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The Guild of Professional Estate Agents (GPEA)
In September 2007 our Amesbury Office was invited to join The Guild, which enables us to advertise your properties to the London market through its Park Lane Office.
In July 2007, Bassets teamed up with Beard & Coles, an independent financial adviser, to offer its customers mortgage advice across the whole market (unlike many of its competitors). In January 2008, Bassets has linked up with The Jolly Williams Partnership to provide an in-house conveyancing service to its customers to help reduce the stress of moving.
In July 2007, Bassets celebrated its 5th birthday in style with a five course meal for all staff at Chef Peking in Catherine Street with a table magician on hand to provide the entertainment.
We welcome Lucy Sainsbury who has moved from Sales to head up our Lettings Team, Rupert Langstaff (formerly of Goadsby) who now heads up our Salisbury Office, Jill Gannon, Sales Manager in our new Fordingbridge Office and Lionel Eyre (formerly of Connells) Sales Manager at our Amesbury Office - all ably supported by their respective teams.
Bassets continues to sponsor all 6 squash teams in Salisbury. Our continued sponsorship should help all teams achieve excellent results in their respective divisions this year.
Due to the increase in business in Salisbury over the past year, the Lettings Team has now moved to an upstairs office, but with the same telephone number, fax number and postal address.
Bassets took part in a Swimathon at Goldophin school to raise money for a number of charities including The Trussell Trust. The team managed to complete 124 lengths in 55 minutes, raising approximately £500 for the charities involved and hopes to improve on this in 2008!
Congratulations to Melanye Luscombe, Catherine Hammond, Lucy Sainsbury and Jill Gannon who all achieved their Technical Award in Residential Sales by passing four exams. The Technical Award is a professional qualification run by our national industry body, the National Association of Estate Agents.
WELCOME TO OUR FIRST NEWSLETTER OF 2008
Well everyone is talking about the housing market yet again and wondering what is going to happen to both interest rates and house prices during 2008. Inside, we cover what we expect to happen to both the sales and lettings markets locally during the year.
Although there is a wide variety in house price predictions, most experts do at least agree that the market is going to be subdued in 2008 and that the first four or five months will be the busiest of the year by far.
With this in mind, we have put together some top tips from the experts on getting your home ready for sale (both internally and outside in the garden). We also look at how Bassets has continued to grow as a business, in particular with the recent opening of our third office in Fordingbridge.
We hope you find the articles informative and if we can be of service to you at all, please let us know!
HIPs Finally Rolled Out To All
From 14th December, one and two bedroom properties became the last property types required to have Home Information Packs (HIPs) when newly offered for sale. This follows on from three and four bedroomed properties where HIPs are already required.
Although the cost of the HIP, at roughly £350 inclusive of VAT, is much lower than originally expected, according to newspaper reports and our own experience only one in ten buyers have actually asked to see the HIP prior to purchase!
Although there are some exceptions, most standard properties will require a HIP - and in one year’s time, they will just be part of the normal selling process.
As a quick reminder, a HIP must include key documents such as proof of title, water and drainage searches, an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), and lease information where appropriate.
Even though having a HIP without an actual survey report on the property is of limited value as a whole, the availability of an Energy Performance Certificate is certainly helpful to highlight to a potential seller (and buyer) how simple, cheap and cost effective it can be to go green! Also, access to the deeds can help raise and/or clarify upfront a number of legal points such as boundaries, rights of way or restrictive covenants.
For further information, whether you are looking to buy or sell, please call us now and ask for a free Guide.
