Author: Barney Goodman

If you are thinking about selling your property in the near future or simply want to increase its value, then you are likely to be considering which home improvements are going to offer the most value for money.

With that said, here are some of the best renovations for adding maximum value to your home:

Divide the property into flats

Converting your house into flats is extremely popular in metropolitan areas like Manchester, London, and Leeds. This is because demand for flats is greater and so they tend to be easier to rent out. Dividing a property into separate residences can often help multiply rental income and maximise profits on the sale.

However, prior to committing to this type of renovation, make sure to check whether there is a high demand for flats in the location of your property. If you find larger properties are on the market longer than flats, it may be a sensible route to take.

Loft conversion to add an additional room

Adding a bedroom to your property can add a substantial amount of value, this is especially true if the extra room has its own en-suite. In many cases the loft can be converted, yet it is always advisable to get a professional to assess whether the loft is suitable for conversion.

If you are set on getting your loft converted, then it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with the different types on offer. Common conversions include a roof light conversion, which is the least expensive, to a complete manscard conversion, which entails the construction of a new flat roof, providing a larger, more open living space.

Manscard conversion usually require planning permission, however, most loft conversion are regarded as permitted development. It is quite easy to find out what types of permission you require by contacting your local authority. In some cases, you will need to abide by certain rules, for instance, planning permission is needed if you wish to extend your roof space by more than 50m3.

Get a new bathroom

A new bathroom is a sure way to add value to your property, but the major downside is that it can be a substantial investment. Fortunately, there are ways to do it on a budget.

To make sure things do not get too expensive, try leaving your existing layout as is. Moving the pipework and water inlets may entail substantial labour costs. Other common ways to keep costs in control are to opt for a closed shower, rather than an open model, since these do not need to be installed to the wall.

Additionally, avoid wall hung basins and toilets and instead go for traditional floor-mounted models. The wall-hung variety require substantially more labour, since the brackets need to be enclosed and hidden within walls. You will also likely save even more money buy purchasing a suite rather than buying individual pieces.

Convert the garage into an additional room

A garage can be a handy thing to have, but the reality is that an extra room will usually add more value than a garage. So, if you find you are not using the garage and you have access to other parking space, then it may be worth considering.

If you are considering a garage conversion, then you will want to check if the garage is suitable for conversion and whether planning permission is required. The majority of garage conversions are classed as permitted development, so you will not require permission, yet it’s always worth seeking advice from your local authority.

Garage conversions are required to abide by building regulations to ensure they are structurally safe. To do this, you can seek inspection from your local authorities building inspection service or hire your own private contractor. They will need to make regular visits throughout the project, to ensure everything is being completed according to regulations.

Extend the kitchen

If you live in a terrace or small property you can usually make significant gains by extending your kitchen into the side return. This is the area which is defined as the full-width of your property, allowing you to add some valuable space onto your property.

The good news is that you can usually add a single-storey side-return extension without planning permission as it is defined as permitted development. This is on the condition that it meets strict requirements, for example, it must not be more than 4m high and not exceed half the width of the original buildings outlay.

However, bear in mind that you will still need to abide by building regulation codes and it will need to be inspected by the local authorities planning department, or a private contractor. Once inspected and if passed, you will be provided with your competition certificate. 

Upgrade your home heating

More and more people are becoming aware of properties efficiency rating and with good reason, since a building with poor thermal efficiency can cost substantially more to heat in the long term.  

If your home is poorly insulated, then the first step is to consider insulating your loft, since shockingly 1/3^rd of heat can be lost via the roof with zero insulation. In addition, wall insulation can help prevent heat loss, as well as double glazing and draught proofing the property.

Fortunately, the government are now aware of this issue and in 2020, launched the Green Homes Grant, an initiative to help subsidise the cost associated with green home upgrades.

The type of boiler you use can also have a major impact on your properties heating bills and if outdated can result in the buyer asking for the amount to be deducted from the sale price.

