Month: March 2016

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Strutt & Parker’s first national Open House Day of 2016 held last on the last weekend of February had some of the highest viewing levels since the event began in 2008 and is looking to be one of the most successful Open House Days held in recent years.

696 properties took part across the UK resulting in 1,686 viewings and 74 offers totalling £50.3million thus far (26 accepted so far), with more are still being considered and coming in.  These are outstanding results, especially from the south of England: 

Houses priced between £600,000 and £1,650,000 in amenity-rich locations, both in towns and popular villages, attracted the most attention and generated the greatest buzz.

George Burnand from the Winchester office comments: “We have been very busy in Winchester, with over 50 viewings already on 14 houses. The top performer had 14 visitors, and many were in double figures. This is about twice as busy as the open house day we held last year in June.

George outlines a few highlights of the event:

“A house north of Winchester that had previously been marketed with another agency received five viewings on the day and is now under offer. Two new launches in the city both received double figure viewings and we are carrying out second viewings as a result.”

Successful across the country, other standout offices were Exeter, Norwich, Market Harborough, Chester, Ludlow, Shrewsbury, Banbury, Morpeth and Cirencester, all with excellent Open House viewing figures.

George concluded: “Despite stock levels being lower than they have been for some time, buyers were out in force enjoying the relaxed atmosphere and flexibility of being able to view as many homes as they want to, at a time that suits them. The fact that the gap between house prices in London and the rest of the country has been growing for some time means that you can get a lot more value for your money if you look a bit further afield  – commuter belt, home counties and beyond.

“Encouraging news that the tide might be turning for a good spring market after a slow start to the year.”…

Price growth in Winchester’s prime housing market is being driven by the continued demand for properties in key town and city markets with good schools, transport links and amenities.

The key findings of Knight Frank’s latest research show that prime property values in Winchester rose by 3.3% in the final three months of 2015, and by 7.1% on an annual basis

There was a notable increase in the number of Londoners looking to relocate to Winchester, with many such buyers taking advantage of the price differential between property values in London and elsewhere in the country with London buyers accounting for 25% of the market; more than twice that of the previous year.

There are differentials in specific areas of the city which are outpacing others with Hyde proving to be particularly popular; it is thought that the proximity to the station and good schools helped to push this area up by 8.5%. The growth of areas to the south and the east of the city still rose by more than 6%.

Tom Woods, from Knight Frank in Winchester, comments:

“Winchester as a city consistently performs well as a market. Indeed, the figures from this year outperform the country market by some way. This is underpinned by a number of factors, the most important being access to London (an hour by train), excellent schools, both state and private and access to the countryside. As a result the city centre itself has seen major change recently, with a number of excellent shops opening and celebrity chefs such as Rick Stein opening restaurants; his first outside of Cornwall.

“A number of London buyers move to Winchester initially to rent, but then end up staying in the city, making it a perfect stepping stone to a country move. On top of this are downsizers retiring into the city, and constant movers within the city moving up or down the markets.

“In terms of areas, Hyde has seen the most dramatic growth, as well as traditionally strong areas such as St Cross which have a large proportion of family houses with big gardens. St Giles Hill is also popular for people looking for larger family houses. My ‘tip’ as it were would be Fulflood and out to Chilbolton Avenue which is around the station

and with a Waitrose in that area, and Westgate secondary school which performs well. I think this area will continue to go from strength to strength.

“For 2016, we anticipate that the strong performance will continue in the city, driven by a shortage of supply, which was especially noticeable in 2015 and without doubt contributed to the price growth we have seen.”…

Goadsby recently had an influx of viewings on a modern two bedroom house in Eastleigh. To keep things under control, the decision was taken to conduct an open day to enable potential purchasers to view in a relaxed manner.

Sales negotiator, Georgie Newman takes up the story:

“The market response and demand to view the property was overwhelming for this Cedar Road property which resulted in more than 20 viewings taking place.

