Enchanting Equestrian

Well fenced and orientated to equestrian use, a sympathetically refurbished thatched Grade II listed 4 double  bedroom former farmhouse with premium equestrian facilities. 

Beautifully remodelled, the highly sophisticated interior blends soft clean lines with decisive character and a wealth of original features. Architecturally designed with the upmost comfort in mind, the flexible family accommodation extends to approximately 4156 sq ft.

Set amid 52 acres, offering a fully equipped professional yard with all weather menage and American barn style stabling comprising 11 internal loose boxes and a further 7 external facing boxes. Situated in the picturesque village of Winfrith Newburg within close proximity of local amenities, excellent bridleways and key equestrian competition venues.

Price Guide £2,900,000

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

Could these be some of the most expensive streets in the UK?

The Land Registry have published the latest market trend data giving access to actual achieved sold prices of properties locally up to the end of September 2012.

The most expensive roads in Poole 2012.

                                                                                             No. of Sales                        Average Price

Western Avenue, Branksome Park, Poole                              1                                      £4,000,000

Shore Road, Sandbanks, Poole                                               1                                      £3,600,000

Old Coastguard Road, Sandbanks, Poole                              2                                      £2,375,000

Mount Grace Drive, Evening Hill, Poole                                   1                                      £2,375,000

Branksea Avenue, Hamworthy, Poole                                      2                                      £2,262,500

Haig Avenue, Canford Cliffs, Poole                                          5                                      £1,989,000

Chaddesley Glen, Canford Cliffs, Poole                                  7                                       £1,754,643

Links View Avenue, Canford Cliffs, Poole                                1                                      £1,700,000

Bury Road, Branksome Park, Poole                                         3                                      £1,675,000

Alington Close, Evening Hill, Poole                                           1                                      £1,575,000

The Land of Opportunity

With the summer behind us Cliff Hall of Arlington & Hall Estate Agents takes a look at how the property market is shaping up this autumn.

Some commentators consider that the property market is still over-valued by up to 20%. And that somehow it is tenuously suspended above reality by the slender threads of quantitative easing, very low interest rates and a little market traction generated from central London. These people predict a hard landing. But is that very likely? Although there are doomsayers who predict more falling property prices theirs is an overall view and each region will behave differently: there may well be enough activity to ward off further slippage. Along the South Coast there certainly seems enough life in the market generated by those making non-discretionary sales and purchases. If this continues until the banks and other lenders finally sort themselves out and do what they are supposed to do, then another bump should be avoided.

But where is the activity that we do have coming from? Buying and selling property in this market is certainly not just the exclusive province of the fortunate: it is the exclusive province of the determined. There seems to be plenty of people whose lives and circumstances are leading them to buy property and it is this group that is keeping the market as buoyant as it is, these who in time will no doubt be very pleased that they acted when they did, as this is a market of certain opportunity. To all those politicos who insist we have a housing crisis this may all come as a big surprise. They need to accept the fact that what we really have is a crisis of mortgage lending coupled with low confidence – it is the economy. In some respects a housing crisis may even be preferable to the perfect storm we have now, which is why our leaders may be calling it that.

For those determined souls who are coming into the market there are some pitfalls to beware of. Sellers with too ambitious an asking price and unreasonable expectations in the prevailing conditions will find things tricky.

Buyers should also remember that while the market favours them it does not favour them completely. Realistic offers will be treated, at worst with polite encouragement. Unreasonable offers will not.

But treat buying, selling and others – including us estate agents if you will - with a little understanding and there really are some great deals to be done, even in this market. If you are determined, then welcome to the land of opportunity.

Winning the Property Cycle

Cliff Hall of Arlington & Hall assesses the property market this autumn and shares some thoughts on how to come out on top.

With uniforms disappearing from shops faster than you can say “Back to School”, our unforgettable and glorious Olympic summer is almost behind us. For a while most of us forgot about the financial arena as we became more interested in how Team GB was doing in the athletics one.  For a few weeks of sport-induced amnesia we also forgot about the property market.

Well, property is back! Hard on the heels of the Tour de France and Olympic road-race and track cycling, we have property cycling. The property cycle is back in the news and back in our thoughts.  Early autumn is the time of the year when property once again comes to the fore as families get busy thinking about a move before Christmas.

It is possible to move by Christmas.  But is it probable – or desirable - given the economic and social conditions that prevail?  The latest statistics tell us that property affordability is the best it’s been for over a decade, but also that mortgage lending is down yet again.  A paradox.  And the next sets of figures may not be any better either, as they will reflect the summer lull.  But out there things are stirring.  Enquiries are rising.  More people are viewing.  More offers are being made and sales are being tied up.

