Ways to make housing affordable

Teepol - cleaning up at the British Family Fayre

A lot of attention is being given to affordable housing, social housing, and the need for more housing. Indeed, the latest development is the Conservative party's proposal for discounted housing for first-time buyers under forty years old, as reported here by the BBC.  Most of these schemes simply reflect the fact that demand for housing and home ownership continues to outstrip supply, which has a lot to do with ongoing, and in some cases, record-breaking rises in house prices.

As responsible estate agents, we at Edward Ashdale certainly hope that the initiatives under way do help people find homes at an affordable cost, though it is certainly true that in both the owned and rental sectors the cost of a home does not compare well to the income of many people.

One consideration, then, is people's income. Having more income is one way to afford a better home. That is one reason why we have been happy to help the Tulse Hill Community Market to take off. It is an outlet for local people to trade goods and services and, in many cases, the goods such as jewellery and art are ones that the traders have created themselves. This is the kind of place where may people have started selling and begun businesses that grow and grow. It is easy to forget that even massive businesses start somewhere, just as Marks & Spencer did, with £5 and a Penny Bazaar. Even car boot sales, where again people sometimes sell the things they have started to make (or bake), can be an important step for some people. So we welcome these too, and note that a new one in Brixton has been set up, named BrixtonBooty, and we wish that well - see @BrixtonBooty on Twitter.


So, we also view efforts elsewhere to boost the economy, large and small, with approval. There are many artisan markets around, one instance being the Gingham Goose Craft Market in Hayes - Twitter @GinghamGoose. There are also British manufacturers who have, despite the demise of many proud names, clung on and prospered down the years. One example is Teepol, a cleaning products manufacturer in Orpington, which has been in business since the 1960's. They recently appeared at the British Family Fayre. The British Family are an interesting phenomenon in themselves, having chosen to buy only British goods for a year, which gave them a unique twelve months and a lot of publicity for British producers.  On Twitter, @BritishFamily.

So, in short, good luck to the government with what it is doing for the housing sector, and even better luck to the people making this country prosperous.
  
You can browse our other blog topics in the Index here.  

It's A Selhurst Thing

When we attended the recent Tulse Hill Community Market Fun Day, an initiative we (Edward Ashdale Estate Agents) are proud to support, we met someone interesting. Of course, we always meet interesting people at the markets and other activities they put on. This time, when we blogged subsequently, here, we focused on Constable Douglas-Smith, a local policeman who came along.

However, we also met former Tulse Hill resident and strong supporter of positive community interaction, Sadie Campbell. Sadie told us about something she is launching in the Selhurst and Croydon area of London.

First, the 18th of August sees "It's a Selhurst Thing", a Community Day and Creative Arts and Photographic Exhibition in Acts House, 30 Union Road, Croydon CR0 2XU.

Then, between 1st and 7th September, in the Sun Lounge of the Fairfield Halls in Croydon, CR9 1DG, the exhibition is in place over a longer period of days.

Sadie told us that, "This project has three main aims all of which are of lasting community benefit:
 

1) [helping people to] Gain transferable skills. Approximately 20 local people  aged 8- 70+ years will support the project, some volunteering in roles that develop their knowledge of project and event development and to learn new skills, such as photography.

2) [to]  Enrich Community Cohesion and through partnership working produce an exhibition depicting the likes and dislikes of people living in the Selhurst/Croydon area. These stories will allow the meek and mild to speak to decision makers and members of the wider community, as the exhibition will cover 100 years of Croydon life. It will travel through the borough allowing people to add pieces to it. Finally, it will be archived to serve as a historical record of how we used to live, work and play.

3) [to serve as a] Memorial. The exhibition is dedicated to the memory of Fico Dougan, who was just 17 years old when he was tragically murdered on the 25th September 2013 in Croydon.  As a ‘Community Call For Positive Action,’ we hope that this project will be a start of the Fico Dougan Award, where local people will help raise money annually, to offer financial support to ambitious people who want to quickly access opportunities, i.e., access training, education or to start off a business idea, etc., who would not otherwise be able to afford the fees involved.This will serve as a lasting memorial in Fico’s honour to finish the educational journey that he started, but unfortunately could not complete."

