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How to Lower the Price of Your Home

Sam Allcock
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How to Lower the Price of Your Home

If your home has been on the market for quite awhile without selling, it may seem as if you have no choice but to drop the asking price. You may find that your estate agent will suggest this move if they are no longer confident in your asking price, or if they’ve run out of ideas or motivation.

Is dropping the asking price on your home really the best answer for selling it quickly?

For some property owners, lowering the asking price may be able to generate additional interest from buyers who may otherwise have been unable to afford the property. If you must move urgently, or if you are facing repossession, you may also have no other choice but to lower the price on your property in order to sell it quickly.

However, if you own a premium home, dropping the price may not be the best answer, and it may actually hurt your chances of selling your home in the most effective manner.

I’ve put together a list of dos and don’ts for lowering your asking price, so that you can get the best result possible as you sell your home and move forward with your life. I followed these when I was looking to value my house and you can too.

Don’t drop your asking price by less than ten percent.

Otherwise, you won’t be noticed by enough new buyers for it to really matter. Home buyers usually shop for homes that are around ten percent above and below their current budget, so you’ll need to adjust your price out of this range in order to get noticed by a new set of buyers.

Do speak to your agent about why you need to reduce the price.

You originally had your property valued based on research by an industry expert. What has changed since this value judgement was made? It’s important to fully understand why the demand for properties like yours has changed, so that you can make the correct decision about whether to reduce the price or to continue at the current rate.

Don’t continually make small drops in price.

Price drops can create suspicion with buyers, as they may wonder what is wrong with your property. Why is the asking price lowered? Buyers may not want to risk purchasing a property that seems to be continually falling in value. Each price drop may signify red flags to buyers, so it’s important to make a big impactful drop, but to only make one.

Do make sure to stay within standard price banding.

Keeping within standard price brandings that are used by online listing sites will help make sure that it’s easy to list your property online.

Don’t try to break the price ceiling for your local area.

This makes potential buyers jittery, but it will also make your surveyor nervous. Unless there’s absolutely no way to avoid it, try to price your house at less than the highest priced home for sale in your local area.

Do ask your agent the right questions before you actually drop the price on your home.

If you’re feeling pressured by your agent to reduce the price, or if you have a deadline to move hanging over your head and you cannot afford to drop the price, ask what else you can do to secure a sale, besides lowering your asking price. Have an overview with them, and critically review your marketing efforts. Can you improve your overall marketing? Can you take a new drone picture or twilight image that will show your home in an entirely new light and generate new interest from potential buyers?

Do not give your buyers a reason to make a lower offer.

Be sure that your home is beautifully presented, and that every room is as attractive as possible, otherwise you are quite literally leaving money on the bargaining table. Staging your home correctly can add thousands to your asking price, and making a few small changes will dramatically improve your chances of getting an offer.

Give yourself room to negotiate – but not too much.

You can generally expect to achieve about 95% of your asking price, but will lose about 5% in negotiations with your buyer on average. This will depend on numerous other factors, such as how fast the local market changes, your confidence in negotiations, the state of the housing market locally, and how long your house is on the market.

Don’t neglect to analyze your price per square foot, as this is one of the best ways to value your home.

It’s far more accurate to calculate the value of your house this way than by using most other methods. Your agent should have already done this for you, but if they haven’t, make a spreadsheet of other properties locally for sale and that have sold recently in your area. Calculate the price per square foot of each property and then compare it to your home.

If your house hasn’t sold yet and you’re wondering if it’s just the asking price to blame, utilize the dos and don’ts in the article as an easy checklist to see if you’ve taken all of the steps you can to get your house sold for the best rate. If your price per square foot is correct, and you aren’t trying to break the price ceiling in your area, if your marketing is up to date and your home is presented beautifully, you may just have to wait the market out and have confidence in the rate that you are asking. If you don’t have confidence in the price that you want for your home, no one else will either.

