A home office is something more and more buyers are looking for, why not take a look at some of our favourite properties - plus some helpful hints and tips from home stager Molly Marshall.
A home office is something more and more buyers are looking for, why not take a look at some of our favourite properties - plus some helpful hints and tips from home stager Molly Marshall.
If you are one of the many now working from home, you may be looking to relocate to suit your new needs, or simply just get a bit of inspiration to keep yourself productive... There are many factors that affect productivity at work, one of which can be your environment. A refresh of your home office may be just what you need!
Why not take a look at our favourite home offices currently on the market to help inspire you.
Let’s take a look at our top five!
1. 150 Prescott Road, Aughton
We love the sumptuous 5 star feel of this property, one of its main highlights includes a stunning office space, filled with natural light. The right light can make a world of difference and keep you well lit during those Zoom calls!
2. Broken Wheel, Chorley
Broken Wheel is a beautifully crafted 6 bedroom detached home in an elevated position with wonderful woodland views over the Yarrow Valley. Choose to turn one of the six wonderful rooms into your home study or use the detached garage as your working from home haven. Having a bit of distance with an outside studio/ workroom can help with that work/ home balance.
3. Flag Lane, Chorley
Flag Lane has four generously proportioned double bedrooms, all of which enjoy breathtaking views of the surrounding vistas. This could be the perfect place to set up a home office. The right views can help bring a bit of positivity and natural beauty to your space.
4. Quarry Drive, Ormskirk
This distinctive home could be the perfect environment to set up an office, it features a large loft/ six bedrooms that could be transformed. Plus after a long day this property allows you to freshen up in the personal leisure complex featuring a pool and sauna.
5. Oldfield House, Railway view, Leyland
With Oldfield House you can choose to set up a home office in one of the bedrooms which have access out onto the sun terrace which wraps around the house and provides uninterrupted views of the gardens with the clever use of a contemporary frameless glass balustrade. This space could allow you to bring a bit of nature and greenery into your working zone.
Top tips from Molly
Many of us are spending more time working from home so it makes sense to take some time and effort to make our workspace as pleasing as possible.
If you can see out of a window from where you are working then all the better. You don't have to be looking at the blue sky all day long but to be able to see daylight and the sky through the changing seasons is a bonus.
Office chairs don't have to be boring black or grey fabric any longer. Chairs on casters are generally best for a desk but Amazon, Wayfair and many other companies now offer them in funky velvets, checks and even florals.
It doesn't have to be real! Green is a great colour. You may not be a fan but green is a feel good colour, one that lifts the spirits and makes us happy. Try to add some colour with plants (cacti or other succulents are good as they are hardy) and if you haven't got green fingers - use faux ones like mine.
Lighting is so important to a working environment and can make such a difference to a room when you aren't working in daylight. Overhead lights tend to be harsh so buy a table lamp which makes the room cosy and inviting during the Winter months when work must be done and you don't have the luxury of daylight.
Buy a diffuser - the reed diffusers are great or even an electric one. My latest toy is a White Company diffuser which moisturises the air and makes the room smell of my current favourite perfume. What's not to love!
Happy home working!
Take a look at Molly’s home set up below.
At Arnold & Phillips we like to show the development of every property we market. Prescot Road which recently went under offer was worth celebrating...
This property is Under Offer*
At Arnold & Phillips we like to show the development of every property we market. Prescot Road which recently went under offer was worth celebrating...The current occupants took what was a chalet style bungalow and developed it into a three story modern haven. Take a look at how they did this and why the property was such an amazing family home.
This truly bespoke home was a real ‘one-off’, the property which is now under offer occupied a large private plot at one of the region’s most prestigious addresses. With living space arranged over three inviting levels and five fabulous double bedrooms, it’s easy to see why this property got snapped up.
We talked with the sellers about the hidden treasures of living there.
Q. Tell us about the property, what was it like to live there?
A: We bought the property back in August back 2017. We loved the Aughton area, it's a stone's throw away from Ormskirk town centre as well as public transport, this means we could get to both Manchester and Liverpool within an hour.
When we originally bought the property it was a dormer bungalow, it did not look like it does today, but we saw its potential, but the garden wowed us! Once we had taken a couple trees down there was plenty of natural light which made 150 Prescot road special.
Q. What is your favourite part of the property and why?
A: I don’t really have a favourite part of the house. It's a great house with so many functions, but these would probably be my top three areas.
The kitchen acts as the hub of the home, we eat dinner most evenings and catch up with each other. It is great for settling down and having some family time.
The garden is the favourite of many due to the fully serviced bar and privacy. In the summer we can open up the bi-folding doors and sit out in the garden with family and friends. In winter we can also cosy up and enjoy the garden room by the log fire.
Our current favourite room is the gym, it has been amazing during lock down and kept us sane!
Q. Does your property have any hidden secrets?
A: We have a massive storage area within our girls bedrooms located on the second floor. It’s quite big and my youngest used to like having sleepovers in there and creating dens.
Q. Where did you love relaxing?
I love to make coffee and sit on the patio early during the summer months. It's such a relaxing way to start the day. In the winter I tend to chill and take coffee on the bedroom couch. We're lucky we have such a great spaced bedroom that we can afford to have this. But I also love my sitting room on Friday evenings with a glass of wine - it’s my little bit of time to unwind after a busy week.
Q. What do you love about the Aughton area?
A: Aughton is such a great location as we can hop on the train to Liverpool and be there in 20 minutes or drive to Manchester in 40 minutes. We also love to walk and regularly take our cocker spaniel Teddy to Ainsdale beach or Ruff Woods. We’re lucky to have some cute country pubs local to us with great beer gardens in the summer and rustic log fires for the winter."
There is so much jargon when buying a house, but don’t fear we are here to help! You may come across the term leasehold and freehold… But what are they and what is the difference...
There is so much jargon when buying a house, but don’t fear we are here to help! You may come across the term leasehold and freehold… But what are they and what is the difference between the two? Read below.
Freehold: What does it mean?
The term freehold, or to be the freeholder of a property means that you own it outright, including the land it’s built on. When buying a freehold, you’re responsible for maintaining your property and land, so may need to budget for these costs.
What are the benefits?
Leasehold: What does it mean?
Leasehold means you own your property subject to the terms of your leasehold, meaning you own the buildings but not the ground on which it sits.
When the lease does ends the ownership will then return to the freeholder, unless the lease has an extension.
Some flats are owned via leasehold, which would mean you own the property in the building but have no say over the building overall.
It is important to remember to be aware of any service charges when considering buying a leasehold property as it could affect if you can afford to live there. Charges to keep an eye out for:
If you would like to purchase the lease on your house this is possible but you can also extend your lease by 90 years, provided you are a qualifying tenant and have lived in the property for two years.
What are the benefits?
(Remember to check all of the small print in the terms of your lease for more details)
Other jargon you may see....
Commonhold properties
A commonhold acts as an alternative to long term-leaseholds. A commonhold allows owners of properties to form a “commonhold” association, which owns both land, building and common areas, this allows them to become responsible for the management, and upkeep of these areas. It is like a leasehold where you would be responsible for your own property. But, in contrast to leaseholds, there is no time limit for how long you own the property.
The important thing to do with all the jargon is simply get advice, we have some amazing property consultants that can help guide you and find the perfect property for your needs…
What jargon do you get confused about?
Pop us a message or comment and it could feature in our next jargon busting post!
