Anthony James - Southport
Estate Agents - 19 Anchor Street, Southport, PR9 0UT
Anthony James Estate Agents is a family owned agency, which provides a
quality personal service in both lettings and sales. We pride ourselves in
providing a highly efficient 'one stop service' at an
affordable price!
We also provide additional services including: insurance, mortgage, legal
advice, financial services, free 'house doctor', text messaging, interactive web
site, regular sales or lettings progress reports, computerised database matching
tenants/buyers with properties and latest digital technology including plasma
advertising screens.
Since its establishment in 1990 the Antony Hill Partnership
has developed into one of Southport’s leading Commercial Property firms. The
partners, Antony Hill, Barry Easton and Martin Connolly have a combined
experience of over 100 years in the local property market as chartered surveyors
in the area and are advisers to a number of ‘high street’ banks and institutions
as well as local government bodies, pension funds, private businesses and
individuals. For professional advice on commercial property in Southport why
would you go anywhere else?
Antony Hill offer a broad range of property services
including: Commercial sales and lettings
Commercial property acquisition
Commercial valuations
Homebuyers reports and valuations
Property management
Rent review negotiations Lease
renewal negotiations
Business rates appeals General
landlord and tenant advice
Valuations for pension funds
Probate valuations
Advice on the acquisition and disposal of property for
investment or development
On behalf of the team at 'Bailey Estates' we would like to
welcome you to our Residential Sales & Lettings Agency. Here at
www.baileyestates.co.uk you will find a vast selection of
beautiful properties for sale or rent within Southport and the
surrounding areas.
At Bailey Estates we have three
primary aims for each & every one of our clients:
To offer an unprecedented level of professional customer
service at all times
To engage in honest & open communication on every
occasion
To bring a swift & satisfactory completion on all sales
& lettings
We welcome enquiries from Sellers, Buyers, Landlords and
prospective tenants - Let the team at Bailey Estates assist you
today.
Bailey Estates wish to extend a very warm welcome to
all future clients and prospective purchasers. We are a
completely independent family owned and run Estates & Lettings
Agent based in the lovely village of Birkdale, Southport.
The three key objectives of Bailey Estates are to provide an
unprecedented level of customer service to all of our clients,
honest & open dialogue at all times and a swift conclusion on
all sales & lettings.
We pride ourselves on retaining the traditional values of a
respected Estate Agent but understand & appreciate that only
with a visionary approach to the future of sales & lettings will
we succeed to meet client’s expectations.
For all sales & lettings enquiries please do not hesitate to
contact a member of Bailey Estates staff today.
Ball & Percival were first established in 1900 and are the Town's largest
firm of Estate Agents, occupying a prime location in the heart of Southport Town
Centre. We occupy all four floors of a beautiful Victorian building overlooking
the Monument Gardens on the famous Lord Street Boulevard. The name of Ball &
Percival is a locally respected name, synonymous with all aspects of property
transactions. Our range of services at this office include Residential Sales and
Lettings, Financial Services, Commercial Sales and Lettings. There are 23
members of staff based at this office with a vast range of experience and Office
Manager, Karen Potter, has over 24 years experience, almost 20 of them with Ball
& Percival. She is a Partner of the firm and twice elected as Chairman of the
Southport & District Surveyors and Estate Agents Association.
Welcome to the Website of Chris Tinsley Independent Estate Agents. Formed in
2001 by Chris Tinsley, an Associate of the National Association of Estate
Agents, resident of Southport, and with fifteen years of valuing and selling
property in the Southport area. This exciting new company offers you a better
way to buy or sell your property.
Ellis & Sons - Southport
Estate Agents – 459 Lord Street, Southport, PR9 0AQ
Ellis & Sons is one of Southport's leading firms of independent Estate
Agents, Chartered Surveyors, Valuers and Auctioneers.
Established for over 100 years, we are located in a prime position on Lord
Street in the heart of Southport with branch offices in Ainsdale and Tarleton,
serving the North Merseyside and West Lancashire areas. Whilst our core business
is selling residential properties, we also provide an extensive range of
professional services from surveys and valuations to property management,
lettings, mortgage advice and the sale of antiques, furniture and effects by
auction.
Ellis and Sons use both traditional and modern marketing techniques which,
when combined with our experience, expertise and enthusiasm, means we are able
to achieve efficient sales at the best possible prices.
So, if you are thinking of selling your property, contact us now to arrange a
free valuation from one of our experienced valuers.
Farrell Heyworth have grown to be one of the largest independent estate
agency groups in the North West with 33 strategically placed offices and having
specialist departments including Residential Sales, Surveys and Valuations,
Lettings and Property Management, Mortgage Services, Conveyancing, and Auctions.
The Directors and staff have been actively involved in the property market in
the North West for many years and as well as taking full interest in the
day-to-day running of the company, are fully involved in dealing with clients,
assisting them throughout the marketing and sales process. With unparalleled
experience of the North West property market, the Directors are often consulted
as to their thoughts on market trends.
