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 to collect at least 10,000 items of food (and other daily necessities) for local foodbanks.
Taking place between 13 and 20 June, the event – #RANFoodbank10k – will see Relocation Agent Network members across England, Scotland and Wales join forces to help tackle food poverty in the UK.
So if you have any spare food items or other vital supplies like toiletries, we invite you … Continue Reading…
Moving Day
We all know that moving can be stressful. Good estate agents, especially those who have moved house themselves, should be able to minimise this wherever possible by anticipating many of the needs of buyer and seller alike.
However, even though the seller has the same primary objective as the buyer, each plays a critical role in the stress of the other party and each has an important responsibility to the other. Whilst negotiations may have been tough, following exchange of contracts … Continue Reading…
Stamp Duty
Stamp duty originated in the 17th century when duty stamps could be purchased and attached to a transactional document to prove that any tax due on the transaction had been paid. Today, tax relating to the purchase of land is known as “Stamp Duty”, or, more correctly Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).
There has in the past been some confusion as to whether the rate bands are applied once on the whole amount or incremental, ie escalating rates on successive portions. … Continue Reading…
May Market Comment
The pressure for a decisive Brexit result has clearly provided the country with a sigh of relief and a bit of breathing space – finally. Most people now realise that life goes on and whatever the eventual result, if there ever is one, it is probably more likely to affect their political sensitivities more than their actual pocket. This has been borne out by the increase in activity we have experienced over the past few weeks as we find ourselves … Continue Reading…
Spoilt for choice? You can’t beat a good recommendation!
Today, we have more choices than ever before. From the half-fat, decaf, double froth cappuccino at your local coffee shop to the fifty shades of white available at your local DIY store (Chapel Porth or Dover Skies anyone?). When it comes to selling your home, selecting an estate agent is no different, except this time it’s not a £3.60 coffee you’re choosing, it’s someone to help guide you through the biggest investment you’ll ever make.
With so many agents these days, … Continue Reading…
Habitable Rules
New legislation means that tenants can now potentially sue a landlord who fails to adequately maintain their property.
The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 means that tenants can take direct action over substandard property, rather than having to rely on their local authority to pursue a landlord who fails to adequately maintain it. Courts will not only be able to force landlords to carry out repairs, but can also award damages to tenants.
The scope of the legislation is wide-ranging, … Continue Reading…
Other Forces
There was a day when a slight shift in the bank base rate or change in stamp duty could have a profound effect on property market sentiment. Yet the Bank of England’s continuing consensus to maintain interest rates at very low levels (albeit tweaked with the occasional 0.25% here and there) is possibly the strongest signal to date that the British property market is actually driven increasingly by factors other than such things. The general economy, oil prices, employment, and … Continue Reading…
March Market Comment
Sensation sells! The press is having a field day with all sorts of Brexit-related headlines and claims about how the current state of confusion is negatively impacting on the housing market. The reality is that latest figures published by respected sources support our own view that it’s not quite a buyers’ market yet, even though, according to the Nationwide, house prices are just 0.4% higher than this time last year.
The latest Propertymark Housing Report found that NAEA members report a … Continue Reading…
Low up-take of online estate agency
Some local sellers have approached us to sell their property following a less-than-impressive performance by an online alternative to “proper” estate agency. Although it is always tempting to say “I told you so”, we wouldn’t be so harsh with someone who has just been through the mill with the wrong choice of agent.
And it seems they are not alone. In fact, a survey* of over 14,000 sellers, the largest ever undertaken, has demonstrated that 93% of people would prefer to … Continue Reading…
The Advertising Myth
It would not be unreasonable to assume that as a property comes onto the market, the instructed estate agent will post the property details on various property portals and wait for the enquiries to roll in.
However, this approach is somewhat simplistic! We take a much more strategic and proactive approach to handling new buyer enquiries. There is a fallacy surrounding adverts in that many people think that a property sells as a direct result of the publication of its corresponding … Continue Reading…