Unfortunately, new energy efficient boilers are not covered by the Green Homes Grant, but you are able to take advantage of boiler financing schemes, that allow you to pay for the boiler in monthly instalments including 0% APR finance. For more information about the Green Homes Grant, you can refer to the government’s official website for details on the requirements and how to apply.

Evidence suggests that many people have been delaying big purchases until the pandemic subsides. As shops reopen, economists predict a spending spree. After a difficult year, your customers could be looking to treat themselves to some big ticket items!

A year of online purchases and click-and-collect means customers have been spoilt for choice – of sellers, products and payment methods. Beating the competition post-COVID means not only providing the products your customers want but also making it easy for them to buy. So how do you beat your competition post-COVID?

What will people buy?

The coronavirus pandemic changed the way we live our lives and the way we use our homes. Lockdowns caused a surge in home improvements throughout 2020 and made the home office a must-have. Similarly, as restrictions ease, our priorities will shift again. When people are allowed to socialise again in private gardens, it’s reasonable to assume that garden transformations will be up there among the leading trends.

People gearing up to entertain outside this summer might be considering:

• Hot tubs
• Sunrooms
• Outdoor bars
• Decking and patios
• Verandas and pergolas
• BBQs

Another oft-cited side effect of a year in lockdown is its effects on physical health. With a longer wait for indoor exercise classes to get the green light again, alongside a drive to get fitter and healthier, home gym equipment might be another popular choice.

You need to keep your finger on the pulse to ensure you know what products your customers want.

How will people buy?

People have become accustomed to convenience throughout the buyer journey, to the check-out and beyond. Most big online retailers offer a range of payment options, including Buy Now, Pay Later. As lockdown lifts and shops reopen, customers will expect the same level of choice in bricks and mortar stores. To sell more, you need to make it as easy as possible for people to buy from you.

Offering finance improves the chances of a purchasing decision. Enabling customers to spread the cost of a large purchase makes it a simpler choice, because people find it easier to work repayments into their monthly budgeting than to part with a significant amount of savings.

Economic uncertainty caused by COVID-19 has influenced consumer behaviour and customer finances.

Point-of-sale finance:

• Boosts conversion
• Provides choice and transparency
• Increases average order value
• Improves customer satisfaction
• Ensures a consistent and compliant sales process
• Enhances customer experience
• Builds brand trust and reputation
• Wins more customers
• Puts you ahead of the competition

Here at Shermin Finance, we make it simple to offer consumer credit to your customers. With the largest panel of UK lenders and our Trade-Quote POS finance web app, we help put you ahead of the competition and at the forefront of customers’ minds.

Demand for consumer credit is rising: if you’re not offering a range of payment options to your customers, you could be losing business. Research shows that almost 1 in 5 consumers would consider shopping elsewhere if consumer credit is not available.

Here are three key ways providing finance can boost your business:

Attract more customers

Purchasing on credit is increasing fastest among 35-44 year olds, according to Statista. Millennials and Generation X-ers are a valuable demographic to target, particularly in the home improvements sector as the average age of first-time home buyers in the UK is 34 years old. Millennials struggling to get on the property ladder often purchase low-cost homes with the intention of renovating them to add value. They are also more environmentally-conscious than older generations, and therefore more likely to invest in sustainable green solutions.

Offering consumer credit makes your brand accessible to more customers. If you don’t make it easy for people to buy from you, many will simply take their business elsewhere.

Increase conversion

Offering consumer credit increases conversion by providing the flexibility today’s customers demand. Research shows 16% of millennials do not put any money in savings each month and, according to The Millennial Money Survey by the Foreign & Colonial Investment Trust, 7.8 million millennials have no savings at all.

There has been a significant shift, partly due to low interest rates which don’t favour savers, towards monthly budgeting rather than building a nest egg. Even for those with savings, after an unpredictable year, many prefer to keep their cash in the bank while spreading the cost.

