Matthew Anthony Estate Agency

3 Bedroom Terrace, Worthing £315,000.00

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 05:43:40 GMT

Excellent three bedroom mews house with landscaped gardens to both the front and rear, a garage and great location just off Ashacre Lane.

12 Bedroom Terrace, Worthing £1,050,000.00

Sun, 19 Jan 2025 10:16:58 GMT

A fully occupied 12 unit HMO generating a rental income of £102,600 per annum,

2 Bedroom Flat, Heene Terrace £350,000.00

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 01:56:22 GMT

Beautiful sea views from an iconic seafront terrace. Impeccable spacious interior opens onto a large south-facing balcony and has a main bedroom with a dressing room and mezzanine. A freehold garage is also included on a separate title.

3 Bedroom Semi-Detached, Worthing £450,000.00

Wed, 14 May 2025 11:36:22 GMT

A spacious three-bedroom family home with scope to modernise, off-street parking, and a generous west-facing garden just moments from West Worthing station.

3 Bedroom End Terrace, Durrington £300,000.00

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 11:39:48 GMT

Guide price: £300,000 - £320,000 A spacious and well presented three bedroom end terrace home with a garage and west facing garden, tucked away in a cul-de-sac in Durrington.

1 Bedroom Flat, Worthing £190,000.00

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 04:37:19 GMT

A beautifully presented one-bedroom ground floor flat with its own private entrance and courtyard garden, ideally located just moments from West Worthing railway station.

4 Bedroom Terrace, Worthing £545,000.00

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 01:55:47 GMT

In the heart of Worthing, merely moments from the beach. With the promenade at one end of the road and independent shops and cafes at the other, this impeccable period home blends original features with deluxe contemporary detailing.

2 Bedroom Flat, 57 Church Walk £220,000.00

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 02:58:41 GMT

Spacious ground floor 2 bedroom flat with garage on a tree-lined road only 0.2 miles from the beach. Stylish modern interior with a large living/dining room, sleek handleless fully fitted kitchen and contemporary bathroom.

3 Bedroom Flat, 22-24 West Parade £375,000.00

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 12:55:36 GMT

A spacious seafront apartment with a private garage and breath-taking direct sea views from a south-facing balcony. A hugely versatile layout with a main bedroom suite is equally suited for family life and working from home.

3 Bedroom End Terrace, Ferring £350,000.00

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 03:38:45 GMT

The perfect blank canvas End of terrace family home opening onto a lovely 120ft garden. Ready to be refreshed and updated to perfectly reflect your own sense of this 3 bedroom house has plenty of potential to be extended and reconfigured (STNC) as well as a detached garage and private driveway.

2 Bedroom Flat, 24 Downview Road £260,000.00

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 09:41:34 GMT

Excellent chain free 2 double bedroom flat with a brilliantly generous layout and the added bonus of a private garage. In the leafy setting of a prized development, key highlights include a double aspect lounge/diner opening onto a west facing balcony.

3 Bedroom Semi-Detached, Goring-By-Sea £300,000.00

Sat, 27 Dec 2025 11:59:54 GMT

A well presented three-bedroom semi detached home in a popular Goring-by-Sea location, featuring open plan living and dining space opening onto the west facing garden, ideal for families and first time buyers, with the added benefit of a garage in a nearby compound.

3 Bedroom End Terrace, Worthing £595,000.00

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 11:28:38 GMT

On a tree-lined road in the heart of Worthing. With bay windows, a focal point fireplace and contemporary detailing, this period house is a fabulous modern day family home with private off road parking. A beautifully light layout includes 2 reception rooms, sleek kitchen/diner and main bedroom suite

1 Bedroom Flat, Worthing £200,000.00

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 04:47:11 GMT

Coastal living in a gated development just across from the beach. Beautifully styled with superb sea views, a large lounge/diner, a private entrance and allocated parking. A sleek kitchen is fully fitted and a deluxe bath/shower room is impeccable.

4 Bedroom Semi-Detached, Hove £899,950.00

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 04:01:27 GMT

Sympathetically extended period home with a large garden, garage and driveway. The hubbub Hove just moments away. A beautifully considered layout has a bay fronted living room, open plan kitchen and conservatory and main bedroom suite.

3 Bedroom House, Goring-By-Sea £300,000.00

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 03:54:32 GMT

A spacious 3 bedroom mid terrace house. The accommodation includes, entrance hall, good size double aspect lounge/dining room, modern kitchen, two double bedrooms and a further single bedroom. Bathroom/WC. The property is offered for sale with no ongoing chain.

2 Bedroom Flat, Goring-By-Sea £180,000.00

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 02:57:10 GMT

Excellent 2 bedroom ground floor flat in a small purpose built block. Generous layout with a sunlit living/dining room opening onto a private south-west facing within superb communal gardens.

3 Bedroom Detached Bungalow, Goring-By-Sea £550,000.00

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 03:08:26 GMT

Impeccably styled chain free detached bungalow with solar panels, a private driveway and garage. A spacious open plan layout with a reception room, large Shaker kitchen and lounge/diner opens onto to an idyllic garden.

3 Bedroom Detached, Ferring £500,000.00

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 03:10:45 GMT

Chain free and merely a stroll from the village green and a row of independent shops and cafes. Surprisingly spacious detached family property with wrap-around gardens, a detached garage, 2 reception rooms and a main bedroom suite.

4 Bedroom Semi-Detached, Worthing £450,000.00

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 03:21:01 GMT

Superbly extended semi-detached chalet bungalow with a versatile fully powered outbuilding and plenty of private driveway parking. A stylish layout includes an integrated speaker system, large living room and spacious kitchen/dining room opening onto a landscaped garden.

1 Bedroom Flat, 1 Union Place £85,000.00

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 03:26:31 GMT

Chain free retirement apartment in a peaceful spot in the very heart of Worthing. Stylish south facing layout with a large living/dining room, fully fitted modern kitchen, contemporary bath/shower room, residents` restaurant, housekeeping, gardens and much more....

2 Bedroom Flat, Goring-By-Sea £240,000.00

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 03:29:33 GMT

Chain free first floor flat in a prized purpose built complex with attractive communal gardens. Benefiting from the privacy of its own street entrance, a spacious layout opens onto a south facing balcony and has a superbly sized lounge/dining room and separate fully fitted kitchen.

2 Bedroom Flat, 22-24 West Parade £360,000.00

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 10:27:07 GMT

Utterly stunning sea views, a south facing balcony and a great sense of space. Superbly presented 2 bedroom seafront apartment with a double aspect lounge, well-appointed kitchen/diner, a deluxe en suite and private garage.

2 Bedroom Flat, Worthing £200,000.00

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 01:32:58 GMT

Chain free modern ground floor flat with a stylish interior and the added bonus of a garage and share of the freehold. Perfect for a first time buyer or as a Buy to Let investment, sought after development in a central residential location.

3 Bedroom Bungalow, Goring-By-Sea £500,000.00

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 06:43:09 GMT

An extensively renovated three bedroom bungalow benefiting from a garage, driveway and the potential to extend (STNC). Tastefully styled with a bay fronted bedroom and a versatile dining room/third bedroom with sliding doors to the patio and large rear garden.

3 Bedroom Flat, Goring-By-Sea £240,000.00

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 09:16:13 GMT

Excellent triple aspect first floor flat opening onto a private south facing balcony. In a prized purpose built block with beautifully large communal gardens, an impressively sized layout includes a large living/dining room, modern kitchen and shower room.

3 Bedroom Semi-Detached, Lancing £375,000.00

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 11:45:17 GMT

Stylish, contemporary and opening onto a south facing garden. Impressive three bedroom semi-detached home with leafy views and off-road parking. A large lounge and kitchen/diner are ideal for family life, and a superb main bedroom has a deluxe en suite.

3 Bedroom Terrace, Goring-By-Sea £300,000.00

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 09:50:12 GMT

Chain free link-terraced property that`s a superb family home. Opening onto a west facing easy maintenance garden, a notably flowing layout with a spacious living room, adjoining dining room and kitchen and three bedrooms.

1 Bedroom Flat, 185 Goring Road £210,000.00

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 12:00:09 GMT

Chain free ground floor flat with a garage merely half a mile from the beach and near to local shops. Excellent modern layout includes a large south-facing lounge/diner, fully fitted contemporary kitchen and luxury bathroom.

2 Bedroom Flat, Goring-By-Sea £250,000.00

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 12:06:24 GMT

Rare opportunity to acquire this freehold ground floor flat with large front and rear private gardens, a garage and driveway parking. Elegantly styled yet with ample chance to be refreshed, a superbly sized layout has 2 double bedrooms and a lovely large lounge with fireplace.

3 Bedroom Semi-Detached, Goring-By-Sea £330,000.00

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 12:32:29 GMT

Chain free semi-detached property that`s a superb family home. Opening onto large idyllic gardens with a summerhouse and versatile outbuilding, a notably flowing layout has a spacious living room, adjoining dining room and enviably sized kitchen.

3 Bedroom Bungalow, Goring-By-Sea £399,950.00

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 12:53:06 GMT

Chain free link attached bungalow on a wide tree-lined road. Tastefully presented, a spacious layout opens onto a south facing garden with a fully powered home office/studio. With an integral garage, sunroom, bay fronted lounge and the versatility to have a dining room/home office, further key highl

0 Bedroom Semi-Detached, Goring-By-Sea £450,000.00

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 01:01:45 GMT

Merely half a mile to the beach. With palm trees in the gardens and the added convenience of a garage and driveway parking this exceptional semi-detached house is impeccably presented and has a superb double aspect living/dining room.

1 Bedroom Flat, 1 St. Michaels Road £160,000.00

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 01:16:03 GMT

This stylish one bedroom apartment is a perfect blend of modern convenience and timeless appeal. With allocated parking, a long lease, and a central location close to Worthing`s vibrant amenities, it`s an excellent choice for first time buyers, or as a rental investment.

3 Bedroom Semi-Detached, Angmering £325,000.00

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 09:54:11 GMT

Freshly redecorated and with new flooring throughout, this three bedroom semi-detached home is tucked away in a quiet Angmering cul-de-sac. Offering spacious accommodation, private rear garden and garage in nearby compound, it remains an excellent opportunity to further update over time.

4 Bedroom Detached, Goring-By-Sea £725,000.00

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 02:02:58 GMT

Chain free and move-in ready. Outstanding detached family home with a fantastic sense of space, period charm and contemporary luxury. Spacious interconnecting receptions rooms, conservatory and main bedroom suite, as well as a large west facing garden, garage and driveway.

5 Bedroom Detached, Worthing £1,100,000.00

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 04:35:41 GMT

Exemplary detached period property on Worthing`s prestigious Grand Avenue. Just a stroll from the beach and benefiting from both garage and driveway parking, This beautiful early 20th century home blends elegance and luxury with a 3 storey layout opening onto large idyllic gardens.

2 Bedroom Flat, 55 Station Road £1,475.00

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 01:07:22 GMT

2 Bedroom Modern first floor Apartment ideally located for Town Centre, Hospital and Train Station. Parking space included.

2 Bedroom Flat, Goring-By-Sea £300,000.00

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 02:14:32 GMT

Just a stroll from the beach - Stylish contemporary first floor apartment opening onto a brilliantly large west-facing balcony. With a private ground floor entrance, south-west facing wrap-around garden, garage and off-road parking for multiple vehicles.

0 Bedroom Bedsit, Worthing £728.00

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 09:15:39 GMT

Situated on the first floor of a beautiful Victorian conversion on Brighton Road, this bright and refurbished room is available to let and offers an ideal base by the seafront.

3 Bedroom Semi-Detached, Goring-By-Sea £575,000.00

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 03:28:36 GMT

Exceptional 1930s Art Deco house on a wide tree-lined road leading directly down to the beach. Semi-detached with a garage and driveway parking, this elegant property opens onto beautifully landscaped gardens from its modern conservatory/sun room.

0 Bedroom Studio, Boundary Road £120,000.00

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 05:21:53 GMT

An excellent refurbished studio apartment approximately only 300 metres from the beach with Unallocated off- road parking. With 172 years left on the lease, low ground rent and walking distance to the town centre.

4 Bedroom Chalet, Worthing £499,950.00

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 05:22:22 GMT

Impeccably presented chalet-style family home in a prized leafy cul de sac. Semi-detached with a two storey layout opening onto an enclosed south facing garden, it has the potential to add an en suite and comes with a garage and plenty of driveway parking.

2 Bedroom Flat, 171 Goring Road £260,000.00

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 05:23:13 GMT

With lovely distant sea views and the added bonus of a garage, this top floor flat is less than a half mile stroll to the beach. Tastefully styled and near to a great a selection of shops and schools, it has a large sunny lounge/diner opening onto a south facing balcony.

3 Bedroom Flat, Bruce Avenue £215,000.00

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 10:56:34 GMT

Brilliantly sunlit 3 bedroom flat with a large lounge/dining room opening onto a balcony. Perfectly placed for the shops of Goring Road, its generous layout includes a notably sized modern kitchen with a clever desk/study area. Freehold

1 Bedroom Flat, 1 The Causeway £175,000.00

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 01:08:09 GMT

Modern one bedroom ground floor apartment featuring open plan living, sleek kitchen, private garden and long lease. Moments from Durrington station and shop - ideal for first time buyers or investors.

3 Bedroom Semi-Detached, Pond Lane £395,000.00

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:05:04 GMT

Smart, stylish modern mews house with a gated driveway and garage. A fully powered garden room and large double aspect study offer an ideal work/life balance, and a spacious open plan lounge/dining room opens into a modern conservatory and fully fitted kitchen.

2 Bedroom Flat, Worthing £250,000.00

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 03:44:37 GMT

Chain free, newly refurbished with a garage and off-road parking. Stylish first floor flat in a prized development set around its own lakes and lovely communal grounds. A layout with a great sense of space has a large south facing lounge/diner, deluxe kitchen and contemporary bath/shower room.

4 Bedroom Detached, Sompting £750,000.00

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 04:54:45 GMT

Chain free, detached with beautifully large private gardens. In a lovely village location a brilliantly spacious layout has 2 reception rooms, a dedicated study, modern conservatory and ample scope to create an annexe. There`s an in/out driveway, attached garage and fully powered workshop.

4 Bedroom Detached, Goring-By-Sea £575,000.00

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 05:13:25 GMT

Beautiful south facing garden, an attached garage and a layout that makes life easy. Two large reception rooms include a double aspect lounge with a wood burner. A kitchen/breakfast room offers ample storage and worktop space, and 4 bedrooms, 2 bath/shower rooms and a cloakroom.

