Buying a home can be stressful, and if a property goes to ‘sealed bids’, leaving you in a bidding war, the tension really increases.

This process may be used in a rising property market where there’s fierce competition for the best properties. Then all the offers go on the table at the same time.

Here we explain how sealed bids work, and how to boost your chances of being the winner.

What are sealed bids and how do they work?

Image credit: Future PLC/Colin Poole

Sealed bids are sometimes used by estate agents and sellers when there’s a lot of interest in a property and plenty of offers flooding in.

Potential purchasers will each have to submit their bid in a sealed envelope by a specific date and time, including details of their financial circumstances. No bidder knows how much anyone else has offered, making sealed bids essentially like a blind auction for wannabe buyers

What’s the process?

You submit your bid in writing to the estate agent by a certain deadline. This includes your offer, your current buying position – whether you’re in a chain, getting a mortgage, or a cash buyer, for example – and proof of your mortgage offer. If possible, you should also include your solicitor’s details and proposed timings for the purchase. You then have to wait until the seller decides which bid to accept.

If you’re the seller, you’ll set a guide price and ask for written offers. It’s up to you which offer to accept. Depending on what you’re looking for, this doesn’t necessarily mean accepting the highest bid. You may want a prospective buyer who can move quickly as part of the deal. But just like any other sale, the acceptance of an offer isn’t legally binding for either party until signing of contracts.

What are the pros of sealed bids?

Image credit: Future PLC/Colin Poole

Robert Peel, sales manager at Richmond estate agency Antony Roberts, says: ‘Sealed bids tend to be a shorter process for all involved. Buyers get a few days to plan their offer and then it’s done. It means buyers avoid the stress and emotion of a particularly lengthy bidding war.’

Sellers, meanwhile, are likely to receive a strong offer that’s higher than the guide price, and more than they may have achieved otherwise. ‘It’s a good way to quickly secure the maximum amount for a property possible, so you don’t have several buyers competing over weeks,’ says Chris Sykes, associate director and mortgage consultant at Private Finance.

What are the cons of sealed bids?

As a buyer, you may pay more than market value, and the process can be very stressful. ‘You’ve only got one shot at an offer, so there’s more pressure to get it right,’ says Peel. Also, if your offer is accepted, you could still lose out, as a sealed bid isn’t legally binding. If the seller decides to accept a higher offer, or not to proceed, you won’t get the property.

As a seller, you have to take what you’re given. It’s assumed that one of the offers will be accepted, and any suggestion of further negotiations down the line will most likely prompt bad feelings.

As a buyer, how can I decide how much to offer?

Image credit: Future PLC/Simon Whitmore

As with any other purchase, only offer what you are prepared to pay. Don’t be tempted to offer more than you can afford to ensure you win.

In practice, you’re making an informed gamble here. There will usually be a good price that is a useful starting point, and you can look at how much properties in the area have sold for on the Land Registry. Then use your judgement. With other types of property purchase, the buyer may be tempted to start with a low offer. That isn’t an option with sealed bids, so think about what others might be prepared to offer.

‘You may feel comfortable making an offer in excess of the perceived market value if you know the property is a rare find,’ says Peel. “ If you plan to live there for five years or more, this will allow time for the market value to increase again.’

How can I optimise my chances of a successful bid?

Your success isn’t necessarily all about the figure that you are bidding. If you’re a first-time or cash buyer, you’re a good option for the seller. Stress that! ‘Or, if you’ve got your side of the chain sorted, mention this in a letter alongside the bid,’ says Sykes.

It’s best to have a mortgage broker write a letter about your circumstances and potential to proceed quickly, and have a solicitor ready to use. Also, if you’re comfortable doing so, personalising your offer may appeal to the sellers. Include some information about your family, for example. If the seller has children, say, talk about how your own children would love the property.

The post What are sealed bids and how can you optimise your chances of winning? appeared first on Ideal Home.

