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YOUR BEST MOVE
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St Albans Cathedral St Albans
WELCOME Started in 1991 by Paul and Elsa Raine the company has always strived to be at the forefront of the estate agency market with an emphasis on high levels of service, communication, honesty, friendliness and a reputation to be proud of. By making sure that they employ the best people with the same values and high levels of work ethics, Raine and Co has ensured success in every field. In the property market, location is the key, and Raine and Co has become one of the largest and most respected independent estate agents in Hertfordshire with modern, prominent offices located strategically to support each other in busy positions in Potters Bar, Cheshunt, Hatfield, St Albans, Stevenage, Codicote, Broxbourne and Mayfair, London. Over the years Raine and Co has successfully expanded into Residential Lettings, Property Management, Land, Block Management, Development, New Homes, Property Investment, Financial Services, Commercial Sales, Commercial Lettings and International Properties, with their very own Raine International office located in Spain, while always making sure that the same core values and high service levels are met and exceeded. The Directors of Raine and Co strongly believe that the profession should be regulated and as a result are members of The National Association of Estate Agents, The Association of Residential Letting Agents, The National Approved Letting Scheme and The Ombudsmen for Estate Agents. The Hatfield, Stevenage and Potters Bar offices have also been chosen by The Relocation Agent Network as the Best Independent Estate Agents in their respective towns.
“Jackie Alexander was unfailingly efficient, courteous and professional in her conduct of my recent sale and above all, she was very informative and never failed to communicate with me.� Brookmans Park
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VALUATION INFORMATION Choosing an Estate Agent?
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For most people selling a property is likely to be the biggest, most important financial transaction they will ever make. This is why a professional, knowledgeable and local Estate Agent who offers a high level of service is essential to reduce as much of the stress as possible.
Having strong advertising is the key to selling any property but your Estate Agent should also have first-rate customer service skills to ensure that enquires are handled correctly and therefore no potential buyers are lost.
Raine and Co always strive to gain the best possible price for your home but we believe in honest, accurate valuations based on recent property sales in the area and the condition of the property market - we would never over-value your home and make false promises we can’t keep, therefore wasting your time and causing more hassle in the moving process.
Raine and Co We are confident that the service and coverage that we are able to offer you is the best available. Raine and Co have been successfully selling houses in Hertfordshire, London and abroad since 1991 (when we first traded as Century 21 Estates) and have won many top awards for service and levels of business. Raine and Co are now one of the largest Independent Agents in Hertfordshire who can offer a greater coverage for your property than most of our competitors, with radio advertising, websites, newspapers and magazines, station advertising and social media. We are also part of the Relocation Agent Network, an organization that can exchange properties and applicants with over 650 offices in the United Kingdom.
Unlike some other agents, we will regularly speak to you to discuss the marketing progress of your property. As soon as we gain feedback for any viewings on your property you will receive a telephone call or an e-mail from us with the prospective purchasers response. This enables us to better understand how potential buyers perceive your property and if there are any issues we can rectify or any small changes in your property you can make so it presents better. We have dedicated and experienced Sales Progressors who will update you on all key stages of your sale. Many sales have been lost because no one has bothered to follow them through and looked to handle problems before they become issues, and this is why we take great pride in this area of our service and our well below average fall through rate.
Advertising With the Internet now providing around 98% of our enquiries we ensure that buyers have instant access to your property on demand over a huge range of different websites, so to compliment our newspaper and magazine advertising we now feature on a variety of websites illustrated below:
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SELLING YOUR PROPERTY Step 1: Accurate valuation
Step 6: Offer agreed
Your aim should be to sell your property at the best possible price in the shortest possible time, with the least amount of inconvenience.
Once you accept an offer we will confirm the agreed price in writing and request solicitors from both parties, we will prepare and send out the memorandum of sale.
Step 2: Selecting an Estate Agent
Your solicitor will send out a draft contract to the buyer’s solicitor who will then raise any questions they may have. You will need to complete a property questionnaire and a fixture and fittings form detailing exactly what is included and excluded from the selling price.
When choosing an estate agent, consider when they will be available to conduct viewings, their High Street and Internet presence and what kind of marketing your property will receive.
Step 3: Presenting your property First impressions count, making the presentation of your property critical to a successful sale. Consider addressing any DIY jobs you have been meaning to get done, add a fresh coat of paint where necessary and try to tidy and declutter to make rooms appear larger.
