New instruction in Brook Rd, Oldfield Park

Quite definitely the best 3 bed on the market in central Oldfield Park at the moment. A gorgeous three storey properly loft converted Victorian home in a most convenient central Oldfield Park location, with the huge benefit of a 158ft west facing rear garden. Three double bedrooms, first floor bathroom, two receptions, kitchen and undercroft – all beautifully presented and ready to move into. Handy for Moorland Rd, Windsor Bridge and the station, views to the west, double glazing, acres of exposed floorboards, superb fittings to kitchen and bathroom, gas central heating from combi boiler – the list just goes on. Plenty of space in the well planned back garden for entertaining, playing and growing.

 

Historical Notes

 

The first occupier of the house in 1892 was a Benjamin Colbourne, who worked on the local GWR railway as a train guard. The next door neighbour at 47 (Edward Salmon) was a yard foreman for GWR whilst No49′s occupier was a gardener called Samuel Taylor. Out of 20 neighbours from No’s 40 – 60 Brook Rd, 7 were GWR employees and 8 local building trades. The theme continues at least up to 1920, when No48 was owned by Sydney Bullock – a GWR stoker – with W.Wadman (engine examiner) and Charles Whittaker (baker) as neighbours.

 
Owners Feedback

 

“Living on Brook Rd is fantastic. The neighbours have been very welcoming and kind. The garden is one reason why we bought the house and it is an absolute pleasure spending time in it. The easy and quick access to Moorland Road and the city centre is brilliant”.

 

 

Full details now available via our website

Selling your house – the 3 P’s rule

If you’re looking to sell your home, all you need to remember is the 3 P’s rule – Price, Preparation and Presentation

 

Price -

 

• always get at least three valuations and check each agent brings evidence of similar sold properties
• put yourself in the buyers shoes and look at websites like www.mouseprice.com for recent sold prices in your road
• decide how much time you have to sell – the quicker you need to move, the more aggressive you’ll need to be on price

 

Preparation -

 

• De clutter and de personalise the property. Tidy the garden and work on your “kerb appeal”
• Obtain a marketing plan from the agent you’ve chosen to instruct – you need to know everything they are going to do for you for at least the first 6 weeks
• ask the agent to start marketing the property on websites and in the newspaper several days BEFORE starting viewings. This ensures all available buyers get a chance to see your home (and more buyers means more choice and potentially more money for you)

 

Presentation -

 

• Make sure the property details are perfect - check the agent has included lots of photos (all taken in a nice day with blue sky), floor plans (ideally interactive and colour coded), aspirational language, historical details, a map and so on. The same should be true for the internet details.
• Your property has to be widely marketed – the local newspaper is a must alongside property websites but don’t forget social media, a for sale board and the estate agent’s window display.
• The estate agent has to do all the viewings – you’ll get more information from the viewers if they do – but make sure the agent is capable of doing evening and weekend showings (and is experienced enough to know what they’re talking about)

 

scientia potentia est / knowledge is power

Sir Francis Bacon - Religious Meditations, Of Heresies, 1597

Guide to Selling Pt2

Viewings

Who should do viewings? Owners know their own homes best, but buyers prefer agents to show them around. The best compromise is to let the agent conduct all first viewings and then offer to be around for any second viewings, in case the prospective buyer has any questions, or you’d like to meet them and build a rapport.

When should viewings happen? In an ideal world, at the buyer’s convenience. Buyers like agents or owners to make their lives easier and be available after work or on weekends. Try to be accommodating and create a good impression. But do let your agent know if there are problematic times for viewings for you and if there are any local issues that may cause problems for viewing (eg limited parking during school runs).

Always expect feedback from viewings as a matter of course. How else can you find out if there are any problems you could fix? Agents should give you detailed, specific feedback within 24 hours. However, be aware that it takes, on average, several viewings to create 1 offer (or more in a slow market) so there will always be a fair amount of personal feedback.

Experience, enthusiasm and knowledge

Estate agency is partly a sales job – and experience counts. Avoid letting inexperienced agents handle your biggest financial asset. Some estate agents employ different staff to value homes and others to sell them – don’t get caught out and make sure the person you meet first is available to you for the whole process.

 

Opening hours and availability

Buyers work, just as you do, so having your home and agent available after working hours (and at weekends) is absolutely crucial to get the maximum activity from viewers. Your agent needs to be able to react quickly to viewing requests and accommodate viewers in early evenings and at weekends, so leave a key with them. The same is true of phone calls – if you can’t get through, the chances are your potential buyers can’t either.

 

Advertising

Rightmove, the property website is the market leader by far – if your home is marketed on Rightmove, entries on any other property websites are a bonus rather than essential. Make sure the photos look good, the description is eye-catching and comprehensive, and you must have floor plans for maximum effect.

Newspaper advertising – case studies have proven that between 30 – 50% of viewings still come from the local property paper. Make sure your property is featured regularly, with large adverts and plenty of detail.

Social media – technology moves on and many buyers are now using Facebook, Twitter and the like to look for properties. This trend is only likely to increase, so make sure your agent is marketing your home via these websites.

Window displays – we all look, even if we’re not buying, so traditional methods always have their place. Your property needs to look as good in the window as it does on websites.

Boards – like them or loathe them, they also have their place and act as a 24 hour salesperson.

If your agent uses QR codes on boards, they can also be useful to channel smartphone users direct to your online property information. (QR, or Quick Response code, is a type of barcode.)