If you can, go and see either event - or both events. If you're local, add a piece to the travelling exhibition. 

The poster that is at the top of this blog post offers some more detail and Sadie's contact details, if you would like to get in touch about having the exhibition near you. Her email is sadiecampbell@hotmail.co.uk.   

You can browse our other blog topics in the Index here.

Helping the thin blue line

Constable Douglas-Smith

Sometimes it is surprising how things come together. We're fresh from supporting the Met Police's Junior Citizen initiative by supporting 90 children to take part in activities promoting child safety, health and wellbeing - this is an earlier example. Our Tulse Hill office is looking forward to receiving the certificate we will get acknowledging our help, but helping the children is the real point.

We didn't think about it at the time, but when we supported the new Community Market in Tulse Hill, that too supported children and the police. This came home to us when we went to the Fun Day run yesterday by the Community Market at their old Scout Hut location. The market itself is about to move to a coffee shop at 357 Norwood Road, just down from our Tulse Hill office. The Fun Day, though, featured local traders, a few only just starting out, and people including (sometimes face-painted) children. It also featured Constable Douglas-Smith, pictured. On his beat in the community, the constable is well-used to being photographed as he pops into local events, keeping up relationships with people. However, if there were no Community Market, there would be less positive things being done in the community and one less opportunity for Constable Douglas-Smith to catch up with people in a nice setting. So, we are very happy that we have supported the market, and the Met's Junior Citizen initiative, and that we met Constable Douglas-Smith, our local example of the thin blue line of British policing.

We look forward to seeing him again.

You can read about who else we meet at the Community Markets and about their services and contact details in our post here.

You can browse our other blog topics in the Index here. 

Defining what estate agency means in the 21st century

Our three proud partners: John, John, and Sam

We have already stated our values for all to see and we've already captured some of our testimonials in this blog. However, recently the two came together in a very welcome way.

We received these new testimonials:

“Thanks for letting my flat in Kenley and finding me the best tenants I could wish for! It is testimony that you have sailed the rough waters of the turbulent past markets & survived, this is because you are jolly nice, honest and smart. And it is not often one can say that about people in your profession.” – Paul

“I really don’t exaggerate when I say how much your help has eased this whole process for me, from beginning to end. Yesterday was a good news day. Not only did we complete but my brother who was recently diagnosed with cancer got a clear CT scan. So, as you can imagine, what with that and the flat drama I think I would have crumbled but for all the help you lot have given me. You define what estate agency means.” - Jeri

In a time when the number of high street estate agents offices is rising, and when the lure of online and 'do it yourself' property transaction packages is present, one might reasonably ask, why use an estate agent? Or, why use one in particular? Especially for a property sale in a time when - with a few exceptions around the country - properties are selling quickly. 

The answer to these questions is simple. Property transactions are high value in financial terms and in terms of emotional investment and potential stress. You need to get the best for your money in a transaction you may not repeat for years and to experience the minimum of stress with the best results possible. 

We believe that means working with professional, friendly, innovative people who are passionate about delivering a great service is vital. All of these positives are embedded in our values and in what we do from day to day. If they weren't, we wouldn't be getting the testimonials we do, old or new. So, it is great to be called jolly nice, honest, and smart and to define what the best of estate agency means. 

Taking a step back, though, perhaps the best message in these testimonials is that Jeri's brother got his clear CT scan. Thank goodness for that.

You can view our earlier posts in our Index here.

Calling Tulse Hill businesses! Your community needs you

Tulse Hill Forum Chairman Erica with a fine cake and Chris, its baker

Yes, if you're a business in Tulse Hill, your community needs you! If you are a business in Tulse Hill, and we're one, near the railway station, you are part of the community. There's no getting away from it. So why not join us at the gathering the Tulse Hill Forum has organised on Wednesday 7th May at 7.30pm in the Creative Aroma coffee shop to meet local business people?

The Forum wants to listen to what local businesses think is important that can be done in Tulse Hill to make it even better for them and for everyone in the community. The Forum is also interested in finding out what businesses can contribute to what the Forum is doing - time, skills, money, items, even things as simple as use of window space for posters. Some of the things the Forum is doing are really innovative and making a real positive difference, drawing on the talents of local people of all ages.

