Downsizing is all about moving to a property that better suits your needs or time of life.

A savvy move at the right moment can save you money and free up more time and cash to do the things you love.

Many downsizers take advantage of equity in their current home, one that they may have lived in for years. They may have just about cleared their mortgage, if not paid it off completely.

All going well, the property will have increased in value, so if you are moving somewhere smaller you will likely have reserves of cash to put down.

Being a cash buyer gives you a big advantage in the market. You can respond to sellers quicker than those prospective buyers trying to arrange a mortgage and you can often avoid the stress of a property chain and agreements falling through.

Downsizing can offer a greater quality of life. While it can be emotive to think of moving out of a long-standing family home and leaving behind treasured memories, it can be a positive step.

Of course, changing life circumstances are often the determining factor in a decision to downsize. It can be positive, but on the other hand, people do reluctantly move to smaller homes for financial reasons, because they are facing bereavement or family breakdown, or they have declining health. Many downsizers will be ‘empty nesters’ going through a host of mixed emotions as their children grow up and move on.

The best advice is always to consider carefully what your needs are before you actively look for a new home.

At this time of huge pressure on household budgets and the cost of living, downsizing may well be a choice driven by energy bills, mortgage rates and the other costs of property upkeep. Understanding the full financial picture is essential.

Leaving a bigger home for a smaller one doesn’t necessarily mean you have to move out of the area. You may have family, friends or neighbours you want to be in contact with. On the other hand, perhaps you want a fresh start in a completely new location.

Also, while you may want a smaller home, does the same go for the garden? A smaller space will mean less of a commitment than you currently have but perhaps you actually want a bigger garden because you love gardening and now have the time to finally indulge your passion.

If you are at a point in your life where managing the stairs is becoming difficult, you may want to go for a bungalow or a ground-floor flat.

One issue you will certainly have to sort is the amount of possessions you have. As there is inevitably less space in a smaller home, you won’t be able to take everything with you. Meeting this challenge positively, you can view downsizing as a golden opportunity for a thorough clear-out of items you no longer need. And you don’t have to throw it all in a skip. Some things you will naturally want to take with you, others you can sell, donate to charity or give to family or friends.

If you are thinking of downsizing to a new home, talk to us. We can guide you through the whole process, beginning with a detailed expert valuation of your current home, advice on how to market it and help with your property search. For more information on our support for sellers, visit our sell pages.

You can also stay up to date on trends in the property market by receiving our regular newsletter.

Summer is the ideal season for appreciating the great outdoors.

And if you are lucky enough to have a garden, you can spend many a happy hour relaxing in it especially when the sun is out.

While you may well take the chance to simply read a book or chill out, you might also enjoy getting stuck into those gardening tasks that bring the space to life.

Hanging baskets, window boxes, potted plants on your patio and blooming flowers in the soil of your beds and borders – they all combine to create a riot of colour that, with proper care, can extend from now right through until the first days of autumn.

However, with growth and dry weather, comes the need to water.

An eco-friendly move

One of the most eco-friendly ways to provide a continual water source for your garden, while saving on cost, is to install a water butt or two.

At this time of critical cost-of-living pressures, coupled with acute concern over the climate emergency, making better use of water is a no-brainer.

And what’s more, if you are looking to improve your property ahead of a sale, a water butt is a relatively cheap addition that clearly demonstrates sustainability to a prospective buyer who in turn can expect to save on their water bills when they move in.

Water butts are containers that help you collect, store and reuse rainwater. They come in different sizes, colours and materials, some with overflow taps.

Installation can sometimes require a new or repositioned down pipe so that rainwater flows easily from your guttering for collection – but generally they are easy to locate and operate.

Natural harvest

There are so many advantages to having a water butt.

The website Original Organics cites the prospect of saving money on your water bills if your home is run by a water meter, and adds: “Filling your buckets and watering cans with naturally-collected rainwater also means that you will avoid the use of chlorinated tap water, which can be toxic to plants. The water collected will also come in handy in the event of a drought or UK hosepipe ban.”

The UK’s water companies also highlight the benefits of water butts when it comes to avoiding the use of drinking water for gardening.

Severn Trent Water, on its Wonderful on Tap pages, makes the rather obvious point that while we often complain about the great British weather equalling endless amounts of rain, very few of us actually take advantage of that by harvesting rainwater.

Severn Trent says: “In fact, when the summer comes along, most of us use hoses to water our gardens and clean our cars, washing away thousands of litres of clean drinking water.”

Better for plants

There is an argument that harvested rainwater is better for plants, lawns, flowers and fruit and vegetables.

That’s for two reasons.

First, it has a similar ambient temperature to the surrounding environment.

And second, it is packed with the same plant-friendly nutrients that are specifically taken out in the treatment process to create drinking water that is safe for humans.

On a national scale, there are estimates showing that if everyone in Britain collected a water butt full of rainwater, it would save about four billion litres of fresh water each year.

That is the equivalent of 660 million toilet flushes or 42 million ten-minute showers or 15.6 million baths.

And from the property management and investment point of view, if you have a big water butt to collect rainwater it can reduce the risk of flooding and subsidence on your property.

Now that’s a reason to celebrate your garden all year round.

For more information on property management and how best to prepare your home for sale or rent, contact us here at Chinneck Shaw.

You can also stay up to date on latest developments in the property market by receiving our quarterly newsletter.

The South Coast’s biggest running event, the Great South Run, comes to the streets of Portsmouth next weekend and thousands of runners will be taking part and raising money for good causes.