Offering finance helps customers:

• Keep their rainy-day savings intact
• Spread the cost of large purchases
• Reach a purchasing decision faster

Increase average order value

Finally, half of consumers have admitted they would add more to their basket if consumer credit was an option. Being able to spread the cost means customers are less restricted by their budget or the immediate availability of funds. Customers are more tempted to increase the order value by choosing premium products or add-on items. Take a new boiler purchase, for example… a customer paying conventionally might be limited to the amount they have saved, therefore opting for the most economical choice even if this is less suited to their needs. When consumer credit is available, the customer is able to select the most appropriate boiler, like a smart boiler, increasing customer satisfaction and average order value.

Providing flexible payment options is a fantastic way for modern home improvement retailers to keep pace with consumer trends. Consumer credit helps you attract new customers, increase conversion rates and up your orders in both value and volume.

Here at Shermin, we make point-of-sale finance a breeze with Trade-Quote. Show your customers all their payment options, calculate repayment figures and email a quote or link through to complete the purchasing journey with their chosen lender. Find out more here.

With COVID restrictions easing, it’s time to think about returning business as normal (or as near to normal as possible). And that means selling to customers in-person. There are plenty of reasons why the age-old sales technique of conversation remains the best. Let’s take a look at the top three.

Understand your customers and their needs

Sure, e-Commerce might give you data analytics and sending out surveys might answer some of your questions about what your customers want, but nothing compares to the wealth of information you can gather from a face-to-face interaction with your customers. Selling is all about getting to know your customers, listening to what they want and presenting them with the solutions. Understanding the problem you are solving enables you to tailor your proposition, increasing your chances of success.

Being present in-person means you can:

• Welcome your customers
• Read customer body language
• Personalise your approach
• Steer the conversation
• Ask questions and find out more about what they’re looking for
• Answer customer questions in response
• Provide better customer service
• Upsell, if relevant

Provide a great customer experience

While the internet is handy for researching products, it doesn’t smile when you click a link, ask how your day is going or laugh with you when you make a joke. Buying decisions are largely led by emotions.

Selling in-person allows you to:

• Showcase your professionalism
• Be relatable
• Put people at ease
• Inject your personality into proceedings
• Demonstrate your values
• Build trust

Customers will remember the positive emotions invoked when you spark a natural conversation with them or how you went out of your way to demonstrate a product, leaving a lasting impression of your brand. Even if this doesn’t lead to an immediate sale, people who receive a great customer experience are more likely to return to you at a later date or recommend you to their friends and family.

Upsell

Upselling potential is much easier to recognise and act on in person. When you buy a product online, the website doesn’t enquire why. It might bring up a ‘recommended item’ or a ‘people who bought X, also bought Y’ suggestion, but these usually lack the level of personalisation needed to be relevant, in spite of all the data we might have on internet behaviour today.

In a face-to-face environment, when a customer comes to you wanting to buy a new kitchen, for example, you can easily display curiosity to glean extra insights. You can casually ask questions like:

• Have you recently moved house?
• Are you renovating your whole home?
• Have you thought about under-cabinet lighting?

You can quickly ascertain which other products may be of interest and relevance to your customers. That in turn will help you to:

• Increase sales
• Increase average order value
• Become a trusted brand
• Win repeat business

Post-COVID, many customers will be seeking to reconnect with the real world. Excellent in-person sales will help your brand stand out from the crowd. Check out our guide or more tips on selling in the post-COVID environment.  

How can you increase your conversion rate? It’s a question every salesperson asks. Over the last 12 months, Covid-19 has disrupted many of the usual techniques employed to maximise sales; face masks make it harder to gauge body language and read facial cues, social distancing and non-essential shop closures put paid to many face-to-face interactions. But with a route out of lockdown looking possible, it’s time to polish your sales technique once again.