World-leading quality management accreditation for specialist cleaning company

Sam Allcock
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World-leading quality management accreditation for specialist cleaning company

A LEADING cleaning company has reaffirmed its commitment to providing high quality management practices by gaining world-coveted certification.

Just over one million companies and organisations across the globe have attained the highly regarded ISO 9001 status which proves the recipients have a strong customer focus, their management team are motivated and there is a strong desire for continual improvement.

Hy5 Commercial Cleaning, which operates throughout the UK, has become the latest company to join the select list of elite businesses which can demonstrate a consistent approach to its work, high quality products and services and excellent customer service.

The ISO 9001 accreditation strengthens Hy5’s ongoing commitment to strive for the highest standards following on from being re-accredited CHAS Elite status – the highest level of accreditation awarded by the UK’s number one provider of compliance certification – and being one of only a handful of cleaning companies nationwide to have industry recommended BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite status.

Keith Simm, the Managing Director of Hy5, said: “We always strive for the highest standards across all sectors of the business, and achieving ISO 9001 status proves that we are doing things right.

“It’s important to let our clients and prospective clients know that we take quality management practices, and measures such as health and safety and customer service, very seriously and this accreditation will help us stand out from the crowd.

“Having ISO 9001 status will help open doors for our business too as it instantly marks us out as a company which adopts the most professional standards and we devote a lot of time into making sure all our policies are in place to look after our customers.”

To acquire ISO 9001 accreditation, businesses and organisations need to show they achieve the highest levels in each of seven quality management principles.

Those are: Customer focus; Leadership; Engagement of people; Process approach; Improvement; Evidence-based decision making; Relationship management.

Keith said: “There has been a lot of hard work in the application process to make sure we meet the highest criteria across all sectors, but it has all paid off by achieving the status.

“It’s thanks to the excellent assistance and support from the team for making sure the process was as smooth as possible.”

Hy5 Commercial Cleaning is one of only a handful of firms in the UK with industry standard BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite (VHE) accreditation which has been introduced to ensure all ventilation systems in commercial kitchen settings are cleaned to the required TR19 level.

Photo: Hy5 Commercial Cleaning Managing Director Keith Simm.

Tackling a mental health epidemic: Joining the dots between construction, mental health and football

Sam Allcock
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Tackling a mental health epidemic: Joining the dots between construction, mental health and football

A major new survey looking at mental health and wellbeing for construction workers on site is being launched this month by Causeway Technologies, a leading construction technology provider, in partnership with Everton in the Community (EitC).

The statistics around poor mental health in construction are stark: 

  • 1 in 4 construction workers contemplate suicide
  • Two construction workers take their own lives every working day
  • Suicide is the single biggest killer of men under 45. However, male site workers are three times more likely to commit suicide than the average male in the UK

This latest initiative aims to explore views about the role that technology could play in helping to improve wellbeing on construction sites while using the power of football to open up conversations.

Trevor Steven, Everton’s legendary midfielder and now Causeway’s mental health ambassador, said:

“We want to shine a spotlight on mental health issues in construction by working with Causeway, its major contractor clients and its partners across the whole of the construction supply chain.

“We understand that there can be a stigma around mental health, and it can be hard for men to open up about their struggles. We believe that football offers a route in. It is a sport that brings people together, and we know from EitC’s previous work that club loyalty helps people to open up. If successful, we believe that this could provide a blueprint that others within sport can follow to address this issue.

Trevor added that he believes the construction industry does have the capacity to change, despite the tragic statistics: 

“Just look at how much progress has been made in other areas of health and safety in the last few years. This change isn’t going to happen overnight with a single organisation – it demands a collaborative effort across the industry. We need to rally together as a whole in the name of change and that’s what we’re seeking to do with this campaign.”

Phil Brown, chief executive of Causeway, said:

“The construction industry struggles more than most with mental health issues. The stereotype is that it has a male-dominated workforce that does not ask for help when it comes to mental health.

