Our Blog A-Z Index

If you're viewing our latest blog post, we think it's nice to have an easy way to browse our earlier posts. 

So, this is an A-Z Index of our blog posts. Probably the most important post we've published is the one talking about our Values and our Testimonials post - which between them show why we're worth choosing. You may also find our recommendations on reliable property related services handy too. Onto the Index:

A

A baptism of fire for my first lettings agreement (2015) A successful first year of Edward Ashdale estate agents (2013)

B

C

Calling Tulse Hill Businesses! (2014)

D

E

Estate Agent on the radio (2015)

F

Fifty posts, Cake, and a Manifesto for an Estate Agent (2014)
Football that means something (2014)
Front page news (2012)

G

Great estate agents blend the old and the new (2012)

H
  
Happy days for Bromley (2013)
Historic posts 1 - Ashdale's first newsletter before the merger that created Edward Ashdale Estate Agent (2008) 
Historic Posts 2 - Testimonials (2008)
House price reports (2012)

 I

In the news again (2012) 
It's a Selhurst Thing (August 2014)

J

K

Kevin's Property Blog (December 2015)
Kevin's Property Blog (February 2016)

L

Lambeth Country Show-n off at its best (2015)
Landlord and letting agents advice 1 -  Gas Safety FAQ (2012)
Local and national events calendar 2013 (2012)
Location! Location! Location! and the headlines (2013)

M

Market reflections 1 - house sale reasons and lettings cowboys (2013)
Moving in... with the Queen of Clean (2015)
My Dream Home art competition (2012)

N

New partnership, new newsletter for Edward Ashdale Estate Agents (2012)
Nostalgia Corner - posts from pre-Edward Ashdale days (2012)
New landlord? Don't be nervous (2016)

O

On The Market.com is on the market (2015)
Our community - St Christopher's Hospice (2012) 
Our new eBook and a hat-trick for landlords (2016)
Our team - John Campolini (2012) 
Our team - Derrick Boyce (2012)
Our team - Sam Samuel (2012)
Our team - Hayley Mortimer (2012)

P

Professional photography - an essential part of our service (2012)

Q

QR Codes and you (2012)

R

Rising Prices and Signs of the Times - thank you, Bromley Times (2015)
Rolling Stone says it will be a great 2015... so do we (2015)

S

Sam's Word 1 - Beware inflated expectations and valuations (2013) 
Sam's Word 2 - Don't always go with the big dogs (2013)
Sam's Word 3 - Current issues concerning the London residential property market (2013)
Sam's Word 4 - The look of Estate Agents and working in different areas and markets (2013)
Sam's Word 5 - Barnstorming (2013)
Sam's Word 6: Going nuclear and keeping calm and carrying on (2013)
Sam's Word 7: Over the hill (2014)
Sam's Word 8: Trick or Treat? (2014)
Sam's Word 9: OTM and the Estate Agents Markets (2015)
Sam's Word 10: Doing anything for a sale (2015)
Sam's Word 11: In the news again: and why shouldn't you be? (2016)
Schools In Focus 1 - Highfield Junior School, Beckenham (2012)
Schools In Focus 2 - Valley Primary School, Bromley (2012)
Schools In Focus 3 - St Marks Church of England Primary School (2012) 
Schools In Focus 4 - Clare House Primary School (2012) 
Schools In Focus 5 - Highfields Infants School, BR2 (2012)
Schools In Focus 6 - Worsley Bridge Junior School, Beckenham (2012)
#Sharethelove (2014)
Some property related services to consider (2012) 
Spring News 2013 (2013)
Stripes and Strypes (2015) 
St Matthews Project gains an outstanding award (2014)

T

Take comfort in accompanied viewings (2012)
The Great British Bake-On (2015)
Tips for landlords 1 - new energy regulation is coming (2015)
Tulse Hill Ladies Market (2013)
Tulse Hill Community Market Takes Off! (2014)

U

Useful post - South London local online (2012)

V

W

Ways to make housing affordable (2014)
Welcome to the new Edward Ashdale blog - 21st century estate agents with traditional values (2012)
We value being friendly (2012)
What gets an estate agent out of the bed in the morning (2012)
Whisky Galore (2015)

X

Y

Your moving people are moving - a bit (2013)

Z

Your moving people are moving... a bit

We're a 21st century estate agents with traditional values, not a removals company. That said, we are employing some removals skills of our own at the moment as our Bromley office is moving to larger premises.This is a great development, as we've been doing very well and growing mainly on the basis of being recommended to new people by happy clients.

