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SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER


Welcome to the September edition of our intelligent newsletter! We aim to keep you up to date with our latest news, give you top tips from industry professionals and provide interesting and helpful articles relating to the property industry and much more. You are able to update your preferences so you only receive articles which are relevant to you. If you like what you see, please be social and share our newsletter via social media. To ensure you don't miss out, just add this email address to your Safe Senders list.

FEATURED PROPERTY - THe Old Vicarage, High Coniscliffe

A unique period family home commanding a magnificent elevated position with far reaching views across the river Tees and adjoining countryside. The Old Vicarage is offered for sale with 5 acres of land and an impressive stone built Coach House. The Grade II Listed residence is tucked away in a private location behind St Edwins Church on the southern fringe of the village.

Arched Gothic style front door opens to an impressive entrance hall which features an attractive return staircase and a tall Gothic style stone mullion window. The large drawing room enjoys a pleasant south facing aspect and includes a magnificent five sided bay which provides extensive views across the grounds and over the river Tees. The dining room also enjoys good natural light from two elevations with shuttered windows and an impressive ornate cast iron and marble fire surround and open fire. The study faces the front of the house. The dining/kitchen incorporates useful built-in cupboards, fitted units, pantry and an oil fired Aga. A door opens from the kitchen to a beautiful cottage garden and cliff terrace.

Pillared entrance gates provide vehicular access from the village green along a private walled driveway to a large gravelled parking area outside the house. A castellated wall and tower set on the cliff top make a striking feature. A stone Coach House can provide parking for 2/3 cars and potential to convert into additional accommodation subject to necessary consents, was in the past used for stabling horses. There is a colourful cottage garden to the east side of the house together with a clifftop terrace. The majority of land is situated at the base of the cliff accessed from a grass ramp. The area includes grass paddocks, field shelter, wooded areas and a walled kitchen garden. If you would like to see the full details please click here.

 



Need a little living room inspiration?

Well presented houses sell the quickest, so why not take some of these ideas and adapt them to your living room
Click here to read Need a little living room inspiration?.



How to add value to your home without dropping the price!

Are you unwilling and unable to drop your asking asking price because it is funding your next purchase?

Here are a list of possibilities for you to consider, if you’re not getting serious interest in your property, and want to attract a buyer in other ways than your asking price:

Updating your kitchen
– kitchens are always a bit tricky, as you’d be risking installing a kitchen that your buyer may not like. However, so long as it’s neutral, ie white or cream, and in keeping with your property age, for under &6,000 the extra value that it would give your home is far in excess of this. Definitely worth considering.



Install a new bathroom – look at the latest trends, and make sure that you have a power shower, fully tiled walls, and towel rails. Bathrooms really matter, so make sure yours have the wow factor.

 

New carpets – carpets can make a house look dated more than any other area, and they can also give a buyer a reason to make a low offer. A good quality, neutral carpet throughout the house can add several times its cost in the perception that the house has been kept up to date.

New flooring in ‘wet’ rooms
– by wet rooms, I mean kitchens, utility rooms, cloakrooms and bathrooms; the general rule of thumb with the flooring in these rooms is that it needs to be ‘moppable’ – in other words, a hard floor. It doesn’t need to be expensive, in fact there are some fabulous vinyls out there that will only cost a couple of hundred pounds per room. Again, the difference in how a buyer will see your home is high: a bathroom that is carpeted will look dated to a modern buyer, regardless of whether it is or not.


Adding a home office
– most buyers want the ability to work from home these days, or at least, to have a space in which they can keep their computer, paperwork and perhaps books. If you have a room in the house that can be dressed as an office, it would be a worthwhile investment to add some contemporary office furniture, and smart accessories. If you don’t have any space in the house, can you add one outside, in the form of a garden office? Having such an important feature will really help your property stand out to a buyer.



Consider it this way:
if you were to do all the above, the investment would be in the region of &40,000, but your home would have all that a buyer is looking for: it would be ready to move into, and give a buyer no excuse to think that it needs work. If your home is on the market for &400,000 or more, this investment would represent only 10% of its value, and given that asking price to sale ratios are only around 90% at the moment, and much less in some areas, surely it’s better to consider improving your home than dropping the price by say, &50,000. I’ve seen price drops recently of &100,000 and more on properties previously marketed at under &1 million.

Giving the buyer what they need is not always about price; increasing its value may just get your home sold for more.

Source: Sam Ashdwon, www.home-truths.co.uk



Spotlight on...Henry Carver and Sue Atkinson

Henry Carver - Darlington valuer


What is your favourite food?
28 day matured seasoned ostrich

What is your favourite holiday destination? Italy

Who would you most like to meet? Bear Grylls

Favourite band or artist?
Stevie Wonder

Favourite drink?
An alcoholic one

Favourite film star? Will Smith

Hobbies/sport? Rugby and golf

Favourite quote?
' If you're going to do something, do it properly and without restrain'


Sue Atkinson - Sales progression

What is your favourite food? Anything as long as someone else cooks it for me

What is your favourite holiday destination? The Caribbean but would love to go to South Africa

Who would you most like to meet?
Rafael Nadal

Favourite band or artist?
The Beetles

Favourite drink?
A nice glass of red wine or gin or tonic

Favourite film star?
Hugh Jackman

Hobbies/sport?
Badminton and love watching tennis and rugby

Favourite quote?
'Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass it's about learning to dance in rain'



Congratulations to Julie and David who ran the Darlington 10k

Well done to Julie our financial advisor and David our Darlington branch manager who ran the Darlington 10k in under 1 hour.

 

 

They did this to raise money for a great local charity, St Teresa's Hospice. The hospice is an independent charity working across South Durham and North Yorkshire to provide hospice at home, day therapy, in-patient care and family support and bereavement services.  They said 'We both felt a great sense of achievement after completing the run for this wonderful cause.' If you would like to donate please click here.



Garage Conversion : From unused space to stunning kitchen

This stunning garage conversion made way for a spacious kitchen complete with family room
Click here to read Garage Conversion : From unused space to stunning kitchen.



Carvers sponsor Darlington Mowden Park R.F.C

We are now proud sponsors of Darlington Mowden Rugby Club home to The Northern Echo Arena.

They currently play in National League 1 and we are thrilled to be part of the club as we are all great rugby fans.

We have become involved with the club at a really exciting time, as the All Blacks prepare to use the club as a team base in the next few months during The Rugby World Cup. The club have not yet announced whether the public will be able to watch the All Blacks train, however if you would like to cheer on Mowden RFC during the upcoming season, please click here to view their fixture list.