What a few months it has been! – the market was incredibly strong in Jan, and Feb. Even the two weeks before lockdown happened we saw some great numbers in relation to sales and lets. Obviously during lockdown, this was not so easy. There were some sales agreed from pre-lockdown viewings but overall, the government hit the ‘pause’ button on the property market, which effected the amount of...
2020
In this three-minute read, we share some ideas on how you can help your local shops and businesses through these difficult times. One of the most remarkable things about the Covid-19 crisis is the way communities in Rayleigh & Hockley have pulled together. People have stepped up and supported their neighbours, the vulnerable and the NHS. As we enter a new phase of this pandemic – let’s...
In this three-minute read, we look at the legal responsibilities of landlords in Rayleigh & Hockley – and reveal why it pays to let the experts handle the red tape. Some people say being a landlord is easy. These people are wrong. Glance through the list of the 175 plus laws that apply to landlords in the UK and you quickly realise there is a lot more to the lettings game than most people...
In this three-minute read, we look at how best to prepare your property perfectly for those all-important marketing photographs. If you’re putting your house or flat on the market for sale or rent, there is one thing you can do to make an immediate impact. To maximise your chances of securing the best possible deal, spend time preparing your property before it is photographed for promotional...
A feelgood Friday property special – A 2-minute read. Eggs-citing design Architects have designed a floating chicken farm. Yes, really. The three-storey creation will nestle on a concrete pontoon in a Rotterdam waterway, in The Netherlands. It will house 7,000 hens, an egg processing plant, and a cress farm. So, what do the neighbours think? As the chicken farm will go next to an existing...
As we get used to the ‘new normal’, we take a quick look back at how people’s habits dramatically changed during the lockdown—a 2-minute read. Recently The Sunday Times published a fascinating collection of statistics around how the lives of people in the UK transformed during lockdown. We’ve broken it down into four sections – Health, wealth, happiness and of course, homes. These...
In this two-minute read, we look at the similarities between tennis and how we deliver exceptional service for people in Rayleigh & Hockley. Next Monday the All England Lawn Tennis Championship was set to start. Wimbledon's hallowed courts were to welcome the very best players on planet Earth. But like many of the sporting, social and cultural events across the UK, it's been...
In this three-minute read, we look at what lies ahead for landlords in 2020. If you had to sum up 2020 in one word (without using “unprecedented” because it has been overused) what would it be? Weird? Abnormal? Or what about unheard-of? Okay, maybe that is two words, but you catch our drift. Whatever adjective you choose, it is a safe bet that you will not forget the first six months of 2020...
Three months is a long time when you’re in lockdown. In this three-minute read, we look back at some of the feelgood stories and snippets that cheered us up during this extraordinary period. Clapping for the NHS We Brits are usually quite reserved, so it was quite something to see so many people out on the streets clapping, cheering, and banging saucepans for the NHS. The first Clap for Carers...
In this four-minute read, we look at the strict new regulations on electrical inspections that come into effect next month. As if landlords don’t have enough to contend with, new rules on Electrical Inspection Condition Reports (EICR) kick in next month. Final guidance from the government on this legislation is expected any day now, but here’s an overview. Every fixed electrical installation...