All change on the home front.
So what does the new year have in store for the world of property? Here are predictions for 2023's top trends.

Woodland wonders

Forget pony paddocks and swimming pools, in these days of the fuel crisis mature trees will be the must-have of 2023. 

Apart from feeding the biomass boiler and wood-burner, chopping and stacking provides a good workout.

The great indoors: Covid fuelled a yearning for country life among city folk that shows precious little sign of abating

However, you need to do your research: 'Find out about tax advantages and planting grants,' says Charlie Rearden, of Stacks Property Search. 

'Talk to a land agent who will advise on uses, maintenance, management and reliable contractors to help with dangerous work.'

Rural hot spots

Covid fuelled a yearning for country life among city folk that shows precious little sign of abating.

Estate agents Strutt & Parker say Herefordshire, Shropshire and Somerset will be much sought after in 2023, while Northerners will be dashing to buy in Pickering, Kirkbymoorside and Helmsley (all ten minutes from the North York Moors) and the foodie haven of Malton.

Carol Peett, meanwhile, of West Wales property finders, says: 'This region will remain popular just as long as we sell big houses with several acres of land for the price of a small London flat.'

Energy efficiency counts

The Energy Performance Certficate (EPC) used to be seen as just another box to tick for sellers, but 2023 will be a buyer's market and a house with a good EPC rating is more likely to sell well. 

Retro-fitting (putting eco-fixtures into older properties) is the buzzword of the year.

Rightmove searches for homes with solar panels and heat pumps have increased significantly in recent years.

However, 2023 will be the year of Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) — a system that filters the air and disperses it throughout the house.
It means you do not lose heat by having to open windows.

App happy

Smartphone apps that will work the heating and lighting as well as the security and home entertainment will become more widespread this year. 

Phased lighting that comes on when someone enters a room and goes off when they leave will help to cut down the bills.

Electric car charging points are here to stay.

Developers must now install an electric-vehicle (EV) charging point in all new-build homes, and older homes are likely to follow suit.

Although each charge point costs about £976, according to the Department of Transport, a recent survey by Jackson-Stops estate agents found 20 per cent of people want one in their next home.

Garden home offices

With most people working from home during Covid, deepintheassporn.com the sale of garden home offices rocketed.

They still prove useful to office workers and children needing to get away from the hubbub of the family. 

Cheap to run, with good sound insulation, they will also be used as music studios, reading rooms, gyms and garden rooms.

Project self-build

Grand Designs day-dreams could become a reality for thousands, thanks to the Government's new . 

Announced in June, it offers an equity loan of between 5 per cent to 20 per cent based on the estimated cost of buying a plot of land and building the home.

Timber frames are the most popular with self-builders.

Factory-made modular homes arrive already insulated, but they are a little more expensive.

To learn more about self-build, The National Self Build & Renovation Centre (NSBRC) in Swindon runs free courses.

Decor trends

The kitchen and family room with bi-fold doors flowing into the garden with a sun terrace, pizza oven and barbecue will be in demand next summer.

In terms of interiors, the Art Deco look is gaining traction with elegant mixer taps, archways and curvaceous furniture. 

Some developers such as St Modwen and Octagon are making their ceilings a feature.

As for interior colour schemes, in come shocking pinks and magenta.

In fabrics and wallpapers, wide stripes or large checks will do the trick.