2 Bedroom Flat, Worthing £250,000.00

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 02:25:40 GMT

Wood floors, a picture perfect fireplace and bay windows. Brilliant ground floor flat opening onto its own private west-facing courtyard garden from a superbly styled layout with high ceilings, generous dimensions and contemporary detailing.

1 Bedroom Flat, 1 The Causeway £150,000.00

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:38:57 GMT

Chain free and perfect for a first time buyer or as a turn-key home by the sea. Stylish one bedroom apartment in a contemporary development. Impeccable layout with an open plan living space that has a sleek fitted kitchen and a double bedroom with a dressing room a

2 Bedroom Flat, Worthing £1,242.00

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 01:09:49 GMT

A rarely available ground floor apartment with a private courtyard garden and off road parking, situated just 100 yards from Worthing town centre.

2 Bedroom Flat, West Worthing £1,000.00

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:27:09 GMT

Stafford Johnson are pleased to offer for rent a very well presented Purpose Built Two Bedroom Ground Floor Flat in Chappell Croft, off Mill Rd within easy access of Worthing Town Centre. This unfurnished property is in good condition and very spacious.

How Affordable is Property for Worthing`s Average Working Family?

Wed, 13 Jun 2018 12:00:00 GMT

The simple fact is we are not building enough properties. If the supply of new properties is limited and demand continues to soar with heightened divorce rates, i.e. one household becoming two, people living longer and continued immigration, the values of those existing properties will continue to remain high and out of reach for a lot of people, especially the blue collar working families of Worthing. Looking at some recent statistics released by the Government, the ratio of the lower quartile house prices to lower quartile gross annual salaries in Worthing Borough Council has hit 11.47 to 1. What does that mean exactly and why does it matter to Worthing landlords and homeowners? If we ordered every property in the Worthing Borough Council area by the value of those properties, the average value of the lower quartile properties (i.e. lowest 25%) would be £200,000. If we then did the same and ordered everyone`s salary in the same council area, the average salary of the lowest quartile (lowest 25%) is £17,441 per annum, thus dividing one with the other, we get the ratio of 11.47 to 1. Assuming there is one wage earner in the house, the chances of a Worthing working family being able to afford to buy their own home, when it`s over eleven times their annual salary, is very slim indeed. The existing affordability crisis of people wanting to buy their own home is the unavoidable outcome of the decade on decade failure to build enough homes to keep up with demand. Nevertheless, improving affordability is not a case of just constructing more homes. Worthing Borough Council needs to ensure more properties are not only built, but built in the right locations, are of the right type and at the right price to ensure the needs of these lower income working families are met, because at the moment, they have few options apart from the private rental sector. Looking at the historic nature of the ratio, it can clearly be seen in the graph above that this has been an issue since the early to mid 2000`s. However, if one looks at the historic data, those on the bottom rung of the ladder (those in the lower quartile of wage earners) used to be housed by the local authority instead of buying. However, the vast majority of council houses were sold off in the 1980`s, meaning there are much fewer council houses today to house this generation. Many of the lower quartile working class families were given a lifeline to buy their own homes in middle 2000`s, with 100% mortgages, but the with the credit crunch in 2009, that rug (of 100% mortgages) was rudely pulled from under their feet. You see it is cheaper to buy than rent... it`s the finding of a large deposit that is the challenging issue for these Worthing working class families. In the long term, to alleviate that, I would suggest the Worthing community hold their local politicians at Worthing Borough Council to account for the actions they could take to ensure the affordability of housing and the extent to which they work with private developers and housing associations and aggressively use the planning tools at their disposal to safeguard the local community getting the new households we need. Worthing Borough Council could make certain parcels of residential building land for private rented development only, eliminating the opportunity of the land being bought to develop large executive homes, which do not solve the current problem. Yet in the short term, all this means is demand for rental properties will continue to grow, keeping Worthing house prices high and Worthing rents high. If you have any questions about this article, please do not hesitate to contact me. All the best Matt 01903 608080 07739 964668 matt@matthewanthony.co.uk

Nearly Nine Babies Born for Every New Home Built in the Past Five Years in Worthing

Wed, 20 Jun 2018 12:00:00 GMT

Nearly 9 babies have been born for every new home that has been built in Worthing since 2012, deepening the Worthing housing shortage. This discovery is an important foundation for my concerns about the future of the Worthing property market - when you consider the battle that todays twenty and thirty somethings face in order to buy their first home and get on the Worthing property ladder. This is particularly ironic as these Worthing youngsters` are being born in an age where the number of new babies born to new homes was far lower. This will mean the babies being born now, who will become the next generation`s first-time buyers, will come up against even bigger competition from a greater number of their peers. This is unless we move to long term fixes to the housing market, instead of the short term fixes that successive Governments have done since the 1980`s. Looking at the graphs above with the most up to date data for the area covered by Worthing Council it can be seen that in 2016, 3.66 babies had been born in Worthing for every home that had been built in the five years to the end of 2016 (the most up to date data). Interestingly, that ratio nationally was 2.9 babies to every home built in the ‘50s and 2.4 in the ‘70s. I have seen the unaudited 2017 statistics and the picture isn`t any better! (I will share those when they are released later in the year). Our children, and their children, will be placed in an unprecedented and unbelievably difficult position when wanting to buy their first home unless decisive action is taken. You see, it doesn`t help that with life expectancy growing year on year normal population growth nationally is rising by two people for every one home that was built since the start of this decade. Owning one`s home is a measure many Brits to aspire to. The only long term measure that will help is the building of more new homes on a scale not seen since the 50`s and 60`s, which means we would need to aim to at least double the number of homes we build annually. In the meantime, what does this mean for Worthing landlords and homeowners? Well the demand for rental properties in Worthing in the short term will remain high and until the rate of building grows substantially, this means rents will remain strong and correspondingly, property values will remain robust. If you have any questions about this article, please do not hesitate to contact me. All the best Matt 01903 608080 07739 964668 matt@matthewanthony.co.uk

Worthing Property Values 4.1% higher than year ago – What`s the PLAN to fix the Worthing Property Market?

Thu, 28 Jun 2018 12:00:00 GMT

It`s been nearly 18 months since Sajid Javid, the Tory Government`s Housing Minister published the White Paper `Fixing the Broken UK Housing Market`, meanwhile Worthing property values continue to rise at 4.1% (year on year for the council area) and the number of new homes being constructed locally bumps along at a snail`s pace, creating a potential perfect storm for those looking to buy and sell. The White Paper is important for the UK and Worthing because it will ensure we have long-term stability and longevity in the property market as whole. Worthing home-owners and Worthing landlords need to be aware of these issues in the report to ensure they don`t lose out and ensure the local housing market is fit for purpose. The White Paper wanted more homes to be built in the next couple of decades, so it might seem counter-intuitive for existing home-owners and landlords to encourage more homes to be built and a change in the direction of housing provision – as this would appear to have a negative effect on their own property. Yet the country needs a diversified and fluid property market to allow the economy as whole to grow and flourish ... which in turn will be a greater influence on whether prices go up or down in the long term. I am sure every homeowner or landlord in Worthing doesn`t want another housing crisis like we had in 1974, 1988 and most recently in 2008. Now, as Sajid Javid has moved on to the Home Secretary role, the 17th Housing Minister in 20 years (poisoned chalice or journeyman`s cabinet post) James Brokenshire has been given the task of making this White Paper come alive. The White Paper had a well-defined notion of what the issues were. The first of the four points brought up was to give local authorities powers to speed up house building and ensure developers complete new homes on time. Secondly, statutory methods demanding local authorities and builders build at higher densities (i.e. more houses per hectare) where appropriate. The other two points were incentives for smaller builders to take a larger share of the new homes market and help for people renting. However, lets go back to the two initial points of planning and density. (1) Planning For planning to work, we need a robust Planning Department. Looking at data from the Local Government`s Association, in Worthing, the council is below the regional average, only spending £23.99 per person for the Planning Authority, compared the regional average of £38.14 per head (see graph above) – which will mean the planning department will be hard pressed to meet those targets. Also, 77% of planning applications are decided within the statutory 8-week initial period, below the regional average of 81% (see the graph above). I am slightly disappointed with the numbers for our local authority when it comes to the planning and the budget allowed by our Politician to this vital service. (2) Density of Population 32.2 people live in every hectare (or 2.471 acres) in Worthing It won`t surprise you that 104,640 Worthing residents are living in the urban conurbations of the authority, giving a density of 32.2 people per hectare (much lower than I initially thought). I would agree with the Governments` ambition to make more efficient use of land and avoid building homes at low densities where there is a shortage of land for meeting identified housing needs, ensuring that the density and form of development reflect the character, accessibility and infrastructure. It`s all very good building lots of houses – but we need the infrastructure to go with it. Talking to a lot of residents in Worthing, their biggest fear of all this building is a lack of infrastructure for those extra houses (the extra roads, doctors surgeries, schools etc.). I know most Worthing homeowners and landlords want more homes to be built to house their family and friends, but irrespective of the density, it`s the infrastructure that goes with the housing that is just as important and this is where I think the White Paper failed to go as far as I feel it should have done. Interesting times ahead I believe! If you have any questions about this article, please do not hesitate to contact me. All the best Matt 01903 608080 07739 964668 matt@matthewanthony.co.uk

57% Drop in Properties For Sale in Worthing Compared to 10 Years Ago

Mon, 23 Jul 2018 12:00:00 GMT

There is good news for Worthing`s buy to let landlords as ‘top of the range` well presented properties are getting decent rents compared to a year ago. However, this rise in rents is thwarting many potential first time buyers from saving for both a deposit and money for a rainy day. On top of this, there is also a shortage of properties in Worthing coming on the market, adding fuel to the slowdown and affecting not just first-time buyers in Worthing but also those going up the housing ladder. Whilst it is true that Government initiatives, targeted at improving the supply of homes built and helping first time buyers obtaining necessary funding are starting to work, albeit slowly, I also believe that to encourage more existing home-owners and their properties onto the market we need to see a better focus placed on those looking to downsize (i.e. the mature generation). New figures from the Equity Release Council show that owners aged 55-plus unlocked a record £971m from their homes in the second quarter of this year, between April and June. This represents a 39 per cent year-on-year increase from the second quarter of 2017. If we took away some hurdles to home owners downsizing, such as removing stamp duty (as has previously been done for first time buyers), whilst still incentivising first-time buyers to buy the smaller properties, this would in turn release more mid-range properties onto the market, which would subsequently encourage more mature homeowners to downsize from their bigger properties to buy those mid-range properties - thus completing the circle. Looking at the most recent set of data from the Land Registry for Worthing (the BN11 postcode in particular), the figures show the indifferent nature of the current Worthing property market. Only 355 homes in Worthing (BN11) changed hands in the last 6 months. Worthing property values and transactions continue to be sluggish, and the monthly peaks and troughs of house prices and properties changing hands doesn`t mask the deficiency of suitable realistically priced property coming onto the market in Worthing, meaning the housing market is slowly becoming inaccessible to some would-be home owners. Looking at what each property type is selling for in BN11 (note the data from the Land Registry is always 4/5 months behind) makes interesting reading. One must remember these are the average prices paid, so it only takes a run of a few expensive or cheaper property types (as can be seen with the variance in the Terraced and Apartments in the table) to affect the figures. Looking at the numbers of properties for sale- I looked at my research for early Summer 2008, and at that time 2,595 properties were on the market for sale in Worthing. When I did my research on this article just 1,119 properties are for sale - a drop of 57%. The Government needs to seriously consider the supply and demand of the UK property market as a whole to ensure it doesn`t seize up. It needs to do that with bold and forward-thinking plans but, in the meantime, people still need a roof over their head. Therefore, because local authorities don`t have the funds to build new houses anymore, it`s become the job of Worthing landlords to take up the slack. I must stress though, I have noticed a distinct ‘flight to quality` by tenants in Worthing, who are prepared to pay top dollar for an exceptional home to rent. If you want to know what tenants are looking for and what type of things you as a Worthing landlord need to do to maximise your rental returns – Please get in touch. All the best Matt 01903 608080 07739 964668 matt@matthewanthony.co.uk

4,030 Additional Rental Homes Required in Worthing by 2027

Tue, 31 Jul 2018 12:00:00 GMT

I have been doing some research looking both at National and Regional reports on the demand and supply of property and people, together with future projections on the economy, population and family demographics with some interesting findings. According to the Office of National Statistics, in the last financial year national private renting grew by 74,000 households, whilst the owner occupied dwelling stock increased by 101,000 and social housing increased by 12,000 dwellings. It was the private rental figures that caught my eye. With eight or nine years of recovery since the Credit Crunch, economic recovery and continuing low interest rates have done little to setback the mounting need for rented housing. In fact, with house price inflation pushing upwards much quicker than wage growth, owning a home for Millennials is even more out of reach, all at a time when the number of council/social homes has shrunk by just over 2.5% since 2003, making more households move into private renting. There are 19,110 people living in 8,232 privately rented properties in Worthing. In the next nine years, looking at the future population growth statistics for the Worthing area and making careful and moderate calculations of what proportion of those extra people due to live in Worthing will rent as opposed to buy, in the next ten years, 8,190 people (adults and children combined) will require a private rented property to live in. Therefore, the number of Private Rented homes in Worthing will need to rise by 4030 households over the next nine years. That`s 448 additional properties in Worthing per year that will need to be bought by Worthing landlords, for the next nine years to meet that demand. I think I am being conservative with those calculations because demand for privately rented homes in Worthing could still rise more abruptly than I have predicted. So, one must ask wonder if it was wise to introduce a buy to let stamp duty surcharge of 3% and reduce mortgage tax relief to hold back the ability of private landlords to expand their portfolios? Well a lot of landlords are taking on these new hurdles to buy to let and working smarter. Buying the property at the right price and using an agent to negotiate on your behalf (we can do this if you want). Incorporating your property portfolio into a Limited Company is also a way to circumnavigate the issues of mortgage tax relief (although there are other hurdles that need to be navigated on that tack), but just look at the growth of proportion of Buy to Let properties in the Country since the Summer of 2016. Something tells me smart Landlords are seeing these challenges as just that - challenges which can be overcome by working smarter. I have a steady stream of Worthing landlords every week asking me my opinion on the future of the Worthing property market and their individual future strategy. Whether you are a landlord of mine or not, if you ever want to send me an email or pop into my office to chat on how you could navigate these new Buy to Let waters it would be good to speak to you. All the best Matt 01903 608080 07739 964668 matt@matthewanthony.co.uk

