Posts Tagged ‘Wimbledon’

NO SIZZLING START TO SUMMER, BUT THE PROPERTY MARKET HEATS UP NICELY

Posted by Lea Bailey

By Stephen Parsons MNAEA, Director of Residentia

As we gently and safely ease ourselves out of the lockdown, whilst observing the Government Guidelines,?a surprising number of new buyers as well as ones that were registered with our offices before we locked ourselves away, are eagerly looking to make up for lost time and secure purchases before the end of the school year and when the traditional holiday season might have started.

In the three weeks or so since we have been back trading more normally, we have seen new buyers and viewing numbers pretty much returning to pre-covid levels, with many new sales being agreed in all price ranges. The number of buyers looking for flats and apartments has certainly surprised us, but it is a very welcome and significant boost, as the activity lower down the market stimulates and fuels the middle and upper ends. That said, we have also made some significant new sales of more expensive properties during lockdown and just after it, which include a ?7M sale just off Parkside, a trophy house in the Village and two sales at around the ?2.5M mark have just been agreed on quick turnaround exchange targets. We were also fortunate enough to re-agree a sale that fell through during lockdown almost immediately to a new buyer who, despite the hurdles, was able to exchange contracts in only 14 working days!

With the number of sales currently progressing and much lower volumes of new properties coming to the market, stock is in short supply, so if you are considering selling, this would be a great time to market your property. ?Because of the need to keep our clients, as well as our employees, safe at the forefront of our minds, we are now able to offer virtual valuations as well as physical valuations for prospective sellers.? Also as part of our service to new clients we can now offer not only professional photographs and floorplans but also virtual tours which are vital to show the property in its best light, whilst helping to reduce the number of physical viewings, keeping everyone safe and protecting our wonderful NHS and easing the strain on front line workers.? Should you be interested in booking either a virtual or physical valuation of your property then please click Here

If you would?like to know more about how we are dealing with our work post lockdown or to get?more information on the property market in general and some of the fantastic buyers that we have registered, then please contact me direct at sparsons@as-r.co.uk or call me on 0208 971 6780 so that we can see how we can help you.

 

Double Award Winners !! – Andrew Scott Robertson Wins The British Property Letting Awards

Posted by Lea Bailey

Our Lettings Department at Andrew Scott Robertson are double award winners of

The British Property Letting Awards for both SW19 and South London

Our team performed outstandingly throughout the extensive judging period, which focused on customer service levels.

Andrew Scott Robertson have now been shortlisted for a number of national awards which will be announced later in the year.

The British Property Awards provide agents throughout the UK with an invaluable opportunity to compare the service that they provide against the service provided by their local, regional and national competition.

Agents who go that extra mile and provide outstanding levels of customer service are rewarded with this accolade, which acts as a beacon to highlight these attributes to their local marketplace.

THE BRITISH PROPERTY AWARDS are one of the most inclusive estate agency awards providers as they do not charge to enter. This has enabled their award to be structured in a manner that ensures maximum participation, on average judging over 90% of agents that meet their minimum criteria on a local level.

The Awards team personally mystery shops every estate agent against a set of 25 criteria to obtain a balanced overview of their customer service levels. The judging criteria is periods to ensure that agents have been rigorously and fairly judged.

Robert McLean from The British Property Awards said ?Our awards has been specifically designed to be attainable to all agents, removing common barriers to entry, such as cost, to ensure that we have the most inclusive awards. Our award has also been designed to remove any opportunity for bias or manipulation. If an agent has been attributed with one of our awards, it is simply down to the fantastic customer service levels that they have demonstrated across a prolonged period of time. Winning agents should be proud that their customer service levels provide a benchmark for their local, regional and national competition?.

What to do about bats in your rafters

Posted by John King

Increasingly, bats are choosing to roost in residential properties ? old and new ? as the number of traditional woodland habitats has fallen. As creatures of habit, they will often return to the same spot time and again.

Wimbledon Common is home to several bat species. While living nearby means that nature really is on your doorstep, if you find the bats have moved closer to your home than you might like, what should you do?

Firstly, it is important to remember that it is rare for bats to cause damage to a home. You may not even notice they are there, especially during the winter months when they are less active, seeking refuge from the weather in roofs and outbuildings while they rear their young.

