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As part of a series of measures to kick-start the economy and help businesses across the country, Rishi Sunak introduced the “eat out to help out” scheme – what this essentially means is that people can get up to £10 off per head if they eat out from Monday to Wednesday. For a family of four with a food bill of £80, this would be reduced by half to just £40, using these vouchers. 

There is no method needed in order to claim the vouchers as customers –  it will be up to participating establishments to claim back the 50% discount from the government directly via an online portal. This is to reduce the risk of fraudulent vouchers and also for ease of use for diners themselves – you will just have to look out for participating restaurants. You can search for participating restaurants in your postcode area here.

What are the restrictions?

1. They can only be used on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays
2. Alcoholic drinks are not included in the vouchers
3. They cannot be used for takeaway food – just eating in
4. There is a limit of up to £10 per person discount
5. It can be used on top of other discounts which an establishment may be running
6. Hot drinks like coffee are included, as long as they consumed on-site and not taken away

With potential savings of up to £15,000 available, it should come as no surprise that this change created an immediate surge in activity, with potential buyers seeking to make the most of the savings on offer. 

Traffic to Rightmove jumped by 22% during the first 30 minutes of the announcement being made, demonstrating the efficacy of the announcement in providing a boost to the property market. With recent volumes of sales agreed increasing to levels seen in early March, the momentum which has been built following the easing of lockdown restrictions on the market should continue thanks to this impetus. 

Savings by region can be seen in the table below;

Here are our top tips for first time renters…

Calculate Carefully

When it comes to renting a property, it is important to calculate your costings because if you underestimate your costs per month, then this will compound over each month that you are in the property. In your calculations, include the monthly cost of the property, council tax and utility bills (include items such as broadband internet, phone line, television license and television streaming services). As a rule of thumb, it is good practice to add 10% to your estimated costs so that you have a comfortable buffer, in case they are higher than anticipated.

Picking The Perfect Property

Whether you are moving out of the family home or you are transferring from a purchased home to a rental, one thing that mustn’t be underestimated is finding the ideal property. Do your research and look at a selection of properties in different areas – you may be surprised at how much more or less property is available based on the locations that you choose. Registering your interest with us will also help to ensure that we can let you know when properties which match your criteria reach the market – this is key as the lettings market is extremely fast-moving.

Due Diligence

When you move into your property, check that the smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors installed are working correctly. Before you sign your tenancy contract, you will be asked to prove you have the right to live in the UK, so ensure that you have your passport or documents ready to hand. Once this is completed, you should be given a copy of your property’s Gas Safety Certificate, Energy Performance Certificate, the Prescribed Information and if you are entering into a new tenancy from 1^st July this year then you should also be given an Electrical Safety Certificate.

Initial Inventory

The inventory is a detailed document outlining what is included in your rental property – this will of course be much more comprehensive if you are renting a furnished property over unfurnished – however is vitally important for both variants. Check that you are happy that the inventory document matches exactly with what is in the property and if there are any discrepancies be sure to make a note of this and notify your landlord or estate agent. Taking photographs and dating them before you have moved any furniture into the property is also a useful reference for when you move out of the property and could avoid any potential deposit disputes.

Whether you’re staying put or moving home, crime will always remain a key concern for the majority of us and with 84% of respondents to the Broadband Choices poll listing crime as a crucial factor this still rings true. Knowing that your home and possessions are in an area with low crime rates is obviously very attractive, with low crime rates correlating to strong house prices and the converse also true.

Getting to and from work, as well as freely being able to see friends and family, is of course extremely important when deciding where we would like to live. Amongst correspondents, nearly three-quarters mentioned transport links as one of their decision points for a location to live within. Living within close proximity to a tube station, for example, can add £42,000 to the price of a home, according to research from Nationwide.

Unsurprisingly in these modern times, a strong internet connection which will allow broadband and television streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime stands at third in the list of buyer priorities when searching for a new home. With 69% of people mentioning a strong internet connection in the poll, many of whom stating that they would pay over-the-odds for a property with guaranteed superfast broadband connection, it would seem that for home-sellers updating your broadband could actually help in the process of finding a buyer.

For those with families, schools are an extremely important consideration; with catchment areas and the competition around catchments for the best schools being an important factor for both families, and those planning on families in the long term. Just over half of correspondents listed schools as a deliberation in their home buying decision, with recent studies showing that homes in catchments for schools with Ofsted ratings of 1 can cost almost £40,000 more than those with Ofsted rating 2.

As well as transport links ranking highly in the list of priorities for buyers, local shops and amenities also place highly with just over a third of people stating that living close to shops and amenities is a significant factor in their property search.