Meller Braggins in Wilmslow

We've been looking through some old pictures in our Wilmslow office this week and have found some great images of our previous offices on Grove Street. It's so exciting for us to see the changes over the years and we feel that it all adds to our history as a Company!

We've been around since 1836, so it's very fair to say that we know our stuff and we would be delighted to welcome you into our Wilmslow (or any other) office for a chat to see how we can help you with your property. Maybe it's that you are currently on the market with another agent, feel that you are not getting the best out of them and would like some independent advice. No problem! We are happy to advise wherever we can, without obligation.

All our office contact details are available on our website and we look forward to hearing from you soon.

'March' into the garden!

We've definitely been feeling a little bit like Spring is on the way this week and with the weather forecast looking OK for at least part of this weekend, it's a great time to start thinking about the garden. When selling your property the garden is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the lifestyle on offer to your viewers and potential purchasers. It's also important to remember that you are not only selling the house, you are selling the garden with it too. So it's just as important to present the garden to it's maximum effect to maximise the price you achieve for your property.

Even if you're not thinking of selling just yet, it's a great time to start planning ahead for the summer so you have a garden haven to relax in and enjoy.

So just in case Mr Weatherman has got it right (fingers crossed), here's a helpful list of garden-related tasks that can be undertaken in March to help you make the most of your outside space. Now to wait for some sunshine......

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/in-month/march

Meet the Team - James Parsons

We thought we would kick off our brand new "Meet the Team" feature with one of our newest recruits! James Parsons has recently joined the MB team as our Macclesfield Branch Manager and we are very excited about having him on board.

James came into estate agency straight from school in 2003 and has worked in the local area for 14 years. Having gained a vast experience and extensive knowledge in this time, James prides himself upon the excellent level of service that he is able to provide to his clients, along with an exceptional level of professionalism.

When he's not in work, James can be found with his family enjoying everything the Cheshire lifestyle has to offer. Living in the Macclesfield area, James plays rugby at Macclesfield RUFC and can often be found there at weekends or he enjoys the delights of the many Cheshire countryside walks.

James would love to meet you and discuss how he can assist with any of your property requirements. He and the rest of the team in the Macclesfield office are waiting for your call! Contact details for our Macclesfield office can be found here

Coming up in 2017....

Now that the Christmas festivities are nearing a close and we look forward to the start of 2017, we just wanted to give you a quick insight into some of the things we have planned for the New Year.

As well as the flurry of new instructions in January, some of which are already underway and ready to be launched in the New Year, we will be giving you a peek into life at Meller Braggins and introducing you to members of our team through our social media pages. They're not a shy bunch really! We're really excited to have to have such a talented team to help you with all your property needs and think that it would be great for you to know a little bit more about the person that you may see and/or speak to in person or on the telephone!

We will also be focusing on the various services that we offer in addition to residential sales and lettings - did you know that we have a team of Chartered surveyors who undertake a range of services that includes building surveys and home buyers reports? Or that we have a dedicated commercial property team? More on them as we move into the New Year too.

In-house we are looking forward to welcoming colleagues to Meller Braggins who, along with the existing members of the team, will join us in providing an exceptional level of service to all our clients throughout 2017 and beyond.

We are all very much looking forward to helping you sell your property, buy your dream home or undertake a survey on a property you are purchasing and we would be delighted to speak to you to find out how we can assist. All our office contact details are available on our website here and our teams are standing by to take your call. Alternatively feel free to contact us via email or through social media. We would love your feedback too, so please feel free to send a quick email to customerservice@mellerbraggins.com if you have any comments, good or otherwise, on the service we have provided.

We would like to wish you and your families a peaceful New Year and all the very best for 2017.

Adam Partridge joins the Meller Braggins Team

We are delighted to introduce a new auctioneer to our team. You might recognise Adam Partridge from TV’s Flog It and Bargain Hunt, as he is one of the UK’s best-known auctioneers.