Garden screening ideas are trending, as we strive to use our outside spaces in more comprehensive ways. The humble fence has had many re-imaginings over the last few decades, with the traditional lap fence usurped by fanciful fretwork screens, uber-contemporary slim slats or chunky, black metal panels.

Garden screening ideas

It’s not just fences that can shield you from the eyes of neighbours and passers-by. Creative garden landscaping ideas include Pergolas, gazebos and super-sized plants to offer credible options for successful garden screening. Beyond privacy each can solve a variety of grumblings in your garden – from providing shade or warmth to adding decoration and absorbing noise.

1. Go faux for instant results

Image credit: Wayfair

Ivy is a fast-growing climber, but even the speediest of varieties will take a few months to result in screening that’s dense and lush. Faux foliage, on the other hand, will provide instant – and impressive – results.

The market is awash with artificial foliage panels that can be erected quickly and with minimal effort, and there are all sorts to choose from – from classic green and autumnal red to ones peppered with faux flowers or fairy lights.

Panels with an abundance of foliage that looks convincingly real will make your wallet wince more than flimsier versions, but worth the extra expense if your budget allows. If it doesn’t, but you need extra coverage, grow real ivy, clematis or jasmine to intertwine with the faux foliage.

In more good news, artificial foliage screening panels are usually backed onto a trellis, which you can use to attach decorative accessories to – such as a mirror or metal birds – to add character, colour and extra screening!

Buy now: Maen Plastic Expanding Trellis, £96.99, Wayfair.co.uk

2. Turn a simple fence into a style statement

Image credit: Future PLC

Is a garden fence idea just a fence or is it wall space crying out to be utilised? Ask yourself this if your fence is shielding you from the neighbours, but is a dull, blank canvas.

Paint it first – not just for colour and to disguise blemishes – but to protect it – then nail in rows of simple slats (you can by these ready-cut from DIY shops). If they’re not already black, paint them a dark shade; a pale colour will quickly show up dirt.

Attach hooks to hang planters and zinc buckets (drill drainage holes in the bases first) from, filled with herbs and trailing plants. The greenery will really pop against the dark background, creating a statement wall, adding storage and freeing up floor space, so it’s a great idea for balconies and small patio spaces too.

And it doesn’t just have to display plants! Solar light bulbs, lanterns, an outdoor clock or a galvanised watering would be welcome and useful additions.

3. Erect a pergola to screen from above

Image credit: Dobbies

When it comes to garden screening, you can block even the most minuscule gap at eye level, but a neighbour needs only to climb their stairs to enjoy an unimpeded view of your garden. Help comes in the form of a pergola – a simple but sweet solution to creating a sanctuary that’s screened-off from above, as well as providing a pleasing-looking structure to allow easy climbing plants and vines to grow up (and over). It has a natural, Fairytale quality to it, too, creating a romantic feel.

For a more modern look, or until your trailing greenery has grown, swathe the roof of a pergola with multi-coloured bamboo screening or raffia (both available in rolls) or with strings or festoon lights. It’s even possible to install solar panels on top, but check your structure and positioning with a specialist first.

4. Use freestanding panels to zone areas

Image credit: logifirepits.com

Decorative, latticed metal panels offer more than just good looks. Freestanding ones can be utilised as quick but quirky alternatives to fence panels, as they negate the need for digging and inserting concrete posts (and my, don’t they look glorious too!) But because these types of panels invariably feature filigree or fretwork, they don’t offer as much coverage as a solid panel would.

What they do excel at though, is zoning the garden into areas; from separating a dining table from a chill out space or using two to partition an office area.

Gardenesque.co.uk champions decorative fencing for its, ‘contemporary aesthetic and ability to elegantly hide certain things in our gardens that we don’t necessarily want on show – such as wheelie bins, compost heaps, water butts and storage areas’.

Better yet, they’re portable (albeit heavy!), allowing you adjust their position according to purpose.