 
Our move is a little one, in fact, not requiring the services of a fleet of vehicles or indeed any vehicles, as our new home in Bromley is a few feet away from the current office! It has been interesting working on sorting out billing for utilities and packing and inventory and fitting out for ourselves, but we're nearly there and the new office should open in September. A cake or two is likely to be involved. 

What has also been involved are the pictures created by local children from Valley Primary School, as part of our My Dream Home art competition. Having those pictures in the windows is so much better than plain whitewash or adverts. We'll be sad when they are retired, to be replaced by homes for sale or for let. In the meantime, mothers and children are drawn to our windows and we're delighted to have the display up.

Once we've "moved", come and say hello. If you pass by before then, take a look at the pictures, and we're still nearby if you want to say that "hello".

Location! Location! Location! and the headlines

In a recent post we talked about the areas of Bromley and Tulse Hill and the expectations of estate agents in each location. They are certainly very different areas, and two of the things they obviously have in common are being in London Boroughs - Bromley is one itself - and each having an Edward Ashdale office.

Don't believe an area is a wash-out till you speak with us

One of the things that has happened in Bromley recently is focused on Orpington. Orpington got into the national press when journalists picked up on the high number of charity shops in the high street there (12) and the relatively high proportion to the shops in general this represented.  The arguments and facts about the rumoured death of the high street are complex, and this local blog for one took a step back and talked about some of the positives in Orpington.

Certainly, seeing a Daily Telegraph headline of "Austerity Street" citing Orpington provides one of those rare rub-your-eyes-and-look-again-moments. Yet you can see where they're coming from. A loss of independent retail shops in favour of, for instance, charity shops isn't perhaps ideal.Yet Orpington is a long way off having tumbleweed rolling down the high street past ranks of boarded up shops. There is a lot to praise in Orpington and the initiative "Orpington1st" appears to be gearing itself  up ready to showcase it.

From an estate agents point of view, we see currently that pretty much all types of property, rented or for purchase, are gaining higher values and rental charges in the current market. In what is something of a scrum to compete for a good quality, good value home in a suitable location a superficial view of an area is unhelpful. So while we reflected on the different sights and behaviours in Bromley and Tulse Hill, our local knowledge reaches beyond the headlines. Thus, we can say to people who ask us about moving to Orpington - "No, that austerity street label is unfair. It's not all gloom and doom and austerity. There's a lot of plusses too."

What are they? Here are just a few examples. 

Orpington has a 7 screen cinema pencilled in for the town centre and a redevelopment of the old library by Bromley Museum due to revive that asset in what are the lovely Priory Gardens. We can point out that the transport links for central London and the South East are great - just as they are in Tulse Hill. We can mention one of the country's few grammar schools in Newstead Wood, that is always very high in national educational league tables, and there other top local schools, primary and senior, in and around Orpington. We can talk about The Walnuts Leisure Centre. We can mention a recently award-winning bakery and an award-winning tea room, and the latest excellent Cray Festival. We can mention the Nugent shopping centre, the Foodbank that was set up in Orpington and that now serves Bromley; we can mention how green a place it is and that there are numerous sporting facilities including the Bromley Tennis Centre. We could talk about the great number of local social, faith, and community groups and charities. Then there are the new hardware store, the new guitar makers and the new American diner all in "Austerity Street".

If asked, we could talk about Tulse Hill in a similar way.  People need to read beyond the headlines. That is an area in which a good estate agent (like us!) can help people gain valuable insights that make for better decisions on where to make the location of their future homes.

Don't believe all you read. Unless we write it.