Numbers are what the property market is all about.  The more enquiries the more viewers, the more viewers the more offers, the more offers the more sales.  Simple really. And with more house sales the more our economy will respond. And the more the economy responds the more confidence people will have.  Confidence drives the property market.  It is not city bonuses, slick marketing or estate agents.  It is buyers confident about the future and sellers confident with reality.

Yet it is a harsh reality just now.  We are probably not yet done with this wretched downturn, although prices across the country have flat-lined over the past couple of quarters - and they will probably do so for a few quarters to come.  But then, who knows? Mortgages will no doubt become easier to obtain and more and more people will then want to enter the property market.  And that is precisely the wrong time to do so - because a better time is right now. Now there are more options and more opportunities for those in a good position to buy.  Now there are some great choices in the market.  Now there is less competition.  Now there is more time. Now there are deals to be done. Now is the time to buy before Christmas and now is the time to get settled before the property cycle begins its climb. It is always best to be a winner on the flat than miss out when things get steeper - ask any road-cyclist.

The Sky's The Limit

Bournemouth Air Festival 2012

30 Aug - 2 Sept 2012.

Excitement is already building for the UK's largest aviation spectacular which will be soaring across the skies of Bournemouth's breathtaking coastline from 30th August - 2nd September 2012.

Over the past 5 years the festival has established itself as the leading event of its kind in the aviation industry with thousands likely to descend on the cliff tops promenades and beaches to enjoy a magnificent show of Britain's finest pilots and their thrilling aerial displays.  

With exhilarating performances of speed, skill and sheer force throughout the day and the highly anticipated return of 'Night Air' entertainment, displays already confirmed for the event include :

From the RAF

Red Arrows

Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

Tutor

Tucano

Hawk

King Air

Tornado Role Demo

From The Royal Navy

HMS York

HMS Severn

RFA Mounts Bay

Viking amphibious all-terrain vehicles

Sea King helicopter

Black Cats Helicopter Display Team

Also confirmed are the Tigers parachute display team, the SWIP Team duo, Sea Vixen, Miss Demeanour, Breitling Wingwalkers, Chinook, Lynx and a thrilling re-enactment of a daring sea rescue of a downed pilot featuring a Catalina, Me109, P-51 and a Spitfire.

First class entertainment will stretch the length of the 1.5 mile promenade between the piers of Bournemouth and Boscombe with navel beach assaults, fireworks, live music, seafront trading, street entertainment, military participation and interactive military villages.

The British Beach Polo Championships 2012.

'Only one sport is glamorous enough for the platinum of Sandbanks'

The Times

Set in one of the most exclusive areas on the South Coast fringed with golden sands, the Sandbanks Peninsula plays host the British Beach Polo Championships 2012 for the 5th year running and promises to be the highlight of the social calendar.

Although the pitch is smaller than on grass, the action is relentless, fast paced and exhilarating with teams competing from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales for the acclaimed title. 

The Oakley Professional Beach Volleyball provides a good sporting balance to the Polo and the exciting 4x4 / Polo Pony Charity Race is a popular feature raising money and awareness for charity.

The event will prove to be a glamorous spectacle on and off the pitch with exquisite hospitality courtesy of Mark Hix in the Sunseeker Lounge and the renowned AMIKA Beach parties allowing Players, Celebrities and Supporters to dance, relax and socialise until the small hours of the morning.

Getting there couldn't be easier as the area benefits from excellent transport links with a mainline railway and easy access to the A31 from both the M27 and the M3.

Event Dates : 6-7 July 2012.

Event Address : Sandbanks Beach, Poole, BH13 7PS

Planning the Future

Following the recent government announcements on planning Cliff Hall of Arlington & Hall takes a look at how they may effect future housing development.

The government’s new planning proposals have had a rough ride over the past few months - and rightly so. Early drafts were not promising and they threatened disjointed, short sighted and self-serving policies that may have put decisions in the hands of disjointed organisations, short sighted people and self-serving business concerns.

But all is not yet crystal clear. The phrase ‘sustainable development’ seems to have caused confusion in many, including some of the politicians and planners themselves. If it means we will now build homes that people will be proud of in fifty years then that sounds like good sustainability. But if it means homes of which we will be so ashamed we will tear them down in several decades – as we have with so many from the 1960s - then that, patently, is unsustainable development.

The final draft however has been met with guarded and grudging approval – even from bodies such as the National Trust and Friends of the Earth.

The policy of Brownfield first must be right. To make use of urban regeneration while protecting our countryside wherever and whenever possible still provides enormous opportunities for much needed house building.

Where rural development is considered let us hope that planners are mindful of their duty to our heritage. It is our children who will have to live with their decisions, as we have had to live with many poor decisions made by their predecessors. Bringing new life into rural communities is important and modern technologies like broadband can attract people who will live and work in a community and not just sleep in it.

