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December marked the end of an interesting period for the property market. The 12 months were underpinned by a change to the English Government, inflation closer to 2% and a decreasing base rate. The year was, however, tempered by what might lie ahead in 2025.

Did you know we have been making New Year’s resolutions for more than 4,000 years? The custom is thought to stem from the ancient Babylonians, who used their New Year in mid-March to reaffirm loyalty to the monarch, make promises to be good moving forward, pay debts to gods and return borrowed objects.

Although winter has us firmly in its icy grip, the energy price cap will rise on 1st January 2025. As a result, many of us will want to reduce how much fuel we use. For renters, the challenge can be greater as they don’t always have the means or money to make significant energy-saving alterations, such as installing cavity wall insulation, solar panels or air source heat pumps.

The Pantone Colour of the Year for 2025 is Mocha Mousse. This silky shade of brown conjures up images of Galaxy chocolate and cups of coffee – rich yet tempered with a gentle softness.

Getting your home on the market is easier and quicker than you may think – and there is every reason to order a ‘for sale’ sign this December. In fact, there are four indicators that now is a good time to instruct a sales agent:

With the end of the year almost in sight, people would be forgiven for focusing on Christmas. This November, however, felt very different. A 0.25% cut to the Bank of England base rate at the start of the month set a positive tone.

You can’t see it or touch it, you never see it delivered and although it all looks the same, it's a must have. We’re talking about energy.

The most recently published Land Registry data revealed 24% of residential property sales in 2022 were leasehold – that equates to around 207,000 transactions in total. If you own a flat or apartment, it’s highly likely you will have a leasehold agreement.

Rental guarantors used to be the preserve of student lets, with landlords wanting financial reassurance to cover those with no rental track record, no regular wage or rental history.

What are your take-aways from the Autumn Budget? The fuel duty freeze or cheaper draught beer from the pub? Mentioned in the address were a few property-related items. If you own a home, the announcement concerning inheritance tax should be of interest.

Bathrooms have come a long way in a short amount of time. From the unheated, outside privy, to an inside bathroom suite in attractive avocado green and now all-singing, all-dancing wet rooms with rain showers and massage jets, ablutions have definitely experienced an upgrade.

The nights are drawing in, summer flowers have faded and the temperature is dropping but instead of putting your garden to bed, now is a great time to reconsider how you use your outdoor area.