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Welcome to the July edition of our intelligent newsletter! We aim to keep you up to date with our latest news, give you top tips from industry professionals and provide interesting and helpful articles relating to the property industry and much more. You are able to update your preferences so you only receive articles which are relevant to you. If you like what you see, please be social and share our newsletter via social media. To ensure you don't miss out, just add this email address to your Safe Senders list.

A stunning, detached period family home set in a beautiful private rural setting mid-way between the picturesque North Yorkshire villages of Aldbrough St John and Melsonby. The original part of Langdale Cottage dates back to 1868 with later additions. The property, since 2010, has undergone a major refurbishment, the full extent of which will become apparent when viewed internally. The five bedroomed house and garage block stand in attractive landscaped grounds, in all extending to just less than 1 acre.

The ground floor benefits from solid oak flooring to all rooms expect the kitchen which has limestone tiles. The entrance hall features two oak staircases providing access to the first floor accommodation. The sitting room enjoys excellent natural light with wide double glazed south facing sliding doors overlooking the landscaped gardens and an inset fireplace with wood burning stove. The conservatory, which faces west, currently accommodates a dining table. The living room, which adjoins the kitchen, features an attractive fireplace with multi-fuel stove. The large kitchen is fitted with a range of bespoke floor and wall mounted units with granite work surfaces, a large central island and a large oil fired Aga. Integrated appliances to include dishwasher, Miele electric oven and coffee making machine, induction hob, plumbed in American style fridge freezer and tall glass fronted wine cooker.

A large master bedroom with sloping ceilings and a raised platform featuring an impressive oval shaped bath, a tiled en-suite shower room and access to a dressing room which was previously fitted as a fifth bedroom and could easily be reinstated if required. A further double bedroom overlooks the rear garden and is supported by a magnificent family bathroom with roll-top bath, double sized shower cubicle, wash basin and low flush WC with tiled floor and walls. The second staircase provides access to two further double bedrooms and a tiled wet room with shower unit, wash basin and low flush WC.

A single track tarmacadam driveway shared between three residents leads to the remote control entrance gates which open to a private gravelled driveway which runs up to the property. Excellent parking areas and access to the garage block which has been boarded out providing useful storage to the roof space and a door through to a recently fitted out gymnasium. The gardens face south and are predominantly laid to lawn with five sandstone flagged patio areas, well stocked herbaceous borders, a selection of mature trees, an enclosed vegetable and fruit garden with raised beds, gravelled footpaths and separate enclosed hen run. The property and grounds enjoy excellent views across adjoining countryside and towards a beautiful mature wooded backdrop to the southern and western boundaries.

Nick and Gordon Carver welcome David Smith to the recently opened Yarm office where he will be joining sales advisor Vikki Breslin and mortgage advisor Cherise Conners. 

David is no stranger to the property industry and has been in estate agency for nearly 10 years with 13 years sales experience. Previously working for two corporate companies he has covered areas from Darlington across to Stockton, and down to Scarborough.

Living with his family in Coulby Newham, on the outskirts of Yarm, David is local to the area and has worked in Yarm previously for 3 years. He has experience of running branch offices so will bring a wealth of expertise and local knowledge to the company. 

We are looking forward to working with David, and are sure he will fit in to the ever expanding Carver Group family!

'Ikea Hack' - turning a basic Ikea flatpack into something much more, like turning a simple white expedit/kallax unit into a window seat or a basic coffee table into a rustic addition to your furniture. 

Personally, I love looking at all the different ways a piece of furniture can be adapted... I spend hours looking at Ikea Hacks, even though I don't have the space for them!  They can be great to update a basic piece if you are looking to sell your house and give the wow factor, or just to create something more unique in your home.

There are lots of ideas and adaptations on the internet and thankfully a lot of (mostly American) bloggers have created tutorials and hacks for us to try!

Here is the link to one such site with instructions on how to create this window seat. http://chaosinmycasa.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/diy-window-bench.html 

Alternatively if you have created your own hack we would love to see it, so please send us details and we can share with our other readers (and maybe give it a go ourselves!)

Protecting your income - how important is it?

It’s the age-old worry. What would you do if you were seriously ill or injured? Would your savings be enough? For most, the answer is no. Yet, despite the increasing number of income protection policies being taken out, there is still a large proportion of homeowners that run the risk of not making mortgage payments if they were to fall ill.

The policies are simple to understand. It gives policy-holders the reassurance that, if something was to happen to them and they were no longer able to work, their income would be protected.

So why do so many fail to take out income protection or critical illness cover?

Pessimism and suspicion. Before the days of stringent lending and the Mortgage Market Review (MMR), numerous cheap, and often flawed, plans were abundant within the market. This is obviously all in the past now. But, as Harlan Hogan famously said, “You never get a second chance at a first impression.” And it seems that this is the mentality that many home-owners continue to hold.

But is it necessarily the right one?

Adam Swalwell of Carver Financial Services discusses the policies in more detail.

What is income protection?

If you ever become unable to work after suffering from an illness, injury or disability, then this insurance will replace a proportion of your monthly income, usually up to about 70 per cent. These monthly payments are tax-free and can help to cover regular bills such as mortgage payments, gas and electricity bills and council tax.

The levels of income protection are split into three categories:

‘Own Occupation’ is a type of policy that will cover you if you are no longer able to perform your own specific job, and this is usually the most expensive cover. An example of this would be, if you were a surgeon and injured your hands, you would be unable to carry out you “own occupation”.

