YOUR WEEKLY PROPERTY QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY SIMON MEEK:

Q Dear Simon, we live in a modern development of six houses and to the rear is a shared car park with spaces for each house. We have lived there for about three years and in very recent months the car park has become unkempt. Unsightly weeds are sprouting out of every nook and cranny and trees outside of the boundaries are overgrown and hanging over in to the car park leaving sticky buds and leaves over some of the vehicles. Our deeds say each of the owners is responsible for the upkeep of the parking area and for reasonable costs therein. What can we do to improve things?

A It sounds like the car park is in need of a few hours work by the residents collectively to smarten up the scruffy area. Sometimes it just needs someone to take the initiative to make contact with the others to arrange a weekend blitz of the weeds and overhanging trees. You may find some of the residents are actually tenants and not owner occupiers, therefore unfamiliar with their responsibilities as residents or perhaps they feel the landlords should be the ones to deal with this. Either way you will not know until you approach them and find out. At this stage, you may need to contact any letting agents if the landlord owners need to be involved. This may sound like a lot of effort but if the car park is left in a scruffy condition it will become the norm setting the bar very low for future tenants and owner occupiers. The properties’ values may even be affected by such negative features and so think of the organisation and physical work as an investment.

Q Dear Simon, it has been ten weeks since we sold our house and we have finally just exchanged contracts. The completion date has been agreed for three weeks’ time to help the owner find a rental property in the meantime. As we have plenty of time can you offer us any tips which will help us with the move?

A Firstly, congratulations on selling your house, having exchanged contracts already you can now relax or certainly more so than you have in the past ten weeks. There is still lots to do. Firstly, book removals straightaway, as this will ensure you get the date you need. Moving yourself can be done but employing professional removers is worth every penny, believe me! Then start informing organisations you are moving on the agreed date, such as banks, council tax, DVLA, insurance companies, utility companies, broadband, HMRC, subscription services, doctors etc. A good way to help with this list would be to go through your personal and joint accounts to check current direct debits and standing orders as these creditors will need to be on there. As a back-up, set up a mail redirection for three, six or 12 months. You can now start to de-clutter. Moving offers a great excuse to go through everything to see exactly what you need and what you really don’t want. The dreaded loft beckons but procrastination will only lead to a frantic trawling through items and probably keeping some stuff you shouldn’t and vice versa. Gradually packing a little everyday leaving only essentials will make life a lot easier, however, getting the removal firm to pack for you is even easier.

Q Dear Simon, I have just had planning permission approved to build a detached house within the garden of my existing property. I would like to sell my house and plot together if possible. Am I limited to cash buyers only or are their finance options for potential buyers? As if this presents a problem we may have to consider how we go about it.

A To my knowledge there is not a way to finance the plot and house collectively as neither a buy-to-let nor a residential mortgage will take in to consideration the plot value. However, there are ways around it. The buyer will need to finance the house and plot separately. A buy-to-let or a residential mortgage could be pursued for the existing house and a self-build or development mortgage for the plot. In order to do this, the buyer would need to take expert financial advice from an Independent Financial Advisor or their own bank and decide upon the most appropriate package to suit the buyer and the intended purchase. As the seller, you would need to agree to split the legal titles of the two elements to enable the purchaser to pursue this opportunity. Your solicitor will organise the legalities ensuring matters can come to a satisfactory conclusion. Of course, cash buyers will not need to jump through these hoops but being armed with finance opportunities will ensure your property and plot is available to the widest market audience possible.

Simon Meek is director of the Wright Estate Agency. He can be conatcted at katey@iwcpmail.co.uk