction, you will need to go to your local council’s website, you can find that by visiting this Government website and typing your postcode into the field. This will tell you who your local council is and give you a link to their website.

4. If you live with someone who is disabled and your home has been modified to suit the needs of that person or you live in a larger house than you would otherwise need, you might be entitled to a disabled person’s discount. If you are entitled to a discount, this will typically be in the form of a reduced banding for your property, i.e. if your property has been banded as a C then it will be reduced to a B. If you are already at the lowest band of A, you will receive a 17% reduction on your bill.

5. Discretionary reductions can be applied in individual circumstances if you can show that you are struggling financially and cannot afford to pay council tax. You will need to contact your local council and discuss your circumstances with them.

Exempt Properties

It is not just people who are exempt from council tax or entitled to a reduction, certain properties also attract either an exemption or a discount:

1. An empty property might be eligible for a discount, especially if it is derelict and unsafe to live in if it is being redeveloped and improved, the owner has moved into a care home or hospital, and the property has become vacant due to death or the property has been repossessed. Check with your local council as the rules vary from council to council. It is important to note that, for properties that have been empty for over 2 years, a council tax premium might be charged. You could end up paying 4x your normal council tax rate.

2. Second homes which are not frequently occupied might also be given a discount. Again, talk to the local council as this is not guaranteed.

How much is Council Tax?

This very much depends on your personal circumstances, where you live and the property you live in. One thing that all councils have in common when calculating council tax, is that properties are banded from the lowest Band A to the highest Band H rating. What you actually pay in each of those bandings is entirely down to your local council.

So, the obvious question you will have is “what is my council tax band?”. The first thing to know is that the Banding that your property falls in is based entirely on the value that your property would have sold for on the 1^st April 1991 (England and Scotland) or the 1^st April 2003 (Wales) so it has very little to do with the current market value. The assessment is based on things like the size of the property, location, layout and character of the property. If you think your property has been assigned the wrong Band then you can challenge the banding of your property by submitting your challenge to the Valuation Office Agency via the Government website. You can also email them using the email address given or write to them at the address given on the website. You must continue to pay your council tax while you await the result of your challenge.

What is my Council Tax Band?

The current banding for your home can be found on the Government’s website. Simply type in your postcode, select your house number and you will be taken to the information held on your property, including the council tax band.

You now have your council tax band but how is the council tax calculated from that? Each local council will have its own charges by band and parish. The council will look at the band your property is in, relate that to the location and then determine the annual charge. A quick search on your local council website will give you a full list of individual parishes as well as the annual charge per band. Once this has been determined the council will apply any reduction that you are eligible for based on your circumstances. This will then give you the final annual bill.

How to Register for Council Tax

To register for council tax, you will need to contact your local council’s Council Tax Office or do it online. Most councils have a section on their website which allows you to inform them of either moving home within the region, moving out of the region or moving into the region. If you would prefer, you could also call the council, visit the council offices or even write to them to register yourself for council tax.

Council Tax When Moving House

Whilst we are on the subject of registering, let’s quickly look at what happens with council tax when you move house. Once you know when you are moving, you need to contact your local council. If you are moving within the same region, then they will help you to simply change your address. They will need proof of your move date and they will then send you a final bill for your old address for you to pay or provide you with a refund if it is due. You will also, within a few weeks, get a new bill for your new address. You can inform your council a month before the move and set up your new account and cancel your old council tax payments at that time. If you are moving to the same region, you should, if you pay by direct debit, be able to keep your details the same and the council will simply alter the payments once your new bill has been calculated. Remember that you become liable for council tax on your new property the day you take ownership of it or take over the tenancy and not when you actually move in.

How To Cancel Council Tax

If you are moving out of the region you will need to cancel your council tax account and pay any final balance or provide a forwarding address for a refund. Once you have paid your final bill, if you pay by direct debit, don’t forget to cancel the direct debit. You will also need to set up a new account for in your new region/council and set up a new direct debit or standing order. Don’t delay and wait for a new occupier letter to come through, as this will not reduce your payments, it will only serve to give you less time to pay the amount due. Do not, under any circumstances simply cancel your automatic payment as this will not cancel your account and could leave to open to recovery action from the council.

How to Pay Council Tax

Typically, council tax is paid monthly over 10 months rather than a full year and you don’t pay council tax in the months of February and March, but you can discuss this with your local council and extend the payments to go across the full 12 months. If you want, you can pay the entire amount upfront in one go.

There are several ways to pay your council tax. You can set up a direct debit or a standing order with the council, which will take each month’s payment automatically from your bank account; you can pay via the council’s website payment tool or via BACS transfer; you can pay in person at the council offices or over the phone using a credit or debit card; you can also pay at a post office, a Pay zone or Pay point outlet. Your council tax bill will have all the different payment options on the back.