“Best and final bids ensued and multiple offers well in excess of the asking price were received, leaving many disappointed buyers poised and waiting for another opportunity.”

With the considerable lack of properties coming onto the market and the high demand from buyers it is now an excellent time to sell.

Georgie concludes: “If you have been considering selling your property we would be very pleased to hear from you.”

Call Goadsby today to arrange your free market appraisal and for a more in-depth discussion about how they can help you move in 2016. The Eastleigh office can be contacted on 023 8062 0550…

One of the beauties of renting a home is that you can live wherever the mood (or maybe necessity) takes you.

Of course, a lettings agent with a good selection of properties to offer  is a must – Zaza Oswald at Carter Jonas in Winchester is exactly that person.

Out of town is an apartment at The Malms, Shawford (£1,150 per month, EPC Band D), with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a reception room, allocated parking, bike storage – and a station with trains to Waterloo at the bottom of the drive!

For a switch of lifestyle, if not size of home, choose a penthouse in St Clement Street, Winchester (£1,200, EPC C) with the same level of accommodation, all finished to a high specification. The railway station and vibrant city centre are close to the front door, perfect for weekend and evening relaxation.

Into the space race? Then a house in King Alfred Terrace (£2,100, EPC D) has peak appeal. It’s close to Hyde, River Park leisure centre, and the railway station while families will also appreciate being within the catchment of popular St Bede’s CofE primary school. The three bedrooms on the first floor are served by the family bathroom while the master on the second floor has an en-suite shower room. There’s also a fantastic eat-in kitchen and a sitting room with log burner.

Back to Shawford and a detached home just available in Southdown Road (£2,500, EPC D) has an eat-in kitchen in its wonderful living space featuring three further reception rooms. The master bedroom has an en-suite bathroom while a family bathroom serves the two further double bedrooms (both with built-in wardrobes) and a further bedroom. The house has large enclosed gardens and ample driveway parking.

Moving out to the country, on a private estate in Old Basing, there’s an Arts and Crafts-style house (£2,995, EPC E) in a parkland setting. It has a splendid country kitchen, butler’s pantry, four reception rooms that include a living room with three pairs of French windows, six bedrooms, and three bathrooms. There is a choice of stations at Basingstoke or Hook plus the M3 close by.

Rents exclude administration fees, for this information visit CJVIEW.ME/winlet. For more details of the properties, call Carter Jonas on 01962 876838 or email winchester-residentiallettings@carterjonas.co.uk…

This delightful and distinctive house at Dell Road in Southampton is gearing up for an open day on Saturday 20 February. This means that all those seeking a spacious detached family home, with a budget of around £360,000, can make appointments to view on this day in a relaxed atmosphere.

The distinctive architecture is pleasing to the eye and is enhanced by the creative planting in the garden which frames the house. Stripped and varnished maple wood flooring in the entrance hall continues into the sitting room which has an open fireplace and French doors which open into a superb family room with expanses of glazing and opens to a paved area of garden.

A separate dining room on the other side of the entrance hall opens through to the superb modern kitchen which is open plan to a large breakfast room. Glazed doors open to the terrace making dining outside through the warmer months a regular activity. There is also a utility room and sophisticated wet room style shower.

From the hall stairs rise to the first floor landing which branches off to four double bedrooms and the family bathroom. All bedrooms have their own character; with dual aspect windows or, as with the principal bedroom, a part vaulted ceiling and French doors to a decked patio area.

There is a garage with off road parking to the front and a side entrance gives access to the rear garden which is terraced to take account of the gradient, with flower beds and borders, lawns, patio areas and a potting shed.

The house has an added appeal of being situated within the Bitterne Park School catchment area, which is very much a part of this lovely community, together with the village style shops at Bitterne Park Triangle and Riverside Park with excellent recreational facilities and riverside walks.

Connells will be happy to provide further details and to make an appointment for the Open Day. Call the team on 023 8042 2080.…