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!

Selling your home? How we can help ease your stress...

A recent nationwide survey has revealed that selling your home is one of the most stressful events in life (http://bit.ly/2cYL3wV). Not much of a surprise and an all too common story, we're sure you will agree!

So how can we help mitigate some of those stresses that the process naturally entails? We have a number of tricks up our sleeve, and here are just a few.....

• Client satisfaction: From the very first call into the office right through to completion, it is our aim to ensure that our clients experience an excellent level of care throughout the whole process. We will keep in regular contact with you throughout to inform you of where the sale of your home is up to and advise of any issues that may inevitably arise. Should those problems occur, our dedicated team take every measure possible to find a solution that will allow the transaction to proceed to completion. We always love to hear from satisfied clients, but it's also fantastic to hear from those people they have referred us to. 
• Knowledge: Our teams have an extensive knowledge of the areas in which they operate. We can advise on the best schools, the most desirable locations, the local facilities and places to socialise amongst a whole host of other things. We also have an in-depth knowledge of the market in each area and can advise our clients on their investment, whether it be the 'forever home', a buy-to-let or a commercial property.   
• Experience: All of our offices are operated and managed by an experienced team, many of whom have decades (!) of experience in the industry. There's not much that some of us haven't seen before, so rest assured we can tackle any problems and obstacles that may occur during the sale of your home.
• Relationships: At Meller Braggins we are proud to have built good relationships with the local solicitors throughout our extensive history. This leaves us well positioned to pick up the phone to them should an issue arise with your property transaction. Equally, you may choose a solicitor that isn't quite as well known to us - this is not a problem at all! Our team will make contact with your solicitor to ensure that these lines of communication are open and that any issues can be dealt with swiftly.

And if you needed any more convincing, take a look at one of our recent testimonials from a client http://bit.ly/2d21KJ2

For information on any of the services we provide, please contact your local office http://bit.ly/1vJX764

The effect of Brexit on the Cheshire property market

The dawn of 24th June 2016 brought about the news that the British public had voted to leave the EU. Whilst there have been reports that this has resulted in nervous buyers pulling out of purchases and commentators forecasting reduced property prices and a reduction of around 20% in the volume of available properties in the market, the natural question for many to ask is, "What happens next for the local property market?"

The simple answer in this case is that nobody really knows for sure.

Initial market activity in the local area appears to have remained steady with transactions proceeding, offers being received on properties in a variety of price brackets and some new instructions coming to the market. There will, of course, be those who are more hesitant with the uncertainty that faces us over the coming weeks and months and who may be more inclined to stay put rather than entering into the buying and selling process. Our latest property auction, that took place on the day the referendum result was announced, proved successful with some lots achieving higher than the guide price and providing a great result for our clients.

It is also reasonable to assume that first-time buyers will be anxious to understand the impact on interest rates and their ability to secure a mortgage – again, there are no guarantees as to how either of these factors will be affected.

Landlords will also be cautious of the impact on lending rates, which in turn could have an impact on rents. But again, this is purely speculative at this stage.

If you have a property on the market at the moment, don’t panic! There are still a wealth of buyers looking for their next home and that could be yours. Ensure that your agent has a plan in place should the market slow down and/or prices drop and do everything you can to maximise the appeal of your property to viewers in the meantime.

If you have any property-related concerns over the referendum result that you would like to discuss, whether you are our client or are currently with another agent, please feel free to contact your local office for a no-obligation, informal chat.