What Happens If You Don’t Pay Council Tax

You might be wondering what happens if you don’t pay your council tax. This is not advisable. If you don’t pay a council tax demand, the council is perfectly within its rights to, after due process, take you to court. If the court decides you have no good cause for not paying the council tax bill and you continue to refuse, it can sentence you to up to 3 months in prison. Alternatively, the court could sanction the use of a bailiff to seize your property to cover the cost of the bill. Each of these options will incur more costs for you on top of the overdue council tax payments. The council can also apply to your employer for deductions from your wages to pay the council tax arrears or they can apply to have money taken directly from your benefits if you receive them. Please note that, if it comes to legal action by the council, you will lose the ability to pay the council tax bill in instalments and you’ll need to pay the entire balance in one go.

As you can see, council tax can be a complex matter and there are many different aspects which affect how much you have to pay. Suppose you have any doubt about your council tax bill. In that case, we strongly recommend that you have a conversation with your local council’s Council Tax Office so that you fully understand your situation and ensure that you are paying the right amount.

Not just a Lettings agent

We pride ourselves on being amongst the leaders of innovation in the property sector, we set out to create and implement ideas that aren’t typically thought of, at least not within the realm of the property market.
We like to set the bar for other agencies in digital capability and prowess.

What’s the latest Idea?

Since we’re the kind of company that likes to keep ahead of the curve, we’ve decided to expand our digital influence into the metaverse by minting unique NFTs of various aspects of the business, including our theme, logo, staff, properties and even other unique images such as capturing a moment of joy between our tenants on a night out. We aim to capture your moments of happiness and immortalise them as a unique NFT so that you can have a token of your time here with us and in the beautiful city of Leeds.

Sounds Great how do I get involved?

Getting involved is extremely simple, We aim to do a few Giveaways over on our social media pages very soon, primarily on Instagram and tik tok, so keep an eye out for those! We also plan on minting completely unique NFTs for our landlords and tenants at your request. Simply contact us over the phone at 0113 345 3031 and ask to speak to our digital coordinator or send an e-mail to info@switchproperties.co.uk requesting further information.

Summer is fast approaching and many of us will be spending more time outdoors making the most of the (hopefully) good weather. BBQs, paddling pools and entertaining friends and family are no doubt part of many people’s weekend plans. Having a dedicated social area is a high priority on home improvement plans up and down the country. In this article, we will take a look at how to design and plan a decking area to make the most of your outdoor entertaining.

Planning Practicalities

Many practical things need to be considered before you start to design your decking area:

1. Are there any services underneath the area to be decked? You don’t want to obstruct drain covers for example so you might need to build access into your design.

2. What are you likely to put on the decking? The foundations and supports will need to be very different if it is only people and tables that will be on the decking versus a hot tub for example.

3. Is the area to be decked level? Sloping areas can be decked but you will have to consider more supports if a part of the decking is to be raised off the ground.

4. Do you want the decking to be totally in sunlight or in the shade or a bit of both? You might need to build in some artificial shade if you do want a shaded area.

5. How big will the decked area be? You will need to factor in more supports and noggins if the area is bigger to ensure it is stable.

6. Does planning permission apply? You will need to check with the local planning team to be 100% but as a guide planning permission might apply if:

   • The deck is within 20m of a highway,

   • The deck platform is more than 300mm from the ground,

   • Any part of the deck exceeds 3m in height,

   • The deck could affect the privacy of neighbours,

   • The deck is to be attached to a listed building.

   • The decking along with all other extensions and outbuildings takes up more than 50% of the available garden area,

Once you have identified and dealt with the practicalities you can go ahead and start designing your fabulous new deck. Here are some best practice points to consider:

1. Always use structural treated timber for the decking. You do not want it unable to support the weight or rot too soon.

2. Ensure the Postcrete used for the support posts is piled slightly high and then sloped away from the supports to stop water accumulation.

3. Use specific screws and fixings for decking. These are specifically designed to be strong enough and weatherproof for your decking project.

4. Ideally, raise the decking slightly off the ground to protect it from the wet, but at the least lay it on a self-draining gravel surface rather than on bare earth or grass.

5. Treat all cut edges with wood edge sealant.

6. When installing noggins, make sure they are staggered to allow you to screw them in.

7. Use the right-sized structural timber:

   • Frame timber should be at least 150mm x 50mm.

   • Joists should be 100mm x 100mm.

8. Ensure you have the right spacing for the frame:

   • Structural support posts should be no more than 1800mm apart and around 1200mm apart for raised decks.

   • If you are putting heavy weights onto the deck supports should be even closer, around 600m apart to ensure the deck is strong enough.

   • Joists should be spaced at 400mm centres for the best support.

   • Noggins between joists, staggered in the centre of the joist.

   • Balustrades to be at least 90cm in height if the decking is up to 60cm from the ground and 120cm if the deck is higher than 60cm from the ground.

Once you have taken all this into account the best thing to do is measure the area you want and draw your design to scale marking down all the support posts, joists and noggins. Using this diagram, you will be able to accurately calculate the amount of wood you need for the subframe and you will also be able to calculate the number and length of decking boards you need.

