Whether you are upsizing or downsizing, relocating or simply recalibrating your life, you have made the decision to sell your property and are now thinking through the best way to sell your house. There are several options which we have a quick look at, in order to help you decide one way or the other.

Estate Agents

As ABC Gone, an estate agents in Upminster, tell us, about 90% of home sales happen through estate agents, since there is a lot of legislation, time and effort involved in selling a house. The estate agency will market your house as if it were their own, and have a vested interest in getting a fair price, for both parties.

Online estate agents are becoming more and more popular, offering the same great services as bricks and mortar, from an online location. They can arrange viewings, vet applicants and continue to manage the property once it has sold, if you like. This will significantly reduce the amount of time you need to spend on it, which is the major advantage of using an estate agents.

Regardless of whether you go online or use a physical location, you should always check if the realtor you’re considering using is a ”member of the Property Ombudsman and many other professional property bodies”. Doing so is the first step in ensuring you’re receiving the best possible service from your estate agent.

Private Selling

You may opt to sell your property privately, since there is no legal obligation to use an estate agent. If you want to save on agency fees, then this may be the sale structure for you. If the property is significant to you in some way, you may wish to have control over who buys it, to ensure they love it as much as you have. In this case, many sellers manage the sale themselves.

However, you will need to consider that there is a lot of work involved in selling a house. You may find that a private sale finds you the same kind of sale price as an estate agency would, or sometimes even more. You will obviously make savings on the estate agency’s cut too. Knowing where and how to market and advertise are two of the most important considerations for selling privately.

Auction

A third route into property sale is by selling the house at auction. This is certainly not for everyone. The most obvious benefit of an auction sale is the quick turnaround. There is usually only 28 days between the hammer going down and occupancy. Auctions are better suited to rare and desirable buildings or those which have fallen into disrepair. One of the downsides to auction is that it is one of the most expensive routes to a sale, and many people prefer to go with estate agents.

So you’ve moved into a new house and you’re really proud of your purchase. You also can’t wait to start decorating it and really making the new property your very own. But how can you go about making your new house feel more like home quickly and easily? Keep reading for a few helpful tips.

Decorate in Your Own Unique Style

You have a new house, which means you have a brand new canvas that you can work with. Decorate it however you wish, and search for everything from furniture to cute décor in stores and online so you can find great discount offers that will help you save money (after all, you have a new mortgage to pay now, too). Think about the vibe that you want each and every room to exude and then look for the décor and furnishings that will bring it to life. Before you know it, your personality and unique style will be shining through and your house will feel a lot more like home in no time.

Bring in Elements from Your Old Place

Bringing in special pieces of furniture and décor from your old home is a great way to make your new house feel like your perfect sanctuary. Whether it is a piece of artwork that you love having on your wall or some pieces that you have collected from your travels over the years, these seemingly small elements can really make a big difference when you are trying to make a new property feel like you have been living there for years.

Start by Making Small Changes

You don’t need to go into your new house and start remodelling it right away, especially if you do not have the budget to do so. Instead, you can start with remodelling one room at a time until your house is complete. A good place to start is a small space like the bathroom. You spend a good amount of time in there, so by tweaking its décor and replacing things like the toilet and the sink, you can really start to make it yours. Plus, if you start with a small room like this, you will be far less likely to blow through your budget.

Warm Up the Space

Warming up your home with the right colours, as well as things like pretty flowers and candles, can really make you feel right at home. Put a cosy blanket on your sofa, along with some soft pillows, and you will want to snuggle in and watch TV at the end of a hard workday. You can also add unique elements throughout your kitchen, where you will be spending a lot of time, so you can make it your own.

After you have remodelled and redecorated your new place, it will definitely start to feel like you truly belong there. You will fall in love with your new house and you will not miss your old place at all. So keep the above tips in mind when you are trying to make a new house feel like home.

Jean Smith, founder of Flirtology and Flirt Interpreter extraordinaire, shares her top tips on how to date in a modern world

In this age of online dating, virtual flirting and location-based hookups by app, dating today is harder than ever. And what’s even more difficult? Knowing how to act and what to do if you actually meet someone you like in person (because let’s face it; flirting and talking online is so much easier as you have time to think about your oh so natural and witty reply). Also, what are the rules for dating? Is it ok for a woman to ask someone out? Or is that intimidating? With all these questions in mind, we’ve asked flirting expert, Jean Smith, who has appeared on BBC Breakfast, Daybreak and ITV’s London Tonight commenting on topics ranging from dating, flirting and relationships to wider social issues, to share her expert advice on how to date in a modern world.

Over to you Jean…

Society and its rules fluctuate depending on what people need and what people have. Traditionally, it was men’s sole responsibility to ask women out and pay for the date. Why? Because they had the money, they had the transport and they held all the cards. As the higher-earning gender, along with deciding whom to ask out, they also had the honour of paying for it.

Society has moved away from this pay model, with women now earning almost as much as men. Nevertheless, this old-fashioned attitude about who should do the asking (and paying) still prevails, creating a disconnect and much confusion on how to behave. As a Flirtologist, I meet many high-flying, executive women, who make bags of money and have bags of confidence. Why shouldn’t they ask a man out? Besides, men like it!

So, what are the dating rules in this modern society? Let’s turn to science for the answer.

While researching for my book, The Flirt Interpreter, I interviewed 100 men in four different international, Western cities. I asked them if they would like it if a woman approached them and asked them out. The answer was a resounding ‘yes!’ on both counts. Followed by ‘as long as it’s not done too aggressively’. So there we have it – just don’t plop yourself down on their laps, arms dangled around their necks, and expect them to say yes. Other than that, you’ll be fine!