Farrell Heyworth have one of the
widest selection of properties available for sale ranging from the Furness
Peninsular, Lancaster and Morecambe, Preston and surrounding area, Chorley and
Bolton including Westhoughton, the Fylde coast and Merseyside; making Farrell
Heyworth the first choice for many buyers and sellers.
With the installation of the latest technology, you can view full details of
every property in each branch. Further more, each individual property is matched
against the needs of waiting buyers every week with suitable properties being
posted or emailed without delay.
17 Farrell Heyworth offices
are the preferred agents for the 720 branch Homesale Network, the United
Kingdom’s No 1 estate agency group, which collectively sells more properties and
generates more out of area moves than any other estate agency network in the
UK.
1996 saw Farrell Heyworth voted the best Independent Estate Agency in the
country by the Homesale Network, one of the country’s leading awards for
business performance and quality of service. Such is the exclusivity of this
honour that only nine other firms in the country have been similarly
honoured
– every estate agent will tell you they are the best, Farrell Heyworth alone can
prove it.
Farrell Heyworth’s success has been built over the last 15 years by insisting
on the very highest level of customer service. We believe that this is due to
our experienced and professional team, our greatest asset. They are local,
highly motivated people who know the area and who will work hard
and enthusiastically
to sell your property.
The Farrell Heyworth
Group handle over 1,000 property sales at any one time, in
addition to handling the rental and management of hundreds of residential
properties, and carrying out thousands of professional property valuations &
surveys each year.
Selling your home could be the most significant transaction you ever make.
So, it's important you have the right kind of support from the very start:
We are experts in selling houses and want to generate the maximum interest for
your home.
Reasons to choose us
We offer a free market valuation from one of our expert valuers
We'll explain up-front what our selling fees are. There are no hidden
costs and you have the added reassurance of our 'No Sale - No Fee' guarantee (
see important information
)
We belong to the Ombudsman Scheme for Estate Agents so you can be sure to get
a fair deal and a clear explanation of costs.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your
mortgage.
We'll market and manage your property
We'll match your property details with a selection of suitable buyers on our
mailing list
Your home will also be added to rightmove.co.uk, the UK's No.1 Property
website and our own Home Finder search tool. If you're selling a property
in Northern Ireland, we'll also feature it on propertynews.com
Our high profile newspaper advertising and familiar For Sale boards will also
get your property noticed
We'll organise viewings of your home and provide you with regular feedback
from viewers
We also offer accompanied viewings if that's more convenient for you
Residential property professionals. Our
business is the sale and letting of property. We understand the unique pressures
of living and are committed to delivering results.
Everything we do says
something about the type of company we are, from the quality of our publications
to the enthusiasm and knowledge of our staff.
Innovation is key to every area of our business which is built on exceeding
clients expectations.
Our longer opening hours and high street office,
buck industry trends and offer professional service on a more friendly level.
Hesketh Estate Agents & Property Services is a local company that will help
you to sell your property. We are a customer friendly service, and our fees are
realistic and very competitive. We are totally focused on helping you sell your
property, and will keep you informed of any interest in the property and
regularly contact you with feedback and views.
We will put a prominent ‘for sale’ board on the property being sold. We
advertise your property in the local newspapers as well as the internet. We
provide colour sale particulars that are displayed in our Ormskirk & Southport
showrooms, we take all inquiries via our sale board, newspaper or internet. We
arrange viewings – accompanied if required – we follow up each viewer for their
opinions / interest and report back to you. We will contact you on a regular
basis to discuss further action you require to progress the sale of your
property.
John Barnes, previously co-founder of Nicholls and Barnes has been a
dedicated professional estate agent since 1980.
It is our belief that selling houses is about service. Your agent
should know the local market, and be able to find buyers from local and regional
newspapers as well as internet advertising etc. Your property should be
presented in a modern office with quality brochures, photographs and a detailed
accurate description.
However finding a buyer is only half the story. A professional agent should
ensure that the sale of your home runs smoothly, and should use the benefits of
his or her experience, to ensure that all of the potential pitfalls of a sale
are dealt with on your behalf.
J.Fitton & Co. has been built on service, and relies on delivering quality in
all areas of our business. We not only ensure that valuations are accurate and
based on your personal circumstances and prevailing market conditions, but also
we will negotiate our fees based on our knowledge of the current market. If
houses are selling quickly then our customers expect to pay lower fees, whilst
gaining maximum service levels. This is because we firmly believe that our
clients come first, and not the fee.
Our service extends beyond the sale of your property, we can offer advice on
property you intend to buy, as well as the property you are selling. we and our
trusted partners can cover every aspect of the property industry, ensuring your
move meets with success.
We take care in our service, and our clients ongoing recommendations are the
best advert for our company. We believe we can not be beaten.
Lynn Thompson took over ownership of Southport Property Shop in September
2005 and rebranded the business on 27th January 2006.
Lynn Thompson has over 16 years experience in Estate Agency and together with
Tina Morris (Sales Manager) and Debbie Spofforth ( Administrator) is looking
forward to providing a professional and reliable service.
Lynn Thompson Residential Lettings and Overseas properties will be launched
towards the middle of 2006.
