Thursday 29 August 2013

The Mayfair Office - Arlington & Hall's national presence

Due to the nature of the beautiful area in which we live, London has always been exceptionally important as part of any marketing program in terms of attracting buyers to properties, and also ensuring that properties are correctly advertised to these buyers.

Sandbanks, Canford Cliffs, Lilliput, Branksome Park and also the more rural areas we cover across Dorset and further afield have historically attracted, and continue to, attract large numbers of purchasers from inside the M25 as well as across the Home Counties.
The convenient location, taking only one-and-a-half to two hours by easily accessible major motorways, lends itself perfectly to a second home, which partially explains this inextricable link. Although only a short journey away from the capital, there is a palpable difference to the location, really lending itself to a 'home away from home', with beautiful sea air, wonderful scenery, and seven miles of award-winning 'Blue Flag' beaches, as well as the beautiful New Forest offering countryside activities truly on our doorstep.

Having an office location in the bustling West End is a natural progression in terms of advertising these properties and keeping in touch with these buyers, both holding details and sales particulars for casual visitors or prior appointment callers, and also organising our national PR and Advertising campaigns. These include Country Life magazine, the Financial Times, Sunday Times, Telegraph, London Evening Standard, and many other flagship property advertising magazines and newspaper supplements. 

To this end, our Mayfair Office is our perfect companion for the Capital. Located in Thayer Street, in an attractive office and a truly exclusive address, this W1 situation really is the heart of the West End, between Oxford Street and Marylebone. This allows us to truly offer the best of both worlds - an honest, forward-thinking and personal service best offered by an independent agency, but linked, through the Mayfair Office, to over 300 national agencies, the most finest, respected and market leading in their area. It means that if our clients are relocating, or searching for that truly specific property or buyer, we really are in a unique situation to be able to help them. 

The Mayfair Office helps to strengthen the Arlington & Hall brand across London and the Home Counties, and further afield with regular international work and advertising.

For more information on our Mayfair Office, or any of our marketing, advertising or indeed our unique selection of available properties, please contact Gary Berendt on gary [at] arlingtonandhall.com or 07842 040308.


Tuesday 27 August 2013

Bournemouth Air Festival 2013 - a weekend of entertainment

2013 marks the sixth year running that the hugely successful Bournemouth Air Festival descends on the area. This year it will be running from Thursday 29th August to Sunday 1st September inclusive, and as usual, promises a whole host of entertainment and incredible machinery in the skies, including the following highlights:

AAC Lynx Helicopter
Avro Vulcan XH558
B17 Flying Fortress
Battle of Britain memorial flight
De Havilland Vampire
Gerald Cooper aerobatics
Gloster Meteor
Hawker Hunter 'Miss Demeanour'
Sea Vixen fly past
Jet Provest
Patrouille Reva
RAF Chinook
RAF Tucano
RAF Tutor
RAF Typhoon
Red Arrows
Royal Navy Lynx helicopter
Royal Navy Merlin helicopter
Rv8tors
Swordfish WW2 bomber
The Blades
'The Tigers' parachute team


The full list is available on the official website: http://bournemouthair.co.uk/ 
Previous years have proved very busy so it is definitely worth getting here early and getting set up, walking in if possible as parking will be very busy.

Come on down and enjoy the entertainment - it is a great family event with an incredible atmosphere.



Wednesday 21 August 2013

Housing market 'turns a corner' - and there's more to come

The housing market has "turned the corner" with the highest monthly lending figure since October 2008 and the second half of the year should be even better.

Total gross mortgage lending in July hit £16.6 billion, up 12% from £14.8 billion in June and 29% on the total of £12.9 billion in July 2012, new CML figures showed.

That is the highest monthly estimate for gross lending since October 2008 at £18.6 billion.

Gross lending figures have now grown consistently for six months, "a sure sign that the housing market has turned a corner", said Peter Williams, executive director of the Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association. "With the Funding for Lending Scheme in its second year, there is a real sense of expectation among lenders that the second half of this year will see even greater activity in the market.


"Gross lending for the first six months now stands at over £75 billion. Given the third quarter is typically the strongest we might reasonably expect gross lending for 2013 to exceed £160 billion, sharply up on the £142.5 billion in 2012."

Tuesday 20 August 2013

Renault Twizy - electric, emission-free, distinctive!


Check out our great new car, the Renault Twizy! Powered by a 17bhp, 7kWh lithium-ion battery and electric motor, it has a maximum range of 62 miles, top speed of 50mph and is charged from a normal three-pin plug socket!