The Worthing Bank of Mum and Dad Lent £8.71m Last Year

Tue, 07 Aug 2018 12:00:00 GMT

My analysis has shown that up to the end of the last quarter, first time buyers in Worthing purchased 558 properties in area. With wages rising at 2.8%, unemployment at a low rate of 4.2% (down from 4.6% from a year earlier and the joint lowest since 1975), national GDP rising at 1.87% and inflation at 2.3%, tied in with indifferent house price growth (compared to a few years ago), this has given first time buyers a chance to get a foot hold in the Worthing property market. Over the last year, the average purchase price paid by a first time buyer in Worthing has been £220,300 and the average deposit was £35,689. Furthermore, my calculations show the average Worthing parents contributed £15,614 of that £35,689 figure. You see `The Bank of Mum and Dad (Worthing Branch)` is, for countless Worthing twenty something`s, perceived to be the only way they will ever be able to afford their first home. In fact, parents in Worthing put up a substantial £8.71m in the last 12 months to help their children onto the property ladder. This assistance towards the deposit makes a huge difference, enabling those who thought they couldn`t get on the housing ladder to do so more easily. With mortgage rates at all-time lows, few Worthing twenty something`s would struggle to make mortgage repayments – it`s the requirement of the deposit which is the issue. Although parents (and grandparents) are helping out where they can, it does little to address the real problems of the housing market, whether for people renting or buying their first home. If you think about it, as a Country we have been fortunate that the older generation who control the biggest share of the nation`s wealth are so generous to those following after. We need to remember, though, that this generosity is  a sign of the issues of the British housing shortage, not its solution. But before I leave this article, note I used the word PERCEIVED in a previous paragraph. Yes, the average first time buyer deposit is 16.1%, but that is an average. Did you know 95% mortgages returned for first time buyers in late 2009 and have been available ever since? Also, lenders like Barclays and many local Building Society`s now offer 100% mortgages (i.e. no deposit). The perception is you need 15%, 20% even a 25% deposit to be a first-time buyer – you don`t! You don`t need any deposit, but (there is always a but!). Over the last decade, many renters have upgraded themselves into homes that they (or any generation before them) could never have afforded as a first time buyer in the past. The British housing market started to change with the dawn of the new Millennium and I am seeing a slow but steady attitude change when it comes to renting. Tenants have found the price difference of upgrading from the typical 1970`s style rental property to plush house with all the mod cons comparatively inexpensive, when compared to the increase in mortgage payments if they had to make the move as buyers. Renting isn`t seen as the poor man`s choice because many young, and increasingly older people, are becoming more at ease and comfortable with the flexibility offered by renting a property rather than jumping ‘lemming like` into home ownership. Landlords in Worthing will continue to see growth in sector, and like Germany, todays renters will become homeowners in 20 years` time – when they will inherit the wealth of their parent`s home. All the best Matt 01903 608080 07739 964668 matt@matthewanthony.co.uk

New Home Building in Worthing over the last 10 years

Tue, 14 Aug 2018 12:00:00 GMT

Should you, as a landlord for buy to let or for personal occupation, buy a brand-new home? Well, let`s start by looking at the numbers... Over the last 10 years, 1,359 new homes have been built in the Worthing area. That is a lot of bricks and mortar! Roll the clock back twenty years in the Worthing property market, and there were two distinct camps of property buyers - folks who would only contemplate living in period character properties with their original fireplaces and beams, and those people who preferred the low maintenance of a new home. Old period homes were ridiculed as money pits by new-home aficionados, while new-home owners were accused of buying boring boxes, all vanilla, all the same, homogenous and bland. However, it`s not as black and white as that anymore – or not as I see it in Worthing. New homebuilders are now trying to change their cookie-cutter uniform rows of suburban boxes into developments that are as individual as the families that live in them, thus increasing their appeal. Nonetheless, whether you choose a stone cottage, archetypal Victorian semi or terrace, 1970`s/80`s functional home or a untouched new home, whatever home you buy, it can result in supplementary costs that are often not taken into account by potential homeowners or buy to let landlords. So looking at the numbers in greater detail, let`s see what type of new homes people have been buying in the Worthing area. I thought the mix of what was built/bought locally over the last 10 years when compared to the national figures was fascinating. It`s interesting (but not surprising) to see a greater proportion of flats built locally and fewer detached homes being built, when compared to the national averages. This is because of the nature of the Worthing area, its position in the country, the availability of building land, planning restrictions by Worthing Borough Council and the price of building land. So, should you buy a new home (because a lot of people locally have over the last ten years)? Well if you are considering new, take care when buying one, as often the show home isn`t the actual property you end up buying. It`s like visiting the car showroom and falling in love with the model in the showroom, which is spec`d up to an inch of its life, only to get the base model when handed the keys. Look out for things like curtain rails, TV aerials (or lack of them), kitchen appliances, carpets and curtains, and outside – make sure you aren`t unwittingly buying a square piece of earth instead of the manicured landscaped gardens. New homes are a lot more efficient on energy consumption compared to the old drafty, high fuel bill Victorian semis, as their owners can testify. Older properties will have maintenance issues, with 100 year old brickwork and roofs that might need replacement and extra insulation, rotten wooden windows and a dodgy central heating boiler (all sounding rather a strain on your bank balance if you weren`t aware). The point I am trying to get across is open your eyes and don`t assume. Ask questions and get a surveyor to make a detailed inspection of the property so you know what you are getting yourself into. Next, I also wanted to break down the new home stats to each individual year in our local area to see if there was a pattern to when people bought a new home. As you can see, the sale of new homes was quite steady until 2013 but since then the general trend has been much better! Looking at the much larger second hand housing market in Worthing over the same 10 years, the coloration between the new homes market and second market has been quite strong – which shows the new home builders don`t make (or break) the Worthing housing market – just follow it (although with the planned building locally in the next 10/20 years – who knows if that will continue to be the case?). So, should you buy brand-new or second hand? If price is your sole motivator, then new homes are always CHEAPER when the economy is bad. However, in normal and good housing market conditions, you will pay a ‘new build premium` - It`s like paying extra for a new car and losing a bit (or a lot) of money as soon as you drive off the forecourt. Although, it`s not always about pure pound notes. Older houses are bigger (more room) yet take more money to heat. Older houses have bigger gardens (to enjoy) – but you will spend more time tending to them. Older houses are in more established areas (with more facilities), whilst everyone is starting afresh on new homes. It all comes down to personal opinion. One final thought though, at least with new homes there is no gazumping or no upward chain to ruin any sale completion dates. The choice, as they say, is yours! All the best Matt 01903 608080 07739 964668 matt@matthewanthony.co.uk

Property values in Worthing are 351.85% higher than the summer of 1998

Tue, 21 Aug 2018 12:00:00 GMT

WORTHING PROPERTY MARKET HOW DOES IT COMPARE HISTORICALLY TO THE SOUTH EAST AND NATIONAL PROPERTY MARKETS? Living in our own homes or owning buy to let property in Worthing and the surrounding areas, it`s often easy to ignore the regional and national picture when it comes to property. As a homeowner or landlord in Worthing, consideration must be given to these markets because directly and indirectly, they do have a bearing on us in Worthing. Locally, the value of property in Worthing and the number of people moving remain largely steady overall, although looking across the country there are certainly regional variations. Talking to fellow property professionals in the posh upmarket central London areas of Mayfair and Kensington, the number of people looking to buy and registering interest with agents is continuing to climb after 18 months in the doldrums, whilst in other parts of the UK there is restraint amongst both buyers and sellers. So looking at the numbers in greater detail, let`s see what type of new homes people have been buying in the Worthing area. The things that affect the national property market are the big economic numbers. Nationally, over the last few months, thankfully, the economic forecast and predictions have improved, notwithstanding the Brexit uncertainties. Inflation has mercifully throttled back its high growth seen in 2016 to the current level of 2.1% (from 2.7% average last year), coupled with marginally stronger wage growth at 2.5%. Unemployment is at a 42-year low at 4.2% and UK consumer spending power rose to an all-time high last month to £331.04bn – all positives for consumer sentiment. Look further afield, a resilient property market depends on the UKs economic health with the outside world, so if Sterling weakens imports become more expensive, meaning inflation increases, which is something I talked about a few weeks ago. Earlier this month, to bring inflation under control, The Bank of England chose to raise interest rates for only the second time in a decade which could seriously affect the property market. On the assumption Brexit negotiations are successful, economic growth should continue to be upward and positive, meaning confidence would increase, which is the vital element to a good housing market. Looking closer to home now, Worthing landlords and Worthing homeowners might be interested in the how the regional and Worthing markets have performed over the last 20 years (compared to the National picture). Let`s look at the regional picture first, WORTHING HAS OUTPERFORMED THE SOUTH EAST HOUSING MARKET BY 12.38%, WHILST NATIONALLY, WORTHING HAS OUTPERFORMED THE COUNTRY BY 31.9% That means a Worthing homeowner has profited by an additional £102,559 over the last 20 years compared to the average homeowners across the country. I found it interesting to see the ups and downs of the Worthing, South East and National markets in this graph. The correlation between the three markets is fascinating - Worthing follows the regional trend more closely than the national trend (as one would expect), however the 2007/08 property crash timings and effects were slightly different, as were how the markets performed in the post-crash years of 2011 to 2014. So, what does this all mean for Worthing homeowners and Worthing landlords? Well, house prices going up or down are only an issue when you buy or sell. In the last 12 months, only 1,076,288 (let`s call it`s a straight million between friends!) properties changed hands out of 27.2 million households in the UK in 2017, meaning only 3.7% would have been affected if property values had dropped in the last year. PROPERTY VALUES IN WORTHING ARE 351.85% HIGHER THAN THE SUMMER OF 1998 This has been a long-term gain. The number one lesson in property is that it is a long-term game. The biggest issue in property isn`t house values or prices ... it`s the number of homes built, because the number of households nationally has only increased by 6% since 2007, whilst the population has grown by 7.6%. That doesn`t sound a lot, until you express it another way… IF THE UK POPULATION HAD HAD ONLY GROWN BY THE SAME PERCENTAGE AS THE PERCENTAGE GROWTH IN UK HOUSEHOLDS IN THE LAST DECADE, THERE WOULD BE 1,000,000 LESS PEOPLE LIVING IN THE UK TODAY The final thought for this article is this, apart from central London, over the last 20 years it hasn`t mattered what part of the UK you were in with regards to the property market. Be you a landlord or homeowner, property is a long game, so look long term and you will win because until they start to build more homes, from the current levels of 180,000 new homes built per year to at least 250,000 households built per year, demand will, over the long term, outstrip supply for owning and renting! All the best Matt 01903 608080 07739 964668 matt@matthewanthony.co.uk

Value of Worthing Property Market rises £40.9m

Tue, 28 Aug 2018 12:00:00 GMT

The combined value of Worthing`s housing market has risen by £40,894,515 in the last 6 months, meaning the average value of a property in Worthing has increased in value by £1,245. This is great news for homeowners and buy to let landlords in Worthing because property prices have risen despite a slight hesitation in the market due to the uncertainty over Brexit. As I have always said, investing in Worthing property, be it for you to live in or as a buy to let investment, is a long-term game. The latest RICS showed that nationally the number of properties actually selling has dropped for the 16th month in a row. Locally in Worthing, certain sectors of the market are matching that trend, yet others aren`t. It really depends which price band and type of property you are looking for, as to whether it`s a buyers or sellers market. The RICS also said its member`s lettings data showed a lower number of rental properties coming on to the market. Anecdotal evidence suggests that (and this is borne out in the recent English Housing Survey figures) over the last few years tenants in Worthing are staying in their rental properties longer, meaning less are coming onto the market for rent. I have noticed locally, that where the landlord has gone the extra mile in terms of decoration and standard of finish, this has certainly helped increase rents whereas those properties where the landlord has been remiss with improvements and standard of finish are in fact seeing rents drop. Worthing tenants are getting pickier – but will pay top dollar for quality. So much so, I believe there will be a cumulative rise of around fourteen to sixteen per cent over the course of the next five years in private rents for the best properties on the market. Back to the Worthing Property Values - The fact is that over the last 6 months 551 properties have sold for a combined value of £176,351,407. 6 months ago, the total value of Worthing property stood at £10,519,415,985 (£10.52bn), and today it stands at £10,560,310,500 (£10.56bn). In the short term, say over the next six months and assuming nothing silly happens in Korea, the Middle East or Brexit negotiations, it will be more of the same until the end of the year. In the meantime, the on-going challenges ensuring we as a Country build more homes (although the Office of National Statistics figures released in July showed nationally the number of new homes started to be built over the second Quarter of 2018 had dropped dramatically) makes me think that Worthing (and Nationally) property value is likely to maintain an upward trajectory as we go into 2019. Two final thoughts, firstly for all the buy to let landlords in Worthing (and indirectly this does affect all you Worthing homeowners too). I do hope the recent tax changes towards buy to let landlords don`t bite as deep as it is possibly starting to with certain landlords I know. I talked about this in an article a few weeks ago and I know why the Government wanted to change the balance by taxing landlords and providing a lift for first time buyers. However, this may well come at the expense of higher rents for those Worthing tenants that don`t become first time buyers, as the appeal of buy to let potentially weakens. Secondly, even though values have increased, realistic pricing (i.e. the asking price) is still the key to achieving these figures. So, if you are considering selling in the next 6 months – please bear that in mind. All the best Matt 01903 608080 07739 964668 matt@matthewanthony.co.uk

How long does it take to move house?