Nicholls & Barnes offer the following comprehensive service at a competitive
commission to assist both vendor and purchaser find the home of their dreams:
Free no obligation valuation carried out by one of our company partners.
No sale - No fee.
No withdrawal fee.
No tie-in.
Unrivalled professional full colour photography with internal pictures where
appropriate.
Your property featured extensively in the local press.
24 hour illuminated display on view to potential purchasers 7 days a week.
Seen somewhere you want to buy and need a quick sale - we can market your
property today.
Self selection displays allowing purchasers to browse at their leisure with
fully trained efficient and friendly professionals on hand to help.
Mailing list with priority purchasers and property guides.
Accompanied viewings available where required.
Unrivalled service including full and ongoing liaison with solicitors.
All this from the local independent estate agent who works harder.
Oakleys Estate Agent – 43
London Street, Southport, PR9 0TH
Southport’s finest estate agent… We are here to offer you the best
customer service in the industry. Oakleys Estate Agents offer a new modern
approach focused on customer care, aimed at making your move as easy and
uncomplicated as possible. At Oakleys Estate Agents we understand that each
customer is unique and requires certain property aspects. All of our staff are
fully trained to assist you in taking the correct approach to buying and selling
property. We know that our fresh approach to advertising and ultimate exposure
across 480 nationwide sites unique to Oakleys estate agents can only mean one
thing, your property will be seen by more buyers more often guaranteeing a much
higher success rate. Thank you for choosing Oakleys we make buying and selling
easy.
Peter Brown - Southport
Estate Agents – 4/6 Post Office Avenue, Southport
Welcome to Peter Brown . . . . Estate Agents & Chartered Surveyors
If searching for a home, or a site on which to build your home, then please
view our property sections. We have a large selection of properties in the
Southport & Ainsdale areas.
THE COMPLETE SERVICE PETER BROWN ESTATE
AGENTS & CHARTERED SURVEYORS have been established in the Southport Area for
over ten years, with the main office located in the heart of Southport just off
Lord Street and with a further new office recently opened in Ainsdale expanding
the practice.
The Company now provides a complete Commercial, Survey and Valuation practice
in addition to residential sales, lettings and mortgage advice providing a
comprehensive range of services covering all aspects of the commercial and
residential property market in Southport, Ainsdale and the North West coast.
The surveying service includes; Building Surveys Home Buying Surveys,
Valuations and Town Planning advice and expert guidance as to the type of survey
which is best suited to individual requirements. Valuation advice includes;
mortgage and asset valuations. compensation, rating and rent assessments and
experienced advice is also available to industry and commerce. with regard to
commercial sales and lettings, property acquisition, landlord and tenant
matters, rent reviews, schedules of condition and residential lettings and
management.
Pugh & Company - Southport Property Auctions – 5 Lockside Office Park, Preston, PR2 2YS
Pugh & Company are a dedicated property auction house whose success is built
around a firm commitment and ability to deliver a high quality service to an
extensive range of public and private sector clients. We have an excellent track
record in selling both Investment opportunities and vacant properties across a
broad range of property sectors including Retail, Commercial, Industrial,
Development Opportunities and Residential properties.
The Auction Industry's independent analysts, Property Intelligence, have
confirmed in their 2006 report Pugh & Company's position as the largest property
auction house outside of Greater London having sold Lots with a total sales
value in excess of £135m in 2006.
Welcome to Reeds Rains Southport Estate Agents. We have properties for sale
and to let in the areas of Ainsdale, Banks, Birkdale, Bescar, Burscough,
Churchtown, Crossens, Hesketh Park, High Park, Hillside, Hesketh Bank, Halsall,
Hoscar, Lathom, Marshside, Rufford, Tarleton, Shirdley Hill, Southport,
Woodvale..
Welcome to Reeds Rains Southport where we pride ourselves on delivering an
exceptional service, whether it be buying or selling, mortgage advise or buying
abroad we can help you. We also look on each client as an individual and have
extensive knowledge of local and surrounding areas and our friendly staff our
only to glad to help in anyway that we can. My aim is to make you want to use
and recommend Reeds Rains to friends and family over and over again. We look
forward to hearing from you and helping you in any way we can.
Sutton Kersh Auctions, provide property auction services for a full range of
properties throughout the North of England. We are ranked as one of the top 20
UK property auctioneers, which we believe is a testament to the skill and
experience we commit to every auction.
We consistently sell we
consistently sell on average 80% of lots offered at auction and continue to
build upon a well-respected reputation for excellence and success.
Our
auctions generally include a good selection of residential investments / vacant
possessions, commercial investments / vacant possessions, land (with or without
Planning Permission) and mixed-use investments.
Sutton Kersh has access
to an extensive buyers mailing list and provides a fully integrated marketing
programme for every auction. We work hard to ensure as broad a market exposure
as possible, both locally, in the media and to out-of-area buyers.
We
print and distribute almost 15,000 catalogues for each auction and it’s often
standing-room only at our sales which are held at the Marriott Hotel, 1 Queens
Square, Liverpool L1.