“We feel we’re well placed as a technology provider to drive real change across the industry. We work across the entire construction supply chain and we believe that reach, and using the power of the football badge, can help us to connect the industry together and create real change.”

To take part and to enter the prize draw, go to: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ZFX67TJ

Individual responses are anonymous and kept entirely confidential. 

In exchange for participation in the survey, Causeway is providing a free prize draw to win two tickets to the FA Community Shield on July 31st. To be considered for this prize entrants need to be received by 26th July 2022. The survey, and further prizes, will run through August 2022. 

Sustainable upgrades could boost property value by an average of £10,000

Sam Allcock
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Sustainable upgrades could boost property value by an average of £10,000

Simon Bath, property expert and CEO of iPlace Global – the creators of Moveable – discusses the future of green homes and how this could add considerable value to your home

A new study from WWF and ScottishPower has revealed that homeowners can boost the value of their property by an average of £10,000 by simply making green upgrades to their home. With energy bills projected to top £3,000 this winter, consumers are increasingly looking for alternative options to reduce soaring costs. Now, new research from property concierge platform, Moveable, has found that over a third (36%) of homeowners are prioritising energy efficiency in their homes this year.

Moveable’s research also highlights that the new generation of homeowners have an increasing appetite for energy efficient homes. Just under a quarter (21%) of millennials (25-34 year olds) are even prepared to move homes on order to live more sustainably – this is a stark contrast to just 7% of 55-64 year olds. However, energy efficient upgrades can be costly; this hurdle was reflected in the study which found a staggering 45% of Brits want to make these upgrades, but find it too expensive without government support.

The energy crisis has highlighted the lack of energy efficient homes in Britain, with surging costs urging households around the nation to reduce consumption whenever possible. Residential properties are responsible for a fifth of the UK’s carbon emissions, prompting the government to announce that every home should have an EPC rating of C – or higher – by 2035 as part of their long-term plan to tackle climate change.

Currently, 30% of homes across England and Wales are still rated E, F or G. Whilst the easiest way to upgrade to a more energy-efficient home is to purchase a new-build home, adding various green upgrades could also significantly raise the value of your current property. According to WWF and ScottishPower, installing an air-source heat pump could increase your home value by £5,000-£8,000. Adding solar panels could increase it by around £1,350- £5,400, and implementing an electric vehicle (EV) charging point could add around £5,000. However, the costs of installing these products also prove to be a barrier for many households, with solar panels costing around £2,900-£6,700, EV charging points costing nearly £1,000, and heat pumps costing £7,000-£13,000 to install.

Key statistics:

  • 36% of Brits are prioritising energy efficiency in their homes this year
  • 45% of Brits want to make their home more energy efficient, however found it too expensive without government support
  • 22% of Brits want to make their home more energy efficient, but found it impossible because of complicated planning permissions
  • 23% of Brits haven’t taken any steps to make their home greener
  • 12% of Brits (21% for those aged 25-34) are planning to move in order find a more energy efficient home

Simon Bath, CEO of iPlace Global, the creators of Moveable, discusses the future of green homes and how this could add considerable value to your home:

“Energy security is at the forefront of everyone’s mind at the moment, and it’s really great to see that households are beginning to see the benefits of making green upgrades. Accelerating the roll-out of low-carbon technologies in the home is crucial to not only tackle climate change – but also reduce energy bills. Because of this, green homes are becoming increasingly popular for prospective buyers and movers, and will significantly boost the value of your property.

“Significant steps have been made this year in an attempt to help first-time buyers with getting onto the property ladder, including the removal of affordability tests, longer mortgage plans and the Right to Buy scheme. The same needs to be done for helping Brits make their home more environmentally friendly – the government needs to step in to ensure that these changes are affordable.