Buy now: Rose Garden Design Patio Screen, £299, logifirepits.com

5. Introduce a sense of cohesion

Image credit: Future PLC

Square fence panels in a pale wood with slim slats laid horizontally rank highly on the modernity dial and provide a fine balance of allowing light to flow through but hindering unwanted eyes or an ugly building.

They are so striking and glaringly contemporary though, that alone, they can look incongruous to the rest of your garden. You can overcome this by embracing their chic, Scandi elements and echoing them elsewhere in your garden – perhaps a slatted bench in blonde wood, a simple but chic coffee table and curved concrete planters, with lashings of green plants.

6. Use tiles to disguise an unsightly wall

Image credit: Porcelain Superstore

If privacy in your garden isn’t an issue, but aesthetics are, disguising an existing unsightly wall can be a real game-changer. The go-to solution is paint, but tiles will deliver more in terms of pattern, texture and character, and will last longer.

‘Outdoor porcelain tiles are perfect for the British weather’, ‘says Abbas Youssefi, Director of Porcelain Superstore, ‘they’re virtually impervious to water and are unaffected by extremities of heat – and they are very, very low maintenance. Plus, they won’t fade in the sunlight, so they are absolutely fine to use in sun traps’.

Buy now: Spirit Grey Tiles, £42 per m², porcelainsuperstore.co.uk

7. Create a quiet enclosure

Image credit: IKEA

A curtained gazebo may not possess the wow factor of an all-out summerhouse or garden room idea, but it’ll provide similar elements; screening on all sides, warmth and functionality – and all without the hefty price tag.

Its pitched roof and generous drapes create a sense of grandeur, making it ideal for turning an alfresco dinner into a celebratory occasion, with the added benefit of using the framework to suspend a pendant light or a heater from. Or, draw the curtains, add a rug, beanbags and a projector, and a mini cinema – for little ones and big ones alike – is yours!

Gazebos work well as an office space or shaded reading nook in the corner of a garden, where the curtains on the two sides that sit in the corner can be drawn, and the other two left open, shielding you from the neighbours’ vision as well as their voices (the canvas roof and curtains will absorb sound) but affording you views of your garden.

Buy now: Himmelso Gazebo with Curtains, £320, IKEA

8. Hide behind tropical plants

Image credit: Future PLC/ Douglas Gibb

We associate the word, ‘tropical’ with hot and humid climes, but there are many tropical plants that will thrive in a UK climate, growing tall and wide, thus ideal for creating a natural, green screen in your garden.

Opt for hardy plants such as palms and yuccas, which are not only lovely to look at, but quick to grow and easy to care for. Bamboo is notorious for its supersonic growing speed, but as the experts are gardenesque.co.uk warn, ‘it can be invasive so it’s best grown in pots to keep it contained’.

In fact, planting some tropical plants in pots and others directly into the ground will allow you to curb the growth of the rampant ones and encourage growth for the rest. Plus, you’ll be able to move the pots to where they are required the most, such as around the hot tub decking area.

9. Use reeds for speedy screening

Image credit: Future/Max Attenborough

Not only is reed screening one of the snappiest solutions to screen your garden, but it’s versatile, widely available and keenly priced. Lightweight and flexible, it’s a material (along with bamboo and willow) that can be easily be curved around corners or attached to a shabby wall, fence or balcony railings, creating a natural, home-spun look along the way. Its pliable nature means it can also be used as a canopy over a pergola and the only looking after it takes is a good wash every now and then to prevent algae from forming.

Be warned if you’re a colour enthusiast though, as this type of screening can’t be painted, but there’s nothing from stopping you from prettying it up with bright bunting or multi-coloured carnival lights.

10. Make the fence the feature

image credit: Future PLC/ Polly Wreford

Traditional, no-frills fence panels are adept at blocking views, but they can offend the style-minded. Of course, they can be improved with a lick of paint or disguised behind plants, but a bolder option would be to ditch the traditional route entirely and to switch up to a smart, contemporary fence, that can be displayed in all it’s glory, rather that trying to blend into the background.

