January 2018 – Market Comment

Is the property market up or is down? This month, more than ever, the answer depends on who you speak to.

For example, according to the Land Registry, a total of 850,281residential properties were sold during 2017, which is a clear 14.6% fall on 2016 (although still 30% up on the low-point of 2008). In respect of properties listed as flats, terraced, semi-detached or detached, London was hardest hit at -27% and so was Manchester, supposedly the new kid on the … Continue Reading…

How to Interpret a Survey

Buyers clearly need to make informed choices when it comes to deciding which property to buy and at what price, although only about one in five people in England and Wales commissions a survey (source: RICS).

However, we find that buyers can be unnecessarily disappointed by the survey report simply because they are not familiar with some of the terminologies used.

Increasing litigation and a massive rise in professional insurance premiums means that surveyors are understandably becoming very cautious as to how … Continue Reading…

Getting Personal Through Technology

The opportunities opened up by technology in estate agency have been enormous, yet many local agents simply use their website as a glorified shop window. Like any agency window, the properties displayed need to be regularly updated and presented in a way that inspires buyers to take things further.

But a good estate agency website is more than a simple property search tool. If that’s all it did, it would be a bit like only being able to get the news … Continue Reading…

Does your commercial property have hidden development potential?

A little-known change in the national planning regulations could mean your commercial property has new and highly lucrative development potential.

On 1st October 2017 a new class of permitted development (PD) rights came into place to enable the conversion of light industrial units (Use Class B1c) to residential use (Use Class 3).

At Richard James, we are Members of the national Land & New Homes Network, and we recognise this as an opportunity for many commercial property owners to benefit from the changes … Continue Reading…

The Kitchen is the Heart of the Home

Our home satisfies our basic human needs such as sleeping, relaxing, washing, recreation, as well as family time, reading, watching TV, leisure, etc. But it is possibly eating which is the focus of home life. This basic need that punctuates our day provides a social focus for families and couples the world over.

Whilst many properties have a formal dining room for “special occasions”, it is without doubt the kitchen that forms the central hub of home life. The kitchen is … Continue Reading…