“With the roll-out of new-build homes taking a backseat, it is more important than ever to reduce – or subsidise – costs of installing green products. This could prove to be a significant step away from the country’s reliance on fossil fuels.”

Help To Buy Deadline: What To Do With Three Months To Go

Sam Allcock
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Help To Buy Deadline: What To Do With Three Months To Go

Would-be homeowners have just over three months left to apply for the government’s Help to Buy scheme in order to make the deadline on October 31st.

With the clock ticking, the mortgage experts at money.co.uk have put together a guide explaining what prospective homeowners need to do to apply for the scheme, alongside a number of their top tips and tricks when it comes to saving for a mortgage.

Claire Flynn, mortgages expert at money.co.uk said: “The Help to Buy scheme is an equity loan intended to help first-time buyers purchase their first home. Successful applicants can borrow up to 20% of their property’s purchase price, interest-free for five years, rising to 40% for Londoners.

“The government recently announced that the scheme will be ending in March 2023, meaning first-time buyers only have until 6pm on October 31st to reserve a property and submit their application.

“Given the cost of living crisis and stretched finances for many, this could be seen as worrying news. However, if you start your application now you can still make the deadline.

“When applying, the first thing you need to do is check eligibility for the scheme. Applicants must be:

  • 18 or over
  • A first-time buyer
  • Able to afford the fees and interest payments

“It’s also worth noting that if you’re planning on living with a partner, regardless of your marital status, you must make a joint application.

“The next step is to check if your property is eligible. Your property must be a new-build, must not have previously been lived in, and needs to be sold by a registered Help to Buy homebuilder.

“There is also a maximum property purchase limit, which depends on your location, for example homes in the West Midlands are eligible up to a property value of £255,600, whereas in London this can be up to £600,000.

“You should also be aware that you will still need to make repayments on your equity loan once you’ve made your purchase. Plus, after the initial five years you will start paying interest.

“Once you’re confident in these steps, you need to contact your local Help to Buy agent.

“While the Help to Buy scheme can be a great way to reduce the pressure of your mortgage, you will still need to put down at least a 5% deposit on your property. Luckily, there are a few quick tricks you can do to help boost your deposit savings.

“When it comes to saving for a deposit, keep your savings in a separate account. The right account can boost your deposit fund because it will pay more interest if it has a higher rate.

“Options include regular savings accounts, which often have some of the highest interest rates as long as you pay in a set amount each month, and fixed rate savings accounts, which guarantee their interest rates for a period of three months to seven years. 

“Next, you need to work out how much you need to save in order to get on the ladder. A 10% deposit will give you a wide choice of mortgage providers, whereas a 5% mortgage means you can put down less money up front, but that the interest rate will be higher.

“Remember, when you’re saving to buy a property, your deposit isn’t the only large expense. Legal fees, mortgage fees, the cost of furnishing your home and more can add thousands on to the real-world cost of your property, so make sure you have some extra cash put aside beyond your deposit.

“To compare a range of mortgages from different providers, visit: https://www.money.co.uk/mortgages.”

IW Capital announces £2.65m second round investment in Impact Recycling

Sam Allcock
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IW Capital announces £2.65m second round investment in Impact Recycling

UK households produce a staggering 26m tonnes of waste a year, of which 45% is recycled

IW Capital, a leading private equity house, has today announced a £2.65m second round investment in Impact Recycling, having initially backed the green-tech innovator with £2m in 2019. The most recent injection of capital is aimed at accelerating growth and finishing a new operational site in Bellshill, Glasgow. IW has now invested over £120m in UK SMEs, helping to drive business growth across the country whilst amassing a highly impressive and sector-agnostic portfolio. In 2020 alone, revenue from the recycling and waste management industry totalled £21.2bn – clearly illustrating the high-value potential in this sector.
 