So, what are the 8 rules for dating in the modern world? I am so glad you asked.

1. If you like someone, approach them!

Don’t wait for the other person to make the move. Gender has become obsolete in this regard and now it’s more about common sense! How is a guy to know you’re interested if you stand in the corner willing him to walk over? If you are looking at art, for example, and get chatting you could say something like, “I have been meaning to go that new exhibition at the V&A. Would you like to join me?” Which leads me to rule #2…

2. Don’t be scared of rejection.

Believe it or not, it is your friend. Statistically, we cannot click with everyone we meet. If you chat to someone and they make it clear that feelings are not reciprocated, move on! Don’t think of it as a setback for your self-esteem, but a step forward to finding someone you’re compatible with.  If you need to boost your self-esteem you should make sure you’re grooming well. Grooming Corp has lots of mens grooming tips if you need help.

3. Keep it casual.

If you see someone cute, walk over and start a natural conversation. Hitting on people can seem intimidating when you think of strutting up and opening with “hey, sweet cheeks,” but simply asking, “is it always this busy? It’s my first time here,” is a casual and natural way to start chatting.

4. Change your expectations and do away with false standards.

Despite whatever belief you have in destiny, you will not be able to determine if a man is right for you within two minutes of meeting him. Admit it, you probably spend more time lingering over the Chinese takeaway menu! Once you stop looking at people with, “is this the future father of my children?” or “is she the one?” in mind, taking things as they come becomes a lot easier. The question you should be asking is, “am I having a good time right now, in this moment?”

5. Got a date? Great! Don’t expect the man to pay.

There are a surprising amount of women, even in the younger generations, who expect men to be ‘chivalrous’ and pay for dates. Why should men pay for dates? We now know that in the past it was because they had more money and had cars, but these days, aren’t we all on equal (or, at least closer) footing? More importantly, don’t we want to be? As a general rule, whoever asks should pay. If women can ask, they can pay and, equally, if men can be asked, they can be taken out!

6. So you’ve had a great date, wonderful! Now, forget it.

This person you’ve just been on a date with is a stranger minus a few hours you’ve spent together. Get on with your full and happy life and don’t fill your thoughts with romantic ideals of your ‘future’. Nobody should keep you waiting by the phone, especially not someone you’ve only just met!

7. Keep an open mind.

There are plenty more happily ever afters than the old husband, wife, two kids and a white picket fence. Just as we have more choice in the modern world, we also have more scenarios in which we could be happy. Don’t let old-fashioned notions of happiness stop you from actually being happy in life. Which, brings me to rule #8…

8. You can be happy alone.

You should be happy alone. Why should your feeling of contentedness rest on another human being? Sounds pretty risky to me. Don’t wait for someone else to come along and fill in the gaps. Start living your life and now! People are attracted to happy people. Be open, be happy, exude that happiness and the person to share that with will be drawn to you.
The rules have certainly changed in the last few generations of flirting history. Women can approach, men don’t have to pay for dates and being single is coveted rather than pitied. Nowadays, we have the capacity to flirt and date for fun, not just for the traditional goal of an early marriage. We have the tools at our disposal to enjoy single life, no matter what gender we are. The ‘rules’ are about you and your life, rather than finding someone to complete your life.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make on the job market is thinking about the ultimate career as a dream. A dream is an abstract concept, but it’s also an idea that is related to fantasy or imagination. It’s not something that you necessarily feel as though you can work towards and that’s a problem. You’re already be setting up psychological blocks in your mind between you and the perfect career. You might even be preparing a cushion that you can fall on if you don’t succeed. Well, you say to yourself, it was only a dream. Instead, think of your career, your purpose as a goal to strive towards. A goal is never completely out of reach and there are always possibilities on how you can get closer to it. Now, let’s look at some of the ways you can reach your goal of a great future career.

Don’t Fear Hard Work

If you think you can get something for nothing on the job market, my friend, you have already failed. You are going to need to prepare yourself for a lot of hard work, long hours and even a little humility if you are going to succeed. It’s going to be a long road and most people do start at they very bottom of the ladder. But you have to remember that each day you work at a job you hate you could be getting closer to a position you’ll love. Essentially, you need to be prepared to pay your dues. While there are people who succeed straight away and rise to the top, these are the exceptions, not the rule.

Get Some Help

It’s not always what you can offer on the job market as much as who you know. You do need great contacts if you want to be a success. You need to know how to network and you might want someone on your side. For instance, you can use a recruitment agency as a go between for you and employers. They will represent you and push you for positions that they think you’re suitable for, and in more testing times, they can even utilize a recruitment tracker to see which vacancy or department you could be employed in.

Recruitment agencies are exactly that, they are agents. They work on both sides of the desk benefiting the employee and the employer. In your case they can open doors that you didn’t even know existed.

Forget Your Fear Of Rejection

We can take the journalism industry as an example here. Assuming you are actually applying for jobs it can take about a year to find a full time position in the journalism industry. That’s one year where you’ll be going to multiple interviews and you’ll face a lot of rejection. But the good news is that the more times you apply, the more likely you are to succeed. Just make sure you keep pushing your envelope and strive towards the success you know you deserve. You can’t afford to be scared of rejection. Rejections is always going to be present on the path to reaching your goal.

Take this advice, and you can stop dreaming and start racing towards your future career.