Leap before you look!
It’s risky — but buying blind is becoming a new normal for some budding homeowners
THE fundamental rules when buying a home have always been to check the building and its location thoroughly and make several visits before signing on the dotted line.
Yet in today’s property market that kind of safety-first thinking is a thing of the past.
‘Buying unseen is the most dramatic Coviddriven property trend we’ve seen,’ says Ed Jephson of Stacks Property Search. ‘It’s happening because the huge demand for rural properties exceeds supply.’
With homes selling as fast as they come up for sale — and in many cases before they make a public appearance — the onus is on the buyer to act swiftly. A personal visit slows down the whole process and is often in vain as the property sells before the buyer can get to the front gate.
Jephson has seen an escalation of purchasers ‘buying unseen’ in the expensive hotspots of Devon such as Dartmouth and the villages on its estuary.
However, this is by no means a local phenomenon.
An estimated 53,700 households have moved from the city to the countryside in the past year according to Hamptons International and it is going on nationwide.
‘I’d say one-in-ten buyers bid blind now,’ says Jo Ashby, of John Bray estate agents who sell property in north Cornwall.
‘Many know the area from holidaying here, but they’ll bid for a house without having viewed it.’
In Pembrokeshire, where prices do not compare to the south-west peninsular, the story is the same.
‘ Buying unseen has been going on constantly in West Wales since the first lockdown,’ says Carol Peett, of West Wales Property Finders. ‘I viewed a property in Saundersfoot for a client the minute it went on the market and by the time I had driven back to the office — a 20-minute trip — it had gone under offer from someone who had not seen it.’
Buying unseen may seem like a foolhardy way of purchasing the most expensive item most of us will buy in our lives. After all, property details are written by estate agents, whose job it is to sell the property for the vendor, not to protect the buyer.
However, there are ways of minimising the risk.
‘Do as much research as possible on the internet,’ says Jephson. ‘ Google Maps, Google Earth, floor-plans, virtual viewings are all your go-to resources.’
Jephson points out that you can find out an enormous amount about a property if you know what to look for and where to look. An Ordnance Survey map will show public footpaths and the gradient of the land. Street maps show the proximity of neighbours, the length of the drive, width of the road, distance to the beach, pub, school; all of which may be important. It pays, too, to study flood maps, which are found at gov.uk/check-flood-risk.
Ideally, you should have a trusted friend in the area who will supply a warts-and-all forensic virtual walk-through, preferably conducted on FaceTime. This should take in the surroundings as well as the property and grounds.
Ask about the things the camera can not show such as the smells, the vibe on the streets and traffic or rail noise. Buying unseen worked well for Scarlett Leung when she bought a new fourbedroom house from Anwyl Homes in Rhuddlan, North Wales, while living in Hong Kong, when the Covid travel restrictions ruled out a viewing in the normal way.
Her new home is located in the countryside, near hiking routes, a golf club and health care facilities.
‘If we had waited for the relaxation of the travel restrictions from Hong Kong we’d have lost the chance of buying the house in such a perfect location,’ says quantity surveyor, Scarlett, 42. ‘It also saved us travelling time and cost.’
NOT all such long- distance deals go smoothly. ‘I met a lady last week whose daughter in Dubai had bought a property in Narberth, sight unseen,’ says Peett. ‘After the purchase, the mother had come down to see the house and was shocked at the amount of work that needed to be done.
‘She was also unable to park outside; something that wouldn’t have been obvious from the internet details.’
Is buying unseen ever worth the risk? ‘It isn’t a recommended buying method for 99 per cent of buyers,’ says Jephson.
‘It’s not for the faint-hearted; buyers require nerves of steel, deep pockets and an overwhelming desire to own a specific property.
‘But with prices on an upward spiral there’s significant protection from making a big financial mistake. For those who don’t have the luxury of being able to look at a property, providing they do their research, it doesn’t have to be as crazy an idea as it sounds.’
WHEN it comes to the humble water tap, we’ve never had so much choice. This essential, functional object is often overlooked.
But to do so is to miss a design trick, as an oversized spout, a striking colour or an unusual finish can lend a contemporary edge to a bathroom or kitchen with minimal effort.