Step 4: Marketing & viewings To find your perfect buyer you need to give your property maximum exposure across a wide range of media. When you instruct Raine and Co to sell your property you will automatically benefit from exposure on all of the key property portals and our award winning website, inclusion in monthly newspapers and magazines, full colour property details and regular email and SMS alerts to potential purchasers.
Step 5: Receiving an offer As soon as an offer is received we will notify you and detail any special conditions, we will check the buyer’s ability to proceed before you decide whether to accept the offer.
“Can’t thank you enough Michael and Alex for the superb service. You were totally professional instilling complete confidence that the right buyer would be found, paying the price wanted and all within three months. Highly recommended.” Hatfield
The buyer, if needing a mortgage, will have to arrange to have a valuation upon your property and they may also arrange a separate surveyors visit to detail the condition. We will liase with solicitors throughout the selling process and we also negotiate, help and advise on your behalf through every detail of the sale to your prospective buyers.
Step 7: Exchange of contracts Exchange of contracts occurs when both parties have signed the contract and the buyer’s solicitor will then transfer the deposit to your solicitor. The completion date is then set by mutual agreement, if needed a removals company should be arranged at this time.
Step 8: Completion/moving day Completion is when the residual monies are transferred from the buyer’s solicitor to your solicitor’s account. Your solicitor will call you when the money has cleared in your account and will inform us to release the keys. Congratulations, your property is now sold!
CROMER Windmill Stevenage
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THE GALLERIA HATFIELD
RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL LETTING Whether you are a landlord or tenant or looking for residential or commercial lettings we have professional and qualified staff to guide you through the process to ensure complete peace of mind. We consider the requirements of both landlords and tenants to make sure a property is let to the most suitable people at the best possible price, we undertake extensive checks to cover referencing, affordability and also offer rental guarantees to make for a smooth and trouble free tenancy for all. We work on behalf of many small residential and commercial landlords who may want to let their own property or may own buy-to-let properties, we also have professional landlords who maintain large portfolio’s of properties. Our property services cover the initial market appraisal to moving day, our team of experienced letting agents will guide you through every aspect of letting a property and we take time to listen to you and your requirements with a personal, straightforward approach in what can be a complicated business. As a landlord looking to let we shall advise on a rental value based upon size, location, market trends and demand relating to your property. Before you let you need to consider various legalities and pitfalls such as permission from a lender, lease restrictions, safety certificates for gas and electric, insurances plus furniture, fire and health and safety regulations. Viewings are normally conducted by ourselves but any property should be presented well, bright, clean and tidy as first impressions are always important. Once a tenant is found we shall take up credit checks and references so before recommending a prospective tenant we can ensure landlords have all of the information they need. Upon acceptance we draw up contracts and take a thorough inventory of the contents and condition of the property so at the end of the tenancy we can use this to determine whether any deductions are made from a deposit before it is returned. A full guide to our services for letting residential and commercial property is available through our offices.
“I just wanted to say thank you to Theo for all of his help! He was very supportive and gracious throughout the sale. Many thanks Raine and Co and kind regards.“ Potters Bar
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THE MANAGEMENT OFFICE “The Management Office” was established in the year 2000 to offer a full letting management service to leading agents and landlords; initially we operated within London and the Home Counties but have since expanded throughout the UK. ‘The Management Office’ provides an outsourced back office service and does not let directly to the general public. The aim of “The Management Office” is to deal with the smooth running of any tenancy, ensuring rents are received and paid to your landlord promptly and most importantly any problems arising are resolved swiftly, professionally and correctly, relieving all fear and stress from the letting agent. Our management team are well qualified and knowledgeable with many years of combined experience, offering a high level of service to agents, landlords and tenants alike. There are many key issues when managing properties but when working with “The Management Office” you benefit from our own in-house legal adviser in times of crisis - late rental payments, unpaid rent, the serving of court papers for rent arrears or possession are all covered by us. Most managing agents cannot offer this legal facility to estate agents or landlords. When things get tough - they are not qualified to help you and their advice will be to seek out a suitably qualified solicitor, which can be costly.