‘Suited Occupation’ is where the policy will pay out if you are deemed unable to do a job that isn’t your original but is suited to your experience and skills. For example, if you were a financial director but couldn’t carry out the role due to stress, you may take out a less stressful position as an accountant and the policy would make up the difference in your salary.

‘Any Occupation’ is the strictest of the policies where you are deemed unable to work in any job that is reasonably suited for you in terms of education, experience and age.

What is critical illness cover?

Unfortunately, serious diseases and conditions such as cancer, strokes or heart attacks are part of life. Critical illness cover (CIC) is a policy that offers a tax-free lump sum on diagnosis of such conditions that can be used to pay off any debts that you may have. If your child is affected by a serious health condition, a portion of your CIC sum is also usually paid out.

If you suffer from an existing illness or pursue a lifestyle choice that carries additional risk, such as smoking, it’s worth noting that you may have to pay a higher premium.

It’s a small sacrifice…

Paying a relatively small monthly fee for protection is a small sacrifice for the greater good, both for you and your family. It is important to speak to a financial adviser who will be able to look at all of the available policies on offer and find the one best suited to your circumstance.

Adam Swalwell is from Carver Financial Services – for further information call: 01325 380088
Email: adams@carvergroup.co.uk or visit: www.nickcarver.co.uk

For insurance business, we offer products from a choice of insurers.

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

There will be a fee for mortgage advice. The actual amount you pay will depend upon your circumstances. The fee is up to 1%, but a typical fee is 0.3% of the amount borrowed. (or insert your fee statement).

Nicola Carver - Sales Negotiator in Darlington

What is your favourite food? Curry or spaghetti bolognese

What is your favourite holiday destination? Mexico, I lived there for a year and loved it!

Who would you most like to meet? Louise Hay

Favourite band or artist? Oasis, seen them in concert four times!

Favourite drink? Tequila

Favourite film star? Liam Neeson

Hobbies/sport? Zumba, netball and love going to watch Boro play

Favourite quote? 'Life begins at the end of your comfort zone'

Shelly Alderson - Sales Advisor in Newton Acyliffe

What is your favourite food? Seafood

What is your favourite holiday destination? Lake Como - Italy

Who would you most like to meet? Taylor Swift!!

Favourite band or artist? Damian Rice

Favourite drink? Wine

Favourite film star? Dominic West

Hobbies/sport? Swimming

Favourite quote? 'Don't cry because its over ...Smile because it happened'

Buying a house can be stressful, but it doesn't have to be difficult. Navigate your way through the process by following these steps;

Find out how much you can borrow

Book an appointment with one of our independant mortgage advisors to get an idea of how much you can borrow. He or she will be able to search the market for the best available deal and to help you maximise your borrowing power.

When working out how much you can afford to put down as a deposit, remember to keep some savings aside to meet stamp duty and other fees, and to furnish your new home. Get information about the different mortgages on offer, and start thinking about whether you want to go for a fixed or variable-rate deal.

Define your criteria

Decide what you are looking for in a property – whether you need parking and a garden, how many bedrooms you need, if it’s a flat, whether you want it to be freehold or leasehold – and pick an area on which to focus your search.

Consider what you want out of the location: are local schools, transport links and shops important to you? How long are you planning to live in the property for?

Beginning the search

Start scanning local newspapers, our website and register with us here. As some properties sell before they are advertised online, so it is worth being on our books. If you see a property you want to look at, call the us and we will arrange a viewing.

Out and about

Visit some properties. You are unlikely to find the home you want straight away, so don’t despair and don’t be tempted into edging over your budget if you don’t like the first place you look at. This is probably going to be your biggest financial outlay, so it is worth waiting until you find the right place.

Don’t be shy about asking questions when you are looking around a property, or afterwards. We will be able to provide details about the property, and can pass on any in depth queries on to the people who are selling.

Making an offer

When you find somewhere you like, make an offer. Many buyers initially make an offer below the asking price, but if you want to be sure you get the property you like, you should offer the full amount straight away.

Acceptance

If your offer is accepted the property will then go under offer, you now need to instruct a solicitor. We have in house solicitors that can call you with a quote.

Getting a mortgage

Once your offer has been accepted, call the independant mortgage advisor you have been dealing with as they will sort out your mortgage application. At this point you will need to provide paperwork showing your income and outgoings.

Paperwork

Instruct your solicitor to start working on a contract. They will also send the seller a list of questions to answer, including a questionnaire asking which fixtures and fittings they intend to leave when they move out.

Exchange of contracts

After your solicitor or conveyancer has completed all the necessary checks you’ll be asked to sign a contract legally committing you to the purchase. At this point you will need to pay a deposit for the property – usually at least 5% of the price but more typically 10%. At this point you will usually agree a date to complete the sale.

Book a removal van

When you know your moving date you can start organising how to get your possessions to your new home. This could involve hiring a van and doing it yourself or hiring professional removal men. Either way, you should act fast to give yourself the best chance of finding a company to help when you need at a good price.

Buy buildings insurance

Your lender will expect you to have buildings insurance in place for the date of completion. It will quote a rebuild cost in its valuation – this is the amount you need to cover. Our independant finanacial advisors can arrange this insurance for you.

Completion

This is when the property finally becomes yours. When your solicitor tells you that the sale is completed you can pick the keys up from the estate agents. This will probably be the day that you move in, unless you are having work done in advance. It is likely to be a stressful day, even if everything goes according to plan, but should feel worthwhile after your first night in your new home.

Find out how to successfully treat 10 of the most stubborn stains with these stain removal tips and follow the golden rules to ensure the best outcome
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