Tue, 04 Sep 2018 12:00:00 GMT

Whether you are a landlord in Worthing looking to liquidate your buy to let investment or a homeowner looking to sell your home, finding a buyer and selling your property can take an annoyingly long time. It is a step-by-step process that can take months and months. In fact, one of the worst parts of the house selling process is the not knowing how long you might be stuck at each step. At the moment, looking at every estate agent in Worthing, independent research shows it is taking on average 53 days from the property coming on the market for it to be sold subject to contract. But trust me, that is just the start of a long journey on the house selling/buying process. The journey is a long one and therefore, in this article, I want to take you through the standard route for each step of the house selling procedure in Worthing. STEP 1 – FIND A BUYER You need to instruct an estate agent (of course we can help you with that) who will talk through a marketing and pricing strategy to enable you to find a buyer that fits your circumstances. 53 days might be the average in Worthing, yet as I have said many times, the Worthing property market is like a fly`s eye, split up into lots of little micro markets. Looking at that independent research, which only focused on Worthing, it was interesting to see how the different price bands, i.e. different micro markets, are currently performing when it comes down to the average number of days it takes to find a buyer for a property in Worthing. I thought it would be interesting to see which price band had the highest proportion of properties sold (STC), again, fascinating! So, now you have a buyer - what next? There are a variety of distinctive issues at play when selling your property in Worthing, together with the involvement of a wide and varied range of professionals who get involved in that process. That means there is are enormous differences in how long it takes from one property to another. Moving forward to the next steps, these are the average lengths of time it takes for each step to give you some idea of what to expect. STEP 2 - INSTRUCT SOLICITORS AND ARRANGE MORTGAGE Again, something we can help you with, but it will take a good few weeks for your buyer to apply and have their mortgage offer and for your solicitors to prepare the legal paper work to send to the buyer. STEP 3 – LEGAL WORK AND SURVEY Once you buyer`s solicitor receives the paperwork from your solicitor, then your buyer`s solicitor applies for local searches from the local authority (to ensure no motorways etc., are going to be built in the back garden!). These Searches can take a number of weeks to be returned to the buyer solicitors from the council, from which questions will be raised by the buyer`s solicitor to your solicitor (trust me – you don`t see a tenth of the work that goes on behind closed doors to get the sale through to completion). Meanwhile, the surveyor will check the property to ensure it is worth the money and structurally sound. Overall, this step can take between 3 and 6 weeks (sometimes longer!). STEP 4 – EXCHANGE OF CONTRACTS Assuming the mortgage, survey and legal work comes back okay, both the buyer and seller sign contracts, the solicitors then perform `Exchange of Contracts`. When contracts are exchanged, this is the first time both buyer and seller are legally bound. Before then, they can walk away and you are probably 4 or 5 months down the line from having put up the for sale board – this isn`t a quick process! But hold on, we aren`t there yet! STEP 5 – COMPLETION Usually one to two weeks after exchange of contracts, the buyer solicitor sends the purchase money to the seller`s solicitor and once that arrives the keys will be given to the buyer - phew! To conclude, all in all, you are looking at a good four, five even six months from putting the for-sale board up to moving out. If you are thinking of selling your home in Worthing or if you are a Worthing landlord hoping to sell your buy to let property (with tenants in), either way, if you want a chat to ensure you get the right price with minimal fuss send me a message or pick up the phone. All the best Matt 01903 608080 07739 964668 matt@matthewanthony.co.uk

10.4% Drop in the Worthing Property Market

Mon, 10 Sep 2018 12:00:00 GMT

The number of residential property transactions in Worthing will be 10.4 per cent lower in 2018, compared to 2017. According to my research, the seasonally adjusted statistics for our local authority area suggest with the number of properties already sold in 2018, and the number of properties currently under offer or sold subject to contract (allowing for property sales to fall through before exchange of contracts) we, as an area, will end the year 10.39 per cent lower compared to 2017. So why are transaction numbers so important to Worthing homeowners, Worthing landlords and potential first-time buyers? Many economists and property market commentators believe transaction numbers give a more precise and truthful indicator of the health of the property market than just house values. In the six years before the Credit Crunch in 2007/8, the average number of completed property transactions in the local area (the local authority covered by Worthing) stood at 3,129 per year. Yet, in the three years following the Credit Crunch, on average, only 1,738 homes were changing hands per year in the area. Roll the clock forward to more recent times and last year, in 2017, 2,292 homes changed hands in the area, not far off the local authority`s 23 year overall average of 2,602 homes per year. In the past, a reduction in the number of properties selling has often been believed to be the first signal of a down turn in the housing market as a whole. Although, the down turn of the credit crunch years (2007/2008) was more a free-fall than a subtle down turn. Look at the graph and the untroubled days of the 2000 to 2006 property market were a roller coaster when it came to the number of transactions. House prices were rising in the six/seven years before the credit crunch (2000 to 2006), albeit, the rate of growth of Worthing house prices did slow in late 2005 and 2006 (which does fit in nicely with the graph). In other articles, I have mentioned the change in the number of houses for sale today compared to last year and further back. Although, the market has seen in recent months an increase in the number of properties for sale, fundamentally, in the medium term, there has been an underlying trend in the reduction of properties coming onto the market for sale in Worthing (and nationally) and this has been one of the main drives behind the lack of properties selling. People in Worthing aren`t moving as much as they were 30 years ago meaning fewer houses are selling each year. However, this short-term increase in properties for sale hasn`t been even across the board. In certain sectors of the Worthing property market there is a glut of properties on the market at the moment and therefore prices are dropping on those types as sellers compete for the limited number of buyers. Yet, there are other sectors of the Worthing property market where there is a dearth of property and buyers are fighting tooth and nail with silly offers to try and secure the sale. This means, there are some bargains for you Worthing buy to let landlords. If you look hard enough, you could spot the same trends I have seen in Worthing and find the individual property micro markets that fall into that first sector. So, if you want the inside track on the Worthing property market, whether you are a landlord of ours or another agent, I am more than happy to guide you in the right direction if you drop me a line or an email (contacts details are below – and I don`t bite or do hard sell – promise!). So, to conclude, I believe we will finish on 2,054 transactions by the end of the year in the area - not too far off last year`s figure or the long-term 23-year average. Looking at the short-term future, now it`s true some (not all) but some potential purchasers of property in Worthing may be exhibiting more caution because of concerns that the Bank of England will continue to put up interest rates – to which I reply – yes of course they will when they are ultra-low at only 0.75%. Anyway, that is the reason why 90%+ of new mortgages over the last nine months have been on a fixed rate. Also, if they do go up a few percentage points – they are nothing compared to the 13%, 14%, even 15% mortgage rates many homeowners and landlords saw in the late 80s early 90s. We can all speculate (and I appreciate the irony of that as I write this article) but all I say to any first time buyer, homeowner or Landlord in Worthing is act according to your own life cycle, budget on a modest increase in interest rates in the coming few years (yet protect yourself by fixing it), consider your own circumstances and finally, what you can afford. All the best Matt 01903 608080 07739 964668 matt@matthewanthony.co.uk

7 Reasons why Worthing buy to let landlords shouldn`t be criticised

Mon, 17 Sep 2018 12:00:00 GMT

There is no escaping the fact that over the last couple of decades, the rise in the number buy to let properties in Worthing has been nothing short of extraordinary. Many in the `left leaning` press have spoken of a broken nation, the fact many youngsters are unable to buy their first home with the rise of a new cohort of younger renters, whom have been daubed ‘Generation Rent` as landlords hoover up all the properties for their buy to let property empires. Government has been blamed in the past for giving landlords an unfair advantage with the tax system. It is also true many of my fellow professionals have done nothing to shower themselves in glory with some suspect, if not on some rare occasions, downright dubious practices. Yet has criticism of some landlords in Worthing gone too far? It was only a few weeks ago, I read an article in a newspaper about one landlord who had decided to sell their modest buy to let portfolio for a combination of reasons, one of which being the new tax rules on buy to let that were introduced last year. The comments section of the newspaper and the associated social media posts were pure hate, and certainly not deserved. Like all aspects in life, there are always good and bad landlords, just like there are good and bad letting agents and so it should be said, there are good tenants and bad tenants. Bad letting agents and bad landlords should be routed out but not at the expense of the vast majority who are good and decent. But are the 3,628 buy to let landlords in Worthing at fault? The Tories allowed people to buy their own Council house in the 1980`s, taking them out of the collective pot of social rented houses for future generations to rent. Landlords have been vilified by many, as it has been suggested by some they have an unhealthy and ravenous greed to make cash and profit at the expense of poor renters, unable to buy their first home. Yet, looking beyond the headline grabbing press, this is in fact ‘fake news`. There are seven elements that created the perfect storm for private renting to explode in the 2000`s. To start with, the Housing Acts of 1988 and 1996 gave buy to let landlords the right to remove tenants after six months, without the need for fault. The 1996 Act, and its changes, meant banks and building societies could start to lend on buy to let properties, knowing if the mortgage payments weren`t kept up to date, the property could be repossessed without the issue of sitting tenants being in the property for many years (even decades!). So, in 1997 buy to let mortgages were born and this, my friends, is where the problem started. Secondly, in the early 2000`s, those same building societies and banks were relaxing their lending criteria, with self-certification (i.e. you did not need to prove your income), mortgages 8 times your annual salary, and interest only mortgage deals that helped to keep repayments low. Thirdly, the totally inadequate building of Council Houses (Local Authority Housing) in the last two decades and, so I`m not accused of Tory bashing, can you believe Labour only built 6,510 Council Houses in the WHOLE OF THE UK between 1997 and 2010? Giving the Tories their due, they have built 20,840 Council Houses since they came to power in 2010 (although still woefully low when compared the number of Council Houses built in the 1960`s and 1970`s when we were building on average 142,000 Council Houses per year nationally). This meant people who would have normally rented from the Council, had no Council House to rent (because they had been bought), so they rented privately. Fourth - Less private home building (again look at the graph) over the last two decades. Fifth - A loss of conviction in personal pensions meaning people were looking for a better place to invest their savings for retirement. Sixth - Ultra-low interest rates for the last nine years since the Credit Crunch meaning borrowing was cheap. Seventh - A massive increase in EU migration from 2004, when we had eight Eastern European countries join the EU. That brought 1.4m people to the UK for work from those countries and they needed somewhere to live. There we have it - the perfect storm conditions for an eruption in the Private Rented Sector. Commercially speaking, purchasing a property in Worthing has, undoubtedly been, the best thing anyone could have done with their hard-earned savings since 1998 because property values have risen by 278.29%. Based on the average rent in Worthing you`d have earned £382,104 in rent over this same period. However, the younger generation have lost out because they are now incapable of getting on the property ladder (especially in Central London). The Government have over the last few years started to redress the imbalance, increasing taxes for landlords, together with the Banks being tighter on their lending criteria meaning the heady days of the Noughties are long gone for Worthing landlords. In the past 20 years, anything but everything made money in property and it was easy as falling off a log to make money in buy to let – but not anymore. Being a letting agent has evolved from being a glorified rent collector to a trusted advisor giving specific portfolio strategy planning on each landlord`s buy to let portfolio. Depending on where a landlord is on their buy-to-let journey can alter what they need. For example, some properties are better for generating an income whilst some offer greater capital growth. As agents we must also keep up-to-date with the constantly evolving legislations. From 1st October landlords who operate Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) must apply to their local authority for a licence, a change that the Residential Landlord Association estimate will affect 177,000 landlords nationwide. If you think you need ‘portfolio strategy planning` or are concerned about how changes to the law may affect you then, whether you are a landlord of mine or not, send me an email or give the office a call. All the best Matt 01903 608080 07739 964668 matt@matthewanthony.co.uk

Local House Prices Overcooked?

Mon, 24 Sep 2018 12:00:00 GMT

As we leave the memorably hot summer behind us, some interesting statistics have come to light regarding the Worthing property market, which will be thought provoking for both homeowners and buy to let landlords alike. Over the last 12 months 1,687 homes have changed hands in Worthing, interesting when compared with the 10-year average of 2,099 households per year. Yet, for the purpose of this week`s article, I want to discuss the pricing of the current crop of vendors the prices they are asking for their homes and the prices they are achieving (or not as at the case may be). It is so important for all property owners to know the real story, so they can judge for themselves where they stand in the current Worthing housing market, enabling them to make suitable and informed decisions. That is why, when I write about the Worthing property market, I pride myself in telling the people of Worthing the truth, not just what they want to hear. The national average of homes selling at or above the asking price currently stands at around 10%, so approximately 90% go below the asking price – but by how much? Well according to Rightmove, in the Worthing area, the average difference between the ‘FINAL asking price` to the price agreed is 3.1%. But, note I highlighted the word FINAL in the last statement. You see some Estate Agents will deliberately over inflate the suggested initial asking price to the house seller, because it gives them a greater chance to secure the property their books, as opposed to a competitor. This practice is called overvaluing. Now of course, each homeowner wants to get the most for their property, it is quite often their biggest asset, and some agents prey on those house sellers. You might ask, what`s the issue with that? Well, you only get one chance of hitting the market as a new property. Everyone has access to the internet, Rightmove and Zoopla etc, and your potential buyers will know the market like the back of their hand. If you have a 3 bed semi that is on the market for a 3 bed detached house price then buyers will ignore you. Your property sticks on the market, potential buyers will keep seeing your property on Rightmove each week, then start to think there is something wrong with it and dismiss it even further, until you have to reduce the price so much that it appears cheap, at which point it will eventually sell. According to our own research, the average house buyer only views between 4 and 5 houses before buying. So, don`t assume viewers will come round your optimistically priced (i.e. overvalued) property and knock you down on price – They just won`t view it. So how widespread is overvaluing in Worthing? The results might surprise you… 38.5% OF PROPERTIES IN WORTHING, CURRENTLY ON THE MARKET, HAVE REDUCED THEIR ASKING PRICE BY AN AVERAGE REDUCTION OF 5.3% (WHICH EQUATES TO £17,700 EACH) All I ask is this - be realistic and you will sell at a decent price to a decent buyer, first time – every time – enabling you to move on to the next chapter of your life. All the best Matt 01903 608080 07739 964668 matt@matthewanthony.co.uk

20% more properties on the market than 12 months ago

Mon, 01 Oct 2018 12:00:00 GMT

I was recently reading a report by Rightmove that a North South Divide has started to appear in the UK property market – so I wanted to see if Worthing was falling in line with that. In the North, there are 7.12% less properties on the market than 12 months ago, whilst in contrast, in the South, there are 14.7% more properties on the market than 12 months ago. With the decline in the number of properties for sale in the North compared to 12 months ago, that means the North is more of a sellers` market. However, on the other side of the coin, there is a significant rise in buyer choice in all of the Southern regions, showing there are signs of a buyers` market, which in some markets is a driving force for a buyers` market and some downward price pressure. So, let`s look closer to home at asking prices and the number of homes on the market. In the South East region, according to Rightmove, the average asking prices of properties new to the market are 1.2% higher than 12 months ago and 0.1% higher over the last month. Now I must stress, this is asking prices – not what is happening to actual property values. Also, regionally, there are 20% more properties on the market than 12 months ago. Even closer to home, overall, the number of properties and building plots for sale in Worthing has increased by 17%, going from 1,092 properties for sale a year ago to 1,281 properties for sale as I write this article, meaning Worthing does in fact match the regional trend. Looking at the individual types of property in Worthing, you can quite clearly see the different markets within the area. The two sets of figures that stand out are the increase in Apartments for sale, rising 51% and Terraced/town houses having no movement at 0%. However, these figures don`t tell the whole story because in certain pockets of Worthing there are particular types of properties (specific locations and Primary school catchment areas) that are in short supply. This has caused some frustration with buyers of those types of properties because with this lack of supply, which in turn has sparked some very localised asking price growth within those hot spot areas, some sellers optimism turns into silly over the top asking prices. This means the property sticks and as a consequence there are certain parts of the Worthing housing market with upward asking price movements being offset in part by intermittent asking price reductions because home owners, or their estate agents, have been over optimistic with their initial asking price. What does this mean for homeowners and landlords in Worthing? If you are planning to sell your home or buy to let investment, the key for determined sellers is to set your asking price correctly from the start. It is vital to be competitive to attract buyers. Everyone has access to two main property portals (Rightmove and Zoopla) so can easily compare your property against similar ones. When you search these portals, make sure you ask the website to show properties that are sold subject to contract as well to check what properties are selling in your neighbourhood. Unless you have something highly unusual or unique this, perhaps, isn`t the best market to set an optimistic asking price in the hope of finding someone willing to pay a silly price. And if you are buying in Worthing? The numbers of buyers are lower than a few years ago, although those buyers that are in the market have become quite serious. The era of time wasting `carpet treaders` (estate agency slang for the same type of people car dealers call tyre kickers) are long gone. Those buyers that are in the market are real buyers, wanting to buy, but only at the right price. We live in a 21st century society that is `time-poor` so nobody wants to even view a house, let alone pay over the odds, if they believe the asking price is too high. So, if you are buying, do your homework, ask plenty of questions of the agent, find out the motivation of the sellers and the real reasons behind why they are moving and you might just bag a good deal. All the best Matt 01903 608080 07739 964668 matt@matthewanthony.co.uk