We've been nipping around in it - and it's great for around town! Narrow, light, good visibility and nippy, it's brilliant for getting around. 

Despite the appearance, it's got a second seat in 'tandem' behind the driver - as modelled by Cliff in our photo below!

If you see us around give us a wave - or stop by and say hello and check out our car!




Friday 16 August 2013

Mercedes-Benz CLA 220 CDI AMG Sport - a great car!

Currently trialling here at Arlington & Hall we've got a stunning CLA 220 CDI from Jacksons Mercedes in Poole.
As the model itself is an AMG Sport, it has real presence and is far beefier than the Sport, including aggressive front and rear bumpers, privacy glass, bi-xenon headlamps, and red stitching to the interior.
Engine wise it's got a 2.2 diesel, mated to a seven-speed double clutch automatic with paddle shift gears. It's got 168bhp so is plenty powerful enough, whilst still returning over 62mpg on the combined cycle.
However, the ride on the AMG Sport is quite stiff, despite excellent body control. This does mean it handles very well and corners in a very flat manner.

The car has a comprehensive specification also, including cruise control and speed limiter, panoramic sunroof, front and rear parking sensors, automatic headlights and wipers, and an upto-the-minute audio system including AUX-in, USB-in, and also Bluetooth audio streaming from your phone, as well as a Bluetooth phone system to enable handsfree calling. The days of having to add thousands of pounds in options to any German car seem to be gone!
One of the most impressive features has to be its self-parking. It scans available spaces and will literally steer itself into a parking space if selected, a real boon for driving around town.

This really is a great all-round car. Pop down to Jacksons in Holes Bay and chat with one of their friendly guys.


Tuesday 6 August 2013

Could this be the perfect Sandbanks home?

We have just been instructed on this stunning property in Seacombe Road, Sandbanks.

Completely refurbished and modernised, this superlative three double bedroom chalet-style home (two with en-suites) offers an expansive main reception room with sliding doors and a woodburner, dining room, light and sunny large kitchen with feature grey Corian-style worktop. It also offers a beautiful rear garden with decking, and a detached utility outhouse with large studio room above.

The property has been refurbished in an entirely modern and sympathetic way, featuring an integrated SONOS multi-room audio system with an iRoom integrated iPad dock to the entranceway.
The property has been fully rewired, replumbed and fitted with a new roof, and is beautifully finished.

This wonderful family home would make a perfect primary residence, or indeed a fantastic second home on the desirable Sandbanks peninsula, moments from award-winning beaches, cafés and restaurant embracing the very best this exclusive enclave has to offer. Sensibly priced at £869,950, we expect the property to sell quickly.

Interest has already been incredibly high for this property - call us on 01202 744944, or Gary on 07842 040308 to arrange your viewing.

Friday 2 August 2013

Rosebuds...

Cliff Hall of Arlington & Hall looks at a resurgent property market that promises a great deal but still needs handling with some care.

An ageing population and a need for many to adjust their lifestyles accordingly will have an effect on the property market. Cliff takes a look at this new dynamic.

The baby boom generation now looking retirement in the face; the knock-on effect of the financial crisis; the need for many to help their twenty- and thirty-something offspring get onto the housing ladder and the desire to live in less demanding and extravagant houses that are far too big for ageing owners - all these things cannot occur without impacting, at some stage, on the property market.

For many, the answer is downsizing. Far from being seen as a retrograde step it is increasingly becoming an opportunity to engage in a more active and expansive life of travel and adventure.

More and more downsizers are creating a new dimension in the property market. Larger apartments and smaller elegant houses in and around suitable towns and cities, where upkeep is minimal and amenities are close at hand, are increasingly sought after. Once living in these, owners can lock and leave when they head for foreign parts, the golf course or a second home.

All this is exciting, but with it comes a pressure to provide suitable housing and a hanging question over who will buy the larger houses they leave behind. Perhaps younger, affluent families starting to raise their own family units.
Despite concerns over a mansion tax and a greater-than-ever desire to live within one's means, we think the market for larger houses will remain strong but only if prices astutely reflect the mood of buyers.

So, with the market in visible recovery, this could be a very good time for savvy sellers to downsize. Government initiatives over the coming months should further stimulate the market and low interest rates for the time being will tempt housing ladder climbers. We don't know what the long-term market future will be. But we do know that a move now will take advantage of an extraordinary set of market conditions.

Planned well and executed successfully - with the help of a mature and knowledgeable estate agent - downsizing can be fun. Remember, 'gather ye rosebuds while ye may/Old time is still a-flying'....