We also offer proxy and telephone bidding on all
lots and our comprehensive auction guide includes all the necessary forms and
fully detailed conditions of sale.
Wainwright and Edwards Estate Agents established in August 2004, are a young
and dynamic independent agent able to provide a local and professional service.
We have received the following awards:
Excellence in Marketing and Communications award.
Best Small Business Award 2006.
by the Chamber of Commerce, recognised the dedication from our friendly and
experienced staff to offer a service that focuses on the client and has an
innovative approach to selling your property.
As specialists in Residential Sales, WE are able to provide our customers a
complete package to include In-house Conveyancing and independent Financial
Advice to make purchasing a property as smooth as possible.
Our brand new sister company 'WE LETTINGS' can support you in all aspects of
rental including "tenant find" only or property management with assistance from
staff with over 10 years experience in the industry.
WE offer you a no-nonsense and professional
service from £999 + VAT and Excellent Customer Service
1. Keep your eye on what you want to achieve, the substantial
saving you will make by not using an estate agent. Commissions vary between
estate agents, but even a 1.5 per cent commission on a £300,000 property will
amount to £4,500 plus VAT. Bear this figure in mind when budgeting for the
marketing of your property, £1,000 spent on advertising and marketing will
still be a huge saving over the cost of estate agents fees.
2. Many people market their house privately as well as with an
estate agent. If you do this make sure the demarcation line is clear. If an
estate agent can claim to have introduced you to a buyer, even indirectly, he
is entitled to his commission. Watch out for small print in your contract with
your estate agent offering him "sole selling rights". The estate agent will be
entitled to his commission even if you find a private buyer.
3. Take responsibility for putting a realistic price on your house.
You should get it valued by more than one estate agent but you should take
their valuations with a pinch of salt. Some valuations may be above a
realistic selling price in order to appear that they can achieve the highest
price. They may be able to do this, but how long will you have to wait for
that buyer? Check out the price of similar properties via the Land Registry (www.landregistry.co.uk)
to see the prices properties have achieved.
4. Draw up particulars of your house. Make sure they are accurate,
professionally presented and free of jargon. Room Sizes will assist
potential buyers build an image of the size and layout of your property.
5. Photographs of your property should form an integral part of
your marketing strategy. Make sure that rooms are lit as well as possible,
using both natural daylight and artificial lighting. Don’t be afraid to
experiment with different angles and views of your property. A great photo
will really help push your property to the top of a buyer’s shortlist.
6. Put up a professionally designed For Sale board outside your
property. 8 out of 10 people who move house do so within 5 mile radius so the
local market is critical For Sale boards must conform to government
regulations on size and layout. Many private sale companies offer a for sale
board for a nominal fee.
7. Be prepared to also advertise in local newspapers but do not
scrimp on costs. A small advert without pictures will be overshadowed by the
glossy adverts used by estate agents. Don’t forget to add posters at work,
leaflets in Newsagents and word of mouth. All these will assist in achieving a
quicker sale.
Tips to maximise the
potential of your Southport Property
The best time for selling a property in Southport is
spring and autumn; the market slows down during late summer and over Christmas
and New Year. If a property is sold while the market is buoyant, it's much more
likely to attract the asking price.
Repairs and maintenance
Finish off small DIYjobs -
touch up chipped woodwork and replace washers on dripping taps.
Before a buyer steps into a house,
they will have already formed an impression. A well-kept garden, pathway and
fence are immediately appealing.
Water can cause major problems in
unwanted places. Check your roof and guttering, replace broken tiles and
repair the lead flashing. It's worth casting an eye over the drains too. A
drain cleared before a blockage occurs is easier on the nose and the wallet!
A regular lick of paint will keep a
property looking good and keep deterioration at bay. A newly-painted front
door with shiny brass fittings always creates a good impression. When selling,
a surveyor will be able to spot if attempts at 'sprucing up' your property are
simply quick fixes - he'll be much more impressed by ongoing maintenance.
Cutting the lawn can be a
last-minute pick-me-up. Feeding it a couple of weeks beforehand will brighten
it up and make it look healthy.
If your fitted kitchen units look
tired, simply replace or paint and varnish the doors. This will be much
cheaper than buying a totally new kitchen. If the units are in fairly good
condition and only look dated, just replace the doorknobs, handles and taps.
Another economical trick is to fit good solid worktops on to existing units.
Look and feel
Paint walls - a pale, plain shade
maximises the feeling of light and space and enables buyers to imagine their
possessions in the property. Research shows that most buyers prefer natural,
earthy colours to bright, bold shades. Although there's a wide range of paint
colours available, magnolia is still the top-selling colour.
To prevent rooms looking too bland,
use strong colours for accent walls or cushions and accessories.
De-personalise your rooms by
removing personal items, such as family photographs and children's drawings,
which may distract potential buyers. Buyers should be looking at the property
not the owner's possessions, so hide these items until the property is sold.
Removing clutter also makes it easier for buyers to imagine their own
belongings in a room
Plant pots can provide colour in
your garden. If you don't have the time to fill your own, you can always get
some ready-made.