Impact Recycling is an innovative UK-based company that has developed a breakthrough recycling technology, enabling previously difficult or impossible types of plastics to be recycled. The firm’s unique innovation bears a profound impact on reducing how much the nation wastes – this was over 222.2 million tonnes in 2018 – resulting in an unquestionably positive effect on the environment. Specifically, the technology separates the components of post-consumer, mixed plastic waste to recover two consistent streams of plastic; polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), each with over 98% purity.  
 
Underpinned by a ground-breaking proprietary technology, a unique system of water-based, density separation – a process known as BOSS (Baffled Oscillation Separation System) – improves the economics of plastic recycling for users and diverts significant quantities of PE and PP away from landfill and incineration. Waste is instead transformed through this process into a reusable form which is sold on to manufacturers who can repurpose it for goods or packaging. 
 
IW Capital’s initial 2019 investment into Impact Recycling was targeted at developing the BOSS technology and developing two sites in Newcastle, which are now successfully in operation. In addition to the total investment of £4.65m from IW Capital, Impact Recycling has also received significant grant funding, targeted at the development and completion of the new Glasgow site. Once completed, their new Bellshill hub is also expected to bring a number of new jobs to the area, whilst helping to drive the company’s highly impressive pace of growth. 
 
David Walsh, CEO of Impact Recycling, said: “In the time we have been working with IW Capital since 2019 we have come to know them as a trusted, reliable investor that have enabled us to expand our business and continue with our innovations in the plastic recycling sector. We look forward with confidence to a lasting relationship.”       
 
Luke Davis, CEO & Founder of IW Capital, added: “Having been onboard with Impact Recycling since 2019, it has been fantastic to watch their growth over the past three years – now boasting three sites across the UK. Given their recent success, we’re delighted to announce that we’ve invested a further £2m, which will contribute to the development of the new landmark site in Bellshill.
 
“With green technology and protecting the environment becoming some of the most important focuses for economies all over the world, we see real potential to help Impact Recycling grow and deliver much-needed services in the UK and potentially even further afield. We share their vision in terms of revolutionising the way we recycle and are very happy to be able to help on this exciting and rewarding journey.”

Founders suffering from burnout as global funding drops 23% in Q2

Sam Allcock
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Founders suffering from burnout as global funding drops 23% in Q2

In the absence of funding, business leaders are coming under increasing pressure to keep companies afloat

Chris Biggs, CEO and founder of consultancy and accounting company, Theta Global Advisors, discusses the external factors affecting the deals market and how to avoid founder burnout

Global funding for startups has fallen 23% since the first quarter of 2022 according to a report form CB Insights, with $108.5 billion invested over 7,651 deals. This is the largest quarterly percentage drop in deals in a decade, and the second largest drop in funding. The decline in funds is a rarity in the startup ecosystem, which has been propelled over the last decade by a booming economy, low interest rates, and people gravitating toward using more technology. Over this 10-year growth period for startups, quarterly funding only fell seven times. However, after a spate of rising interest rates, inflation, and uncertainty, tech companies and startup funding in general have taken a significant hit.

This is having a severe knock-on effect on the founders leading these companies, as they are meant to convey the picture of strength and stability for their employees. Chris Biggs, CEO and founder at consultancy and advisory, Theta Global Advisors, discusses the external factors affecting the startup ecosystem and the importance of implementing strategies to avoid founder burnout.

Landmark national research from Theta Global Advisors has unveiled that 34% of British business leaders cite a dire lack of support which is negatively affecting the day-to-day running of their company and resulting in burnout. This, mixed with a lack of capital to keep operations running smoothly, has the power to create a volatile and stressful environment for founders charged with promoting a picture of stability within their companies.

The stresses could entail clients dropping their services, budget cuts, and staff layoffs, affecting how the business runs day to day. Now more than ever, founders need to be able to rely on competent second tier management, which can often be the difference between a business that scales successfully and one that falls flat. This sentiment was echoed in Theta’s research, finding that 21% of British business owners state their business started successfully, but is now struggling to achieve growth, exacerbated by the quarterly plummet in funding.

