Spring Has Come Late

There is a change in the air so Cliff Hall of Arlington & Hall takes a seasonal look at the property market.

It has been a long time coming. The seasons are out of kilter and flowering is very late. But now the climate is warmer. Things are stirring. People feel better. There is a mood of renewal and a fresh start. I speak of course of the property market. It has been a very long winter - about seven years of property winter in market terms. Some people who are new to the property industry have never had experience of working in a burgeoning market. All they know are falling prices, low activity levels and stalemate.

So the market at present must be rather a shock to them. Instead of endless days of waiting for something - anything - to happen, suddenly it is happening. Spring has sprung. In many places around the UK property is coming onto the market in very high numbers. Sales are also on the up.

What has caused this change? Is it governmental involvement and initiatives? Although they probably would like everyone to think so I very much doubt that it is. Rather it is people who have sensed that the time is right for a move - and if not quite as right as it could be, as right as it has been for many a long year.

Governments don't make markets. Indeed it often seems to be the other way round. Confidence makes the property market, which in turn drives so many areas of our economy.

So there are strong signs that the market is more active now than it has been for years. This is led by low interest rates, an increase in lending, more new home starts and a population fed up with property austerity - whilst feeling a bit better about things in general. The younger people in the property market won't know what has hit them. Nor will those home-buyers who wait too long to make a move if this property spring becomes a summer.

But one word of caution. One swallow does not a summer make. We have a little way to go before we can say with full confidence that the market is on a sustained path to recovery. Homeowners can have short memories when their prized asset may once again be rising in value. But we know only too well that property can go down as well as up. This is a time to step forward boldly - but never the less to watch that step carefully. This is not yet the time for sellers to get bullish with their prices, or for buyers to get into anything that might quickly become unaffordable if another cold wind blows.

In other news, we welcome to the team Gary Berendt. He joins us as a Realty Consultant, having cut his teeth with Foxtons in Notting Hill. He joins us with a veritable wealth of property know-how and experience.

His direct line is 07842 04 03 08, or you can email him on gary@arlingtonandhall.com

Summit Fever

Cliff Hall from Arlington & Hall reports some better news on the housing front.

Every year the influential Mayfair Group, of which my company is a hand-picked and exclusive member, organises a round of regional summit meetings across the country with my fellow estate agent members from over 100 firms from the top of Scotland to the tip of Cornwall and just about everywhere in between. This forum is an opportunity to discuss, analyse and understand the property market from local, regional and national perspectives. For several years these summits were quite sombre affairs at times as estate agents across the length and breadth of the UK reported difficult trading, low sales figures and a general inertia in the market.

But this year was different. At each forum there was a feeling of marked optimism, of increased sales, of more enquiries and of greater interest. Certainly the issues and problems of difficult mortgages and hard-to-acquire deposits are still prevalent. But the overwhelming feeling was one of increased confidence in the property market, in jobs, and in the economy.

Property is always the first in to a recession and is inevitably the first out - but always with an upward trend. We know this only too well from the last three recessions we have been through since the early seventies. Indeed since the mid-fifties the average house price rise per parliament – six Labour and six Conservative – has been about 58%. That is 54.8% under Labour and 61.2% under Conservative. So, in house price terms, there is not much between the two major political parties. But if Mr Cameron does not want his legacy to be one of overall house price decline then he will need to stay in office through a time of post-recession growth as did two Conservative prime ministers before him - Thatcher and Heath. Averaged over their tenancies at No 10 house prices increased by more than 155%!

But at least our current prime minister may now take heart from some recovery. From our reports across the UK it certainly sounds as if we have begun the long haul out of the greatest economic peacetime crisis in living memory. Nowadays the media is full of news about the market although one isn’t sure they always get it right. But estate agents are the very first to understand what is really happening in the housing market – their businesses and livelihoods depend on it. The Mayfair Group regional summits were revealing. Boom times are not exactly back – except perhaps in Central London. But one suspects that a period of slow but sustained incremental growth in activity, demand and value will carry us through the next few years. This will provide us with a relatively stable, non-volatile market which will help give an impetus to the rest of the economy.

Contemporary Cliff Top Living

Open Weekend Saturday 4^th & Sunday 5^th May 2013. 11.00am – 3.00pm

Delivering impeccable quality Arlington & Hall are delighted to launch a brand new exclusive scheme of just 3 townhouses. A triumph in design, styling and luxurious refinement. ‘The Vistas’ boasts a high level of construction and craftsmanship, bathed in natural light throughout the day.
Designed with the upmost comfort in mind, the overall aesthetic is contemporary, with intelligently planned accommodation arranged over three levels with many architectural features and untold versatility. Each home accommodates generous reception rooms, 4 double bedrooms with luxury en suite facilities and private garaging.

Set on the cliff top commanding a truly magnificent outlook with front line views sweeping across Bournemouth and Poole’s seven miles of award winning coastline towards Bournemouth Pier and Old Harry Rocks. The development is located in a peaceful and relaxed setting within the highly desirable area of Alum Chine known for its sandy blue flag beaches and beautiful woodland walks. 