Flowers and a bowl of fruit will
brighten up a room and provide a pleasant smell.
Organise rooms - a property will be
more appealing if rooms have a specific purpose and this allows buyers to see
the full potential of the property.
Revitalise a bathroom with a green
leafy plant and new taps, shower curtain and light pull. All these items can
be picked up cheaply from DIY warehouses.
Coloured bathroom suites are out
and old-fashioned white is back in vogue. If you've got an avocado or pink
bathroom, consider investing in a white suite. It will add value to your
property.
Restoring fireplaces and period
features, such as ceiling roses and cornices, can add thousands of pounds to a
property. If you don't have a fireplace then a striking picture can work
equally well. If you decide to install a fireplace, look for an original
period grate and surround in reclamation yards.
Avoid strong food odours - don't
cook food such as fish or curry before a viewing as the smell will linger. The
smell of freshly-baked bread or fresh coffee though is said to provide a
welcoming feel to a home.
Ask friends or family to look after
any pets during viewings.
Try and make viewers feel
comfortable. Offer them a coffee and ask them if they need any further
information about bills or local amenities.
Conveyancing is
the legal process by which ownership of a property is transferred from the
seller to the buyer.
Whether you are
a buyer, seller or both, in most cases you will want to hire a solicitor or
licensed conveyancer as it can be complicated process.
The Law Society
is the professional body for solicitors in England and Wales and they are bound
by their code of practice. You can find a solicitor in your area that
specialises in conveyancing on the Law Society website. You can also read its
guidance about how to use a solicitor and what to do when things go wrong.
At this point,
all the solicitors in the chain will exchange the contracts they have drawn up
for each property and then a date is fixed for the completion of the sale. This
is the date that the property is legally yours and you can move in.
Normally, 10
per cent of your property purchase price will be needed in advance and paid at
the exchange of contracts. You are also bound to go through with the purchase or
lose the deposit.
Arranging the move
Once you have
the completion date you can arrange the day of the move.
A removal
company may often be the best way to move all your belongings, but do check your
contract with them. If you can't get anyone to recommend a firm to you, contact
the British Association of Removers.
Many people are
dissatisfied with the present house buying system which can be plagued with
delay and anxiety. The Land Registry is developing 'e-conveyancing', an
electronic system for the buying, selling and registration of land and property
in England and Wales to improve the process. To find out how the new system will
work visit the e-conveyancing portal of the Land Registry website from the link
below.
'The one downside to selling your own home is doing the
viewings - but a lot of our estate agents expected us to do that anyway. So,
just what do estate agents do for their money?' asks Mat Waugh, a 35-year-old
accounts director at a London publishing company. He and his wife recently sold
their two-bed Edwardian flat in Hanwell, west London for £250,000.
The couple paid £398 in fees to have the flat
listed online at Hatched.co.uk - a sum that covered photographs, floor plans and
'shuffling the paperwork', but otherwise the couple handled the sale themselves.
'We had three local estate agents around and, frankly, nothing convinced me that
they were going to be worth us paying £4,000 commission,' says Mat. 'Anyway,
it's hardly rocket science. The property programmes tell you how to make your
home presentable. We didn't go as far as having bread baking in the oven or
coffee brewing in the kitchen - we didn't have to. We sold at the right price in
two weeks.'
The new breed of private-sale websites and bargain online
estate agents claim to be doing well despite the credit crunch and a jittery
property market. The classified-ads site gumtree.com reckons its listings have
almost doubled in volume in the wake of the Northern Rock crisis. 'In the past
four months, as the combined impact of rising interest rates, costs of home
information packs and a volatile financial market are felt across the market,
we've seen a 94 per cent spike in the number of direct listings of homes for
sale,' reports Gumtree's spokeswoman Sophy Silver. 'It reflects a money-saving
mood among sellers, especially as house prices now show signs of dipping.'
According to Gumtree's survey of over 1,300 adults, more than
nine out of 10 of us (92 per cent) are convinced that estate agents 'do not
justify their high fees' and more than two-thirds (69 per cent) did not feel
their agent was 'professional' or 'good value for money'. This, perhaps, is not
surprising - estate agents are never going to win any popularity contests. But
we still appear to be reluctant to dispense with their services: according to
the Office of Fair Trading, 90 per cent of people selling a property still use
one.
So how easy is it to go it alone? 'Private selling isn't for
everyone, particularly those who lack the time or confidence to arrange and
conduct viewings and negotiate with potential buyers,' reckons James Tallack, a
senior researcher at the consumer rights group Which?. 'However, if this doesn't
bother you, then there are huge savings to be made.'
As Tallack points out, you don't have to commit to either a
private sale or an estate agent. Instead you can sign a 'sole agency' agreement
so that, although you are tied to one estate agent, you can still sell privately
and avoid commission. He explains: 'As long as you have a sole agency agreement
and you're sure that the website you're using isn't doing anything that could be
classified as "estate agency work", there's nothing to stop you using an estate
agent and selling privately.' That said, fees paid to private-sales sites are
non-refundable. Also, you must be honest about your property if you are selling
privately or risk being sued for misrepresentation.
