There are lots of conflicting reports from Halifax and Nationwide about house prices going up and then going down: London prices are booming whilst the rest of the country falls behind. Having seen this all before in the last 30 yrs of being involved in estate agency, I can only advise potential vendors to seek the professional advice of your local, independent estate agent. Of all the economists who...
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Investing in a buy to let property is just that, a great investment, but landlords do need to be prepared. The least stressful part is the buying, redecorating and finding a tenant; the blood pressure starts to rise when your tenants leave unexpectedly or damage the property. Investing in a specialist landlord insurance policy is something that all potential landlords should take time to do. ...
Just as people need to be realistic about what their property is worth when putting it on the market to be sold, they also need to be realistic about what it is worth in the rental market. Just as with selling a property, location is always a key factor. Just because your house is the most beautifully presented in a certain area, does not make its rental value 25% higher than the average for that...
One of the most frequent questions that I am asked by vendors is, “What can I do to generate more interest in my property, other than dropping the price?” This can be answered in two parts. Firstly, somehouses ARE overvalued: agents advise a vendor on a price which is markedly over value just to get the listing, therefore keeping the boss back at the office happy that they have got another...
Nobody likes someone who says “I told you so…” but it is always gratifying from a professional point of view to know that you were right. At the beginning of March in an article in the Argus the team at Cheshire and Co were not only celebrating a first year in business in Pontnewydd but were also quietly confident that there was a very gradual upturn in activity in the property market. Fast forward...
Are you a landlord or thinking of becoming one. Although open evenings at estate agents have become a popular way to find out more about the buy to let market many people have a lot more questions to ask which require an individual one to one discussion. No matter how unimportant a question may seem I will delighted to answer it. Becoming a landlord is a major decision and requires knowledge of current...
Easter is now here and a quarter of the year has already gone. Typically we find that the country seems to shut down for two weeks and as a result potential buyers say " I will view it after Easter". Although not great for activity this does allow everyone the opportunity to ensure that "Their house is in order". For agents and vendors alike this means that once the Easter bunny has hopped off we need to...
The first day of Spring heralds a new beginning and a fresh start and many of us feel a little bit more enthusiastic about tackling those jobs that have needed doing over the winter months. For many this meanstaking the decision to put their house on the market and capitalising on the better weather showing their property off to the best possible effect. We at Cheshire and Co fully understand...
The story so far... After nearly thirty years of working for large corporate estate agents I realised I was suffering from corporate strangulation. I believe that corporate estate agency now has little to do with providing the best possible service but is all about targets targets and more targets. Many large estate agents struggle to make money by simply selling and renting houses, which is what we...
