Interest Rate Rise Aug 2018 – Market Comment

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee has just announced a rise in the Bank of England base rate of 0.25% – only the second increase increase in over a decade. Whilst the 0.75% base rate is now the highest it has been since 2009, it is still historically low when many still remember the levels of the late 1980’s when a mortgage rate of 15% was the norm!

The latest increase is probably designed to be nothing more than a … Continue Reading…

August 2018 Market Comment

The heat is on! Or rather, it has been for the past few months of the glorious summer we have been enjoying. But is the heat on, or off the property market? Here at Richard James we have seen consistently strong sales over the summer, although the national picture seems confused. It all depends who you speak to!

For example, according to the government’s official house price index, UK house prices have increased by 3% over the past year – the … Continue Reading…

Save The Sale!

It is well documented that, nationally, around 30% of all sales arranged fail to reach a successful exchange of contracts. Fortunately, our success rate is that over 90% of our sales reach completion successfully.
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However, the sales cycle can be frustratingly slow and the longer the sale takes, the greater the chance of it falling through. This makes it particularly important that your estate agent handles your sale with kid gloves. So we typically advise our sellers as follows:

• Preparation – … Continue Reading…

Prepare To Paint – Some Tips

Before selling your property it is obviously worthwhile doing whatever is reasonably possible to make your home look appealing to prospective purchasers.

Certainly when it comes to making an immediate difference, most people understandably go straight to giving the internal walls a new coat of paint. But beware – a quick “tart-up” job can look just that, and can mar your chances of a sale should you decide to sell in the foreseeable future.

So here are a few tips to consider … Continue Reading…

Solicitors and “Solicitors”

The system of property transfer in this country is relatively archaic when compared to those of most other countries. The variety of age and tenure of UK property forms a complex framework on which sit further complications such as easements, rights of way, restrictive covenants, planning restrictions, building consents, possessory titles and disputed boundaries.

Despite some streamlining to the conveyancing process over recent years, there is no doubt that there will always be a need for an efficient and effective solicitor … Continue Reading…

Why use High Street agents?

Richard Tucker, Managing Director of Relocation Agent Network, says:
“If you’re considering selling your property, it’s important to think carefully about your expectations of the agent handling your sale. After all, you are going to be opening up your home to them and prospective buyers. I strongly recommend that sellers pay close attention to the quality of the agent’s service, advice and trust, as well as commission rate.

“With more than 600 offices across England, Scotland and Wales, the Cartus Relocation Agent … Continue Reading…

July 2018 – Market Comment

The national housing market paints a picture of the “summer doldrums” with mortgage approvals for house purchases at their lowest this year and 23.3% below their long-term average. The Bank of England’s monetary policy committee has also been advised that, by the end of the year, house prices will have risen by just 2%, which would be well below inflation and its slowest pace for five years.

Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has indicated that the UK should prepare for … Continue Reading…

Richard James Joins Forces With Agents Across The UK To Help Support Local Food Banks

We’re delighted to announce that we are participating in a nationwide event organised by Relocation Agent Network called #OneThousandItemsofFood, supporting local Foodbanks in their bid to help tackle food poverty in the UK.

The #OneThousandItemsofFood event runs between 14 June and 21 June. Richard James and our customers will collect as many items of food and other supplies with the aim of collecting 1,000 items across the network.

The last day of our fundraising event coincides with Agents Giving ‘Donate a Food Parcel … Continue Reading…

It’s Not Just About Selling!

Many estate agents put substantial emphasis on their ability to find a buyer, and they highlight this as a primary reason to sell through them.

However, we believe in going far beyond this. In many ways, finding a buyer is the easy bit! Most switched-on agents have access to most of the buyers in the market, primarily via their advertising in the press, website and portals, enabling them to build a large database of registered buyers.

But the issue is not actually … Continue Reading…

Royal Wedding Good News for the Property Market!

We British love a royal wedding! The unifying effect of such an event as this weekend’s, in which millions of people are interested (ok, not everyone of course) usually generates a feelgood factor that spreads throughout the economy. This wedding is no different and it comes at a time when the public is slightly jaded by Brexit confusion and needs a bit of a tonic.

May is historically an optimistic time of year, heralding the summer months ahead, which are most … Continue Reading…