28 February 2008
BASSETS SHORTLISTED FOR TOP AGENT AWARD
The Salisbury and Amesbury Sales Offices, as well as the Lettings Department of Bassets, have all been shortlisted in the Southern region of the prestigious Estate Agent & Letting Agent Awards for 2008 sponsored by the Property Search Group (PSG), Findaproperty.com and supported by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
The Salisbury and Amesbury Sales Offices, as well as the Lettings Department of Bassets have all been shortlisted for an award and each is now in with a chance of collecting a regional gold or silver and possibly the National Grand Prix Award which will be presented by top TV personality Phil Spencer of Channel 4’s Location, Location, Location on April 8th. The Awards will take place at the five star Marriott Hotel in Mayfair London which, with 500 guests expected to attend, will be one of the most exciting events in the Estate Agent industry in 2008.
The results of the competition are determined by research carried out amongst customers who are asked a series of questions about the service they have received from their agent. Jeremy Leaf, Chairman of the RICS Residential Faculty says “being shortlisted or actually winning one of these prestigious awards, which are widely recognised throughout the industry, demonstrates publicly an agent’s commitment to delivering the highest standard of service.”
There are 13 Regional Categories - Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Greater London, East of England, East Midlands, North East England, North West England, Southern, South East England, South West England, West Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber. Gold & Silver Winners are awarded for each region and those winners will automatically be entered for the Grand Prix Award Best Estate Agent or Best Letting Agent in the UK. “We are delighted to support the Estate Agent and Letting Agent Awards again” says Jon Notley, Sales Director of FindaProperty.com . “We are always keen to promote the excellent work done by our many agents and clients and were particularly attracted by the format of these awards”.
Phil Spencer who will present the Awards said: “This is the 5th year of the Estate Agent and Letting Agent Awards and I’ve increasingly enjoyed being part of the celebrations on each occasion. It’s fantastic to see agents getting the credit they deserve after all the negative press they receive. Throughout the property industry there is a constant need to improve customer service and these awards go along way to help agents focus on keeping clients happy. He adds “After all the most powerful marketing tool for Agents is word of mouth so customer satisfaction is key.”
Tweedie Brown, Group Managing Director of PSG, the headline sponsor and one of the biggest HIPS providers in the UK adds: “On behalf of PSG I would like to congratulate Bassets in its quest to help raise standards through its ability to deliver excellent service to both customers buying and selling homes.”
David Clayton, Managing Director of Bassets, said “I am naturally delighted and would like to thank all those staff who have helped us achieve this result. We try to ensure that we deal openly, professionally and with integrity with all our customers and I am pleased that they are clearly appreciating the quality of service we are providing.”
The Awards are organised by Awards for Business. The regional and national winners will be announced at The Marriott Hotel in Mayfair, London on Tuesday 8th April 2008. Tickets can be booked at www.estateagentoftheyearawards.com
Anyone interested in participating in next year’s competition should contact Awards For Business on 01892 610245.
ENDS
Notes to Editor:
For further press information please contact Simon Brown at
Awards For Business on 01892 610245 Email simon@awards4business.com
All our lettings properties are now on the Rightmove website. Lucy Sainsbury, head of lettings, said “We have grown very quickly over the past five years. It is therefore vital that we continue to take every opportunity to advertise our landlords’ properties to the full to ensure that we find them quality tenants as quickly as possible.”
Rightmove report that 7.5 million tenants now use the website as the starting point for finding a rental property, a statistic which is even more pronounced for those based outside the area.
The idea of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (which came into force on 6th April 2007) was to better protect tenants and their deposits from unscrupulous landlords by making it compulsory for the landlord (or their agent) to be a member of an approved Deposit Scheme.
Any deposit disputes remaining unresolved after one month are referred to the Government’s scheme administrator (along with the deposit) for a decision to be made. The administrator has strong powers including the ability to award compensation to tenants.
In reality, we have not had a single dispute referred to the administrator. We are, however, increasingly aware of the number of private landlords who do not understand the consequences of not complying with regulations, e.g. by
1. either having no inventory or a very poor one; and
2. holding the deposit themselves.
What private landlords don’t realise is that without a very comprehensive inventory signed by both parties, the administrator is unlikely to find in their favour.
