Homesearch
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With the number of new mortgage approvals in the UK falling to a 12-month low in April, according to Bank of England figures released last week, some analysts are pointing to weakening buyer demand.
One thing is certain. For anyone wavering on the brink of putting up the For Sale sign, it could be an unsettling time.
Here in the north west, one company reckons homeowners are now looking increasingly to architects to renovate or expand their properties rather than move up the property ladder.
So much so that they have now launched their first Manchester office to make the most of the trend. Set up in 2001 by husband and wife team Hugo and Judith Tugman, Architect Your Home claims to be a ‘pay-as-you-go’ service with a difference.
Homeowners
“We have seen a growing demand in the north west region for some time as homeowners look to expand their properties rather than face the high costs of moving,” says Hugo.
“We are also seeing that homeowners are increasingly seeing their property as an investment, so they are renovating or extending in order to maximise the profit they can realist when they come to sell.”
Many homeowners are becoming more and more adventurous with the size and scale of projects they are taking on – often calling on the service of architects.
However, Hugo and Judith see their customer as looking for something different, using an architect service for anything from just reorganising interior space to a loft conversion or kitchen extension. With customers choosing from a ‘menu’ of services, they can pick and mix the jobs they want done, from just carrying out a survey to managing a whole project.
If business booms it could be a sign that we are all taking every home renovation more seriously.
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