Adam is an experienced property auctioneer and regularly conducts auctions for firms across the country, as well as from his own auction rooms in Macclesfield and Liverpool. 

At Meller Braggins, we have built a long-standing association with Adam, and we are delighted that he will now conduct our property auctions in Cheshire. The new arrangement begins with our November sale, in which we have a variety of interesting lots. The November sale will take place at 3pm on Friday 18th November 2016 at Cottons Hotel, Knutsford.

We are all very excited about the prospect of joining forces with one of the country’s leading auctioneers as we develop our dedicated Cheshire-based property auction service. 

US Election Results.... Will it affect me?

It will not have escaped the attention of most people that a short while ago Donald Trump has been voted the 45^th president of the United States of America. Whilst his victory proved a surprise for many commentators, investors and the global public alike, the conversation for most this morning has been centered around one question: “What now?” The simple answer at this stage is “Who knows!”

As with the EU referendum vote in June of this year, it is (at this stage) impossible to say what effect this result will have on the UK property market, if any at all in the short term. What we do know at this stage is that the US dollar has significantly weakened overnight and commentators largely agree that a volatile day of trading awaits. The drop in the markets reflect investor concern over the effects of a Trump presidency on the economy and trade, however a drop was seen in the UK FTSE 100 immediately after the Brexit vote which improved to pre-referendum levels within a matter of days – it remains to be seen if the same will happen in the US. It is inevitable that any long term impact on the US markets would in some way touch the UK markets too, it's just that at this stage it is impossible to tell what effects will be seen on either.

All in all, today is business as normal: we are still taking calls for market appraisals, we have new instructions coming to the market and we are still taking offers for a variety of properties currently on the market. It is not expected that any of this will change significantly in the immediate term so if you are thinking of selling and have any concerns that you wish to discuss, our knowledgeable team will be happy to advise you on the market conditions within your local area.

Contact details for all our offices can be found here.

Mallory's Mansion at our November 2016 Auction

A Meller Braggins auction always brings about its fair share of properties that have a story or two to tell: our upcoming auction on 18th November 2016 is no different. Of the lots that we have for sale in this auction, one property of particular note is the childhood home of Everest mountaineer George Mallory.

Our friends at the Knutsford Guardian (2nd November 2016) took up the story on their front page:

"The childhood home of Everest mountaineer George Mallory is to be sold at auction after five years of lying empty. Hobcroft House, on Hobcroft Lane, Mobberley, is due to be auctioned off at Cotton's Hotel on Manchester Road by estate agents Meller Braggins on Friday 18th November at 3pm.

The 10 bedroom mansion, which was once home to legendary Everest adventurer George Mallory, who took part in the first three Everest climbs before dying on the mountain in 1924 aged 37, has a date stone of 1890. The property also includes an adjoining coach house, stables and paddocks, which is used for garages and storage and, according to the auction documents, has the potential to be converted into further accommodation.

Holly House, also on Hobcroft Lane, is being marketed as freehold and will be auctioned off at the same time.

Emily Speak, asset manager at MAG property, said "Having clarified the tenure over the past year, we are very pleased to now be able to offer these properties for sale to local residents with either freeholds or long leases. 

"While both properties require extensive work, we are confident that both will make incredible and distinctive family homes for a buyer who is after a significant project.

"We know that the houses have been out of the local community for too long and we are now putting that right. When they went to market last year, we had a lot of genuine interest, and it was only the tenure that led deals to fall through. Now we've clarified the properties' status we expect both to be extremely popular."

The house went to market last summer under a short lease, which generated "a lot of interest" but unfortunately no lease was completed.

Last occupied in 2011, the house was bought as a compulsory purchase by Manchester Airport, who informed the previous tenants that they intended to sell the house."

Should you wish to come along to our property auction, you are more than welcome to join us at Cottons Hotel, Manchester Road, Knutsford at 3pm on Friday 18th November. We look forward to seeing you there!