Also, more importantly, by holding the deposit themselves i.e. outside an approved scheme, they will no longer be able to serve legal notice (using a Section 21 Notice) on their tenants to repossess their property. This little gem typically only comes to light when a landlord goes to court for repossession only to be refused by the judge on the grounds that they are acting illegally as they are not holding the deposit within an approved scheme!
At Bassets, we can hold your tenant’s deposit money in a secure scheme at next to no cost. For further information, please contact Lucy Sainsbury in the Lettings Team.
The gradual rise in interest rates during the course of the year ensured that demand for rental properties remained high throughout, mainly caused by the number of first time buyers having to stay in rented accommodation for longer.
In terms of supply, this has been steady throughout the year despite the limited number of investors buying-to-let in the second half of the year. Supply has broadly met demand, with the exception of Amesbury where there have consistently been more potential tenants than rental properties available.
Rental prices have gone up and down like a yo-yo during 2007 with agents and landlords trying, with limited success, to increase their rents in line with house prices.
The outlook for 2008?
Most experts forecast a subdued year for sales, despite a rate drop in December and another expected in the first quarter of 2008. This is likely to mean that demand for rental properties will continue to be high, especially around Porton Down and Amesbury.
Experts predict that supply will increase as investors move back into buying-to-let, but that demand will outstrip supply causing rental values to rise by at least 5%. We believe that rental values will remain level as they have done in 2007, because those renting simply cannot afford to pay more (whether for rent or a mortgage)! In terms of demand, we expect hot spots in areas around Porton (due to the centralisation program of DSTL at Porton Down) and in Amesbury (due to the continued development of The Solstice Business Park).
At Bassets, we aim to provide the best service possible to our clients, both those buying and selling. Our best efforts are frequently thwarted, however, because of having to deal with solicitors who are difficult to contact, poor at communicating progress and who seem to work to their own timescales rather than those of their clients! The result of all of this is additional stress at a time when it’s not needed.
We have therefore teamed up with a local solicitors’ practice, The Jolly Williams Partnership (JWP), so that we can provide an in-house conveyancing facility to our clients. You will have one central point of contact, available to see you during normal office hours for the duration of your sale or purchase. More importantly, if there are problems, these can be picked up and dealt with quickly with Bassets being kept up to date regularly with progress.
JWP is a small but growing business, with offices in Westbury and Warminster covering litigation as well as residential and commercial conveyancing services. They provide a highly personalised service and their values and work ethics blend perfectly with our own.
NO COMPLETION NO FEE – they will not charge you any solicitors’ fees if your sale or purchase falls through. This provides even better value for money and is a superb offer which you are unlikely to get from a smaller practice.
For further information, please call Kirsty on 01722 440778.
2008 might end up being a tough market to sell in, but with Spring on its way, you can significantly improve your chances of selling (and indeed add value to) your property by presenting it well both inside and out.
According to Angela Mould at Garden Patch Design, “enhancing your garden to attract a buyer is simple and inexpensive.”
She advises that before you put your house on the market, you should pay particular attention to keeping the lawn in good condition and cleaning up borders as healthy neat grass looks good in photos! Angela also recommends that you tidy up your boundaries as repairing fences and clipping hedges adds to the size of your garden.
Then, just as you would tidy your house for a prospective buyer, do the same to your garden:
• Edge lawns and borders for instant impact and pin back rampant climbers such as honeysuckle.
• Enhance and highlight good features and views – temporarily move obstructions such as climbing frames which distort scale.
• Scrub algae and moss off paving and steps with an algaecide – don’t use a pressure wash, it may loosen the mortar.
• A substantial pot, generously and tastefully planted, makes a welcoming feature at the font door.
• Don’t waste money on a feature or plant that’s out of character with the garden.
• Provide evidence that you enjoy your garden – a thoughtfully placed garden chair, not an abandoned tricycle!
And when you buy your next house, remember – a well designed garden is a joy to use and an asset to be valued!