The Tulse Hill Forum are as bright and engaging a group of people, and as determined to boost the local community, as any you'll find around the country. We really enjoy talking with them and doing what we can to support them and the recently started Tulse Hill Community Market. Hence this blog post.

So, if you're in a local business, please join the Forum and one or more of us from Edward Ashdale Estate Agents on the 7th. Did we mention what a lovely place the Creative Aroma is? Or how superb their home made cakes are? Well, they are. If you've not been there before, some and find out for yourself.

See you there.

John Adamthwaite

You can view our earlier posts in our Index here.
  

Sam's Word 7: Over the hill

We're in red, white and blue...

When you are, like us, a comparatively new agency (two years old) built on the foundation stones of two much longer established businesses with strong reputations, every step forward means a lot.

One of our most recent steps forward was over a hill. As you leave Orpington and drive up past the railway station, it was possible recently to see a "Edward Ashdale: For Sale" sign at the roadside. Now it is equally possible to see an "Edward Ashdale: sold" sign in the same spot. This is one of the properties we have dealt with that is further out than usual. Why? Because the word is spreading that we are good at what we do.

The word is spreading also because of things like a recent experience we had when talking with a homeowner about possibly selling his property for him. We were appointed over two larger estate agent chains, which was a real mark of respect and trust by the homeowner. He told us afterwards that it was our passion for the service we would deliver to him, that meant we would leave no stone unturned to do a great job for him, that made the difference. We are already doing all we can to reward his trust. That is what you get when you work with a values-driven business like ours that takes pride in delivering a great service. 

Sam Samuel, MNAEA CRLM,  April 2014 

You can view our earlier posts in our Index here.

Fifty posts, Cake, and a Manifesto for an Estate Agent

This is the 50th blog post since Edward Ashdale Estate Agents was founded and we can reflect on a lot of writing during over two years of serving many people across South East London and beyond. We deserve a bit of cake, and yes, we made this one. It disappeared very rapidly probably back around post 20 or so. So, let us reflect on cake and more, and come to our little Manifesto for an Estate Agent.

We've won an award in that time, though to be fair the one below was for golf. 

The golf winner was one of our Directors, Sam Samuel. For some reason he's the only one of our partners who has been caricatured....

 Derrick from the Tulse Hill office escaped...

 So did Director John Campolini. So far... 

John Adamthwaite, also a partner, is another to have fled the artistic scene... 

Yet we have done our bit in the local community, as shown below with the Tulse Hill Community Market, and we're not stopping...

We've doggedly just carried on making sure our clients are happy...

We've revisited the cake theme and got some attention from the press, even though they didn't get any cake (sorry, guys)...

We've certainly proved we don't take the biscuit and we're no mugs...

Oh yes, let's not forget that Manifesto.  Perhaps Manifesto is going too far, but what we're saying is we'd like all estate agents to be a bit like us, as we're worth using.

Why?

- We’re 21st Century Estate Agents with old-fashioned values. As the foregoing might suggest, we have a sense of humour too;

- That means we really do live up to our values:

- Passion to do a great job. That is why we enjoy taking people on 100% accompanied viewings. Not all estate agents do this, but we believe it is a way we can show people we really care;

- Pride in our professionalism, getting things right for our clients. That is why, unlike many estate agents, we use professional photographers to show the homes we sell or let in their best possible light;

- Friendliness. We enjoy our work and its shows in the way we are, with everyone;

- Innovation. Old-fashioned values doesn’t mean an out of date service. We use the latest IT tools and social media where they help us to help our clients.  

Also:

- We know our patch. We cover offices in the South East London and Kent from our two offices and we are constantly out and about. We believe in helping the community we’re part of and we enjoy helping out local schools. In Tulse Hill, our encouragement and sponsorship has helped to get a very special community market created by young people up and running

- We show off the properties we have for sale or let really well, using our website and our advertising on all major property search portals including Rightmove and Zoopla. The colour professional photographs and detailed floor plans we provide are a real asset

- Free EPC* (Energy Performance Certificate) – No up front costs

That just leaves us to say, if you're thinking of moving and have read this far, please call 020 8466 8445 to book your FREE MARKET APPRAISAL!


*Subject to Edward Ashdale selling the property

You can view our earlier posts in our Index here.