‘It’s easy to get into a tap rut of chrome,’ says interior designer Rita Konig. ‘But I think taps are a great way to up your look. You can get away with paying less for your bath and basin if you invest in good taps.’
A small touch can make a big difference as anyone who has washed their hands under the swan taps at the Ritz in Paris will concur. The first decision to make when beginning your tap design journey is whether to go classic or contemporary.
A TOUCH OF CLASS
CLASSIC brassware undoubtedly adds a touch of class to a bathroom or kitchen and is still popular.
Pillar taps are for diehard traditionalists: the designs lend themselves to small basins so they can still be found in cloakrooms. The Burlington Claremont chrome 3 in basin taps CL1 have traditional crossheads ( that’s the cross handle you twist) and are good quality and reasonable (£109.88, victorianplumbing.co.uk). com);
Purists can purchase original vintage taps from waterandwood.
co.uk where a pair of large brass bath taps is about £245.
Classic designs can be cleverly incorporated in modern ways. The black ceramic handles on Catchpole & Rye’s polished brass wall mounted swan basin mixer with La Fontaine taphead feel luxurious and bling (£696, catchpoleandrye.
and the fabulous Lefroy Brooks Belle Air bath mixer in chrome are inspired by 1950s American automobiles (£1,221.60, westonebathrooms).
The mixer crosshead taps, with ceramic finish and elegant telephone receiver- shaped showerhead, are still a design classic.
Crosswater’s Belgravia crosshead bath shower mixer kit BL42DDC, in chrome or unlacquered brass are a safe option ( from £ 430, victorianplumbing.co.uk).
The trend for brass and copper taps is running through to the kitchen where it can be mixed with dark granite or light quartz.
You can’t beat a swan neck for elegance; try the Fortuna Bronze tap from Wren Kitchens (£159, wrenkitchens.com) or the Butler & Rose Elizabeth twin lever traditional mono kitchen mixer in antique copper (£99.99, tapwarehouse.com).
Neptune’s Bamburgh chrome and enamel swan-necked kitchen tap is a smart choice for those not embracing the copper trend (£220, neptune.com).
CONTEMPORARY COOL
STRAYING from the traditional shape and colour of taps is a great way to jazz things up.
‘Minimalist matte black taps are growing in popularity for those who are looking for a sleek modern feel,’ says Darren Watts, design director of Wren Kitchens.
A matt black tap paired with a stainless- steel sink will pack a punch (Perla Black tap £139, wrenkitchens.com).
The king of coloured taps is Danish brand Vola, which has an array of 27 shades. Team the pink 590V25 deck mounted mixer and a fun bowl to brighten up a guest loo (£914.40, en.vola.com).
Wall-mounted taps are increasingly popular in kitchens and bathrooms as they free up space.
The two-handled Arezzo brass, wall-mounted 3TH bath tap looks fab on blush- pink tiles (£ 169, victorian plumbing.co.uk).
A high- end industrial
Pretty in pink: The Vola 590V tap and bowl from Denmark design aesthetic can be achieved with a four-hole deck-mounted set such as Grohe’s Essence single-lever bath mixer in warm sunset (£1,332.92, grohe.co.uk).
A more feminine twist can be created with West One Bathroom’s brushed brass 5th Avenue industrial 3-hole wallmounted basin mixer (£ 792, westonebathrooms.com).
The monobloc tap, where everything is incorporated in one tap and all you do is lift and twist, is in demand. Orchard Derwent’s water basin mixer sends the water out in a waterfall (£31.99, victoriaplum.com).
Lusso Luxe’s silk matt white monobloc mixer tap looks striking when teamed with dark colours (£140, lussostone.com).
For those with deep pockets the latest kitchen trend is the boiling water tap, which provides instant hot water. Quooker’s Fusion Square is a square tap (from £1,350, quooker.
co. uk). A cheaper option is the matt black swan-necked Vellamo Cappa 3in- 1 (£ 629, tap warehouse.com).
The quest for the perfect tap is not difficult; finding a compliant plumber however may be more of a challenge…