Our island city is ideal for such a major running event and it has the added advantage of being relatively flat (although running along the seafront can be hard work if it’s a blustery old day).

On Saturday Oct 16 there will be a 5k event and Junior Mini Great South Run event before the 10 mile event takes place on Sunday Oct 17. 

There’s always a great atmosphere and participants of the Great South Run get to complete a course that takes them past the historic HMS Victory.

Directors Neil and Susan Shaw have taken part in the London Marathon in previous years. Susan was due to be there this year but injury forced her to re-think and she will now be taking part in 2022.

The city also hosts an annual Race for Life event in aid of Cancer Research UK and Chinneck’s have entered a team in this popular event too.

And to keep you in shape for the Great South Run, there are regular Park Run events (you might even see Managing Director Neil Shaw and Property Consultant Tim Bourne there). 

Whatever your preference for running be it marathons, 10ks or just running for the bus, living in Portsmouth is the perfect place to pull on your running shoes and make the most of the wonderful place we call home.

We are counting the hours until the start of Victorious Festival and plenty of fun in the sun this Bank Holiday weekend.

A well deserved finalist in the UK Festival Awards for the best family festival, Victorious helps to showcase the city both nationally and internationally.

Thousands flock here to listen to bands and enjoy the vibe of one of the coolest metropolitan festivals in the UK.

No other festival can boast a seaside stage that overlooks the comings and goings on the Solent and the festival team certainly make the best use of the Common as they bring a stellar line-up of music, comedy and style to the city.

As well as being a great way to unwind after such unsettling times, the festival provides a major boost economically to the region and raises funds for good causes.

Since 2014 when the festival started, £310,000 has been given to 40 charities.

In 2019 the economic impact was estimated to top £12.5m including the value of contracts and crew bed nights.

Victorious Festival annually supports 154 full time equivalent jobs and the highest spending festival-goers remain overseas overnight visitors spending on average £488 per person.

“Great for the city on so many levels, we love Victorious because it brings people together in a safe environment and it helps showcase the city we love.

“The festival brings great entertainers to our city and really is a wonderful excuse to let your hair down and soak up the atmosphere” said Manager Lizzie Burt.

Picture credit: James White

Our property management team gets to work with a fascinating array of owners and George Langton is a case in point. He has a passion for the past and the two properties that he owns in Eastney are steeped in local history.

The former Cumberland Tavern and the site where the famous Birdcage Club once stood are now home to flats managed by Chinneck Shaw.

George explained: “The Cumberland Tavern dates back to 1937 and it was one of five or six large pubs built in Portsmouth including the Good Companion and one in Granada Road in Southsea. During the Second World War, Canadian soldiers were billeted in Bransbury Park and they used to use the clubroom at the back of the pub.”

“When the clubroom was demolished and the panelling was taken off the walls, we found cut throat razors that must have been hidden there during a police raid or something.”

The Birdcage Club is still talked about in reverential tones more than 50 years after the last band played there. The Who, Pink Floyd, Rod Stewart, David Bowie and Jimmy James and the Vagabonds are just some of the musical greats who graced the stage.

In just two short years from 1965 to 1967, the club became a magnet for bands on the rise and the venue drew crowds from across the city. Sadly the building eventually burned down. Joseph Court now stands in its place – and a blue plaque reminds us of its remarkable place in music history.

As a man with so much time for the past, it seems only fitting that George chose Chinneck Shaw to manage his 18 flats.

“They are one of the oldest firms still trading in Portsmouth and I am very happy with the way they look after my properties.

“I’ve always been fascinated with the history of Portsmouth and its buildings – you learn something new every day,” he said.

Thank you to Nigel Grundy for the photo of The Birdcage and to find out more about Portsmouth’s music scene go to www.portsmouthmusicexperience.org.uk

Lifestyle has become a key consideration for people considering moving to our beautiful island city.

We want to share what is great about the place we love so dearly and we are inviting people making a difference in our city to tell us why they think Portsmouth and Southsea is so special.

Today we speak to the team who have just launched The Beach Club.

“Just look at that view. There’s something exciting happening on the water all the time whether it’s the Aircraft Carrier coming in or the latest cruise ship – there’s always something to see,” said Toby Woodfine.

Speaking from the terrace of their latest venture, The Beach Club, it is clear why Toby Woodfine Ian Clarke and Adam Glyde chose to transform the sadly neglected Mozzarella Joes and turn it into a new beachside destination.

The building itself on Clarence Esplanade has a funky maritime look and feel thanks to Neil Williams, the creative force behind The Bureau of Change. Work by local artists including Kevin Dean, Sadie Tierney and Pete Codling bring the walls to life.

And with a late licence until 2am, the aim is to create a relaxed beach vibe.

“We’ve created the sort of place that we would like to go with good wines, cocktails, beer, food and music.” said Toby.

They have a good track record so far with the popular Southsea Beach Cafe near Canoe Lake, Fisherman’s Kitchen and Broadway Coffee Roasters under their belt. 

“No other city has this space so close to the seafront,” said Adam.

“We love our location,” said Ian. “Whether it’s on the water or on Southsea Common there’s so much happening. Victorious Festival, the Great South Run will all be happening on our doorstep.”

Summing up what they think makes Southsea such a great place to live, Toby said: “Southsea is a really cool place – it’s like Brighton was 30 years ago. We’ve got so many artistic and creative people living here.”

“And we do seem to have our own micro-climate – it can be raining just down the motorway but the sun always seems to be shining here,” added Ian.