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A Year On
Harriet Simpson, manager of our Penrith office, looks at how property buyers’ interests and demands have changed over the past twelve months. Covid19 has changed many things in our lives.…
A Year On
Harriet Simpson, manager of our Penrith office, looks at how property buyers’ interests and demands have changed over the past twelve months.
Covid19 has changed many things in our lives. It has altered our outlook, our expectations and our ambitions, and it has changed the way we live or want to live.
Over the past year we have experienced this in an evolving list of property buyers’ aspirations. Oh, the usual essentials are still there – right price, enough room and attractive location – but now a secondary list of important requirements has appeared as buyers seek to change their lifestyles in the light of the pandemic.
Here are some of the important features being sought by post-Covid buyers today.
1. Zoom Room
Homebuyers are attracted by a dedicated office space for home working.
2. Homecation Facilities
Not everyone wants a pool, but room for some little luxuries is proving popular.
3. Multigenerational Living
With more millennials and GenZs moving back home, and room needed for housing elderly family members, the hunt is on for adaptable properties and those with space to extend.
4. Gourmet Kitchen
During lockdown many people brushed up on their cooking skills or even learned from scratch. Now the demand is for better-equipped kitchens.
5. A Garden Oasis
Lots of us have discovered gardening during the lockdown while others want room to play and exercise. More people than ever are seeking good outside space following the strict social distancing rules.
6. The Suburbs are Back
A little more space, lower prices and happy communities are driving buyers out from big cities. But some buyers aren’t quite reaching the countryside.
7. The Health Conscious Home
Zoom fitness classes and networked exercise machines mean areas for wellness are a top priority.
8. Space for the Pets
Pet adoptions increased in 2020. Many homebuyers are looking for pet-friendly features. Most are thinking about cats and dogs, but some are thinking about horses.
9. Seating for Eating
Increased cooking expertise and a desire to spend more time with family and friends has meant a stronger focus on larger dining spaces.
10. New Homes
A home with the patina of age is important to many. But to others a new start often means a brand new home where a clean slate and customised fittings can help to begin things afresh.
If you are thinking of selling your property and it has one or more of these features, please call us for a chat, our friendly team would love to assist you.
Harriet Simpson | Penrith Estate Agency Manager
Something old, something new...
Admiral Nelson is revered for winning the naval battle of Trafalgar more than 200 years ago but he is also famous for disobeying his orders! He once put his telescope…
Something old, something new...
Admiral Nelson is revered for winning the naval battle of Trafalgar more than 200 years ago but he is also famous for disobeying his orders! He once put his telescope to his blind eye so he could “accidentally” ignore the signal flags from his Commander and do his own thing.
This ability to choose what to look at, and what to pretend isn’t there, is something we all occasionally do, even if we’re unaware of it. Don’t we all turn a ‘blind eye’ to the things we don’t really want to see? Of course, it is tricky to strike the balance between the pro’s and con’s of significant decisions facing us and that’s never truer than now, as hopefully we begin to emerge from a period dominated by the Covid pandemic. Nevertheless, we at PFK have been making plans (yes, really!), trying to strike that balance to provide a service which is safe and productive and even, if I dare say it, enjoyable!
What many of us have missed most is contact with people, face-to-face encounters not reliant on a Zoom meeting, amazingly useful though that technology has been. So, we are refurbishing my office on Keswick high street to create a safe and welcoming space for you to discuss your requirements with us in person. Almost nothing is more stressful than buying or selling a property (although I’d argue that a day spent with my 2-year-old comes pretty close!) and I believe it’s crucial to provide the opportunity for your requirements and concerns to be properly talked over face-to-face.
Call me old-fashioned? Since when did a high standard of personal customer service become obsolete? We at PFK remain as committed to it as ever, supported of course by the latest technology, and combining the advantages of both.
People from all over the country will continue to view the Lake District as a wonderful place to live as well as a superb holiday destination, perhaps even more so now since the word ‘staycation’ has entered the English dictionary. So, if you’re thinking of buying as a home or as an investment, or wish to discuss placing your property on the market, please do get in touch. Perhaps I’ll get a bag of Friars best chocolates (hygienically wrapped) to share with the first 2 human contacts in the office!!
Looking forward to seeing you once again…
Hannah Sims – Manager – Keswick office
Property Market Update
We know there’s a property boom when adverse events that might otherwise have knocked the market off course fail to do so. Whilst we entered into Lockdown 3 at…
Property Market Update
We know there’s a property boom when adverse events that might otherwise have knocked the market off course fail to do so. Whilst we entered into Lockdown 3 at the beginning of the year it did not dent the enthusiasm for property purchase, nor did the threatened end of the stamp duty holiday or the potential post-furlough unemployment spike.
In fact, we are now seeing a property buying demand reminiscent of the 1980s boom. It’s clear that the public is back in love with home ownership and demand does not appear to be subsiding!
The extension of the tiered stamp duty holiday, which will now finish at the end of September, gives buyers who had put things on hold the opportunity to save money and still have the move of their dreams. The budget also included a mortgage guarantee scheme to help people get on the property ladder by offering incentives to lenders to provide 95% mortgages.
We all look forward to the stepping stone retreat from lockdown and as many people continue to plan new ways of working between office and home, there are compelling new opportunities for buyers looking for their first homes or for buyers looking for homes with more space in different surroundings.
Whilst we may see holiday home and investor buyers in the market, we also see strong activity from local buyers. We have property experts on hand to help you with your house move, so if you need any help and assistance, please call your nearest PFK office.
Lynne Lancaster – Head of Estate Agency