“Please forward my thanks to Tom in the St Albans office for all his hard work and patience with me whilst I was going through a difficult time. Couldn’t recommend Raine and Co enough.” St Albans
Hatfield House HATFIELD
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LAND & NEW HOMES Over the years Raine and Co have been trading in Hertfordshire we have been involved with the procurement, development and marketing of many new homes projects in Potters Bar, Brookmans Park, Hatfield and Stevenage. During this time we have worked with many well known building companies including Barratt Homes, Beechwood Homes, Crest Nicholson, Croudace and Laings to name just a few. Through our extensive experience and local knowledge we only identify sites that are capable of delivering a real local benefit to the communities in which we work. Within this we are driven to continue our role as local strategic partner which sees us work collaboratively with communities, individuals and local authorities to identify the need and the location of growth. Our team has the capacity and know how to deal with the complexities associated with any development efficiently. As a result our business is rewarded by a high success rate of planning permissions and our contracts for development. We endeavour to find the best solutions for a site, to understand market conditions, foster innovation and change and embrace evolving government policy. We are constantly searching for new sites and buildings with the potential to develop, convert or expand and are happy to look and advise on any project no matter how small or large. Should we then identify some development possibility we can introduce suitable, reputable and well funded building companies to see a project through to conclusion.
BLOCK MANAGEMENT The management and administration of purpose built blocks of flats, converted houses and privately run residential estates is a quite unique form of property management requiring specialised skills and an in-depth knowledge of legislation not normally found within the average residential letting agency. The Management Office based in Potters Bar has been operating in Hertfordshire and London for fourteen years and currently looks after portfolio of over 500 properties offering different levels of management service for landlords and leaseholders. We have a proven track record in the highly specialised area of Block Management, and take a very proactive interest in the properties we manage with the view that the value should not only be maintained but also enhanced wherever possible. To achieve this, we work closely with freehold owners and representatives of Resident Management Associations to prepare proper programmes of cost effective management that maximise the capital value of buildings while continuing to maintain the annual service charge at a sustainable, economic level. Our office staff are professionally trained to run the accounts, maintenance and accurately deal with all issues from tenants, landlords and leaseholders. In order to resolve any arising maintenance issues The Management Office has many qualified contractors to deal with any problems the properties may face, meaning that if and when issues begin to appear they can be dealt with swiftly and cost effectively so as to not cause any more damage or creating any complaints about the service, which you pay for.
“We feel that Raine and Co offered a good service especially in comparison with other agents. Roberto was always available to help and we felt that Raine and Co put in all the hard work whereas other agents just sat back.� Broxbourne
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MORTGAGE & FINANCIAL SERVICES Raine and Co work with a select group of Independent Financial Advisors who can answer questions and assist with the home buying and investment process at all stages. The great joy of financial freedom is having your heart and mind free from worry about life’s uncertainties, and our aim is to pave the way for a more secure financial future for you, your family and for businesses of all sizes. Our understanding of your current financial situation is the keystone to the formulation of a financial plan which will meet your future needs. Many people have goals and dreams, but a goal without a plan is just a wish...an achievable goal is a dream with a deadline. So it all starts with listening. We listen to your needs, your hopes your dreams, and we formulate a plan, which enables us to offer you clear, nojargon advice on the most appropriate financial products for your personal circumstances. This is the start of our journey together, to prepare the plan to meet your goals, to ensure that you, your family and your assets are protected, and to help you build a brighter, more secure future. Contact your local Raine and Co branch to speak with one of our advisors even if you are buying property elsewhere, as mentioned they are completely independent.
INTERNATIONAL PROPERTIES During 2008 Raine and Co opened their first overseas office in Marbella on the south coast of Spain, trading as ‘Raine International’ the office sells both new and resale properties of all types and sizes on the coast from Malaga to Gibraltar and Inland whether a small ’Finca’ or farm smallholdings to substantial rural retreats. During the financial crisis Spain was one of the worst affected European countries, for many years there had been an unchecked building expansion with developers and banks overstretching themselves and a rather optimistic view of the continuing growth in both the domestic and tourist property markets. The financial crash that followed means that many homes and new developments have more than halved in value over the past few years and although the market has now stabilized there are many bargains to be found. Raine and Co are appointed by several of the Spanish Banks to handle the sale of the properties that have become bank owned during the crisis, these are both new homes and resale properties and in many cases the banks are offering mortgages to assist with the purchase to overseas buyers. Continuing the success of our international office, in late 2016 Raine and Co expanded to new premises in Lagos, Portugal, dealing with residential and commercial properties throughout The Algarve and Portugal. In 2017 Raine and Co once again branched out and are now working closely with commercial partners in Dubai and the Middle East, taking our international footprint into three continents.
