05/01/2024
If you are thinking of moving house in 2024 then you have come to the right place.
If you are looking in West Kent or East Sussex – so Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Wadhurst, Mayfield (all the way down to Eastbourne) and over to Cranbrook and all the way around to Oxted (just tucked into Surrey), do give me a call as I can really help you with your move.
One of the main reservations people have with property search agents is the extra cost on an already costly move.
In fact we should be saving you money, either in the short or longer term, or ideally both. As a property finder (property search agent, home buyer etc) in a defined area I am very aware of pricing down to even the individual road level.
Some clients do come to me with their spreadsheets and that’s ok, it may be why they haven’t bought a house so far in their search but we can work with that and make them feel comfortable with their purchase if they find it harder to ‘feel’ it’s the right house for them or their family and need stats to back decisions up. Everyone has a different way of feeling comfortable.
These are the ways I would hope to help a client spend wisely on their next home:
Be totally on it in terms of valuation and supply/demand where you are buying and projecting alongside your timescales.
Negotiation – understanding what is going on in negotiation, not getting emotional, being able to stand back and use experience and see a way to make a deal that works for my client.
Being able to look ahead and future-proof any purchase – I’ve been there and done it, I try and plan for most eventualities because in practice life isn’t that easy, plan for the unexpected (without dwelling too much on the negative).
Logistics – how to make your new location work for you in terms of time spent in the car/time to the station/ realistic distances that you will be comfortable with (these often reduce as time goes on so I like to factor that in at the beginning of a search). This will save you time and money.
Making sure clients are aware of ongoing costs eg. gardening, hedge cutting and maintenance and how much that may cost them – something that they may not have factored in or be overlooking due to falling in love with a house.
Know when they can add value, which projects are overvalued, how they could progress and help them see that vision.
Help with living in the country (or town depending on their move), not taking on too big a project, understanding the costs involved (as above), the annoying country aspects eg cesspits, oil deliveries, mud, mud, mud…The wonderful aspects…walks, fresh air, blackberries and snowdrops…
Be realistic with timeframes (changing schools etc/ageing parents) and size of houses. Everyone wants a big house, but actually, do you?
There are a large number of off-market properties at the moment – some really interesting, some not so much, but the opportunity to buy in the winter months is something to be taken seriously – do give me a call if you are ready to make the leap or if you just want to chat through your options.