Over 40% of Mancs would purchase a home without stepping inside, study reveals
A new study performed by online estate agent Purplebricks has revealed that as many as 40% of Mancunians would place an offer on a property without setting foot inside.
Moving home has always been complicated enough in ordinary times. But when the pandemic hit, a significantly-sized spanner was thrown into the works to make the process even more convoluted than before.
Due to COVID regulations, many house viewings were either subject to a number of restrictions or stopped altogether.
Still, despite this huge hurdle for homebuyers, the property market has continued to tick over thanks to the launch of virtual viewings.
Initially, there was scepticism – with some claiming that people would never be sold on a new house with camera footage alone.
But it appears that virtual viewings have been far more successful than many expected.
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According to recent research compiled by online estate agent Purplebricks, as many as 40% of Mancunians said they would happily place an offer on a property without setting foot inside.
61% of homebuyers even suggested virtual viewings had advantages – claiming they were more efficient and less awkward than face-to-face viewings.
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More than a third also said they expected virtual viewings to become the norm when house hunting.
Alex Beswick, Territory Operator for Manchester at Purplebricks, said: “The current pandemic has thrown up many new challenges for buyers and sellers across Manchester. But this has heralded a new era of virtual house hunting and homeowners are quickly adopting this new way of buying and selling homes.
“Buyers are enjoying the speed and ease of doing viewings from the comfort of their own sofa, and sellers have welcomed a new way to show off their property – so it’s more important than ever to make a great virtual first impression.”
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When it comes to virtual viewings, some of the biggest turn-offs are apparently dark and small areas, overgrown gardens and dirty items left in sight.
Lack of floorplans and badly-decorated rooms are also cited as factors that might put off a potential buyer.
Kate Watson-Smyth
Purplebricks has also been working with interiors expert Kate Watson-Smyth to provide tips on how to make your house look appealing online – which include keeping areas tidy, offering 360 views of rooms, decluttering, and welcoming in as much natural light as possible.
Kate said: “There are a number of practical things you can do to make a great first impression, but the hardest part of showing your home virtually is giving people that feeling or vibe you get when you step into a house. While you can’t delight them with the smell of freshly baked bread or coffee brewing as they walk in the door, there are some clever tricks you can do.”
“Place fresh flowers to brighten up a room, make sure all of the rooms are clean and tidy, show off any storage space, pull back the curtains to let in the light, and stage the rooms to encourage buyers to see themselves in the home with their family and friends.”
For more of Kate’s styling tips, go to @mad_about_the_house or visit @purplebricksuk.
Property
Heritage railway arches in Manchester city centre to undergo £3.7m transformation by HOME arts centre
Danny Jones
A section of the iconic railway arches along Whitworth Street is set to be refurbished into a brand-new development space for up-and-coming local artistsunder HOME.
Having existed as a recognisable part of the city’s rich transport and architectural heritage for as long as we can remember, three of the familiar archways situated on Whitworth Street West are now about to be given a new lease of life which will also help support Manchester’s beloved arts community.
Coming under the HOME theatre and arts umbrella with the work being carried out by the North West arm of Robertson Construction, the transformation is set to start fairly soon and is scheduled to be completed by May 2024.
Sitting between Whitworth Street West and HOME’s main arts building at Tony Wilson Place, which has been a popular cinema, gallery and restaurant since 2015, the new development centre will provide a space and vital resources for artists of all ages, disciplines and stages in their careers. Wonderful stuff.
Costing £3.7m, the goal of the ‘HOME Arches’ project is not only to give the Whitworth Street West Arches some much-needed TLC, but to help nurture, attract and retain creative talent in Manchester by providing them with a high-quality, low-cost rehearsal and training space.
Moreover, being connected to the ever-thriving First Street district will further strengthen it as a well-known and go-to city centre destination for artists and visitors alike.
Funding for the renovation was secured back in 2021 following a £2.3m government grant, with a further £0.9m contribution from Manchester City Council and around £0.5m from HOME themselves, who are helping cover some post-construction costs.
The Arches project is part of a wider £20m redevelopment plan under the national Levelling Up fund, with the bulk of the £17.5m scheme seeing the Upper Campfield and Lower Campfield Market buildings (both Grade II-listed structures) lovingly transformed into a new tech, media and creative industries hub.
Issuing a statement following the announcement, Director and CEO of HOME, Dave Moutrey said they are delighted to provide “meaningful, additional creative space for artists” and allow them to “grow the work that we do with artists in the North West, across theatre, film, visual art and digital works”.
As for the Council itself, leader Bev Craig said: “These arches are part of our heritage which have sat unloved and underused for many years. This scheme is bringing them back to life with a very modern purpose – complementing the thriving cultural economy in our city.
“Culture has a huge role to play in the success of our city and its people – creatively, for health and well-being and economically. This project will enhance this part of the city centre, create new jobs and further strengthen Manchester’s cultural ecosystem.”
We can’t wait to see how the new historic railway arches look under the loving stewardship of HOME and see the impact it makes on local creativity and culture.
The ‘loneliest house in Britain’ with no vehicle access is on the market, with £50k slashed off the price
Daisy Jackson
A former railway worker’s cottage dubbed the ‘loneliest house in Britain’ has just had £50k knocked off its asking price as it looks for a new owner.
The home is situated in one of the most beautiful corners in England, right on the trail of the popular Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge.
The house takes ‘remote living to the next level’, with no vehicular access for viewings and absolutely no neighbours in sight.
At present, 3 Bleamoor Cottages also has no mains electricity or water – previous owners got their power from a windmill and a generator.
And although you’ll be all alone living up there in the Yorkshire Dales, you won’t be totally isolated… you’ll probably have a few hundred walkers going past your front door every day.
The house is listed as an ‘exciting renovation project’, with potential to turn it into a private holiday home, a unique Airbnb or a refreshment stop on the popular hiking route up Whernside.
Darren Spratt from estate agent Fisher Hopper told the BBC: “We’ve never had anything quite like this.”
“It’s about a 20 to 25-minute walk to the property,” he added. “That’s one way to lug your shopping.”
He also said that although the home has drummed up a lot of interest, a new buyer hasn’t yet been found for it.
The property listing states: “Exciting renovation project in a stunningly beautiful location. 3 Bleamoor Cottages is a former railway worker’s home situated on the main hiking path up Whernside, in the Yorkshire Dales.
The living room of 3 Bleamoor Cottages. Credit: Fisher HopperThe kitchen of the remote cottage. Credit: Fisher HopperIt’s set in beautiful Yorkshire Dales countryside. Credit: Fisher Hopper3 Bleamoor Cottages. Credit: Fisher Hopper
“Adjacent to the famous Settle to Carlisle railway line above Ribblehead, the property presents an interesting investment, with a range of potential commercial opportunities apparent: private holiday home; unique AirBnB style experience; bunkhouse or refreshment stop on the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge route. Plans will be subject to the necessary consents – this is in the heart of the National Park – but for the right buyer with vision, there is great potential here.
“Due to the unusual nature of the location, interested parties are advised that it is a 20 minute walk from the parking at Ribblehead Viaduct to reach this property. There is no vehicular access for viewings.”
When Rightmove shared the listing, they wrote: “When having neighbours is just not your thing… This home located in the Yorkshire Dales takes remote living to the next level!”