The government wants to concentrate more on reviving our flagging town centres and less on out of town retail parks. They could be too late for that. The public may have moved on a step or two further than government thinking - as is sometimes the case. So an enlightened vision on how we could bring mixed use to struggling town centres, including residential development, may be a way to move forward.

But whatever the future brings at least we now have a planning policy that, broadly speaking, people can get behind and which will enable planners to get planning and builders to get building. All we need now are the mortgages to help buy what is built. But the government didn’t mention anything about that . . .

A Gardeners Paradise

An ideal rural retreat with uninterrupted views across the rolling countryside of Lychett Matravers. Arlington & Hall are delighted to presented the charming 3 bedroom family home Brushwood Cottage. Set within a quintessentially English garden bursting full of colour and character, the grounds extend to approximately 1 acre offering a variety of lawned areas, a productive vegetable plot and a magnificent formal garden filled with mature trees and shrubs amongst well stocked flower boarders all centralised around an expansive ornamental water feature with rockery waterfall and abundant pond flora.

Properties By The Sea

With less frenzy and greater choice, for a while at least this may be a very good time to choose a primary or secondary home for all the very best lifestyle reasons.

Rare and exciting, Arlington & Hall are delighted to showcase two of the last undeveloped properties on the beachfront. Presenting the ideal opportunity to create your dream home in the most phenomenal of settings. Whilst No.45 Banks Road enjoys a magnificent dual aspect boasting outstanding panoramic views across the largest natural harbour in Europe combined with direct beach access. With No.109 Banks Road benefiting from privacy and exclusivity screened by mature grounds stepping out onto the beach revealing 180 degree views from Bournemouth, Hengistbury Head, across Sandbanks Beach right round to Studland Bay, the Purbeck Hills and Old Harry Rocks.

One of the UK's natural treasures is its wonderful and extraordinary coastline. Always charming, often awe-inspiring and never boring, it is not surprising that many people choose to live along the South Coast with its ever changing landscape. So whether it's a house on a magnificent cliff top location with the tang of salt air, a beachfront chalet fringed by golden sands or a modern apartment in a marina development with a private mooring, Arlington & Hall offer the best possible resource for those wishing to buy or sell property by the sea.

For further information please contact Cliff Hall on 01202 744944.

Working Together Is What Sets Us Apart - The Mayfair Group

Arlington & Hall are proud to announce our association with the Mayfair Group. Proud to work together to market your property to national and international buyers, we are the exclusive representative agents for the whole of the Poole area.

Whilst the majority of houses undoubtedly sell to people with local connections, there are a significant number of buyers who are attracted from further afield through active marketing to a wider audience. These should never be underestimated.

With over 300 distinctively unique offices across the UK, we are part of one of the largest and most effective networks of estate agents in the country. There are also 150 Mayfair Group offices overseas, all linked through the powerful Mayfair Group website www.mayfairoffice.co.uk which features some 16,000 properties.

Strengthening our brand presence specifically in the London area, The Mayfair Group's London office is situated in Thayer Street, W1 in the heart of London's West End between Oxford Street and Marylebone Village. Handling our national advertising and PR, our London team is skilled in property marketing and enables us to offer unbeatable knowledge supported by all the benefits of a West End agency.

As well as being a London showcase for our property, The Mayfair Group excels in securing valuable national PR on our clients' properties in titles such as 'The Times', 'The Telegraph', 'The Evening Standard', Country Life etc. Their contacts with property journalists in the national media have been very well developed over the past 20 years. Their large buying power enables them to pass on significant discounts to our clients. This regular exposure of property to a wider national market through editorial features and national advertising is an ongoing process which generates property enquiries from buyers who will probably not be registered with other local estate agents.

When it comes to selling property there is no doubt that given the choice of instructing a national firm acting locally or a local firm acting nationally, it is the latter that consistently achieves the best results.

2012 Tullet Prebon London International Boat Show

Princess Yachts International is set for another significant Tullet Prebon London International Boat Show 6^th -15^th January2012, an appropriate start to what will be a landmark year for the brand. 2012 will see the Plymouth based boat builder launch both the smallest vessel it has produced for over a decade and the largest the company has ever built.

The Plymouth boat builder will also have the largest boat on display inside London’s Excel once again as the 32M takes pride of place in the boardwalk to provide a magnificent centre piece for the whole show. However, it is expected that it will be a much smaller model that will grab the attention as the highly anticipated Princess V39 receives her world premier and marks a stunning return to the sub-40 foot sector for the brand.

Come and see our good friends John Watts and Mark Watts on the Princess International Stand K125.

Sunseeker International will have two stunning motor yachts making their world debut with the main launch on Friday 6^th January on the press day. The 28 Meter Yacht and Predator 53 are the next generation of the ‘Sunseeker’ look with world class show stopping performance.

Boats also on display - Stand number (H102).