Worthing House Prices Vs Worthing Rents Since 2006

Mon, 08 Oct 2018 12:00:00 GMT

The Worthing housing market is a fascinating beast and has been particularly interesting since the Credit Crunch of 2008/09 and subsequent property market crash. There is currently some talk of a ‘property bubble` nationally as Brexit seems to be the ‘go-to` excuse for every issue in the Country. Upon saying that, looking at both what we do as an agent, and chatting with my fellow property professionals in Worthing, the market has certainly changed for both buyers and sellers alike. WORTHING HOUSE VALUES ARE 0.38% LOWER THAN A YEAR AGO, AND THE RENTS WORTHING TENANTS HAVE TO PAY ARE 1.5% HIGHER THAN A YEAR AGO When we compare little old Worthing to the national picture, national property values have risen by 0.4% compared to last month and risen by 3.0% compared to a year ago, and this will surprise you even more, because nationally, property values are 19.8% higher than January 2015 (compared to 11.4% higher in the EU in the same time frame). However, if we look further back... SINCE 2006, WORTHING HOUSE VALUES ARE 58.72% HIGHER, YET THE RENTS TENANTS IN WORTHING HAVE HAD TO PAY ARE 26.4% HIGHER ...which sounds a lot, yet UK inflation in those 12 years has been 42%, meaning Worthing tenants are 15.6% better off in ‘real spending power terms`. Looking at the graph, the rental changes have been much gentler than the roller coaster ride of property values. I particularly want to bring to your attention the dip in Worthing house values (in red) in the years of 2008 and 2009. However, as Worthing property values started to rise after the summer of 2009, see how Worthing rents dipped 6/12 months later (the yellow bars) - Fascinating! So, we have a win for tenants and a win for the homeowners, because they are also happy due to the increase in the value of their Worthing property. However, maybe an even more interesting point is for the long-term Worthing buy to let landlord. The performance of Worthing rental income vs Worthing house values has seen the resultant yields drop over time (if house prices rise quicker than rents – yields drop). Whilst it`s true Worthing landlords have benefited from decent capital growth over the last decade, with the new tax rules for landlords, now more than ever it`s so important to maximise your yields to ensure the long-term health of your buy to let portfolio. More and more I am sitting down with both landlords of mine, and of other agents (who might not be trained in these skills) to carry out an MOT style check on their portfolio to ensure their investment will meet their future needs of capital growth and income. If you don`t want to miss out on an MOT check-up, drop me a line – what have you got to lose? All the best Matt 01903 608080 07739 964668 matt@matthewanthony.co.uk

How Would a Hard Brexit Affect Worthing House Prices?

Mon, 15 Oct 2018 12:00:00 GMT

I have been asked a number of times recently what a hard Brexit would mean to the Worthing property market. To be frank, I have been holding off giving my thoughts, as I did not want to add fuel to the stories being banded around in the national press. However, it`s obviously a topic that you as Worthing buy to let landlords and Worthing homeowners are interested in...so I am going to try and give you what I consider a fair and unbiased piece on what would happen if a hard Brexit takes place in March 2019. After the weather and football, the British obsession on the UK property market is without comparison to any other country in the world. I swear The Daily Mail has the state of the country`s property market on its standard weekly rotation of front-page stories! Like I have said before, there are better economic indexes and statistics to judge the economy (and more importantly) the property market. If you recall, I said the number of transactions was just as important, if not more, as a bellwether of the state of the property market. Worries that the Brexit referendum would lead to a fast crash in Worthing (and national) property values were unfounded, although the growth of property values in Worthing has reduced since the referendum in the summer of 2016. Now, it`s true the Worthing property market is seeing less people sell and move and the property values are rising at a slower rate in 2018 compared to the heady days of the first half of this decade (2010 to 2015), but before we all start panicking, let`s ask ourselves, what exactly has happened in the last couple of years since the Brexit vote? WORTHING HOUSE PRICES HAVE RISEN BY 6.75% SINCE THE EU REFERENDUM... ..and yes, in 2018 we are on track (and again this is projected) to finish on 2,016 property transactions, which is less than 2017 but only slightly lower than the long term 12 year average of 2,140 transactions in the local council area. So, it appears the EU vote hasn`t caused many major issues so far, however, if there was a large economic jolt, that could be a different game, but how likely is that? THE PROPERTY MARKET IS MOSTLY INFLUENCED BY INTEREST RATES AND SALARIES. A hard Brexit would subdue wage growth to some degree, yet the level of the change will depend on the undetermined type of Brexit deal (or no deal). If trade barriers are imposed on a hard Brexit, imports will become more expensive, inflation will rise and growth will fall, although at least we are not in the Euro, meaning this could be tempered by the exchange rate of the Pound against the Euro. In plain language, a hard Brexit will be worse for house prices than a deal. SO WHY DID THE GOVERNOR OF THE BANK OF ENGLAND SUGGEST A DISORDERLY HARD BREXIT WOULD AFFECT HOUSE PRICES BY UP TO 35%? I mean it was only nine years ago we went through the global financial crisis with the credit crunch. Nationally, in most locations including Worthing, property values dropped in value by 16% to 19% over an 18-month period. If we had a similar percentage drop, it would only take us back to the property value levels we were achieving in 2015. And let`s not forget that the Bank of England introduced some measures to ensure we didn`t have another bubble in any future property market. One of the biggest factors of the 2009 property crash was the level of irresponsible lending by the banks. The Bank of England Mortgage Market Review of 2014 forced Banks to lend on how much borrowers had left after regular expenditure, rather than on their income. Income multipliers that were 8 or 9 times income pre-credit crunch were significantly curtailed (meaning a Bank could only offer a small number of residential mortgages above 4.5 times income), and that Banks had to assess whether the borrower could afford the mortgage if interest rates at the time of lending rose by three percentage points over the first five years of the loan, meaning all the major possible stumbling blocks have mostly been weeded out of the system. SO, WHAT NEXT? A lot of Worthing homeowners might wait until 2019 to move, meaning less choice for buyers, especially in the desirable areas of Worthing. For Worthing landlords, tenants are also likely to hang off moving until next year, although I suspect (as we had this on the run up to the 2015 General Election), during the lull, there could be some bargains to be had from people having to move (Brexit or No Brexit) or the usual panic selling at times of uncertainty. Brexit, No Brexit, Hard Brexit in the whole scheme of things, it will be another footnote to history in a decade. We have survived the Oil Crisis, 20%+ Hyperinflation in the 1970`s, Mass Unemployment in the 1980s, Interest Rates of 15% in 1990`s, the Global Financial Crash in 2009 - whatever happens, happens. People still need houses and a roof over their head. If property values drop, it is only a paper drop in value because you only lose when you actually sell, even then the property you buy will be lower priced. Long term, we aren`t building enough homes, and so, as I always say, property is a long game and no matter what happens - the property market will always come good. Growth in UK property values as well as in Worthing seems fated to slow over the next five to ten years, whatever sort of Brexit takes place. All the best Matt 01903 608080 07739 964668 matt@matthewanthony.co.uk

Sell to Rent - Is this the new Buy to Let

Mon, 22 Oct 2018 12:00:00 GMT

It doesn`t seem two minutes ago that it was 32 degrees Celsius in the shade (90 degrees Fahrenheit for my older readers), hosepipe bans looked likely and it was simply too hot to sleep at night, yet early indications were, that as the temperatures soared, the Worthing property market appeared to be doing the reverse and was already starting to cool down. The average number of households who sold and moved locally between 2014 and 2017 in the winter and spring months was 187 homes a month. However, in the same time frame in 2018, only 135 (on average) sold and moved. 27.92% LESS PEOPLE MOVED HOME IN THE WORTHING AREA IN THE FIRST PART OF 2018, WHEN COMPARED TO THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE MOVING HOME (IN THE SAME TIME FRAME) BETWEEN 2014 AND 2017 So, what is the issue? Many have cited Brexit as the issue – but I think its deeper than that. Brexit seems to be the `go to excuse` for everything at the moment – my neighbour even blamed it for the potholes! Anyway, a few weeks ago I was at a wedding when one of the guests said that they were planning on buying their first home this autumn and most of those present said they were stupid to do so because of Brexit. Nonetheless, half an hour later, another guest said to the same crowd that they were planning to sell their home; to which most said they were also daft to do so because of Brexit. Both sides of the argument can`t be right! So, what exactly is happening? Well if you have been reading my blog on the Worthing property market over the last few months, I have been discussing the threats and opportunities of the current state of fluidity in the local property market, including the issue of OAPs staying in homes that are too big for them because their children have flown the nest, interest rates, inflation, lack of new homes being built and the long term attitude to homeownership. But I have noticed a new trend in the last few months - the emergence of the ‘sell to renter`. SELL TO RENTER? I have seen a subtle, yet noticeable, number of Worthing homeowners that have been selling their homes, moving into rented and wagering that in the next few years the property market will fall by more than what they spend on their short-term rental home, before they buy another home in a couple of years i.e. a ‘sell to renter`. This type of ‘sell to renter` is mostly predominant at the middle to upper end of the Worthing property market – so I`m not too sure if it will catch on in the main ‘core` market. So, what does this all mean for Worthing homeowners and Worthing Buy To Let landlords? Well, in the short term, demand for middle to upper market rental properties in Worthing could increase as these ‘sell to renters` demand such properties. I would however give a note of caution to Worthing landlords buying in this sector because yields in this sector can be quite low. However, for homeowners of middle to upper market properties in Worthing, you might have less people wanting to buy your type of property, as some buyers are turning to renting. Like I have always said, properties in Worthing are selling if they are realistically priced (realistic for the market – not a rose-tinted version where someone will pay 10% over the odds!). Remember - everyone has access to the market stats via the likes of Rightmove and Zoopla! All the best Matt 01903 608080 07739 964668 matt@matthewanthony.co.uk P.S Notice the spike in the graph where the number of property sales jumped to 322 in the month of March 2016? That was all the Worthing buy to let landlords snapping up buy to let properties before the stamp duty rules changed!

First time buyers in Worthing need 11.2 times annual salary to get on housing ladder

Mon, 29 Oct 2018 12:00:00 GMT

What is it to be British? Our stubbornness, long-suffering stoicism, our vexation at injustice, our obsession with football and rugby, we are weather obsessed external awkward noncommittal modest people whilst underneath seething like a volcano because someone jumped the queue….. and our No.1 obsession is with the property ladder. This ‘love affair` with owning our own home has been both good and bad for the UK as a whole; giving people financial freedom in their later years whilst also reducing the quantity (and quality) of housing provision whilst adding the extra pressure of a ‘them and us` society. Strong words I know, but let me explain more. I honestly believe that most Governments since the end of the 1970`s, Conservative and Labour, have attempted to nourish our addiction to home ownership (to keep the housing market on track) with the Council House Right to Buy sell off in the 1980`s, tax relief of mortgages, relaxation of the mortgage rules in the late 1990`s/early 2000`s and most recently, the Help to Buy scheme. But the Brits haven`t always had this obsession. Roll the clock back 100 years and, in 1918, just under a quarter of all Brits owned their own homes and the other 77% rented. Go back 50 years to 1968, and only 46% of people owned their own home, the rest rented. This homeownership thing is quite a recent phenomenon. According to my research, anyone looking to get a foot onto the property ladder as a first-time buyer in Worthing today, AS A SINGLE PERSON, would need to spend 11.2 times their earnings on a Worthing first time buyer property. Using the numbers from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), the average value of a first-time buyer property in Worthing today is £196,000, compared to £150,000 in 2007. If we divide those property values by the average annual earnings of first time buyers - in 2007, that was £15,240 per annum and that has risen to £17,441 per annum, giving us the ratio of 11.2 to 1. However, what must be remembered is that these are raw statistics from the ONS and don`t take into account other factors, like most people buy their first home as a couple. Also, mortgage rates are at an all-time low (who can remember mortgage rates of 15%+ in the 1990s?), meaning borrowing today is relatively cheap. Also, 95% Loan to Value first time buyer mortgages have been available since the end of 2009 and first time buyer rates of 2.19% fixed for 5 years can be obtained (correct at time of writing this article) meaning it is cheaper to buy than rent - fact! I believe there has been a mind-set change to owning a home. Home ownership was the goal of the youngsters in the latter half of the 20th century. Britain is changing to a more European model of homeownership, where people rent in early to mid-life, wait to inherit the money from their parents when in their 50`s and then buy, continuing the circle - albeit in a different way to the last Century. This means the demand for privately rented accommodation will, in the long term, only continue to grow. If you would like to know more about where the hot spots are for that growth in Worthing, then one place to look would be my property blog (matthewanthony.co.uk) or if you want to drop me an email or telephone call, feel free to pick my brain on the best places to buy (and not to buy) in Worthing to ensure your rental investment gets you what you want. All the best Matt 01903 608080 07739 964668 matt@matthewanthony.co.uk

Developments in Worthing, from a Teenage Perspective

Fri, 08 Feb 2019 12:00:00 GMT

This week at Matthew Anthony we have had Caitlin from Durrington High School enjoying her Work Experience Week with us. We asked her to write a piece on future developments in Worthing and how that affects her generation. This is what she had to say: After years of standing derelict, Teville Gate is being redeveloped from a multi-storey car park and renamed to Station Square. It will include 374 apartments, a health and fitness centre, cafes and restaurants, a cinema, food store, offices and will also include around 320 parking spaces for residents, visitors and supermarket users. The square will have buildings between 5 and 12 storeys high each with their own identity and will be made of different materials and colours that will take different elements from the beach and the art-deco heritage. The positives of redeveloping Teville Gate are the creation of an estimated 250 jobs, increasing the opportunity of employment in the town, more housing will be built that will be affordable to buy, there are new pedestrian routes from the station to the town centre and there will also be a cinema which is entertainment for the younger people living locally to the area. This is good because it will give teenagers more things to do, as there is not much for them now. However, there are negatives and some possible problems with the changes to come in Teville Gate. One negative is the loud noises and vibrations caused during the construction of Station Square that will take up to two years to build, this may cause disruption to the residents. However, they have contacted the local-residents and key stakeholders to apologise in advance for the noise that will be made during the construction. Another difficulty that they may face is the amount of car spaces available for people living there. There are 375 apartments being built with one to two bedrooms per flat and around 320 parking spaces available for all residents and visitors. A lot of the flats will have more than one person living in them, so they will have more than one car meaning that there will not be enough spaces for everyone living there and the people visiting for the day. This will lead to roads being busier due to people not being able to park in the car park provided. However, not having enough car parking spaces may encourage more people to walk to the square. My question would be, has the infrastructure been thought about? Having 375 apartments being built and people moving in from the outside of Worthing means that there may not be enough jobs available for everyone that lives in the town. Also having children living in there means that there may not be enough spaces available in local schools for them to go to. Local health care needed such as doctors and dentists may have an insufficient number of spaces for the people living in the area In my opinion, I think that the redevelopment is a good idea. I think that there should be more teenagers wanting to go out to places like the cinema and restaurants instead of staying at home and Station Square being built will give them the opportunity to do that. Having it in town can help them be more sociable rather than talking to their friends online and this should make them think more positively and make them want to go out and visit the square frequently. What do you think about the redevelopment? Do you think it is a good or bad idea?