Typically, a 'traditional' estate agent's commission is
between 1 per cent and 2.5 per cent, and on average sellers pay them £4,151
(based on a 1.9 per cent commission and the average cost of a UK house of
£218,479). These fees are greatly undercut by two types of online competitor.
First, the private-sales sites (such as houseweb.co.uk, mypropertyforsale.co.uk,
or thelittlehousecompany.co.uk) which start from £47 for a service that
typically buys you an online advertisement, photo and description (Gumtree,
which is effectively a general-purpose online noticeboard, is free for property
ads.) Secondly, there are the online estate agents, which have a radically
different commission structure to agents on the high street, such as
halfapercent.com, which, as the name suggests, charges 0.5 per cent commission,
and hatched.co.uk, which charges £398 for its most popular service.
Why do we bother with estate agents? 'If there is a shortage
of property and a high demand, as long as you're fairly sensible, you are almost
bound to attract interest in your own property,' admits Peter Bolton King, chief
executive of the National Association of Estate Agents. 'But even in a good
market, if somebody is selling privately, will they be able to do as good a job
as a good-quality estate agent? Will they be able to negotiate the best price?
Can they really check out all the buyers' credentials? Can they try and help
control the chain?'
These are issues regardless of the state of the property
market, Bolton King says. 'When you get these tougher markets, as we did in the
early 1990s, then the good-quality estate agents really show what they are made
of,' he insists.
Selling your home is often about online visibility - eight
out of 10 would-be buyers start property searches on the web, not on the high
street. One limitation to going down the do-it-yourself route is that the
private-sale sites generally don't have access to the big online 'property
portals' that aggregate estate agents' sales listings (although online estate
agents do). The biggest portal, rightmove.co.uk, reckons to list some 950,000 UK
properties.
This lack of access has been the subject of some bitterness
and dispute: Martin Charlick of Thelittlehousecompany complains that the portals
are being 'downright restrictive,' whereas Rightmove insists that its policy is
to accept advertising only from estate agents 'whose property descriptions are
subject to the requirements of the Property Misdescriptions Act 1991'.
Its spokesman added: 'Our approach ensures that our users are
given access to accurate property details. This would be impossible to monitor
if we were to accept advertising from private sellers.'
None the less, Charlick claims that Thelittlehousecompany's
£135 package offers access to 500 sites and potentially 3 million visitors a
month. And according to Trevor Gillham of fellow private-sale site
Mypropertyforsale, 'not being able to advertise on Rightmove is not really a
disadvantage. There is enough exposure of the website to reach all buyers
looking for property.'
Tesco's partner in online home sales site
pulls out
http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article2737161.ece - Karen Attwood -
Independent - 05 July 2007
A key partner in Tesco's new online
home-selling site has pulled out just days after launch.
Fish4homes.co.uk said it was ending its agreement with Tesco
Property Market after receiving feedback from estate agent clients
indicating it was "not in their best interest".
The Tesco site, which was launched on Saturday, offers a
do-it-yourself home selling service enabling people to advertise
and manage their own home sale for a fee of £199. This essentially
eliminates the need for estate agents, who typically charge up to
3 per cent of the value of any property they sell.
The termination of the Fish4homes contract will mean that Tesco
will lose out on tens of thousands of referrals from up to 7,500
estate agency branches around the country.
Joe Slavin, chief executive at fish4, said it initially got
involved in Tesco Property Market as it thought it would give its
customers' property adverts maximum exposure.
But he said that since the launch, the company had "received
valuable customer feedback and we have decided that our
involvement with the site, in its current format, is not in the
best interest of our clients".
Spicerhaart, one of the South-east's largest group of agents
and a member of the fish4homes network, has already pulled all
online advertising of its housing stock from the site due to
concerns that it would conflict with its own business.
Sellers in Tescopropertymarket.com are given a Tesco-branded
"for sale" sign but must carry out the work normally performed by
an estate agent, such as arranging viewings and negotiating deals.
As the site needed a significant number of homes from the first
day to attract traffic, it signed up Fish4homes as a partner.
Before the launch, Tesco said its website "was going to
revolutionise the property market". A Tesco spokesman said that
Fish4homes had come under pressure from estate agents "who do not
understand our offer and have failed to see the significant
benefits it brings to them as well as homebuyers".
"TPM does offer consumers an alternative and affordable way to
sell their home themselves but it is used by many more people to
search for homes being marketed by estate agents through existing
property portals," he said. He added that since launching the site
has had more than 140,000 visitors, looking at more than 1 million
property pages. "TPM will never replace traditional estate agents
and we wouldn't want it to," he added.
September start likely for HIPS and three-bed homes
Miles
Brignall - Friday June 22, 2007 -
http://business.guardian.co.uk/houseprices/story/0,,2109391,00.html
Homeowners trying to sell three-bedroom houses could have
to provide their buyer with a home information pack as early as September 1,
it was claimed today.