Use these top three tips to boost your conversion rate:

1. Make time to talk

Life is busy. You can lose leads through something as simple as catching people at a bad time. Even if the customer wants your product or service, try selling to them while they’re cooking dinner, driving, working or putting the kids to bed and you’re not going to get anywhere. Timing is key to conversion.

Thankfully, this kind of situation is entirely avoidable with simple booking systems, diary management and calendars. 

Get organised

• Let your customers choose a convenient time to talk. Use a calendar app like Calendly that enables people to book a mutually convenient slot. It can be shared via a link or embedded on your website.
• Send email confirmation straight away. 
• Send text reminders the day before or on the day to avoid no-shows and forgotten appointments.
• Make setting yourself reminders a habit too. Never miss an appointment again.
• Don’t book back-to-back appointments – always allow yourself time either side to prepare, or to seal the deal.

2. Know your USPs (Unique Selling Propositions) inside-out

Your potential customers need to know “why you?” – what sets you apart from your competitors down the road? 

Identify your USPs, write them down and really get to know them. Rehearse how you convey your USPs in your conversations. Practice with your family and friends to refine the way you describe your unique selling points – it’s crucial to keep it succinct and clear. And get them to ask you questions too so you’re ready to answer these from your customers.

Practice makes perfect – waffling and tying yourself in knots will confuse rather than convert people. You’re aiming to build trust and present yourself (and your brand) as knowledgeable, professional and genuine.

3. Follow up with quotes…

…straight away! After your sales appointment, don’t wait around for your hot lead to go cold! Send a follow-up quote straight away. You can do this with TradeQuote. 

TradeQuote allows you to generate quotes and email them to your customer (and automatically to yourself).

Putting all the information in writing allows your customers to peruse at their leisure, revisit the quote as many times as needed and reach a purchasing decision.  

The three tips above combine to make an excellent customer experience. Increase conversion by making it as easy as possible for people to buy – from seamless booking to easy-to-understand quotes and payment options.

The coronavirus pandemic has changed our lives and consequently our spending habits. Here are three of the biggest consumer buying trends for 2021. 

What are consumers spending money on?

• Home gyms

Due to closure of gyms and sports facilities over the winter lockdown, many people are buying home gym equipment and dedicating space to home gyms. The coronavirus pandemic has drawn attention to the need to stay physically fit. After all, staying active is proven to boost mental wellbeing.

• Home offices

Working from home is now the norm, but before the pandemic, most people didn’t need a home office. Beyond Covid, many companies will continue to offer a hybrid model, with people working from home some of the time for the foreseeable future. For long-term WFH, a purpose-built workspace increases comfort and productivity.

• Large-scale home improvement

Being stuck at home for months on end has likely brought a few things to your attention – for example, how efficient is your heating system? We’re not used to having to heat our homes for the bulk of each day. After all, many of us worked in an office or workplace that would take care of this for us.

Similarly, we are not used to our homes having to meet so many needs (for all occupants) simultaneously – home office, playroom, gym, bar, classroom etc. This change has forced people to reassess their use of space and we’re seeing a shift away from the open-plan living trend of the last couple of decades in favour of a new trend – zoning.

• Gardens

Outdoor space is a priority for consumers who have returned to gardening as a lockdown hobby, or have transformed gardens to provide a much-needed space for relaxation, adding luxuries like hot tubs and tiki bars.

Shopping online vs in-store

It’s not just what we buy that has changed but also how we shop. Ecommerce was already growing steadily, but shop closures, social-distancing and mask-wearing accelerated the shift to online shopping. In the digital, always-on culture, we’re used to browsing and shopping on smartphones 24/7.

Increasing demand for consumer finance 

The last year has changed what we buy, how we shop… and also how we pay. The pandemic has affected people’s finances to varying degrees – the public has dealt with furloughs, panic buying, job insecurity and economic uncertainty. This, in conjunction with changing perceptions of finance, means a higher percentage of consumers are opting for a ‘monthly budgeting’ approach over traditional savings, using finance to purchase goods.

