So What’s Next For The Thirty Somethings?

The Good old days!

I’ve recently experienced what I consider to be a life changing event, it may not be life threatening but it has made me think about things that I have not considered until now.

Football has been part of my life since I can remember, I’ve never been very good at it but I have enjoyed playing the sport and supported Liverpool from the age of 5. During a recent game I missed a tackle (not unusual) but in the process managed to tear the ligaments in my knee! As a result, I have been advised to give up the sport as I’m in my 30’s and therefore it may never repair itself as well as if I was younger, and could cause big problems in later life. It appears I have no choice.

So what next? My friends and colleagues often tell me that I am a creature of habit and so to change my routine on a Saturday afternoon is going to throw me but more-so, what to replace it with? I love following sport; watching Somerset play cricket, Exeter play rugby and my friends play for local sports clubs but watching doesn’t help me keep fit!

I am a fairly active and sociable chap and also see weekend sport as a good way to release the stresses of the working week. I guess the obvious come to mind; Golf, fishing, swimming, gym, cycling, running, the options are endless.

I haven’t made a decision nor do I intend to just yet and have to focus on my rehabilitation first and foremost. It has made me realise there are so many new opportunities out there for us thirty somethings as well as the twenty somethings, or fifty somethings and so to enjoy the next chapter of sporting activity whatever it maybe.

 

Kai Logan

Bradleys Marketing Manager

Thirty Something (Apparently!!)

 

The time is right and the time is now!

As every week of 2014 passes it becomes even more clear that now is the time to jump in to property ownership. If you weigh up the cost of renting for your life time against buying you will quickly calculate that it is generally cheaper to buy than to rent and you will eventually in 25 years' time end up with a property where you do not have to pay either a mortgage or rent. I have said before this year that mortgages are incredibly cheap and available, property is starting to move up and will be a sound investment over the coming years. There is confidence back in the market and Mark Carney has again said he will hold on to interest rates even if unemployment goes below 7%. It really doesn't get any better than this and if you are thinking of selling to move up in the market then now is the time as there is a good supply of buyers and the longer you delay the jump, the wider the gap in price will become as the % increase stretches the prices in a rising market. To be sure of getting the right price and achieving a sale make sure you use an agent with a good track record. Thanks to allAgents.co.uk it is easy to identify who to trust with your most expensive asset and also who can make it happen for you. At this point you will see by looking at allAgents.co.uk that Bradleys are ranked 3rd out of over 12,000 agents in the country for delivering customer service. Remember always use an agent others have been happy with, they will have certainly valued the property correctly in the first place to enable the deal to be done. If you over price an instruction it will go stale and you will end up having to reduce your price whilst the type of property you wanted to trade up to will have increased and possibly moved out of reach. Don't fall into that trap which can be set by some agents just to win your instructions. Thinking of selling? Use Bradleys, we have a fantastic allAgents rating and your dreams will have the very best chance to come true. We have a Customer Services department who are open until 10.00 at night who will be able to book your free valuation whilst our competitors here in the South West are closed for the evening. Put us to the test and request a free valuation by emailing customerservices@beagroup.co.uk

If you found this helpful or think others might then please feel free to share it and like it.

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group

Pain Relief for Property Repairs

After my Maintenance Team within Bradleys Property Management were overrun with calls during the past spell of unrelenting weather, I felt I had to streamline the system.  I therefore turned to technology yet again to help the team manage the high volumes of maintenance issues that resulted from the horrendous storms. 

Bradleys now operate an online maintenance, repairs and issue reporting system for the Rentals Properties under their Management, assisted by a web solution from Fixflo.  Providing a simple system that enables tenants to report their issue, the picture based diagnostic system prompts users to provide accurate information, ensuring a complete report with a full description and options for photographs. These reports are then relayed to both landlord and contractor. Nothing is missed. 

Tenants can also log a problem in up to 40 different languages which will be accurately translated in the report received by the maintenance team.  The whole process is far more efficient and enables delivery of faster repairs. 

All of this is not to say that Emergencies cannot be reported in a conventional manner.  Of course, it is very important that urgent issues are attended to very quickly, if they are of a nature that would be of danger to life or of imminent peril to the structure of the property.

As I have over many years, I will continue to employ the most up to date systems and processes to continually improve the service we provide to our clients.  Next: Tenant pre-referencing.   Watch this space…. 

Have a look for yourself how easy repair reporting is at bradleys.fixflo.com

Lyndon Bent FNAEA MARLA

Commercial Director

Agricultural outbuildings. A golden development opportunity?

A golden development opportunity?

As this is a Bradleys blog I am assuming I am addressing an audience based mainly in Somerset, Devon and Cornwall – three rural counties accommodating a rich tapestry of Farms and smallholdings interspersed with a diverse range of agricultural outbuildings, whether a defunct piggery, barns, makeshift shelters etc.   