However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel as the number of deals and funding actually haven’t dropped below 2020 numbers, highlighting the fact that 2021 was a record year for venture capital funding. The steep drop reported for Q2 this year was somewhat expected and is balanced out with the shock UK economic growth of 0.5% announced earlier this month. Director of Economic Statistics at the ONS, Darren Morgan, has stated the UK economy has “rebounded” largely across sectors such as construction, services, and manufacturing. Chris Biggs, CEO of accounting and consultancy firm, Theta Global Advisors, explains that the combination of a more positive outlook and company valuations that have plummeted, could provide a wealth of opportunities for deep-pocketed private investors and may outline a brighter future for founders, provided they have astute advisors in place and a plan of action.

 Chris Biggs, CEO and founder of Theta Global Advisors, comments on how the current economic outlook is affecting founders globally:

“There has been a drop in global funding for startups since the first quarter of 2022, and this will undoubtedly be playing on the minds of founders. A lot of firms are reliant on securing their next round of finance to stay afloat, so with investment becoming harder to come by, that will create some stressful situations for those leading these companies. 

“In many cases staff are let go and other resources slashed in order to extend the cash-flow runway, and that forces not only founders to work harder, but the remaining workforce too. It’s important that people talk about the dangers and signs of burnout during times such as these, as it will become more commonplace. 

 “I think along with the lack of funding – the main issue we’re seeing is founders creating a business because they’ve got an idea and a passion for a concept – which is what they are good at doing. But when that business comes under strain and so much of their time is spent managing the back office, they’ll find themselves burnt out with no time to focus on the strategic or ideas side of the business. I think to be able to scale up in times of adversity – for any size business – second-tier management is key. 
 
“I think CEOs should be the ones actually growing the strategic side of the business, if you’ve got a product, they should be the ones selling the product, if you’ve got a service, they should be the ones expanding, growing, and selling that service, but they shouldn’t be the ones worrying about how the back-office accounting goes. If you’re a founder, then you need to get the team around you, outsource or a mixture of both, to free up your time to do the stuff you need to do to grow the business.”

Do Your Suppliers Fit in with Your ESG Strategy?

Sam Allcock
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Do Your Suppliers Fit in with Your ESG Strategy?

Many businesses today are talking about an ESG strategy. But what is one, and do your suppliers fit in with yours?

What Is an ESG Strategy and Why Do Companies Need One?

ESG stands for:

  • Environmental
  • Social
  • Governance.

When applied within the context of a business strategy, an ESG strategy means all of the factors that should be considered that impact one of these three ESG factors.

Whether a business has ESG initiatives in place can impact its reputation, according to a study done by NAVX® and even influence potential investors.

It stands to reason then that having ESG objectives makes sound sense for any business and can be an excellent way for you to build meaningful goals that align with stakeholders’ interests.

Examples of ESG criteria are as follows:

Environmental criteria

  • Greenhouse gas emissions
  • Waste management
  • Anything that contributes to climate change.

Social criteria

  • Human rights
  • Corporate social responsibility to local communities
  • Employee relations like staff satisfaction and diversity.

Governance criteria

  • Financial performance
  • Corporate governance issues
  • Bribery and lobbying.
ESG metrics

How Can You Identify if a Supplier Is Environmentally and Socially Responsible?

If you’ve identified that an ESG strategy is appropriate for your business strategy, then the next step is to screen your supply chain to check it’s aligned with your ESG initiatives.

One such way is to get accreditation that ensures your business operations cover critical areas of risk management that align with your ESG strategy.

These areas may be intrinsic to your ESG goals, like Financial risks, Environmental risks, Corporate Social Responsibility, Anti-Bribery and Modern Slavery.

You may want to create your own risk assessments that make sense against your ESG strategy. For example, if you’re in retail, you may wish to consider each of your manufacturers, listing any ESG risks and how you might mitigate them.

