Bookham Open Gardens

BOOKHAM OPEN GARDENS DAY

Sunday 27th June, 10am – 5pm

This year we expect to feature around 15 varied and attractive private gardens and we have seven new ones to share with you. We will be joined once again by Little Bookham Allotments and The Grange’s Walled Garden. Find out more about individual gardens in the programme which will be available at our ticket outlets or can be downloaded from mid June from our website at www.bookhamopengardens.co.uk. As you walk between gardens, do look out for beautifully decorated Blue Hearts, indicating a road verge of lovely flowers to attract pollinators that are so important for biodiversity. Open Gardens Day raises money for the upkeep of our historic Old Barn Hall, and over the years we have raised over £65,000. We are planning to serve our normal delicious home-baked cakes, rolls and drinks throughout the day at the Hall but our exact offering will be decided nearer the time depending on restrictions in place at the time. Who knows, it might be refreshments al fresco. Plants should be available to buy at the Allotments, The Grange and some of the gardens. Tickets on sale from 15th June: £7 in advance from the outlets below. Children u16 - free. Wheelchair users £5, carers free. Include admission to all gardens and a programme with details/map. Regret no dogs other than assistance dogs. Sorry no minibus service this year. • The Vineries Garden Centre, Lower Rd, Effingham (event sponsors) • Wishing Well, 7 High Street, Bookham • Bungalow Stores, Beckley Parade, Leatherhead Rd • Old Barn Hall office, Church Rd, KT23 3PQ. Tel: 01372 456307 (open Mon, Wed, Fri 9:30 - noon) • Outside The Crown on 19 & 26th June (9.30 – noon) On the day you can buy tickets (£8) at the Old Barn Hall or at the first garden you visit. We will have contactless payment available at the Old Barn Hall and for our team selling tickets outside The Crown. If you’re paying in cash, we’d appreciate if you can find the exact change, particularly at the individual gardens. For more info visit www.bookhamopengardens.co.uk, look for ‘Bookham Open Gardens’ on Facebook, or contact Brenda Kent on 01372 453952 / bnb.selworthy@btinternet.com

This month Buy to Let Hunter are chatting to Melinda who lives abroad and so can’t be here in person to act for herself:

What were you hoping to achieve?

Melinda explains that asking Buy To Let Hunter to manage her flat in Richmond as a short term serviced accommodation makes sense whilst she is spending time abroad. “I wanted to keep my flat, to maintain a toe hold in London, but it was a purely commercial decision to sweat my assets whilst I choose to live somewhere else.” She explains that she didn’t think too much about traditional pensions during her working life; instead, she mostly invested in properties in the 80s and 90s where she could afford them and by default she now relies on that rental income in her retirement. BTLH can help you find the perfect pad to set up as a serviced apartment, too.

Why did you choose BTLH?

Melinda explained “The onset of Covid caused a dearth of options in the lettings market. The world has changed in rental terms.” Melinda spoke to the agents who used to handle her property and found their model no longer really fit for purpose, for her anyway. “I needed shorter lets so I can come and go from time to time.“The BTLH model is flexible and more cost effective for her needs: “The old agents were proposing a 25% charge on any rental income and then a range of expenses that add up to £500-£600 for every letting!” They were billing her for inventory and administrative costs which seemed to be in addition to the fees she was already paying. “It’s one thing if you are having lets of a year or more, but it really didn’t make sense for the shorter term serviced accommodation model that I needed.” She explained. Melinda was also unsure about the due diligence when the agents took references for her tenants as they always seemed to be outsourced – “BTLH have a much more personal and less algorithmic approach!” she laughed – ah yes, I smiled, the advantage of having a very small office!

So, Melinda, what has your experience been working with BTLH?

“It’s been very good!” she explained from Switzerland where she was locked down up a mountain. A lot of her girlfriends who got in to “buy to let” are local so don’t need to rely as heavily on management as Melinda does. “I can trust you to make the right decisions and it helps finance my lifestyle whilst retaining flexibility. I feel the security of knowing I have a bolt hole but can’t afford to just leave the asset standing.” Fancy a bit of a nomad retirement like Melinda? Get in touch and the Buy to Let Hunter team can find you the perfect pad. Get in touch and have a chat: 020 7550 9396 or hello@buytolethunter.com. For more information check out www.buytolethunter.com Quadrant Road, Richmond, London, TW9 1DH