This year could be the year that these buildings come into sharp focus for residential development opportunities under a planning consultation carried out late last year – with very little publicity. 

The Government, rightly or wrongly, believes that a house building led economy is the chosen route out of a recession. After all, housing development and property moves tend to touch many other industries whether manufacturing or services. 

In an attempt to accelerate the provision of housing this government is looking for a multitude of ways of achieving this, and if this planning reform becomes planning law in April, just a couple of months away, there is the potential for agricultural outbuildings, irrespective of material condition, to attract a planning permission for either conversion or complete replacement to a residential dwelling or dwellings. 

Our advice to our vendors, since this little known consultation last year, has been to keep hold of the out building(s) they own until we all know what format new planning policy will take. 

So, if you have that outbuilding within your farm or smallholding or even attached to your farmhouse or cottage, don’t be persuaded by less informed agents to go to the market now, but to wait and seek the right advice after April in what is a rapidly evolving planning reform system. 

I am more than happy to advise potential vendors further on this point and if this applies to you please give me a call on 07968 137038 or email me chrisbaxter@beagroup.co.uk

 

Chris Baxter

Bradleys Land & New Homes Director

 

Not all Estate Agents are the same!

Despite the shocking weather for February so far I am very pleased to report that Bradleys are continuing to perform well and the year ahead is starting to look very promising. New instructions are the life blood of our business and our customers have really understood what makes Bradleys better than other agents as we are winning a very good share of the new instructions coming on to the market. Our Customer Services Department delivers exceptional service answering customer enquiries and making viewing and valuation appointments right up to 10.00 at night as well as Saturdays and Sundays too. Our customers appreciate the 'out of hours' service and quick responses to requests so when they come to decide on an agent to trust with the sale of their biggest asset then I think we naturally spring to mind.

 

Another reason I think we are going well is people's trust in product reviews and again Bradleys show up very well on the estate agents review site allAgents.co.uk. Bradleys are rated 3rd nationally out of 12,000 sales and letting agents and were awarded the title of Best Sales Agent for Customer Service by the review site in 2013. Not all customers are influenced by good service and a good track record, some sellers think all estate agents are the same so choose their agent on valuation provided and fee to be charged. This is where some sellers go wrong. The thing a seller should be aware of is does the agent have a good track record of selling houses in the vicinity and does the agent have the comparable evidence to stack up their valuation. Anybody can value a property at any price, it's selling it that is important. To sell a property it has to be valued correctly for the current market conditions and be in line with the other neighbours sold in the immediate past, taking into account the differences between the properties.

 

To market a property well to achieve the best price costs money and this is where a good agent comes into their own. You need to see a very diverse range of marketing and in the modern world all areas are considered. Recently Bradleys have launched videos to explain our services and also presenter led videos of some of our properties for sale. Visit our YouTube channel and see if you like what you see. If you would like some of what you see for yourself then please contact us as we would be pleased to help and in a way where the best service in the country comes as standard.

If you found this helpful or know somebody who would please feel free to share it or like it.

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group

Every Little Bit Really Does Help!

Estate Agents, as we all know, unfortunately do not have the best reputation. Having read an article recently it stated that in 2013 as an industry Estate Agents raised £13 million for charity. Not bad at all for a group with a so-called bad reputation!

Bradleys have always been involved in sponsoring the communities around us in a variety of different ways. In 2014 we have chosen to support The Pituitary Foundation, not only with a view to raising money for the charity but also to raise the awareness of this lesser known gland placed at the base of our brains. The fact that it controls our hormones is obviously a vital part of our day to day wellbeing. The fact not many of us know what it is also leads to the lack of diagnosis when people suffer from disorders affecting this pea sized gland.

In order to support this charity, Bradleys will be taking part in a variety of different fund raising measures throughout the South West and further afield! The staff in Bradleys have so far agreed to anything from cake sales to running a half marathon, from guessing the number of balloons in a car to going on a zip wire 1 mile long and 500 feet up! There is also a small matter of one of the Directors cycling between every one of Bradleys 33 offices covering Taunton to Penzance!

So if you wish to help us support this charity, feel free to perhaps tell someone about this condition or if you want to take it a step further then perhaps make a donation. Many of the Bradleys offices will be doing something that involves other participants so if you wish to get involved please call in to one of our offices for further information. Every little bit really does help!

 

Kai Logan

Regional Manager

Bradleys Estate Agents

Wettest January on record has little effect on house sales in Torbay

The last two January's have both broken records for the wrong reasons. This January has been the worst rainfall ever recorded in a single month. What is happening with the weather in the UK? Is this all to do with global warming? I recently read an article from the Met office in Exeter saying the storms are almost certainly down to global warming. They also delivered a grim warning that the country should prepare itself for more similar events in future. It is the strongest link yet made by the Met Office between the intense weather and climate change, and backs David Cameron’s remark last month that he “very much suspects” a connection.