“The service we received was second to none. Lynn and Roberto were excellent. The team performed well and guided us through the whole process. Raine and Co - a big thank you!” Cheshunt
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CHESHUNT
HATFIELD
250 Turners Hill Cheshunt, Herts EN8 9DD
11 Market Place Hatfield, Herts AL10 0LJ
Telephone: 01992 640 166 Email: cheshunt@raineandco.com
Telephone: 01707 266 885 Email: hatfield@raineandco.com
A large commuter town to the Southeast of Hertfordshire, Cheshunt is close to the villages of Turnford and Wormley and is well located with easy access to the A10 and M25 as well as a fast rail link to London Liverpool Street. In addition Cheshunt station will be part of the proposed Cross Rail 2 network. Cheshunt has many outstanding primary and secondary schools as well as Hertford Regional College and large recreational areas including the Lee Valley White Water Centre.
Located between junctions 2, 3 and 4 on the A1(M), Hatfield is home to The University of Hertfordshire and the historic Hatfield House (Home to the Marques of Salisbury). Our Hatfield office opened in 1993 and is located in a highly visible location in The Market Place within the town centre. Dealing with sales and lettings this office has built a reputation for high service levels, professionalism and has been designated as the best independent estate agent in the town by The Relocation Agent Network.
POTTERS BAR
St Albans
11 Darkes Lane Potters Bar, Herts EN6 1AZ
405 Hatfield Road St Albans, Herts AL4 0XP
Telephone: 01707 665 577 Email: pottersbar@raineandco.com
Telephone: 01727 837644 Email: stalbans@raineandco.com
Potters Bar is a large town situated in the south of Hertfordshire located within close proximity to local villages including Brookmans Park, Welham Green, South Mimms and Northaw. The town benefits from great transport links with regular trains just 16 minutes to London Kings Cross and easy access to A1 and M25 through junctions 23 and 24. Potters Bar offers a top class level of education with six primary and two secondary schools, including the renowned Dame Alice Owens School, as well as Lochinver and Stormont private schools.
Standing out as a unique English Cathedral City, the only one in Hertfordshire, St Albans colourful history can be seen in the Roman remains and the beautiful medieval architecture. There are lush green parks and countryside, a buzzing metropolis, excellent attractions and interesting and ancient history. In 2013, St Albans was named by Rightmove as the 5th happiest place to live in the UK. It’s an increasingly popular area for all people offering some of the best schools and colleges in the area.
OUR OFFICES
St Albans
BROXBOURNE
26 London Road St Albans, Herts AL1 1NG
62 High Road Broxbourne, Herts EN10 7NF
Telephone: 01727 831 999 Email: stalbans@raineandco.com
Telephone: 01992 640 166 Email: broxbourne@raineandco.com
Our signature office on the London Road works closely with our St Albans east premises to provide a comprehensive and tailored service throughout the city. St Albans has become a staple of Greater London living offering vibrant markets, fantastic schooling, great transport links proving to be a wonderful alternative to London living. Historically stunning architecture and conservation areas are one of the many reasons more and more people are moving to St Albans and cementing the city as one of the best places to live in the country.
A small and desirable town situated close to Cheshunt, Hoddesdon and Nazeing. Broxbourne is conveniently located near the A10 and has a fast commuter rail service to London Liverpool Street. It has some outstanding state and private primary schools as well as the highly regarded Broxbourne Secondary School. The Lee Valley Park, Hertfordshire Golf & Country Club, Paradise Wildlife Park and Brookfield Centre are all within easy access.
STEVENAGE
CODICOTE
33 Market Place Stevenage, Herts SG1 1DH
81a High Street Codicote, Herts SG4 8XE
Telephone: 01438 870 668 Email: stevenage@raineandco.com
Telephone: 01438 424 266 Email: codicote@raineandco.com
A very large and vibrant new town situated approx. 30 miles North of London on the A1(M). Stevenage has access from junctions 7 and 8 with a mainline railway station that reaches Kings Cross in approx. 30 minutes. Stevenage has a vast selection of properties ranging from very modern privately built houses constructed within the last 10 years to ex-local authority properties within the new town and then older and character properties in Old Stevenage.
Delightful and friendly is the best way to describe Codicote and is located between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin and accessed via junction 6 on the A1(M). Railway facilities can be found at Hitchin, Stevenage or Old Welwyn. Surrounded by picturesque countryside the village has many shops that cater for the everyday basic needs but major shopping facilities can be found in the surrounding towns. The Village has its own infant and junior school and senior schools can again be found in the surrounding towns.
