Property Drop Issue 13

30
PROPERTIES
bedroom
living room etc
Craigness, Milkwall, Coleford, Gloucestershire Price
Ferrino 01594 811111 www.ferrino.co.uk
£475,000
bedroom bedroom
bathroom bathroom
5
living living room room etc etc
central central heating heating
bedroom bedroom
bathroom
bathroom
living room living room etc etc
garage/covered parking
bathroom
central heating
central heating
garage/covered parking
parking
parking
central heating
3 5 2
This impressive period property is set in a formal landscaped garden on the outskirts of
garage/covered parking
Coleford Town in the heart of the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire.
It is a beautifully presented home of much character, stylishly dressed and finished with
great attention to detail. This, combined with generously proportioned, high ceiling
rooms creates a considerable sense of space and positively radiates a calm and restful
atmosphere.
There are three reception rooms including a fabulous sitting room with sufficient
floor space for a grand piano and a very intimate formal dining room. There is a well
appointed kitchen with plenty of storage. Two of the five bedrooms are en-suite, there
are a further two bathrooms.
The two storey detached garage building garage/covered parking parking parking parking
presents an opportunity to create additional
living space if required.
There is parking space for a number of vehicles. This is an individual property of
character and style, a very desirable family home.
GAS
parking
Onliners blamed for chain
delays and fall-throughs
The Sunday Times gathered information from traditional agents who related a string
of incidents where they have to push on behalf of clients of online agencies.
The report on estateagenttoday.co.uk questions
whether there is growing concern that online
agents who do not chase-up on behalf of clients
are leading to delays and fall-throughs in chains - with
traditional agents sometimes having to do the work
instead.
“There’s a chain of four happening and we are selling
something at £1.5m at the top, but the online agents are
failing to chase the sale of the flat at the bottom of the
chain, causing a stand still for everyone involved” says
Rupert Lawson-Johnston from Strutt & Parker.
“I have stepped in almost undercover to help the
solicitor of the flat, as at this stage it is imperative that
the sale is progressed. With the online agent there is no
one to call, no person who is motivated to help because
there is no commission structure. I think it’s going to
be one of the biggest problems in our industry going
forwards” he adds.
James Robinson, general manager at the Lurot Brand
agency in London, says: “The owner of a mews house
in W2 was advised by a well known on-line agency to
market their house with them for a totally unrealistic
price, which completely stalled the marketing for over
five months. The owners became extremely frustrated
with the lack of contact, advice and activity the agency
were producing, so they sought our professional
advice.”
The Sunday Times piece also relates how Christian
Warman, director of newly-launched Tedworth Property
Group, experienced at first hand a problem with
viewing a property he would to buy that was being
marketed by an online agency.
“I wanted to make an offer and was told I had to
make it online. I asked for guidance from the agent
but she didn’t know the client or their circumstances.
Nervous of-overpaying I made a very low offer online
but before the offer was submitted they tried to sell me
add-on services (conveyancing, insurance, mortgages,
surveys etc) which I suspect are where they make their
money.
“The only feedback to the offer was that it wasn’t
high enough and would I like to increase it? There was
no negotiating, no coercing to make an initial offer, no
enthusing to make a (higher) offer, no confidence or
reassurance given to make a (higher) offer. It was a tickbox
exercise on a website, a bit like buying something
on e-bay. I lost interest and didn’t make a higher offer
and that was the last I heard - the call centre located
hundreds of miles away called about two months later
to see if I was still looking but knew nothing about the
property I viewed or whether it was still available” he
says.
A Purplebricks statement, quoted in the Sunday
Times piece, says:
“It comes down to reputation and word of mouth.
You need to earn a good reputation in the local market
in order to build a sustainable business. ... If you’re a
traditional agent you’re going to throw a bit of mud
aren’t you? We’re giving people an alternative to the old
costly structure of commission.”
It then adds: “It is no coincidence that since
Purplebricks has been in existence the average
commission rate charged by traditional agents looks to
have reduced. More telling than their criticism is the fact
that many are now trying to imitate our model.”