The problem comes if you wish to sell or renovate your property, as bats are a protected species under UK law. Jack Parker, of Cornerstone Barristers explained: “The legal protection afforded to bats means that it is not only a criminal offence to kill a bat, you also commit an offence if you ?disturb? a bat [for example, by interfering with its habitat] or if you damage or destroy a bat’s roost [where they rest and breed].”

If you are selling a property with bats, you must inform your potential buyers. Withholding this information could lead to a claim for compensation later on ? if the buyers are unable to renovate the property as they would have liked, for example.

The other issue comes if you wish to carry out building work, as celebrities including musician Noel Gallagher and radio presenter Kelly Brook have recently found.

Having bats doesn?t necessarily mean your renovation plans will be permanently scuppered. Kelly Brook applied to build two bat boxes in the chimney of her Kent home, following an ecology survey, which found long-eared and pipistrelle bats living in the roof.

According to Jack Parker: “Various measures can be used to avoid any impact on bats, such as carrying out work at certain times of year when bats aren’t present; by incorporating bat roosts into the development in question, or by making sure that artificial lighting is designed in a way which does not affect bats.

“Work which would disturb bats may only be carried out with a licence, which will only be granted in exceptional circumstances.?

Read more about this story in the Evening Standard Homes & Property and Property Reporter. For more about bats, visit bats.org.uk .

Andrew Scott Robertson wins The British Property Awards

Posted by John King

Andrew Scott Robertson, Wimbledon Town have just won The British Property Award for SW19.

Our team performed outstandingly throughout the extensive judging period, which focused on customer service levels.

Andrew Scott Robertson, Wimbledon Town have now been shortlisted for a number of national awards which will be announced later in the year.

The British Property Awards provide agents throughout the UK with an invaluable opportunity to compare the service that they provide against the service provided by their local, regional and national competition.

Agents who go that extra mile and provide outstanding levels of customer service are rewarded with our accolade, which acts as a beacon to highlight these attributes to their local marketplace.

THE BRITISH PROPERTY AWARDS are one of the most inclusive estate agency awards providers as they do not charge to enter. This has enabled their award to be structured in a manner that ensures maximum participation, on average judging over 90% of agents that meet their minimum criteria on a local level.

The Awards team personally mystery shops every estate agent against a set of 25 criteria to obtain a balanced overview of their customer service levels. The judging criteria is periods to ensure that agents have been rigorously and fairly judged.

Robert McLean from The British Property Awards said ?Our awards has been specifically designed to be attainable to all agents, removing common barriers to entry, such as cost, to ensure that we have the most inclusive awards. Our award has also been designed to remove any opportunity for bias or manipulation. If an agent has been attributed with one of our awards, it is simply down to the fantastic customer service levels that they have demonstrated across a prolonged period of time. Winning agents should be proud that their customer service levels provide a benchmark for their local, regional and national competition?.

Why location is the key to successful buy-to-let investing

Posted by John King

We all know location counts when you are looking to buy a family home, but the same is true if you are buying to let. If you are looking in South West London, Wimbledon is a good choice as it will undoubtedly always be popular with tenants.

Wimbledon?s appeal lies in its versatility. Living in Wimbledon gives you all the amenities of the town centre with the rural feel of the village close by. Plus, there are amazing transport links to central London and beyond, as well as plenty of outstanding schools in the state and independent sectors.

Wherever you decide to invest in a buy-to-let property, location is key. As a landlord you?ll be looking for high rental yields, minimal void periods and for your property to gain in value over time. Choosing the best location for your budget can help you achieve this, so before you commit to a property think carefully about how attractive it will be to tenants.

It makes sense to have your ideal tenant in mind when deciding on a location. If your budget will only stretch to smaller apartments, your target market probably isn?t families, where more space is a priority.

If you are looking at young professionals, you?ll probably want a flat that?s close to amenities and night life as well as handy for good transport links. You might also want to consider whether it?s close to a local employer ? Wimbledon is close to St George?s Hospital and medical school, for example.

You should do plenty of research about who lives in the area and the average rents they pay. This will help you get a good idea of whether you?ll achieve the return on investment you?re looking for.