Is Brexit Hurting The Property Market?

Tue, 21 May 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Is Brexit the real reason behind the perceived slow down to the Housing Market? Six months ago, I wrote an article about how I felt a Hard Brexit would affect the housing market in Worthing. The truth is, I didn`t think I`d be writing another one post 29 March! But, we are where we are so I thought now might be a good time to discuss if Brexit has affected local house prices, and what might happen over the next few months. `Brexit hurting property market` This is just one of many similar headlines you`ll have seen across various news platforms over the few past weeks and months. I think it`s important to look not just at the headline, but at other less obvious (or populist) reasons for changes in the markets. We can drawer parallels to the car industry. Jaguar Land Rover announced in January that it was cutting as many as 4,500 jobs from its UK workforce. Immediately Brexit was blamed. However, if you look closer you`ll find that Jaguar has faced serious difficulties in the Asian markets, with sales in China down nearly 18%. The same can be said for Honda – They announced the closure of their Swindon plant in February. Again, Brexit seems to take the brunt. However, Honda mothballed half of the plant after sales failed to recover following the financial crisis in 2008. Whereas it used to make the Jazz, CR-V and Civic with capacity to produce 250,000 cars a year this fell post 2008 to producing just 150,000 Civics. The switch to the manufacturing of electric cars also played a major roll. By moving production back to Japan, Honda will be able to ship to China (a much larger market for EVs) with relative ease. Honda has also recently struck a deal with the EU meaning that tariffs on Japanese-made cars will be phased out by the end of the year, reducing the financial benefit of the UK plant. I`m not saying that Brexit isn`t part of the reason, but it`s certainly not the only, or even primary reason, in a lot of situations. Brexit has created uncertainty and in uncertain times people put off large purchasing decision. We can see this evidenced with new car registrations for March 2019 being down 3.4% on 2018. What`s uncanny is when I started writing this article I honestly didn`t know the figures I`m about to show would be so close in comparision. Based on the latest Land Registry data available (January 2019), property transactions in Worthing are down 3.2% - As I said above, in uncertain times people put off large purchasing decision (what`s a bigger decision than buying a house?!). But, is Brexit the real reason for this and does this really affect you? In July last year I wrote about how Equity Release was having an impact on the number of properties for sale in Worthing. Total equity release withdrawals grew 29% year-on-year to an unprecedented £3.94b in 2018. What this means in practice is that the over 55s are choosing to remain in their homes and release equity, rather than downsizing to free up cash. This decreases the number of properties available to buy and so it should follow that transaction numbers decline as well. The reasons why so many over 55s are choosing equity release over downsizing are, in short; the interest rates of equity release mortgages remain at record lows, products are more flexible than ever, the cost of moving has increased significantly and from a life style point of view, people get to remain in the home they love. In November 2015 the Government announced the introduction of a 3% levy on purchases of buy-to-let properties or second homes. The change took effect in April 2016, which led to a huge surge in property purchases the month before and in March 2016 149,710, the highest ever number of completions in a single month, took place because people brought forward their purchases to save money. 71,470 more sales took place in March 2016 than in March 2015. It`s probably not surprising then that over the following 7 months there were 74,350 less sales. However, because the Referendum took place just 2 months after the Stamp Duty changes Brexit was continually sited as the reason for the declining sales. Brexit is even being blamed for our poor performance at Eurovision on Saturday! Have people forgotten that we`ve finished LAST 4 times in the past 20 years - It`s not a new phenomenon! Since the referendum I`ve been asked numerous times by friends and family `Should I buy now or wait until after Brexit?` The first point I make is that we have no idea when ‘After Brexit` will be! As I said to start, I didn`t think I`d be writing another piece along these lines. I also say that it depends hugely on your personal circumstances. There are so many individual factors to take into account when deciding whether or not to make the biggest purchase of your life that there is no straight answer. The advice I give for people to consider is: • If you`re a first time buyer mortgage rates are historically low, which means your monthly payments are as cheap as they`ll ever be. Furthermore, if you fix your interest rate then you don`t need to worry about rate rises for that period. • If you`re a home mover, then it doesn`t matter if you move in a rising or falling market – it`s all relative. • If you`re downsizing, then due to the lack of larger properties on the market at present you should achieve a good price for your current home. This is not a pro or anti Brexit article – The purpose is to highlight that the headlines we see about Brexit hitting the market and causing a slowdown don`t give the whole picture. You might be surprised to know that house prices in Worthing have risen 6% since the referendum. They`ll be those that say this slower level of growth is cause for concern. They may well be the same people that complain when house prices get out of control and rise rapidly like we saw in the early 2000s. They`re probably the same people who complained that house prices fell during the recession in 08/09. There`s no hard and fast rules to determine when is a good time to move, but there is no logical reason why Brexit should be preventing you. I`d love to hear your thoughts. Matt 01903 608080 07739 964668 matt@matthewanthony.co.uk

January 2020 Newsletter

Mon, 13 Jan 2020 12:00:00 GMT

It may still be cold outside but is the UK property market heating up and what`s in store for 2020?
We look at the Brexit influence and how the new Government may affect the UKs house prices.

Click the link at the below to read the full story.
Click here

February 2020 Newsletter

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 12:00:00 GMT

Average asking prices in Worthing for February 2020 were 3% higher than in 2019, which seems to give credibility to the so-called ‘Boris Bounce` affecting the housing market.

The UKs largest property website, Rightmove, recently reported that the average price of property coming to the market in February was just £40 shy of the all-time high. This is a strong indication that momentum is building for a buoyant Spring market.

With all that said, asking prices are just one piece of the puzzle – If there aren`t the purchasers to buy the properties then they won`t sell. However, the data shows that there certainly are the buyers, with sales agreed up by more than 12% year-on-year. The number of properties for sale in Worthing was 20% less in February 2020 than in February 2019, which is another reason why we`ve seen asking price rise – The simple principle of supply and demand.

With strong pent up-demand outstripping supply, the market is moving in an upward direction and I think March will bring record prices.

However, those record prices won`t necessarily be achieved in a record time. The average time a property is on the market for has risen by 18% in comparison to February last year, although this does vary considerably depending on the type of property. Three bedroom properties spend less time on the market than others and semi-detached properties have the quickest selling time of all.

Analysing all this data is a bit like interpreting the Matrix – To many it will just be lots of numbers, but to me (Neo) it paints a picture. That picture is of a local housing market that is in very short supply of property, which because there is strong demand helped by low interest rates, is leading to rising house prices. Those wishing to sell their homes aren`t under pressure to do so (again helped by low interest rates) so are waiting until the right buyers, willing to pay the right price, come along.

If you`d like to find out more about how your property fits into this picture, please get in touch.

Electrical Safety Changes

Mon, 09 Mar 2020 12:00:00 GMT

Electrical Safety Regulations to come into force

Landlords and agents will need to ensure electrical installation inspections and testing are carried out for all new tenancies in England from 1 July 2020 or from 1 April 2021 for existing tenancies.
The Government has laid The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 meaning landlords must ensure every fixed electrical installation is inspected and tested at least every five years by a qualified person. The Regulations also state that a landlord is required to obtain a report of the results of the inspection and test, supply it to each tenant within 28 days and retain a copy until the next inspection is due.

For any landlord looking to let a property between now and July 1st we strongly recommend that you get ahead of the game and get an Electrical Inspection and condition report done now. In April next year all tenancies that don`t already have a report will need one done to remain compliant, Good news if you are an electrician as they are likely to be in Short supply! Don`t get caught out by leaving it to the last minute.

Other details
Upon request, the report must be provided to the local housing authority within 7 days.
The private landlord must supply a copy of the last report to any new tenant before occupation, or any prospective tenant within 28 days of a request from the prospective tenant.
The Regulations require local housing authorities to enforce the rules and they have the power to arrange remedial action.
Proven breaches of the Regulations can result in the local housing authority imposing a financial penalty of up to £30,000.

Budgets, Interest Rates & The Coronavirus!

Wed, 11 Mar 2020 12:00:00 GMT

Earlier today policymakers reduced interest rates from 0.75% to 0.25%, taking borrowing costs back down to the lowest level in UK history today.

The Bank of England said it would also free up billions of pounds of extra lending power to help banks support firms and small businesses. The news comes as the chancellor has announced further measures in todays budget to support growth and jobs. The latest cuts come at a time where the country fears what the outcome of the coronavirus epidemic could have to the economy.

Italy and China have already seen lock downs in certain areas with curfews in place and travel bans implemented in outbreak areas.

The Chancellor today pulled out what seemed like and endless cheque book to help steer the UK economy through the turbulence predicted over the coming months, with extra cash for the NHS, rate reductions for small retailers, duties frozen on some consumer goods and changes to the National Insurance system.

The only news regarding changes to stamp duty had already been promoted in the Conservative election manifesto, which is the introduction of a 2% surcharge on the purchase of UK investment properties by non-resident overseas buyers. This will come into effect in April 2021.

May 2020 Newsletter

Thu, 14 May 2020 12:00:00 GMT

No More Predictions!

Back on the 2nd March I published our monthly update on the housing market. Based on the figures from February and a buoyant start to the year it was full of positivity and I went as far as to say, `I think March will bring record prices.` It`s fair to say this has not aged well! Three weeks later the Government effectively shutdown the housing market.

Seven weeks on and the Government have eased restrictions allowing sales and lettings agents to begin operating again. Although, rightly so, there are very thorough guidelines in place that we will be adhering, so it is not quite business as normal.

During those seven weeks we`ve seen the number of new properties listed for sale reduce by a whopping 87% compared to the same period last year - Hardly surprising given that the country has been in Lockdown. Although restrictions have now reduced, it`s still difficult to gauge if we`ll see a sudden uplift in properties coming to the market. The public are right to be concerned about the spread of coronavirus and the potential of a second spike in cases, so just because we`re allowed to conduct viewings and valuations (with all necessary precautions being taken) it doesn`t mean you want us visiting your homes just yet. With that said, often the three main drivers of the housing market are quite sobering ones; debt, death and divorce and unfortunately, we`re likely to see all three of those increase over the coming month which may lead to more properties coming to the market.

Whilst it`s technically too soon to declare the UK in recession (this requires a decline in GDP for two successive quarters), Rishi Sunak has confirmed `it is very likely the UK will face a significant recession this year`. It took just a few days of impact from the virus in March for the economy to shrink by 2% across the entire first quarter. The UK will be in some form of lockdown for the whole second quarter which explains why the Bank of England Monetary Policy Report for May 2020 indicated a potential 30% drop in output for the first half of 2020 – If correct this would be the fastest and deepest recession for three centuries.

However, this could be a very different recession to those we`ve seen before because it`s been caused by a very different reason. The most recent recession in 2008 was triggered by the global credit crunch. Banks were not willing to lend money, so the housing market ceased up and prices fell. At the moment banks are lending money and offering mortgages (65% of buyers in Worthing purchase with a mortgage), so this shouldn`t stop you from buying your next home. Whilst this may be an incredibly sharp drop into recession, it`s hoped we may also be able to bounce back very quickly.

No bold predictions from me this month, just the usual message that if you need any help or advice regarding moving home, just give us a call or send me an email.

Stay safe

Matt

matt@matthewanthony.co.uk
01903 608080
07739 964668

As the temperature soars, so do house prices! But will it last?

Fri, 21 Aug 2020 12:00:00 GMT

We`ve seen a huge increase in sales activity over the past few weeks, so, it appears it`s not just the British weather that`s heating up.

According to the latest Halifax House Price Index the average price of a UK home was £241,604 last month, 1.7% higher than June`s £237,834. Zoopla also reports that property prices in Worthing have crept up by 3.5% over the last quarter.

So, are we seeing a bounce back in the property market or is it just a blip?

It`s generally thought that pent-up demand and a lack of properties on the market have combined to push up prices. The government`s announcement back in July to cut stamp duty has also boosted buyers` enthusiasm and Rightmove have announced record levels of new instructions being added to their website. We have certainly seen this on a local level with high numbers of new property listings.

Last month Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a temporary suspension of stamp duty on property sales up to £500,000 in England and Northern Ireland. This meant that in some cases buyers could save up to £15,000 on purchases. Although it`s worth bearing in mind that this scheme only runs until March 2021.

On the face of it, things seem to be looking up as far as housing is concerned, however the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic are still creating a great deal of long-term uncertainty. With some areas pushed back into lock down, concerns over employment and the worries over a second wave, people are rightly cautious about making big decisions and there aren`t many bigger ones than moving.

We will see the government support measures come to an end over the next few months and this is likely to influence the confidence in the market. If unemployment rises, then it`s possible that this spike in confidence will be short lived. A lot now hinges on the economy, consumer confidence and Government decision making. The priorities at this point seem to be focused towards kick starting the economy and re-introducing children back into education. No doubt we will learn more in the coming weeks as to what further interventions the Government will take or if there are any changes to the current schemes.