Building Your Decking Area

For flat surfaces, you will need to either build directly on slabs or dig in some support posts to hold the decking slightly proud of the surface and therefore away from sitting water. You can build directly onto the surface but, if it is a grass area it is best to remove the grass, put down a weed membrane and lay gravel to help drainage.

For raised decks, support posts should be buried to at least 600mm and cemented in with Postcrete to hold them in place. Make sure the posts are straight and level before cementing them in place.

The first thing to do is lay out your frame and make sure it is square. The simplest way to do this is to measure diagonally from corner to corner. The two diagonals should have the same measurement. If they don’t then the frame is not square. Once you have a square frame, screw the frame components together by first drilling a pilot hole and then screwing in the coach screws.

For a flat, ground-level deck, cut blocks of the 100mm x 100mm support timber and place these in the corners. It is easier to cut them a little too long, so you have extra timber to allow you to level the frame. You can cut off the excess when your frame is level. Secure the frame onto the supports using coach screws. The procedure for a raised deck is the same, but you will need to dig a hole and cement the support post in place.

Once you have the frame in place, you can then start adding the joists and further support posts as required. Once all the joists and supports are in place, it is time to add the noggins to create the completed structure.

When putting the decking boards on, make sure that there is a 5mm gap between the boards for expansion. Use a simple spacer to do this. You can cut a piece of decking board for this.

Once you have put all the decking boards on, it is time to add the trim boards to the outside and then you are finished. Here is a great guide for building a basic low-level deck. Decking is easy to build and if you are a relatively good DIYer it shouldn’t tax you to your limits. With a little hard work and some upfront thinking and design, you will soon have a lovely area to enjoy entertaining this summer.

Protecting the environment is a big topic at the moment and the Government is working towards its climate targets of a net-zero society by 2050. As part of this strategy, the Government has introduced its Heating and Buildings Strategy which focuses on properties and their impact on the environment.

The Government has set out plans to ensure that as many homes as possible will have an EPC rating of C or better by 2035 and that those which are deemed to be fuel poor reach this goal by 2030. The Government wasn’t just looking at privately owned properties there was a consultation sent out in 2020 looking at changing the legally required EPC ratings for properties in the Private Rented sector to a band C by 2025 for new tenancies and 2028 for all tenancies. We will take a look at this in more detail in this article.

What is an EPC

EPCs have been around since 2007 and stand for “Energy Performance Certificate”. This is a rating which shows how energy efficient a property is from the top score of an A to the worst score of a G. It is a legal requirement that any property being built, sold or rented out needs a current EPC certificate. These are valid for 10 years so any certificate published in the last 10 years would be deemed to be current.

Current Legislation

Under the Domestic Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) Regulations any property which came under an assured tenancy, regulated tenancy or a domestic agricultural tenancy agreement and was let or modified within the last 10 years, requires an EPC certificate. These regulations also stipulate that since the 1^st of April 2020 no property could be let with an EPC rating of lower than E unless an exemption was in place.

Proposed Legislation

The Government wants to move as many properties as possible to at least a C rating by 2035 and those worst performers, where there is fuel poverty, to a C rating by 2030. Despite these plans, the Government is proposing to bring this forwards for rental properties and is currently debating the Minimum Energy Performance of Buildings Bill in Parliament. This Bill will require properties in the Private Rented sector to have a minimum EPC rating of C for new tenancies by as early as the end of December 2025. For existing tenancies, this would be implemented from 31^st December 2028. The bill is now at the second reading stage in Parliament.

Exemptions

There are exemptions to the requirements and these would need to be registered with the local council with supporting documents. The exemptions are:

• High-cost exemption. This is where the cost of implementing the cheapest improvement would exceed £3,500 including VAT

• 7-year payback exemption. This is where the savings that are likely to be generated by the improvement would not pay back the initial investment within 7 years of implementation.

• All improvements made an exemption. This is where all reasonable improvements have already been made and there are no more than can be made.

• Wall insulation exemption. This is where the suggested wall insulation improvement is not feasible.

• Consent exemption. This is where the landlord can show that consent from a relevant 3^rd party such as a local council planning office, mortgage lender or the tenant has not been given for the improvements.

• Devaluation exemption. In this case, the landlord must show a report from an RICS registered surveyor that the improvement would devalue the property by more than 5%

• New Landlord exemption. A 6-month exemption can be granted for new landlords to give them time to make the required improvements or get a valid exemption.

Other than the new landlord exemption, all the others are valid for 5 years.

The main takeaway here is that there is a lot of talk about 2030 and 2035 in terms of requirements to meet a specific EPC rating, which seems a long way away. For private rented properties, however, this is potentially going to be implemented by the end of 2025 so some landlords will need to start making improvements soon to be able to continue to rent out their properties.

EPC Service

At switch properties, we provide a cheap, efficient and quick EPC service. Full pricing estimates can be viewed over on the direct hub, we recommend that it’s better to act sooner rather than later as it looks almost certain that the current bill will now pass and go onwards to royal assent. Our property experts will be able to suggest various energy improvements in your properties to help keep you compliant for the years to come.