The packs, which include legal searches and the controversial energy
efficiency assessment, were originally to be required by the sellers of all
houses from June 1.
But following a last-minute legal challenge by the surveyors' body RICS
in May, the Department for Local Government and Communities was forced to
delay their introduction until the beginning of August - and only for homes
with four or more bedrooms.
Now it has been claimed that the industry could be ready to expand
the scheme to cover smaller homes as early as August, although it is
more likely to come into force in September.
Paul Broadhead, of the Association of Hips Providers, said: "I
understand the industry will have enough trained energy assessors in
place by August to allow the government to announce that the scheme will
be expanded to include three-bed properties. I'm hearing that it could
be introduced from as early as September 1."
Chris Broadbent, director of training at one of the largest trainers
of energy assessors, BRE, agreed the industry would be ready in time.
"I understand there are now around 1,300 trained and accredited
assessors who have already started working on Hips. There are probably
another 500 or so soon to complete the process.
"It's my perception that the government will announce it is expanding
the scheme to start in September," he said.
Such a move would come as a huge relief to housing ministers Ruth
Kelly and Yvette Cooper who have suffered a barrage of negative
headlines over the botched introduction of Hips.
Back in May, the government was forced to admit it had only 500
trained energy assessors instead of the 2,000 it said were required to
make Hips work.
Despite repeated assurances to the contrary by both ministers, the
scheme looked doomed to failure, particularly when several large
property firms said they were pulling out of Hips.
Earlier this month, Ms Kelly was forced to meet the Home Inspector
Forum which represents the interests of home inspectors, many of whom
were threatening legal action to recover lost earnings, and expensive
training costs. At that meeting they were reassured that the scheme
would be expanded to cover smaller properties as and when there were
enough trained staff.
A Communities Department spokesman confirmed today the roll-out of
the scheme was dependent on the number of assessors ready to begin work:
"We have set out the criteria for rolling out to other sized properties
which will happen once sufficient energy inspectors are in place
nationally and regionally to meet market demand, taking into account
lessons learned from the operation of Hips."
Yesterday, Nick Phillips of the Home Inspector Forum, was claiming
the scheme could be expanded as early as August 1, although this was
considered highly unlikely by other Hips insiders.
David Newnes, of the estate agents' chain Your Move, said: "Any
change to require three-bedroom properties to have information packs
from 1 August will only add further confusion to the already chaotic
launch of Hips. "The industry advised the minister months ago to delay
the launch until there were sufficient energy assessors to meet all the
requirements for the entire market. Bringing Hips in phases will just
create even more uncertainty and further changes to timescales will not
help.'
From The Sunday Times -
http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/buying_and_selling/article1802764.ece
Pack of troubles? - Jon Neale - May 20, 2007 With confusion surrounding the new home information packs, sellers should be
on their guard
Homeowners are being advised to be cautious about
marketing campaigns by estate agents in the run-up to the introduction of home
information packs (HIPs), which will be compulsory for anyone selling their
property from June 1.
The government has faced a cacophony of calls to
abandon – or at least delay – the introduction of the packs, the most important
element of which is an energy performance certificate that will rank homes from
A to G, depending on how well they generate and conserve heat. Plans to include
a compulsory, far more comprehensive home condition report were scrapped last
year after complaints that buyers would not trust it and mortgage lenders would
not take it into account. Its inclusion is now voluntary.
Last week, a
Conservative bid in the Commons to block the packs’ introduction was defeated,
but another challenge looms in the House of Lords this week. The Royal
Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has sought an urgent judicial review,
claiming that the Department for Communities and Local Government, the branch of
government responsible, failed to carry out proper consultation before
introducing HIPs.
Concern has centred, in part, on the handling of
trials of the packs in Bath, Bristol, Cambridge, Huddersfield, Newcastle,
Northampton, Wales, Southampton and London, in which they were available for
free.
The government claims that the lessons learnt were incorporated
into regulations released earlier this year. It has yet to release the full
results of the trials, however, and RICS says its attempts, with the National
Association of Estate Agents (NAEA), the Council of Mortgage Lenders and the Law
Society, to meet the housing minister, Yvette Cooper, and discuss their concerns
were repeatedly rebuffed. It also claims that the government breached its own
legislation by slashing the time available to examine the regulations.
Many estate agents, meanwhile, have launched marketing campaigns to rush
people into putting homes on the market with them before June 1 – so they will
not need a HIP for six months – or to lure them with the offer of free packs.
(HIPs are expected to cost more than £350.)
Paul Marsh, deputy
vice-president of the Law Society, has expressed concern. “Sellers could
unknowingly sign up to a sole-agency agreement if they opt for a free pack,” he
says.
Hamptons International, one agency offering a free pack, says that
anyone who signs up, then decides to use a rival agency instead – or even take
their property off the market – would have to reimburse them. “If a buyer wants
a free HIP, they sign a sole-agency agreement with us,” says Ian Westerling, a
regional sales director for Hamptons. “They cannot use another agent. That is
part of the proposition of us offering a free HIP.” Peter Bolton King, chief
executive of the NAEA, says he expects other agencies offering free packs to
behave similarly. “If an estate agent is funding a HIP, then before they release
that pack, they will want paying for it,” he says. “We could see a return in
sole selling rights and a reduction in multiple-agent instructions, as people
won’t want to pay for several HIPs.” But, he adds: “Whatever the contract terms
are for withdrawal, the agent has to make that sort of thing perfectly clear at
the beginning.”