72% (of consumers) would be more likely to buy a high-value item if 0% finance was offered on monthly repayments – according to a survey by Barclays.  

With this in mind, offering credit to consumers can be an effective way to increase sales. It’s essential to keep up with consumer trends like the increasing demand for flexible payment options to stay ahead of your competitors and remain relevant.Find out if consumer finance is right for your business here.

With uncertainty over when and how we will exit lockdown, UK holidaymakers have had their usual plans thrown into disarray. At the time of writing, it is illegal for UK residents to go on holiday (at home or abroad). But, with vaccines bringing renewed hope for easing of restrictions this spring or summer, many are already thinking about 2021 staycations.

In the last week of January 2021, holidaycottages.co.uk saw bookings for the summer holidays up by 98% compared with last year. We’re all desperate to get away; what are the top 5 staycation trends of 2021?

Social distancing is likely to remain a priority this year and, as yet, we’re unsure when restaurants, pubs and cafes will be allowed to fully reopen. This means we will see many tourists swapping hotels and B&Bs for self-catering options. Here are five staycation ideas:

1 – Self-catering cottages/holiday homes

Renting a self-catering cottage or apartment provides a home-from-home holiday, giving you all the comforts you’re accustomed to, without a miniature UHT milk pot in sight! Thanks to Airbnb, the popularity of renting holiday homes has soared with a variety of properties to choose from – anything from a single room to a mansion. You can also rent unique places like windmills, pirate ships and hobbit houses for a once-in-a-lifetime break.  

2 – Caravans

Whether you own or rent one, caravans have long been beloved by Brits! Holiday parks offer all sorts of facilities from night-time entertainment and swimming pools to golf courses and children’s play parks. 

3 – Camping

Camping has always been a popular choice for families, offering low-cost breaks all over the UK. Armed with just a few essentials, you can pitch up your tent and embrace the great outdoors.

After a year of Zoom calls, remote work, and heavy reliance on technology, there’s real appeal to disconnecting our devices and reconnecting with nature. Camping is great for boosting wellbeing, confidence and problem-solving, as well as being a back-to-basics retreat from the demands of modern life.

4 – Glamping

For those too posh to pitch, there’s glamping! A rising trend over the last decade, glamping injects a little luxury into traditional camping with holidaymakers renting yurts, pods and cabins instead of putting up tents. Glamping is ideal for people who want to be close to nature, but also like to get a good night’s sleep whatever the weather.

5 – Luxury lodges 

Luxury lodges are spacious and comfortable self-contained cabins with all the mod cons. Luxury lodges usually come complete with hot tubs, log burners, kitchens and bathrooms. They give you the best of both worlds – often located in woodland or countryside for picturesque views and exploring the wild, but equipped with everything you need to unwind and indulge. 

Staycations are here to stay!  

COVID-19 has implications for international travel which means the staycation trend will stick. It also brought climate change into sharper focus. Even post-pandemic, many will be looking to reduce air travel and minimise our carbon footprints. Uncertainty over when restrictions will be lifted makes booking/renting holiday homes tricky. Buying a caravan or luxury lodge – an investment for years to come – will be an attractive option for holiday-lovers. 
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As a small business owner, it’s easy to find yourself overworked and overstretched. There are likely tasks you know you should be doing, but simply can’t find the time. Or there might be things that would improve your business, but fall outside your area of expertise. That’s when you should consider outsourcing.

What can I outsource?

You can outsource just about anything. Accounting and recruitment are two of the oldest and most commonly outsourced tasks for businesses. The outsourced economy has been growing rapidly over the past decade though, and now there’s a whole range of services offered by freelancers.

Here are just a few:

• Social media management
• Research
• Diary management
• Website design
• App building
• Database entry

What are the benefits of outsourcing?

Your time is valuable. There are only 24 hours in a day, and it can be impossible to juggle all the demands of running a home improvement business. Deciding whether to take on new staff, particularly during these economically uncertain times, is tough. Outsourcing can fill the gap when you need an extra person to help, but are not ready to commit to employing someone full-time. 

