ABSOLUTELY Property
5
MINUTES WITH...
Luke Bishop
Office Manager of Wooster & Stock, Brixton � 020 7952 0590; woosterstock.co.uk PECKHAM LIBRARY
Why this area? South London has it all: great transport links, a close proximity to central London and a bustling community atmosphere in areas like Brixton and Peckham. As a result, these areas are becoming increasingly sought after. Large parts of south London are experiencing a regeneration of their high streets and parks, which is making them an attractive option for everyone; from families, to young couples and even baby boomers who aren’t quite ready for the quiet of retirement.
What is your company ethos? How do you translate that into giving the best customer service? Our philosophy is to give our clients’
Javaid Ahmed
Sales Manager at Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward, Forest Hill � 020 8699 1596; kfh.co.uk
Benson Road, SE23 £1,495,000 Freehold A simply stunning five bedroom double fronted period house located on a highly desirable residential road forming part of the Forest Hill conservation area.
properties the very best treatment, regardless of size or location. We will give a 6 bedroom villa the same care and attention to detail as we would a studio flat. We take pride in providing beautiful photography and thoughtful descriptions to showcase each property. Customer service is something that is deeply ingrained into our company culture. Our staff are empathetic to our customers’ needs and each interaction is different, while the results are consistently meaningful to the customer. By implementing a company-wide, holistic approach to customer service, we have been able to nurture long-term customer relationships. What properties are you most excited about having on your books? There is strong demand for all types of property from grand Georgian and Victorian homes to studios and especially ex-local authority flats. My personal favourites would be those that require some refurbishment as it gives the new owners a chance to refresh the space in interesting and exciting ways. Properties like these are usually unpolished gems that with a little bit of TLC have the potential to be wonderful homes or an investment piece. What do you predict for the property market for 2014? The local property market will stay strong for the foreseeable future. South London in particular will continue to be a popular draw for people and house prices are likely to rise further. Hopefully we will also see an increase in stock levels across property types. All in all it should be another exciting year!
F
orest Hill has been performing incredibly well these past few months. With many buyers taking the leap and moving further afield, our buyer registration levels have increased by 92% year on year. In the last year, we’ve seen a huge rise in buyers moving from North and East London down to Forest Hill and surrounding areas, and the number of buyers moving from Hackney to Forest Hill has risen by 25% year on year. With a wide variety of property types available as well as prices, buyers feel they can get a lot more for their money in SE23. For example, in central London where a two bedroom flat can often cost upwards of £550,000 to £600,000, however in Forest Hill, you can buy a four bedroom family house with a garden for the same price. The same can be said for one or two bedroom flats in the area, where prices usually start from £330,000, and with a garden from £350,000. In addition, the Forest Hill Overland train station, which stops at London Bridge station, combined with the new addition of the East London Line Extension, which travels through Canada Water, provides many City commuters with a more convenient transport link.
R
oy Brooks became a legend in his own time for the puckish delight he took in telling the truth, the whole truth – and even the unwholesome truth- about properties, that, as an estate agent, he advertised for sale. Each month we will showcase one of these revolutionary, outrageous, funny and, on occasions, painful advertisements.
� 020 8299 3021; roybrooks.co.uk
TAKE A CHANCEL ON ME..... Steven Pearce
Solicitor at Cuff & Gough � cuffandgough.com; 01737 851827
B
uyers of properties would probably admit that, in the main, although they have some idea of the work carried out by their solicitors when dealing with the legal work involved in buying a property, the majority of the detail passes them by – and quite right too, as people have other demands on their time and, after all, that is what they are paying their solicitor to deal with. However, it is worth buyers being aware of something called ‘chancel repair liability’ which, if it does apply, can result in property owners being asked to contribute towards the repair of chancel which is the part of a church which houses the altar and the choir. It is advisable for clients to ask their solicitors to confi rm that a chancel search has been carried out. The search fee is relatively inexpensive and the result is provided quite quickly. Far better to pay for the search, and have peace of mind, than to receive a demand for a contribution towards potentially expensive repairs!
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