Others warn that sellers should not let themselves be
seduced by the offer of a free pack when choosing how – and with which agency –
to market their property. Much more important will be how effective the agency
they choose will be at selling it at a good price. Such is the hype, however,
that the looming deadline appears to be concentrating the minds of sellers.
Research released by RICS last week showed a rise in instructions to sell
property for the second consecutive month, after the longest decline in seven
years, as buyers apparently rushed to beat the deadline.
“This is
causing a big surge of property into the market, dragging potential house sales
from June and July into May,” says David Stubbs, the institution’s chief
economist. What will happen after June 1 remains the great unknown. Stubbs
predicts a “drought of property for sale” if, as many expect, there is a
shortage of trained energy assessors. This would considerably slow down the rate
of new instructions, since agents would not be allowed to market a property
without an energy performance certificate in place.
Dominic Agace,
executive director of the agents Winkworth, warns against exaggerating the
likely effects of the new rules. “We are talking about £350-£400 as part of a
much larger transaction,” he says. “Stamp duty alone stretches to thousands.
Issues such as interest rates will have a much greater effect.”
Stubbs
agrees: “Britain remains an inexpensive place to buy or sell property – in terms
of transaction costs – compared to our European neighbours, America or
Australia.”
- Besides an energy performance certificate, a HIP must also include:
full title deeds and maps of the property boundaries; local-council and
utility-company search documents; details of leasehold arrangements in the case
of flats; a new homes warranty if the property is less than 10 years old;
building consents and planning permissions, as appropriate.
Sarah O'Grady , Property Correspondent
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/6694
COMPLAINTS against estate
agents are running at an all-time high, a leaked report shows today. The
three main gripes are bad service, disagreements over fees and faulty or
misleading sales particulars.
More than 8,000 enquiries were received
from angry customers in 2006.
That is a year-on-year increase of more than a third – compared to 6,021
in 2005, claims the Ombudsman for Estate Agents.
Agents were warned
yesterday to clean up their act or see a rise in the number of customers
turning to private sale websites. “I think there are possibly complaints
because people are less ready to be satisfied with something which they
perceived as poor service – given the size of the financial commitment that
they’re taking on by buying a house,” said ombudsman Chris Hamer.
Ten
of the most high-profile private sale websites across the UK reported, on
average, a one-third increase in sellers advertising on their sites between
2005 and 2006.
Estate agents will go out of business if they don’t
adapt and change - Martin Charlick, The Little House Company
Martin
Charlick, of The Little House Company, predicted that 20 per cent of estate
agents will close in the near future.
He said: “Estate agents will go
out of business if they don’t adapt and change. They have to compete, they
have to raise their game.”
The ombudsman findings, which are officially
due out on May 23, coincide with a survey which shows nearly two-thirds of
people do not trust estate agents.
The YouGov poll – commissioned by ITV’s Tonight With Trevor McDonald
programme – discovered that 77 per cent of respondents thought estate agents
were more interested in their own profit than the customer.
Estate agents get £10m for tax details -
Steve Doughty, Daily Mail
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/tax-advice/council-tax/article.html?in_article_id=420031&in_page_id=82&ct=5
Estate agents will be paid £10m by council tax snoopers in
return for details on homes, it was revealed yesterday.
Taxpayers' money will be used
to buy officials entry to the database run by Rightmove, which lists
800,000 properties.
The payout will mean the Government's
Valuation Office Agency has access to information about every home
advertised on the property website since it was launched seven years ago.
Six out of ten estate agents put their
properties up on Rightmove. But buyers and sellers using them are not told
that their information is being passed to officials - who will then decide
how much council tax must be paid on a home.
The Valuation Office Agency is responsible for
revaluing a property when it changes hands - which often means it moves to
a higher council tax band. Figures slipped out by ministers yesterday show
that the Agency paid Rightmove £4.41m in the first two years of the
contract in 2005 and 2006.
The payments have until now been disguised in
the Agency's accounts as 'Other operating costs: data capture'. The figure
means the total is certain to top £ 10m before the contract finishes in
2008.
The Agency confirmed the contract is likely to
continue - meaning Rightmove is likely to be used when all English homes
are revalued, probably in 2010.
Estate agents' advertising is invaluable to
council tax inspectors because it stresses all the positive details of a
house - especially improvements invisible to those who do not enter the
property such as extra rooms, refurbishments, rear extensions, swimming
pools or outbuildings. The revaluation, the first since 1991, will take
into account every detail of a home and will push up council tax banding
accordingly.
Christine Melsom, of pressure group Is It
Fair?, said: 'What a nerve the estate agents have. They are making money
both ways - once from the seller who pays them high fees and then from the
Government to sell on their details.'
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