You may then turn your attention to your shipping company and any other parts of your supply chain.

A good idea would be to develop a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire or PQQ to send out to any new suppliers. This should help you determine whether they meet your ESG criteria ahead of working with them.

You may ask for assurances around insurance details, health and safety policies and modern slavery statements and audits.

What Are the Benefits of Working with Suppliers That Align with Your ESG Strategy?

We’ve already established that creating your own ESG strategy can positively impact your business.

It then makes perfect sense to ask for the same standards of your supply chain. This assurance aids consumer protection, ensuring that products and services adhere to strict health and safety standards.

It can also improve business operations by creating smoother supply chain management and appeasing external stakeholders’ interests.

These may be senior executives looking to improve employee productivity and cost savings with better procedures or employees working directly with your suppliers and looking for improved communication.

Both customers and potential employees often look to work with organisations that care about climate-related risks, social and environmental impact and fair governance policies.

Working with suppliers who align with your ESG strategy may give you a competitive advantage over similar organisations that do not have ESG factors in place within their business operations.

How Can You Get Started Creating or Refining Your Company’s ESG Strategy?

If you have no ESG strategy in place, the first step is to identify the ESG metrics impacted by your business. After this, you should create a risk assessment that considers environmental, social and governance factors identified and outline the ESG opportunities and risks that relate to each one.

If your current ESG strategy feels out of date, the same is true. Ensure any regulatory compliance documents are up to date for your own business and for any supply chains.

Using a risk assessment, identify any ESG factors that should be considered for each of your suppliers, engage with the relevant stakeholders and create a roadmap to creating more robust procedures for each part of your supply chain.

If you’re unsure of how to go about this, then an accreditation in risk management can help. The Common Assessment Standard by CHAS is the industry gold standard for risk management accreditations and has everything a business needs to ensure its supply chain management aligns with its core principles and ESG strategy.

How to Choose an Arborist for Your Backyard

Sam Allcock
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How to Choose an Arborist for Your Backyard

Trees are large and beautiful parts of nature. They are helpful in many ways, like making our environment look nicer, giving us oxygen, storing carbon, and giving us shade on hot summer days. Having trees can be both a blessing and a curse. If you’re moving into a new place where there are trees, or if you just moved in, you’re probably okay with it. That might be why you went there in the first place. Others, on the other hand, might not agree with you and think the trees should be cut down, trimmed, or pruned. There are many possible reasons for this. Cutting down a tree in whole or part is a challenging and dangerous job that not everyone can do. How would you know who to hire to cut down trees, though? This is a helpful guide to finding the exemplary tree cutting service (arborist).

Things to think about before hiring a company to cut down trees

Here are some things to consider before choosing an arborist or tree-cutting service.

  • Check to see that they have insurance.

Before choosing a tree-cutting service, this is an essential thing to think about. Cutting, trimming, pruning, and removing trees is a complex and dangerous job. Even if the Grayson GA tree service has a lot of experience, accidents could happen and damage your property or hurt someone. If this happens and the company doesn’t have insurance, you will probably have to pay for any damage or injuries on the job out of your pocket.

  • See what the clients have to say.

When looking for a tree-cutting service, you shouldn’t hire the first one you find on the internet or in your area. Not everyone on the job is a professional, and some will do more harm than good. It’s wise to research and find out what their clients think of them. Doing this lets you know if they’re qualified for the job and if their customer service is excellent. Google, Yelp, Facebook, and other sites like these can be beneficial.

  • Check out where they are on social media

Everyone knows that a person’s social media, or website, in this case, is one of the best ways to get to know them. A company’s website or social media platforms will give you a pretty good idea of what they’re about. You can learn a lot about their work ethic, history, and reputation from how much content they post. This could be a good sign if their website and social media get a lot of attention. Also, keep an eye out for reviews. They could very well lead you in the right direction.

  • Find out how long they’ve been in business.