Property details

Photos – are the most important aspect of your estate agent’s marketing. Your home will stand or fall in the market based on the quality of the photos taken. If you think about how buyers search for property, the photo is always the first thing they see – on the web, in the papers, in window displays and on details. If it’s not perfect, have it taken again. If your property stays on the market for a while, ask the agent to retake the photos from different angles to refresh the marketing.

Floor plans – make life easier for buyers and always have a floor plan for your property. Including them means you’ll get 30% more activity from websites. Viewers will be able to visualize and remember more about your home and they can scribble on the printed plan. Even better, put the photos and the plan together in an interactive plan. Always include total square footage of accommodation.

Descriptions – many agents will write descriptions by rote and these are easily recognisable. Choose an aspirational description that makes people want to view. Avoid stock phrases, clichés and always give full details on accommodation. State sizes on rooms and gardens and show compass directions.

Brochures (if required beyond the usual paper printout) – lots of estate agents charge for brochure production. Check with your local printer for price comparisons.

Videos/virtual tours – if you can find an agent with the capability, buyers love video tours. Grab one for your home if you can.

ALWAYS INSIST on approving the property details before they are released to the market. Feel free to make suggestions and changes – it’s your property after all.

Instructing an agent

Contracts – before you instruct an agent to sell your home, look through their contract in detail. Most agents will have a minimum contract period (you’re tied in to that agent for a certain number of weeks) so make sure you know what you’re signing up for. 4 – 8 weeks is enough in most cases. If the term is above 8 weeks, the agent might not have enough confidence in their valuation. Don’t forget VAT is payable on agent’s fees and look for charges like “cancellation fees” or “advertising fees”.

Marketing plan – sit down with your agent and agree a timescale for marketing. When will the details be ready?  When is the date of the first newspaper advert? When should viewings start? Before your home is marketed, you should know everything the agent is going to do for you for at least 6 weeks into the future.

Preparing your home for sale

You have a role to play in the sale even if you’ve employed an estate agent. Try to leave the property clean and tidy every day – even if you haven’t got any viewings booked: you never know when the phone will ring. All the little DIY jobs you’ve been putting off need to be sorted before the first buyer turns up. Look at the “kerb appeal” of your property – does the front garden need tidying, or the door painting? Do you need to talk to the agent about your pets and how to deal with them? Are there times of the day when viewings shouldn’t be booked? If you’re really stuck on how to present your property, ask your agent or a property stylist for their opinion.

New instruction in Edgeworth Road, Kingsway, Bath

 

Glorious views to the west, fields behind, beautifully presented throughout and a spectacular kitchen in this elevated three bedroom terrace on Kingsway slopes. With bus routes and Tescos conveniently placed nearby, this is a smashing home that you could just put suitcases down and move right into. The accommodation briefly comprises of sitting room, kitchen/diner and small conservatory/utility on the ground floor. First floor houses three bedrooms (2 doubles and a single) plus a gleaming white bathroom. Rear garden over two levels with fields behind, allocated off road parking space located opposite the house at the front. Double glazing, GCH, neutral decor – a simple, straightforward property with much to recommend.

From our office, proceed along Moorland Rd and turn left onto Herbert Rd. Bear right at the top and left into Bridge Rd (which becomes Coronation Avenue). At the top of Coronation Avenue, cross over Englishcombe Lane into Kingsway and take the first right into Ambleside Rd. Turn left into Kingsfield which leads to Edgeworth Rd. The property will be found on the left.

Historical Notes

The Kingsway estate was built on land once part of Barrow Farm, which was purchased in 1452 by Sir Richard Choke (in 1453 appointed Henry VI’s serjeant-at-law, knighted in 1456 and one of the kings justices of the peace. Also the owner of the manor of Long Ashton in Bristol and resident at Ashton Court). Sir Richard paid £100 for Barrow Farm and the property was described as “2 houses and 180 acres in Twerton, Englishcombe and Berewe near Bath”. The annual rent for the property was a pound of pepper to the lord of Twerton.
Old field names in the Edgeworth area are recorded on the 1839 parish map as Heads Down, Gibbs Down and Bullocks Down.

Full details now available on our website by clicking here

Riverside nirvana – new instruction in Grosvenor Bridge Road

Enjoying one of the best views in the block and looking out over acres of communal gardens adjacent to the Avon, this first floor 60sqm balconied two double bedroom apartment is a real gem. The view from the double aspect sitting room is a joy to behold but the apartment scores highly on practical considerations as well – double glazing, GCH from combi boiler, recently fitted white kitchen and bathroom, loads of storage, a garage in nearby block and plenty of large windows to flood the rooms with light. Quietly tucked away behind Grosvenor Place with Larkhall shops to the north. Fishing rights too!

Grosvenor historical notes

The Grosvenor Suspension Bridge over the Avon was opened in 1830 and replaced by the (less aesthetically pleasing) present stone bridge in 1929.

Grosvenor Place was served by horse drawn tram from 1880 (The Bath Road Car & Tram Co Ltd), which ran to Southgate St with a maximum of 18 passengers. The service was replaced in 1904 by electric trams.

Under the foundations of Grosvenor House was buried an inscribed plate which read;

“The first stone of Grosvenor House, Vauxhall, was laid on 24th June 1791 by John Eveleigh, Architect, being the Centre of 143 intended houses, and at the entrance of Vauxhall Gardens, which will be built by Subscriptions, laid out with taste and elegance for the reception of Nobility, Gentry and the Public in general”

Full details and multiple internal photos now available on our website by clicking here