It`s always a tricky process to predict what`s going to happen with housing, more so now than ever as so many variables are at play. However if you`re looking to make a move over the next few months we can say that at this point in time the market seems buoyant and there is certainly plenty of activity.

Our top tips for August:

With so many of us dealing with the effects of being confined to our homes over the past few months, outside space has become an important feature when house hunting, searches for properties with gardens have shot up. I imagine that most of us have immaculate outside space now, well what else were we doing over lockdown, but it`s certainly a good idea to make sure it`s well presented before allowing people to come around and view.

Although the market appears strong and house prices have increased, it`s important to be realistic about pricing. We`ve been fortunate to see a number of our properties sell for above the asking price, however, going in high at the start often leads to properties struggling to get traction and interest. Remember, that with more information on hand than ever before, buyers have a wealth of tools at their disposal to calculate and compare house prices.

Make sure you stand out from the crowd, with more and more properties coming to market, it`s important that your property listing looks superior to everyone else`s. We use professional photography and unique lifestyle descriptions for every property, it means that when potential buyers are flicking through the internet, yours is the one that jumps out and has an impact.

Whether you`re off on holidays, having a staycation or just spending time with the family this summer, we wish you good fortune, happiness and most of all good health.

As always if you need any advice or are interested in moving over the next few months, please feel free to get in touch.

Stay Safe!

Have we lost a generation?

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 12:00:00 GMT

Welcome to September…

I keep asking myself where this year has gone. It`s certainly been one that will forever be etched in my mind but looking back, the past few months seem to have flown by.

Like me, some of you will have packed your children off to School this week, anticipation, anxiety and excitement seem to have filled our home for the past few weeks and another chapter in our family life has both opened and closed simultaneously. This in turn got me thinking about the future, like many, I often find these events trigger some sort of thought process and these days its generally centred around my children and their future.

Have we lost a generation?

Scrolling through the property internet pages I then stumbled across this article:
`Young Britons believe dream of owning home is over`
I will post the link here, (copy and paste in your browser) if you wish to read the detail. Young Britons believe dream of owning home is over.

I`m not sure how this makes you feel, but it certainly made me sit back and take a short intake of breath. The constant theme in this country seems to be that we don`t have enough housing stock. Successive Governments have pledged record infrastructure changes to build all the homes we need to live in but unfortunately, and by their own admission, they`ve repeatedly failed to do so - at what cost?

New homes don`t come cheap, you only need to look through Rightmove & Zoopla to see that `New Builds` come with a pretty hefty premium. I`ve taken the liberty to look up the exact amounts for the Worthing area and it`s currently (March 2020 figures) a staggering difference of 19%. So, who are we building all the new homes for and why?

The article suggests that 91% of the young people surveyed still aspired to own their own property, however they felt that it was now an unrealistic expectation in their lifetime. To give some balance the term young people refers to anyone aged between 18 – 34. Whilst sitting here writing this, I`m still pondering how we have created a model where the simple aspiration of home ownership has been abandoned by a whole generation.

This led me to thinking…

How do we as Property Professionals break down all the elements to offer some simple yet practical advice for those looking to purchase their first home. There is a wealth of resources on the internet from Help to Buy, mortgage calculators, Property ISAs and article similar to this seemingly offering the hopeful buyer an array of options and advice, but to me anyway, it all seems a little confusing. Many of us who can recall purchasing our first home will no doubt remember how scary (and stressful!) the whole process seemed.

The property market is currently going through a spell of increased activity. In my humble opinion, this isn`t sustainable for the long term and there`s no doubt that thousands of people have brought forward their moving plans to take advantage of the reduced stamp duty. But, with house prices hitting all-time highs and properties sometimes being snapped up within days of hitting the market, it certainly doesn`t seem that anyone looking to get their feet on the ladder is having an easy time of it.

With lending criteria almost changing on a daily basis, its now far more difficult to source 90% loan-to-value mortgages. The majority of lenders have pulled or suspended these products. So, with first time buyers having to stump up larger deposits, where is the additional money coming from? It`s been pretty well documented that for a number of years now the `Bank of Mum & Dad` has been the number one source of deposit funding. Some parents have even looked at equity release schemes on their own property to help fund that of their children`s. However, it appears we are likely to see a change in these cash exchanges because there has been a rise in lenders capping parental donation to 25% of the total deposit.

Sorry if I`m painting a bleak picture, but I suppose this is reflected in the original article and why the belief of home ownership feels so distant or unrealistic to the younger generation.

So… How can we help?

The best piece of advice I can offer to anyone looking to get on the property ladder is to get your finances in order prior to searching for your new home. Speaking with a good local Mortgage Broker is the best place to start. Just going to your current bank limits you solely to their product range and criteria, which could cost you thousands of pounds and cap your borrowing. Understanding how much you can borrow, and what this will cost you on a monthly basis, will help dramatically with your search and in deciding if you want to spend more per month to secure the property you love.

Other things to consider when looking for property are stretching your search area. We all have an idea of the perfect location, unfortunately in many cases it comes with a hefty price tag, so you`ll often find better value by shifting you search criteria and widening your options. This is also true when looking at property sizes. Sometimes it`s worth considering smaller properties with the scope to extend to meet your needs over time. Estate Agents don`t come at the top of everyone`s popularity list, but we are certainly here to help. It`s worth taking the time to register directly with us and others in the town, this way, you can generally find out about properties before they are listed on the internet. Setting up alerts on the property websites is a pretty simple thing to do these days and a great way to keep up to date with what`s coming on to the market.

We very much believe in the personal touches, so if you have any questions or would like to discuss your requirements in detail, then please give us a call and we`ll be more than happy to help, point you in the right direction and even recommend the expertise of others who we believe can offer you some guidance. Although we can`t change the situation, we can certainly give you the best possible platform to help you on your journey.

Housing Report, August 2020

Thu, 01 Oct 2020 12:00:00 GMT

Propertymark`s August Housing Market Report shows 13 per cent of properties sold for more than the original asking price which is the highest recorded since November 2015. This is also a rise from eight per cent in July, and ten per cent in June. However, the majority (53 per cent) of properties sold for less than the original asking price.

Other key findings include:
- An average of 12 sales were agreed per branch, the highest figure recorded for August in 13 years.
- Housing demand feel marginally from July.

Click the image below to read the full report.

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UK Government sets out plans to improve energy efficiency

Sat, 03 Oct 2020 12:00:00 GMT

Improving the Energy Performance of Privately Rented Homes in England and Wales

On 30th September 2020 the Government opened a consultation on improving the energy performance of privately rented homes and wish to obtain the views of landlord, tenants and letting agents. The policy sets out how Government intent to reach their goal of all privately rented homes achieving an EPC rating of a band C by 2030.

Some key policy proposals are listed below:

New tenancies from 1 April 2025 and existing tenancies from 1 April 2028 must have an EPC rating of C or higher.

Tenants are given powers to request improvements are carried out and that landlords cannot unreasonably refuse a request to install a smart meter.

Increasing the cost cap to £10,000.

Increase the maximum fine for a breach of the regulations to £30,000.

You can read the full consultation by clicking here. If you wish to respond to the consolation you must do so by 30 December 2020 and details of how to respond can be found on page 5.

Nationwide House Price Index, September 2020

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 12:00:00 GMT

Annual house price growth gathers momentum in September as housing market recovery continues

Nationwide`s latest house price index report shows the housing market has rebounded well `post lockdown`. Pent up demand is coming through and the stamp duty holiday is further increasing activity, as people bring forward their purchases.

Report Highlights:

Annual price growth picked up to 5.0% in September, the highest rate since Sep 2016

Prices rose 0.9% month-on-month, after taking account of seasonal factors

Most regions saw a pickup in house price growth rates in Q3

You can read the full report by clicking here.

We`re Hiring

Thu, 15 Oct 2020 12:00:00 GMT

Junior Estate Agent Apprenticeship

We`re excited to announce that we`re on the lookout for a new member to join our team!

We are looking to recruit a Junior Estate Agent to learn and train on the job. We`ll help you develop your skills and knowledge as you train towards your Level 2 Apprenticeship.

For more information about the role of a Junior Estate Agent, please visit the Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education website .

To apply for the position, click here.

Quarterly Market Report - Autumn 2020

Thu, 29 Oct 2020 12:00:00 GMT

POST-LOCKDOWN MOMENTUM IN THE MARKET

The UK housing market starts autumn with momentum following a post-lockdown mini-boom making summer 2020 busier than usual.

The housing market has basked in summer sunshine since it reopened with buyer up 34% on a year ago according Zoopla, while supply to the marketplace is at its highest level since March 2008 according to Rightmove. Over 81,000 property sales were recorded in August, which is up 15.6% on July, with competition in the market leading to one in eight properties selling at or above asking price. Larger properties and those with gardens are proving immensely popular, with the impact of COVID-19 set to have a lasting change on our home and work lifestyles.

Both the economy and consumer confidence have shown signs of improvement throughout the summer. The economy grew by 6.6% in July (ONS), however it remains over 11% lower than pre-lockdown, while consumer sentiment continues to rise, albeit slowly. Recovery remains cautious as the government grapples with balancing the economy and public health. Stamp duty holidays across the nations offer a saving for many buyers, however, while interest rates remain low, a reduction in high loan-to-value lending products is impacting first-time buyers.

While properties are selling quicker than they did a year ago, and latest mortgage approvals suggest the market is returning to more ‘normal` levels, the forced pause in the housing market means 2020 sales levels will no doubt end below those of 2019. UK house price growth is at its highest level in over two years and revised forecasts anticipate property prices will end the year 2% higher, a significant reversal to the negative expectations anticipated as the market reopened. The Bank of England base rate is predicted to be held at 0.1% until 2022.

In the lettings market, as with the sales sector, demand for rental property increased over the summer, although new instructions remain muted, a continuation of the pre-lockdown trend. Average rental values across the UK rose by 1.5% in the year to August, and yields remain attractive. Increased demand and a shortage of supply in many areas should help underpin rental values over the coming months. Just 13% of tenancies expire during the final quarter of the year but landlords will be keen to avoid unnecessary void periods.

It is estimated nearly two million people own buy-to-let property across the UK (Resolution Foundation 2019), with property being regarded as a ‘safe-haven` asset. At 4.9% the gross yield on residential property across South East England is attractive. Worthing is currently the top performer in the region, offering a gross yield of 5.1%

Property prices in Worthing saw a year-on-year decrease of 2.7% since the housing market reopened in June. Activity across the market has been brisk, nationally the average time taken to sell a property fell to 53 days in August, down from 62 days in August 2019. Sensible pricing remains crucial, as correctly priced properties are nearly twice as likely to be sold ‘subject to contract` within four months of listing than those that have had their asking price reduced. Homes in the South East are selling, on average, 12 days quicker than a year ago.

You can download the full report by clicking here.

Virtual Valuations

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 12:00:00 GMT

Virtual Valuations

We welcome the news that the housing market is to remain open throughout this second lockdown period. We recognise there is huge demand from both buyers and sellers at the moment, particularly from those looking to take maximum advantage of the stamp duty holiday.

However, we must act responsibly and in line with Government guidance to play our part in reducing the spread of the virus. Therefore, whilst we are able to conduct physical valuations we are urging sellers to take advantage of our virtual valuations, at least in the first instance.

How It Works

All you need to do is:

Complete a short questionnaire and upload photos and/or videos of the property

Choose your preferred day and time for our valuation meeting

Using this information we`ll complete our in-depth research about your property in preparation of our virtual meeting.

We can conduct our meeting using a variety of platforms, such as; FaceTime, WhatsApp, Zoom or Microsoft Teams.

We`ll follow up our meeting by emailing you a personalised and detailed property report.

Click here to book your virtual valuation

Life Magazine

Wed, 04 Nov 2020 12:00:00 GMT

In this issue, we head to West Sussex, looking for an uncrowded getaway. We also sourced the perfect picnic and Fenella Dunsford sought out properties on the market that have appeal for outdoor enthusiast. We also take a look at the Modern Method of Auction, weighing up its pros and cons.

Award-winning interior designing Shanade McAllister-Fisher gave us some tips on how to create entertaining spaces at home and Original BTC looked at how to design a flexible bedroom lighting scheme.

We`re keen to travel, but concerned about the evolving quarantine landscape, so we went over very smalls seas to the Isle of Wight for a quirky glamping experience.

As always, we hope you enjoy the read.

Click here to read the latest issue of Life Magazine

Housing Report, September 2020

Tue, 10 Nov 2020 12:00:00 GMT

Propertymark`s latest Housing Report shows demand rose by a third in September, to its highest level for 16 years.

The number of properties available in September rose marginally from August, however there was a huge leap in demand, up 33%, with over 500 buyers registering per branch. This led to eight percent of properties selling for more than the original asking price.

Key Findings:

The number of prospective buyers reached the highest level recorded since June 2004.

An average of 14 sales were agreed per branch – the highest recorded since August 2006.

A fifth of sales were made to first-time buyers in September – the lowest recorded since March 2013.

Click here to read the full report.

Life Magazine, Issue 6 2020

Fri, 11 Dec 2020 12:00:00 GMT

In this issue, we had a history lesson at Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. We sourced some home-cooking hacks and Fenella Dunsford found a selection of city properties on the market.

Megan Baker, Head of Design at My Fitted Bedroom, walked us through the latest bedroom trends and Designer Benji Lewis from Zoom That Room gave us four tops on how to breathe new life into old items in our homes.

We also sought out some luxury winter sun escapes, where sunshine and good times are all but guaranteed – as long as you can get there.

We hope you enjoy the read.

Click here to read the latest issue of Life Magazine

The Lowdown on the Local Rental Market

Tue, 08 Feb 2022 12:00:00 GMT

The Lowdown on the Local Renting Market

The rental market has been very strong over the whole of the pandemic as many people have taken the opportunity to review the way they live and work and reassess their housing priorities. In addition, essential workers have had to be housed and demand for rental properties has probably been at an all-time high.

Supply of good quality properties to rent has been more difficult to come buy as the Sales market has been equally strong and some homeowners who may have considered renting have taken advantage of higher sales prices to move on their properties. Uncertainty over jobs, incomes and future employment during lockdown has meant many tenants delayed moving on so properties that would normally become available at the natural end of a tenancy have remained occupied for longer, fuelling the shortage of what is on the market.

We thought we would share the most recent key statistics from the BN postcode area .