This shouldn’t surprise you. Today, a company or business can only do well if it is good at what it does. Experience is the best teacher, and the longer a company has been in business, the more likely it will do its job right and have few problems. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t work with a new company with less experience. Again, research is a great way to find the right company for you, regardless of your experience.

  • Ask about credentials

As with any other service you need, knowing what the law says about the company is essential. Please find out how qualified and trustworthy a company is to do the job by asking about their certifications. This will keep you from doing business with a sneaky company that can’t get the job done right. If the company has the proper certifications and credentials, it will give you peace of mind that you won’t get into trouble with the law during or after the job. If an arborist has a license, you’ll be able to tell what they specialize in, like all sizes and types of trees, just branches, etc.

  • Find out what their services include and what they don’t include.

Asking the company about its services will help you save money. Will they clean up the mess after they cut or remove trees? Will the stumps be taken out or ground down? Will they make sure to get rid of any dangers on the land when they’re done?

Considering all these things will greatly assist you in choosing the right tree cutting service that is devoted to their work.

Premier League: Financial gravy train keeps rolling

Sam Allcock
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Premier League: Financial gravy train keeps rolling

The Premier League’s quest for global domination shows no signs of slowing down judging by the activity during this summer’s transfer window.

Lucrative broadcast and sponsorship deals have given top flight clubs in England the chance to buy some of the best players in the world.

This has helped English clubs shine in the Champions League, with the last five finals featuring six teams who ply their trade in the EPL.

With that in mind, we assess some of the key numbers in the Premier League, starting with a look at which clubs are ranked as the most valuable.

Man Utd top the Premier League rich list

Five Premier League clubs feature in the top 50 list of the most valuable teams in sport – Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal.

Man United’s $4.2 billion valuation puts them just ahead of Liverpool ($4.1bn) and Man City ($4bn), with Chelsea ($3.2bn) and Arsenal ($2.8bn) rounding off the quintet.

A lack of on-field success over the past few seasons may result in United being overhauled by Liverpool and City in the rich list.

However, given the size of their global fanbase and commercial appeal, United should stay well ahead of Chelsea and Arsenal for the foreseeable future.

Ronaldo keeps the cash tills ringing

Despite reaching the latter stages of his illustrious career, Cristiano Ronaldo remains one of the highest paid footballers in the world.

The Man United forward’s annual $36 million salary is the largest in the Premier League, although it some way behind the $62m Paris Saint-Germain pay Kylian Mbappe.

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, $26m), Kevin De Bruyne (Man City, $24m) and Erling Braut Haaland (Man City, $24m) are the Premier League’s other representatives in the top 10 salary list.

Haaland may well challenge Mbappe’s status as the highest earner in the future, with Real Madrid and Barcelona both keen to break the bank to secure his services.

Top transfer fees show some prudency in the EPL

While Premier League clubs are not averse to spending big in the transfer market, they are generally more prudent when it comes to splashing ‘silly money’.

Of the top ten transfer fees of all time only two involve EPL clubs buying players – Jack Grealish (Aston Villa to Man City, £105.75m) and Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan to Chelsea, £101.7m).

Phillipe Coutinho (Liverpool to Barcelona, £121.5m) and Eden Hazard (Chelsea to Real Madrid, £103.5m) are the only other deals in the top 10 that feature EPL clubs.

Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona are responsible for spending the biggest amounts, with five of the top six deals concluded by them.

Foreign TV deals keep the gravy train on track

Domestic television contracts with Sky Sports and BT Sport have long been the dominant source of income for the Premier League.

However, that will change from the 2022/23 season, with overseas television rights now worth a whopping £5.3bn following the agreement of new deals in Asia.

With domestic TV contracts raking in a cool £5.1bn for Premier League clubs, the title winners will pocket £176m in prize money this season.

The growth in TV revenue cements the Premier League’s status as the richest football competition in the world.

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