Plump for a sombre colour, such as grey, navy or black. You want to avoid colours that will naturally blend into a garden, such as green, cream or brown as well as those which will stand out, but look too kitsch or childish, such as pink, red or orange. Opt for a strong pattern but keep it smart and symmetrical – so no fancy curves or mixy matchy shapes. Hanging a simple clock, mirror or shelf on it centrally will draw extra attention and turn it into a focal point.

11. Use woven panels to create open zones

Image credit: Future PLC/Spike Powell

When you want to create zones but feel solid fencing would feel too harsh choose woven garden screening ideas. Such as these willow panels. The open weave structure provides a more airy approach to fencing an area in, to avoid breaking the flow of the space. Especially handy in a small garden where you don’t wish to make it feel even more limited.

Re-cycling and re-purposing can all come into play when it comes to garden screening ideas, particularly if you’re on a budget. A shabby, existing fence or new but inexpensive screening, such as willow, reed or bamboo, can up its country-style credentials by teaming it with vintage-style objects that look as good as they are useful.

Apple crates always look lovely, plus they can be piled up to create a storage unit, while a pre-loved wooden chair, table or ladder will look charming, and can be used to display plants on. It’s vital that you position your items strategically. So pile the apple crates when you need extra screening the most, and that the objects look harmonious when they’re grouped together. Ensure they’re of a similar ilk in terms of style and colours to bring a sense of unity.

What is the best type of garden screening?

‘Bamboo screens and fence panels are the quickest and easiest ways to screen’, say the experts at Gardenesque.com, ‘trees can be a natural way for effective screening but may take a while to grow to the desired height. Silver birch, hornbeam, beech, rowan and willow are relatively fast growing and are readily available in garden centres’.

How can I stop my neighbours overlooking my garden?

‘If you have fencing already in place, a simple way is to add a section of trellis on top of your existing fence or wall,’ suggests the team at Gardenesque. ‘Plants can provide more privacy especially once some climbers and foliage have grown. Evergreen, fast-growing plants such as ivy or vines will offer low maintenance garden screening’.

The post Garden screening ideas – 11 ways to add decorative privacy appeared first on Ideal Home.

With our gardens slowly coming to life again, it’s time to get ahead with garden prep ready for the summer season. If you have a decked area, it’s a good idea to give it some TLC, securing any loose boards, cleaning off mildew before finding out how to paint decking to give it a new coat of paint.

There are plenty of decking ideas to help you make the most of your garden, but to keep your decking in top condition, some regular maintenance will keep it looking good for years to come. ‘Make sure decking is cleaned regularly and try to avoid leaves or soil from collecting on the surface. Put saucers or terracotta feet under your planters and keep it as clear as possible in the winter,’ advises Marianne Shillingford, creative director at Dulux and Cuprinol. ‘When you see signs of wear and tear, clean, allow to dry and apply another couple of coats of anti-slip decking stain.’

Read our guide below so you can be confident in how to paint decking.

How to paint decking

Image credit: Future PLC/Colin Poole

What you’ll need:

• Stiff bristled broom
• Decking cleaner
• Bucket
• Pressure washer/garden hose
• Filler/screws
• Screwdriver
• Masking tape
• Decking paint
• Decking paintbrush

1. Clear away dirty and debris

Image credit: Future PLC/Colin Poole

Before you go cracking open the paint, prepping your decking first is the best way to make sure you get a long lasting finish. Start by removing any furniture or plant pots from your decking so you have a clear space to work in. It’s also a good idea to check the weather forecast to make sure no rain is due while you’re painting or a few days after while the paint is drying.

2. Prep the surface

Use a stiff bristled broom to sweep over the decking, making sure you get into all the grooves to clear them of dried leaves and other debris. Once clear, use decking cleaner to help remove mould, algae and dirt and use a pressure washer or your garden hose to carefully wash everything away and leave until completely dry.