At least it hasn't dampened the spirits of house hunters as we have had an excellent start to the year despite the inclement weather. There seems to be a lot of confidence in the local and global economy that has been well reported in the press and on TV over the last few months. This has helped fuel 'buyer confidence' and the UK housing market seems to be well on its way to a recovery.

I do hope this is an end to the bad weather and hope we are rewarded with a barmy summer and see a good number of buyers flocking to The English Riviera to either start a new life or retire by the sea. 

Darren Hole
Regional Manager
Bradleys Estate Agents

Going the extra mile in Looe!

A damp day in Looe!

Wow, it's very wet and windy in the South West and it's been going on for a while. There are some adverse circumstances but life also goes on and in the business of selling and letting property and all related services you might expect things to slow up. Not on your Nelly! The market is strong and the buyers are very serious. One office that springs to mind is our Bradleys Looe Office on the South Cornish Coast. Looe has had some flooding brought on by the combination of southerly gales, torrential rain and spring tides and the result was the harbour walls were breached and the sea poured into the main street. The photo shows the sea in the street and in fact inside our office. It takes more than a bit of water to put a good agent off their stride and I can confirm that on the same day as this photo was taken the Looe team of Niki, David, Jacqui and Ella agreed the sale of a penthouse apartment with lovely sea views. A good agent will never let anything come between themselves and doing a good deal for their customer, let alone a bit of sea water! So well done Bradleys Team Looe for putting the customers first even in the most extreme of circumstances.

If you are a seller or thinking of selling your own property I am sure you would also want to know you were going on with an agent who would show this dedication to delivering great service combined with the right result no matter what tried to get in the way. It's easy, just go to allAgents.co.uk and look at Bradleys great ratings, there is no better indicator of an agent who goes the extra mile to deliver the best service, although hopefully we won't have to contend with the sea coming through the front door again to prove it! You can bet that there will be other challenges to be overcome so make sure you chose an agent who has a history of delivering the service even when the going get as tough as it did in Looe.

If you are thinking of visiting the South West then don't be put off by what you see on TV, they are just showing the very worst incidents, the whole area is open for business and is still one of the most beautiful parts of our country. The pasties are still hot and the walks are spectacular and David Cameron has just visited to promise extra help to return us all to normality as soon as possible, we look forward to seeing you.

If you found this helpful or know somebody else that would please feel free to like it or share it.

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group

Working with a smile on a Sunday?

It was like any other normal day, I was speaking to a lady that wanted to view one of our properties, except there was a genuine element of surprise in her voice as she simply didn’t expect to receive a call from an estate agent on a Sunday! The lady highlighted that not only calling her was a surprise but spending time with her to listen to her requirements and then going on to arrange the viewing was as well.

The next stop was to contact our clients. When I rang the vendors, the husband answered the phone and called to his wife saying Bradleys were on the phone, all I could hear his wife saying was Bradleys, Bradleys! I could tell by the pitch of her voice that she was also surprised we were calling on a Sunday. I explained to the client that Bradleys operate 7 days a week dealing with enquires until 10pm, this way if someone wants to view their property we can deal with the enquiry when it comes in immediately.

So the viewing appointment was made and both applicant and vendor were very surprised and also very happy. I do like to hear the surprise in a clients voice when we call out of normal working hours, which in turn puts a smile on my face!

Suzette Richardson
Bradleys Customer Services Manager

Wow! Bradleys

Last week I wrote about the perfect conditions to buy a property and I think my advice must have been taken because on Monday this week we got the new month off to a flying start with a massive 21 sales agreed in just one day! Wow is all I can say, the confidence is there and the ability to buy at a reasonable cost exists so I know we will see the recovery continue and if you are thinking of buying then don't leave it too late.

Obviously if this level of sales continues then we will need more new instructions to come on to the market and at Bradleys we have many reasons why we are voted the Best Estate Agent in the Country for Customer Service. Our Marketing is second to none and our new website is on the verge of launch which will take us to a new level. We also have great new technology being installed into all offices and the combination of all of these things will enhance our sales capability and the whole customer experience for our customers. To add to the technology we also have our fantastic Customer Services department which is open until 10.00 at night and on Saturdays and Sundays as well, to ensure we answer our customers enquiries as soon as they are made, which does give us a good head start over the other agents who go home in the evening and don't work at the weekends.

If you are thinking of selling your existing property and want it sold quickly, for a good price and appreciate good customer service then look no further, give us a call at Bradleys. But don't just take my word for that, just read what our customers have said about us at the Review site www.allagents.co.uk

Let's face it nobody does anything without first checking the reviews anymore do they?

If you found this useful or think others would please feel free to share it or like it.

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group