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MEMBERSHIP SCHEMES Unlicensed agents can lose you money and turn your home buying experience from a dream into a nightmare. Here NAEA explains why it is so important to use a licensed agent. Every year, unlicensed agents cause Britain’s homebuyers and seller’s unnecessary stress and hassle - and sometimes loss of money - by giving incorrect or misleading advice or offering poor standards of customer service.
Better for consumers By using a licensed NAEA agent you are guaranteed to be consulting with a qualified and/or experienced agent who can give you professional up-to-date advice and guidance. It is important that you are dealing with an agent who voluntarily follows the Code of Practice and Rules of Conduct laid down by their professional body, NAEA. A licensed NAEA agent will have Professional Indemnity Insurance (this protects you, the consumer, from financial losses incurred through negligent or misleading advice) and, should something go wrong, you will have a complaint procedure available to you.
Better protected A Licensed NAEA Agent is qualified (either by formal qualification or by many years of professional body membership) and is required to keep up to date with the latest developments in the market and with the changing legislation affecting residential estate agency. Without this knowledge and expertise, whether you’re selling or buying your home, you may be badly advised or misled - you may even suffer financial loss as a result. In the unlikely event that things go wrong, a Licensed NAEA Firm has a written complaints procedure. If you are not completely satisfied with the service you have received from a Licensed NAEA Agent and cannot resolve this issue directly with the agent or firm, you have the option of taking your complaint to adjudication and redress through The Property Ombudsman Scheme or Ombudsman Services: Property. NFoPP Regulation can also consider a complaint and are able to instigate disciplinary sanctions.
Currently there is no barrier to anyone setting up and practising as an estate agent. Many consumers are not aware of this and so do not realise the importance of a license. There is no legal requirement for estate agents to obtain the new license, leaving consumers with a clear choice over whether they choose a licensed or unlicensed agent. Mark Hayward, Managing Director, NAEA said: “We would like all sellers and buyers to ask their prospective agents, ‘Do you have an NAEA license?’ If they don’t, they should ask themselves whether that’s the agent from whom they will get the best service when marketing their property. It is important for anyone placing a home on the market to use a professional, knowledgeable agent. NAEA members know their local area and know their local market. That is very important to consumers.”
Introduction to The Property Ombudsman
The Property Ombudsman, formerly the Ombudsman for Estate Agents (OEA) established on 1 January 1998. The scheme is open to all those firms of estate agents with a principal, director or partner who is a member of the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) or Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). From June 2006, the OEA extended its services to Lettings and Property Management agents. By dealing with a Member of The Property Ombudsman, the public may be confident about the agent’s approach in its dealings with actual and potential buyers and sellers of residential property or lettings in the UK. The Property Ombudsman provides a free, fair and independent service for dealing with unresolved disputes between sales and letting agents who have joined the TPO and consumers who are actual or potential buyers or sellers or landlords or tenants of residential property in the UK. The Ombudsman is totally independent of agents and reports directly to the TPO Council that has a majority of non-industry members. The Ombudsman’s role is to reach a resolution of unresolved disputes in full and final settlement
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and, where appropriate, they will make an appropriate award of financial compensation or other action for example make an apology. Therefore, if you feel that you have been disadvantaged by the actions or inactions of a TPO member, you have access to an independent dispute resolution service and can be certain of receiving a fair and reasonable judgment of your complaint.
Introduction to ARLA The Association of Residential Letting Agents is the UK’s foremost professional body for letting agents. Its members are professionals working at all levels of letting agency, from business owners to office employees. ARLA was formed in 1981 as the professional and regulatory body for letting agents in the UK. It was recognised that the requirements of the residential lettings market were so detailed and specific that a separate organisation was required to promote standards in this important and growing sector of the property market. Today, with the head office based in Warwick,and our additional offices in London and Edinburgh, the key roles include providing help and guidance for property professionals across a broad spectrum of disciplines while continually campaigning across the UK to make the property market more efficient and user-friendly for the home buying and selling public. As a leading player in the property industry, ARLA offers significant benefits to letting agents and consumers alike.
“We found Raine and Co very good. We have not moved for 32 years, so this was all new to us! The advice that was given by Sandra, Danny and the rest of the team was exceptional.” Stevenage
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