For further information, please contact Angela on 07869 282987
As we predicted, prices dropped towards the end of 2007. Although interest rates were increased three times in 2007, the last quarter saw the fallout from the Northern Rock debacle and then a welcome drop of 0.25% in interest rates in December. Although the supply of property during the year was low, there were even less buyers out there creating a buyer’s market throughout most of the year.
The reason for the limited number of buyers was due to first time buyers being unable to afford to get onto the market, investors deciding that the high interest rates did not make buying-to-let commercially viable and second time buyers simply not being able to afford the repayments of moving despite having enough equity in their homes!
The outlook for 2008?
Despite inflation being back under control, there is talk of interest rates falling further at least 0.25% in either February or March. Most experts forecast a rather subdued year (due to continued affordability issues) with little if any increase in the price of property to be expected.
We agree with the experts, although we do expect the first four months of 2008 to be especially busy with prices increasing during this time and falling back towards the middle/end of the year. We also expect prices to increase above the average in a number of areas including Amesbury and the villages around Porton Down.
At Bassets, we have always stated that we are different from our competitors in lots of ways, but how? In a series of recent workshops, we tried to articulate the messages coming back from our customers over the past five years, with the following 10 Key Differences coming to the fore:
1. We are a family run business whose success has been built on providing an open, honest and friendly approach to all our customers. Our numerous awards demonstrate the outstanding level of service we provide to our customers.
2. Our staff are primarily recruited for their customer skills and are then professionally trained in their chosen field. Consequently you can rest assured that your property is in safe hands and that you will be dealt with in a friendly, but professional manner.
3. We communicate proactively to ensure that you always feel informed - whether it’s good or bad news!
4. Our in-house conveyancing facility significantly reduces the stress of moving, by ensuring that any problems are raised and resolved quickly.
5. Our floor plans, comprehensive sales brochures and informed viewings by experienced staff enable us to showcase your property to the maximum.
6. Our complementary mortgage and conveyancing services enable us to offer a “one stop shop” for our clients to help make moving a more stress free experience.
7. We negotiate skillfully on your behalf to ensure that we secure for you the best price possible.
8. We make the best use of technology so that your property is marketed promptly, proactively and in a targeted way.
9. We advertise prominently using a comprehensive range of media so that your property reaches its widest audience nationally as well as locally.
10. Our open, “all inclusive” approach to pricing our rental services means that you always know where you stand financially and can budget accordingly.
Designed Interiors
Designed Interiors undertakes projects from concept to completion. Services offered include curtain making, upholstery, furniture Restoration, colour design and redecoration. They also offer free advice on “Making Your Home More Saleable” to those clients instructing Bassets to sell their property. For a brief guide call Bassets.
The Garden Patch
Garden Patch Design offers a range of garden design services from outline, phased plans through renovation to full re-design, with a twin emphasis on enhancing the garden and meeting the clients' needs. All plans are based on a site survey and analysis, following an initial free consultation. For more, please read the article inside.
Vision News
Vision-News TV is the market leader in providing "affordable films" for streaming over the internet and delivery by DVD, to anybody who is serious about marketing their services or products. For further information and to see examples of their work, go to www.vision-news.tv - the local voice of your community.
Glynn McDonald Roofing Contractors
Glynn McDonald Roofing Contractors provide a prompt and professional service and always keep their promises. They are a member of the National Federation of Roofing Contractors and are Trust-mark Registered. The type of work undertaken includes building new roofs and converting lofts as well as doing the smaller repair works.
Wiltshire's best Estate Agent* is coming to Hampshire
Bassets NEW Fordingbridge Office opens its doors on 3rd December 2007.
For more information call 01425 204555 or email sales@fordingbridgebassets.co.uk.
*Daily Express sponsored national competition covering services, trust, efficiency and value, by an independent assessment of sellers and buyers: 2004, 2005, 2006