Outsourcing:

• Saves time
• Saves money
• Gives you access to specialist knowledge
• Allows flexibility – you can buy services as and when needed
• Is not a long-term commitment
• Frees you up to spend time on more important tasks

How do I outsource?

There are several ways to outsource work, but the most suitable depends on the services you are looking for.

Find a virtual assistant

Virtual assistants are generalists – freelance PAs who can help with all manner of basic admin tasks from email and diary management to mailshots.

VAs usually charge by the hour. Prices are typically £10-20 per hour and you purchase the number of hours you need either in a block or pay as you go.

You can find a virtual assistant on sites like PeoplePerHour.com and upwork.com.

Find a specialist

For one-off projects or tasks where you require a specialist, you can advertise on freelancer.com.

Simply detail the budget, requirements and qualifications you need and people apply, much like a job advert. You can then pick which candidate you want to award the project to. Freelancer is good for longer projects like building a new website, as you can create milestones, setting deadlines and paying in instalments at each stage of completion.

Use a company

For regular, repeatable tasks you can outsource to a company that specializes in that area.

This is good for outsourcing bookkeeping, payroll, or social media, for example. These are usually charged on subscription or monthly retainer. 

Outsourcing is an effective and efficient way to save yourself valuable time, money and stress. 
For further further actionable strategies to improve your home improvement business, check out: Shermin’s Post-COVID Business Recovery Guide

In the current climate with ever-changing coronavirus restrictions, your business must adapt. This is particularly true for businesses that are traditionally face-to-face such as boiler installers. Can you shift to selling online? Where do you start? Our guide covers the basics you need to set-up an eCommerce for your business.

Build a website

Thankfully, you don’t need to know how to code to build a smooth-running, great-looking website. Sites like Wix, Squarespace and Shopify make it easy to create and customise your online store. They also handle all the techy bits that you’d otherwise have to take care of yourself (or outsource to an expert).

• Wix, Squarespace and Shopify are hosted (this means your site is stored by the platform)
• You can choose and purchase your domain name within the platform
• You can transfer an existing domain name if you already have a web address you want to keep
• The platforms all have easy-to-understand SEO tools

How much does it cost?

DIY website builders are very affordable – Wix and Squarespace both have free versions, with additional features for paying customers. It’s a small investment to make to grow your sales. You won’t have to sell much before they’ve paid for themselves. For example, Wix VIP for business is only £22 a month, whilst Squarespace’s Advanced Commerce programme is £30 a month. Shopify is more pricey (even it’s basic package is $29/month) but it is designed specifically for eCommerce. These prices don’t count the cost of your domain name (about £15 a year).

Tip: you can often save yourself 10-20% by paying annually/ biennially

How do I start?

The beauty of these platforms is that they’re designed for people with no technical or coding knowledge, so they walk you through every step of the process.

• Choose a platform
• Sign up
• Purchase your domain name
• Pick a template
• Add your company info/products/services
• Set up your payment methods
• Publish your site
• SEO

UX – User Experience 

Your site should provide a great user experience for your customers. If it isn’t easy to find and purchase what they want, they’ll leave. A lot of people will look for a site that’s capable of accepting a range of payment methods, and for larger investments they will look to flexible payment options – give them choice. 

Things to consider when designing your site

• Simple layout – your site needs to be easy to navigate.
• Searchable – use tags and keywords for products and pages so customers can easily find what they are looking for.
• Less is more – categorise your products and services and stick to a few main images per page. A cluttered site will overwhelm visitors.  
• High-res photos – use high-quality product images with neutral/ no backgrounds.
• Carousel images – allow visitors to view multiple photos in a slideshow format.
• Contact details – make sure your customers can get in touch.
• Chat – better still, add a chat feature.  

Don’t forget to link your social media accounts to your site as well.