To help you decide if a location is right for your buy-to-let project, look at our local area guides. Then use our checklist of what to look out for when choosing your investment.

 

1. Avoid traffic hotspots

Go back a street from the main road – quieter streets with less traffic may hold their value better and are more attractive to tenants.

 

2. Look to the future

Do your research on any planned regeneration schemes in the area and think about the impact on the property you?re considering, good and bad. Will the plans bring better transport links and upgraded facilities, or mean noisy works for years to come that will deter renters?

 

3. How are the schools?

Families are drawn to areas like Wimbledon because of their proximity to good schools. Houses close to outstanding state schools will be popular with renters and retain their value ? as long as the schools remain high-performing and popular. If you?re targeting families, do your research into popular schools and where people need to live to secure a place.

 

4. What are the main attractions?

Look at properties with good amenities close by. Attractive parks, bars, restaurants and shops can all make a place appealing to tenants. Wimbledon is well served in this respect, with the common and Wimbledon Park, plus numerous other open spaces. The area also has plenty to do, including New Wimbledon Theatre and a range of amazing places to eat in both the town and village.

Factors like a corner shop or mini supermarket, neighbourhood pub and coffee shop can also give a particular street the edge.

 

5. How is the transport?

This is a crucial one, especially for city professionals looking for an easy commute. Wimbledon may have been planned with commuters in mind, so well is it served for transport, with frequent trains into London Waterloo, Vauxhall and Clapham Junction as well as access to the District Line, Tram, Thameslink and Northern Line services.

 

If you are considering purchasing a buy-to-let property in the Wimbledon area, we?d be happy to discuss the merits different parts of the area and show you some great properties. Contact us today to find out more.

When Wimbledon becomes tennis town

Posted by John King

 

 

 

 

As the Wimbledon Championships enter their second week, with the nail-biting finals in sight, Wimbledon town and village are at tennis fever pitch. Here are five ways to make the most of the tennis season:

1 You might still get tickets

Official tickets from the All England Club are sold by a ballot, which closed in December. Limited tickets are, however, still available, daily from the Ticketmaster website.

You can also join Wimbledon?s famous queue. The club releases 500 tickets a day for Centre Court, No 1 and No 2 Court – apart from the last four days on Centre Court. Thousands of grounds passes are available daily too, allowing access to unreserved seating and standing on Courts No 3 to 18. Arrive as early as possible and before the ground opens at 10.30am.

Read more on the Wimbledon website.

2 Watch the final on a big screen

Queuing for a grounds pass allows you to watch the action from the big screen on Murray Mound, the piece of land to the north of Centre Court.

Or head for the Piazza in Wimbledon town centre, where the atmosphere is possibly just as good. If you?re early and very lucky you might bag a deckchair or an outdoor table at a local restaurant.

Alternatively, go further afield where there are big screens at Granary Square, Kings Cross; beside Tower Bridge and City Hall; in the grounds of Fulham Palace or at St Katharine Dock.

Find more options on the Time Out website.

Wimbledon

3 Soak up the atmosphere

Shops and businesses in the town and village go all out to make the most of a time when the eyes of the world are on Wimbledon. Check out the amazing shop front displays and post pictures of your favourites on Instagram or go tennis-related celebrity spotting from local cafes and restaurants.

4 Dress to impress, or not

If you?re heading to the tournament, unless you?re competing, there?s no dress code. In spite of the glamour of Wimbledon, for spectators it?s all about comfortable and casual. During the first week of play temperatures soared. Forecasts for the second week are cooler with a chance of rain, so wear layers and come prepared for sunshine and showers.

5 Can I bring a picnic?

There are plenty of places to eat inside the ground, but they aren?t cheap and it?s likely you?ll need to queue ? so bringing your own picnic is a good option. You can only take in one bag per person, measuring no more than 40 x 30 x 30cm, so no hard-sided picnic hampers or cool boxes are allowed.

If you wish to sell or let your property in Wimbledon, then please contact us for more information on how we can help your journey to #TennisTown

24 High Street,
Wimbledon Village,
London SW19 5DX

Tel: +44 (0)20 8971 6780
Fax: +44 (0)20 8946 3683