By putting in the effort with the prep, you’ll get the best results. ‘The best way to ensure you get the longest lasting finish that will be able to cope with everything the weather, your feet and furniture have to chuck at it you need to prepare and paint it in the right way,’ says Marianne.

3. Make any repairs

Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles

Once clean and dry, go over your decking and check for any loose screws, broken boards or areas that may need filling. Make any repairs that are needed and once you’re happy that everything is in good condition, use masking tape to seal off any areas that you don’t want to get paint on such as the brickwork of your house or the garden fence.

4. Paint your decking

Start in the area furthest away from you and work backwards so you don’t have to walk on any newly painted areas. Paint in the direction of the grain using a decking brush, making sure you have an even coverage.

If your decking has grooves make sure they are painted properly too by going over the area several times to reach difficult areas. Leave your first coat to dry for the time recommended by the paint manufacturer before adding another coat.

5. Leave to dry

Image credit: Sadolin

Before you put any garden furniture or plant pots back, make sure your decking is completely dry and check the surface carefully to make sure you haven’t missed any spots. If you’re putting plant pots on your decking, make sure they are raised off the ground slightly or they have feet to prevent a build up of mould or algae underneath.

When moving furniture, don’t be tempted to drag it along the surface as this may scratch the newly painted surface.

6. Keep it well maintained

Now your decking is looking like new it’s important to look after it with regular maintenance so it stays in top condition. ‘To keep your decking well-maintained, brush it regularly and at least once a year, do a deep-clean with your pressure washer. This will help to remove any grease or grime, which causes your deck to become slippery when wet,’ says Darryl Jeffree, paint buying manager at Homebase.

‘Twice a year (in Spring and Autumn), inspect your deck for any nails that may have come loose, cracks that need filling, paint touch-ups, and for indications of rot or mould.’ Understanding how to clean decking effectively will make the job a lot easier.

What kind of paint do I use for decking?

Image credit: Future PLC/Caroline Marden

There are lots of different outdoor paint ideas and it’s important to make sure the paint you decide on is up to the job. ‘Always choose paint for decking that has been specially designed for decking. It needs to be tough, quick drying, non-slip and offer long lasting weather protection,’ says Marianne. ‘Try Cuprinol Anti Slip Decking stain which comes in 12 colours and is all of the above plus it’s water based too, so no horrible smell or harmful solvents for you or the environment to deal with.’

As well as looking good, painting decking also helps to protect the wood. ‘Coatings allow the user to protect the decking from unwanted excess moisture ingress, UV damage (when it goes grey) and protection from the elements while retaining an even colour,’ explains Matthew Brown, technical consultant at Sadolin and Sandtex.

How do I remove paint from decking?

When repainting decking, it’s important to get the prep right to make sure you have a long lasting finish. ‘If you have applied deck paint in the past, use a scraper to remove the remaining layers,’ advises Christian Roberts, decking expert at MyJobQuote. ‘After that, sand down the decking in the direction of your deck boards. Keep in mind that this will only work for smooth decking boards and not grooved ones.’

What’s the best colour to paint a deck?

Today there are a multitude of colours to choose from when it comes to decking paint, the ones below are some that we think make great colour choices.

• Natural – A colour a similar shade to the wood itself will help the decking to blend in naturally to the surroundings, especially any fencing that hasn’t been painted.
• Black – For an ultra modern monochrome scheme, black looks really stylish. Alternatively, team with brightly painted garden furniture so it really pops against the dark background.
• Sage green – Painting decking a shade of green helps to make it blend into the surroundings especially if you have lots of natural planting.
• Light grey/white – Channel a New England vibe with decking painted in a light shade and add lots of woven furniture and accessories for a relaxed look.
• Inky blues – They are all the rage when it comes to interiors but this soulful shade works just as well outside especially when paired with metallic accessories and lighting for a Moroccan inspired scheme.

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