Prices From £995,000

Parkland Paradise

In the tree lined tranquility of Ashley Cross, Arlington& Hall take you on a tour of an unanticipated creation ‘Alton Chambers’. Sympathetic to their surroundings and retaining many original features, each apartment offers a unique twist, bespoke and individually designed with an emphasis on detail. Utilising sophisticated palettes and sumptuous contrasting textures creating an overall distinctive character and memorable style.

Upon entering the apartments there is an airy feel, with every room flooded with natural light. With double height restored windows, polished wooden floor boards and doors, the open plan living spaces enjoy a seamless layout designed with only the upmost comfort in mind, a quality fitted kitchen completes the space boasting everything that you would expect in a home of this calibre. Two elegant bedrooms are a personal place to relax with subtle lighting and an indulgent family bathroom concludes the accommodation.

Offering a picturesque focal point, Ashley Cross is centralised around a beautifully maintained area of parkland providing the perfect to immerse in the urban atmosphere.  This unique bustling shopping village boasts an eclectic balance of vibrant restaurants, sophisticated cocktail bars, contemporary boutiques and businesses.

Contact Arlington & Hall 01202 744944

Waterfront Well-being

'Harbour Haze'

Open Weekend 13^th April & 14^th April 2013.

22 Salterns Way | Lilliput | Poole| Dorset BH14 8JR

Arlington & Hall take you on a tour of the latest contemporary creation to grace the tranquil shores of Poole Harbour. Privately screened behind electronically operated gates a floodlit driveway with plentiful parking leads up to the light walls of ‘Harbour Haze’ framed in teak.

The minimalist communal entrance accentuates its coastal outlook connecting the apartments in an ethereal way and illuminating the stairwell with light flowing through the walkways to the lift which serves all floors.

This prestigious development houses three apartments celebrating entirely different yet memorable styles. Each offering a unique twist, bespoke and individually designed with an emphasis on detail, utilising sophisticated palettes and sumptuous contrasting textures creating an overall distinctive character.

The modern maritime style of the development offers limitless possibilities with natural light with each home offering untold versatility.  The relationship between interior and exterior in the open plan living areas and the capacious terraces merge, revealing spectacular views sweeping across the Blue Lagoon and Poole Harbour towards Poole Quay, Brownsea Island and the rural Purbeck Hills beyond.

With only the upmost comfort in mind, the two elegant bedrooms are a personal place to relax with beautiful fitted furniture, luxurious fabrics and subtle lighting. Two indulgent bath / shower rooms complete the accommodation.

Outside each apartment benefits from two parking spaces and a private lockable storage area. To the rear the hardwood viewing platform / landing stage and stone communal terracing produce a captivating flow with the interior space and give a balance to the dramatic landscape seamlessly blending the geological landform and drawing the eye down to the waters edge with direct harbour access. A communal seating area, lawn and lighting divide the space creating a social area overlooking the harbour.

Please contact Cliff or Harry on 01202 744944 for private viewings prior to the date above. 

Riverside Retreat

Harmoniously complementing its surrounding, ‘Dragonfly’ is a fine example of unexpected contemporary architecture blending perfectly within a historic and picturesque landscape. Nestled on the banks of the River Stour within a truly magnificent setting, this unique 4 bedroom family home offering untold versatility. The captivating flow between interior and exterior in the open plan living areas and the capacious terraces merge, revealing spectacular views sweeping across the open countryside and water meadows of the Stour. 

Arlington & Hall are delighted to extend their unique portfolio in this ever desirable country marketplace. Full brochure available, please contact Harry or Cliff on 01202 744944 for further information.

Budget 2013 – Property Market Comment.

Cliff Hall of Arlington & Hall considers the impact the 2013 Budget may have on the residential property market.

The British public are serious about housing. They are serious about looking at it, choosing it, buying it, improving it and, when the time comes, they are serious about selling it. It is a national obsession.

Sadly, successive Governments don’t seem to have been quite so serious or obsessive as the electorate and, thus far, the coalition’s behaviour has been little different. Over the past few years there has been a number of lacklustre housing initiatives which have not effectively managed to stimulate a sector stubbornly refusing to rally much from the banking crisis. 

The 2013 Budget had few real headlines. But at least housing was a major feature. While no new real initiatives were announced, alterations to existing measures did catch the eye: £3.5bn in capital spending over three years to shared equity loans and a loan of up to 20% of a home's value to be offered to people looking to move up the housing ladder. It remains uncertain whether these measures will be enough in themselves. It is confidence that really stokes the property market, not rhetoric or spin, which can never replace the essential drivers of personal desire, affordability and the tantalising promise of a good investment return.

Time will tell if these new measures will be enough. Meanwhile the market continues to improve in some areas better than others.   London and the southeast lead the way with foreign buyers targeting the capital as a safe haven for their money - London being better than Cyprus for investment just now! With the added benefit of a falling pound this seems set to continue and has the potential of helping to lift London prices further still through the year. In other parts of the country it is the local economies that will affect the regional housing markets.  So the Chancellor’s Budget measures for regional enterprise, personal tax and small businesses may provide an extra welcome stimulus.