£1,191

Average asking rent In the BN postcode area is now £1,191 an increase of 7 .6% year on year. (1-4 beds from Zoopla rental price index).
This compares to a National Average of £969 and a rate of increase of 7.5% excluding London.

3.4%

The 3-year compound Average annual rate of Rental price Growth is 3.4%, so you can see the rate the rents have increased is more than double the 3 year average, and over 2.5 times the 5 year average which is 2.9%.

9 Days

The Average time taken for a property to let is just 9 Days. This compares to 14 days across the country and is 37.4% shorter than the time taken to let a year ago.

(The average number of days taken from when a property is first listed on the market via Zoopla to the date the property was successfully listed as ‘let`.)

The change in rents has put upwards pressure on affordability levels in many regions, although they remain close to longer-run averages.

Zoopla`s measure of affordability – rent as a proportion of gross income - has averaged 36% for a single earner over the last decade. In December it rose to 37%. For those sharing with one other person, rent accounts for 18% of average income.

Most Searched for words:

Sea View

Garage

Garden

The Electric Revolution: Why New Homes are Being Future-Proofed

Tue, 15 Feb 2022 12:00:00 GMT

As the UK is committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, the Government is looking to property developers and new homeowners to take responsibility for the planet in small, but significant ways.

This is why, new legislation states that every new home built from 2022, with an associated parking space, will be required to have an electric car charging station installed in a bid to boost demand for the vehicles. The new rules will apply to both homes and non-residential buildings built either from scratch or undergoing major construction from January this year.

While this is great news for our ozone layer, there are some factors to consider for homeowners, such as the extra cost that comes with this legislation, with a basic rapid charger currently costing around £800 (including installation). However, the Government is offering some financial support to those who need it, you can find out more here.

These new rules will mean approximately 145,000 more charging stations will be in operation in the UK after 2022. A huge step in the right direction to achieving net-zero emissions for the UK.

One benefit for new homeowners and developers is that experts are telling us that homes with EV charging bays could become a more desirable commodity in a few years` time. Meaning a potential increase in profitability from these new properties in the long run.

Rivervale Leasing analysed the values of 1,000 homes across 50 UK areas in 2021 and found 76 per cent of UK homes with an EV charger showed an increase in value when compared to the local average. For the 38 out of 50 areas that saw a positive link between value and home charge points, the analysis showed an increase of £50,595, on average.

In addition to the sustainability and profitability benefits, there are also efficiency benefits to be considered! With home charging points typically charging a vehicle for between 15-30 miles per hour and the ability to charge overnight with a built-in EV charger, drivers could benefit from cheaper night-time rates from as little as 2p per mile, resulting in a massive saving on petrol and diesel costs.

Tips For Decorating When Faced With a Blank Canvas

Tue, 22 Feb 2022 12:00:00 GMT

You`ve found your ideal home, got the keys and moved in your belongings. Now the fun begins - decorating. But facing a blank canvas can be daunting. How do you know what colours to choose, which furniture to buy or how to lay everything out in a way that looks stylish yet functional?

Unless you`re lucky enough to be moving into a home that`s decorated exactly to your taste, chances are you`ll have some work to do before you settle in. These tips will help to get you started and moving in the right direction towards a beautiful and comfortable home.

Get installations sorted

Before you spend time and money on decorating each room, consider whether you want anything removed or installed that could change the layout of the space. For example, maybe you`re considering updating the kitchen to a more modern design to boost the value of the property, or perhaps you`re thinking of changing out an open fire to an electric alternative.

These types of changes are valuable to your way of living and the property value, but they can also be messy in the short-term and without proper planning could leave you living among a building site. If these changes are renovations you want to make, do them before you start investing your weekends into painting and wallpapering.

Don`t be put off by neutrals

If you`re not set on a particular colour scheme, sticking to neutrals is a great way to ensure that everything looks cohesive and blends seamlessly without you feeling pressured to choose a colour combination you`ll be stuck with for the foreseeable future.

White has a reputation for being bland and boring, but it depends on the shade you choose. A warm white with yellow or pink undertones can still look inviting and cosy, while being neutral enough to pair with your soft furnishings. You can then add pops of colour into the room through curtains, cushions and rugs that are easier to switch out if you change your mind or want to refresh the room.

Be practical

You may well have certain furniture items in mind or sumptuous fabrics and carpets, but bear in mind how practical these items will be in your home on a day-to-day basis. For example, a velvet sofa is guaranteed to look stunning in the living room but if you have young children or pets, it`s likely to look drab and untidy within days unless you devote a lot of time to its upkeep.

Likewise, if you`re someone who is incredibly busy and doesn`t have the time to dedicate to maintaining your home, choosing textured surfaces or ornate furniture that`s going to become a magnet for dust and grime will only add more tasks to your to-do list. Instead, think about the finishes and materials you choose and the style of your furniture to make cleaning easier and to ensure your home stays looking its best for longer.

Focus on a hero piece

Each room in your home should have a focal point that draws the eye and from which you can build the rest of the decor around. For example, you might have a fireplace in the living room, a beautiful quartz worktop in your kitchen or a striking wooden staircase in the hall. These features are what give your home character and they can serve as a great jumping off point when it comes to creating your interior design.

For instance, your staircase might be a dark wood which will inspire the type of console table you have in your entryway or the colour of the floors. Or maybe your bathroom is tiled in a particular pattern or rich colour which can then be used as the foundations for the style of mirrors and storage you choose for a luxurious finish, such as a freestanding bath or elegant fixtures. These main attractions can be used to evoke a certain era or design style, such as mid-century modern, boho or art deco, creating an overall look to your home that looks considered.

Plan for lighting

Lighting isn`t something that should be an afterthought in the interior design process, as it has the potential to make or break a room. When you first move into a property, the lighting you choose should be a priority. Well-considered lighting can create a wonderful ambiance in your home and will add decorative touches to a space.

Instead of simply adding a light shade to the main light in the room and calling it a day, you may want to think about how you can create mood lighting for pockets of warmth and cosiness. For example, large pendant lights that hang low can be a great addition to dining rooms over the dinner table to create an intimate atmosphere, while a property with low ceilings may benefit more from wall lights and floor lamps over hanging styles. Lighting can either be used as a subtle feature that blends into the background, or you can choose a statement piece that adds drama and style to the room.

The key creative steps

There`s nothing more exciting than being handed the keys to your new home and the opportunities it creates for making it your own. But with so many design styles to choose from, it`s fair to say that decision-making can be a challenge and overwhelming. The key is to focus on the foundational pieces and add little touches as you go, such as focusing on cabinetry, flooring and lights which suit the property. From there, you can be more creative with furnishings and colour without it looking garish or uncoordinated.

5 Tips For Improving The Entrance To Your Home

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 12:00:00 GMT

Creating a welcoming atmosphere within the first few steps of your home is important, whether you are looking to sell your property or not. The sense of ‘coming home` is an ambience many strive to achieve in their entrance ways, lobbies and porches, and entering this area of your home after a long day at work or school should take any stresses of the day away.

If you are looking to sell, first impressions count. Creating a well-thought-out, organised and, above all, clean entrance will not only increase kerb appeal, which will increase viewings and interest, but also potentially increase the value of your home. Read our top five tips for improving the entrance to your home;

1. Refresh your front door

The point of entry to the home, the first feature a potential buyer will notice about your property – the front door. Keeping the paint job fresh is an easy way to retain your front door`s welcoming appearance. A chipped façade will give the impression of neglect, immediately lowering the standards of what`s to come from the property beyond the door.

There are a few considerations to make when it comes to selecting which colour to paint your door. Whether you are looking for a bold statement colour, or a more neutral pastel tone, choosing a colour that complements the surroundings is paramount. For instance, if your property is rendered, a pop of bright colour will work perfectly against the plain background of the property, but if your property is brickwork it may be nicer to choose a tone that complements the reds and oranges within the stone. Consider the greenery around your front door, too. You may be able to complement the paint colour to the flora and fauna.

Seasonal wreaths have become ever more popular since the DIY era of Pinterest, and more recently these are no longer reserved for just the Christmas period. Wreaths can now brighten up your front door all through the year, with rose garlands for Valentines, daffodils for Easter, pretty peonies for the summer months, followed by burnt orange leaves and pine cones for autumn, spooky props for Halloween and finally the traditional Christmas wreath of holly, ivy and pine.

2. Keep it clutter-free

A clean entrance to a property creates a sense of organisation and tidiness and should encourage relaxation as soon as you step into the home. There are many storage and furniture solutions that will assist with keeping the area free of clutter. A low-level shoe cupboard that doubles up as a bench is the perfect way to combine storage and seating. Getting into the habit of replacing your shoes into the cupboard when you return home will ensure the area stays tidy.

A coat rack or hooks will instantly put stray parkers and puffers in their place. Again, try combining functionality with storage here. Many coat hooks come with a shelf above, which could be a great area for storing keys and other essentials out of the way. An umbrella stand or holder by the front door not only keeps the area looking tidy, but it also is incredibly convenient. How many times have we all gone to leave the house and noticed it`s raining, only to have no idea where you might have left your umbrella the last time you used it?

Although it is essential to ensure the inside of your property entrance is clean, it is also necessary to keep the exterior tidy, so regularly sweep the steps up to your front door or the pathway outside your property. A build up of leaves and debris could leave the area looking unkept, and will eventually be traipsed inside your home if you don`t keep on top of it. A welcome mat is vitally important, whether on the inside or outside of the house. Clean shoes make for a clean home, and a clean home is a marketable one.

3. Add accessories

Although it is advisable to keep your entrance porch clear of clutter, the odd accessory here and there helps the area to feel lived in and homely, particularly houseplants. Adding some greenery to the area makes the space look more natural and looked after, a factor that potential buyers will be looking for in a new home.

Candles and diffusers are the perfect tools for creating whatever ambience you desire for the entry and exit point of your property. Scents of lavender on your return home could instantly send you into a relaxed and calm state, while more fruity tones will invigorate the senses and motivate you for the day as you leave.

As always, the addition of a mirror to any room creates the illusion of space. Hanging a mirror on a wall adjacent to the front door will help to bring in more light while also making the space seem larger. A mirror, again, is very beneficial to have by the front door for those last-minute checks before leaving the house.

4. Build a small portico

Did you know that, provided the area is less than three square metres, adding a porch to any external door of your house does not require an application for planning permission?

Porticos are the perfect solution to adding a small porch to the front of your home, and they offer plenty of benefits, from sheltering you and your guests from the rain when posting letters or fumbling to find your keys to protecting the paintwork on your newly-refreshed front door from weather damage to adding intrigue to the external design and aesthetic of your property and finally, potentially, adding value to your home. Whenever possible, porticos should duplicate your home`s roof pitch and eave and fascia details and showcase materials, such as brick or stone, that appear on your home`s exterior.

5. Decorate with light colours

As with most rooms in the house, decorating with light colours will assist in creating the welcoming atmosphere that a property entrance should enjoy. Furniture made of oak, ash or elm, is a designer favourite when it comes to light coloured wood – the beautiful natural finish can lend itself to a variety of interior trends from Scandinavian to contemporary to minimalist. Light furniture is also a great choice for smaller spaces as the simple colours won`t overpower the area.

Selecting a shade of magnolia or off-white to decorate your porch or entrance hall is perfect for reflecting the daylight that will stream in from the front door every time it opens. You can then complement the basic neutral palette of the walls and furniture by selecting a bold colour for any cushions or accessories if you desire that pop to liven the area up.

Prepare Your Home for Spring: Home Décor Tips

Tue, 22 Mar 2022 12:00:00 GMT

Spring is here! With the new season comes longer, brighter days after a cold and gloomy winter, prompting many people to start thinking about selling their homes.

Statistics suggest the best time to sell your house is from mid-February until the end of June. This season brings all sorts of home décor possibilities, from bright colour palettes to florals, to simply the natural sunlight returning and brightening up your space. Here are some ideas for you to optimise the space in your home to add appeal to potential homebuyers:

A good old spring clean

A deep clean to help sell your property might be an obvious tip, but it`s an effective and affordable one that can be overlooked during the sales process. It is a classic tradition that involves cleaning your home from top to bottom, including in the little nooks and crannies that don`t get a frequent clean. Don`t forget the windows, mirrors and the hard-to-reach corners. A clean and clear home could make all the difference in a buyer`s mind.

A fresh lick of paint

Now that your home is clean, you have the perfect opportunity to freshen up the space with a lick of paint. Whites and creams are great for a crisp and clean feel, while pops of colour can add personality with minimal effort required. You could also add a new lease of life to the garden fence, garden shed or front door.

Add fresh spring scents

Make sure your home doesn`t smell of fresh paint. The warmer (or at least milder) months are the perfect time to air out the house. Candles or air fresheners are great, too. Remember, when hosting a property viewing, opt for milder, inoffensive scents to not overpower the space because not everyone has the same preferences.

Blooming lovely

Placing a vase of flowers in a room is an excellent way of bringing the outside in and adding fragrant floral scents and vibrant colour into the home. Seeing a bunch of beautiful flowers as you are viewing a home is sure to make you smile and associate the home positively with hand-picked spring flowers.

Garden

Speaking of spring flowers, don`t forget about the garden! After a long, cold winter, the garden probably needs some attention. The front of the house and garden are the first things a buyer will see, so you`ll want them to be greeted by a lawn and shrubs that are neatly trimmed and a well-maintained pathway taking you to the front door. Even if you just have a modest lawn, it will make all the difference to have it cared for and looking its best. A prospective buyer will want to be greeted by gleaming windows and doors with frames that have no cracked paint or dirt.

Adding flowers in hanging baskets, window boxes or in a flower bed outside the home can add value to your property with minimal effort or cost.

Light it up

As the natural light returns with slightly longer days in spring, your home will look and stay brighter. Consider adding layers of lighting to change the atmosphere of a space. Bulbs with a more yellow light will give a cosy feeling to the space. Overhead lights should be whiter to add an illusion of more daylight but avoid harsh fluorescent overhead lighting. Consider simple light shades that can be easily matched to different home décor styles.

Embrace the colours of spring with your interior design

The natural colours of spring are a great inspiration and patterns such as florals, geometric shapes or stripes are a great addition against a simple base colour to add some personality. Natural hues of green or sky blue, accompanied by bright pops of colour, such as pink, orange or yellow, can breathe life into the simplest of spaces. On a backdrop of crisp white, the natural colours of spring feel fresh, lively and exciting to the eye.

Add some homely touches

It`s all about balance. You want to avoid clutter in the house, whilst maintaining a lived-in aesthetic. You want the buyer to envision living in the space without being distracted by mismatched décor or clutter.

Accessorise with colourful or textured cushions, scented candles and simple artwork to tie your decor together, or a mirror to add an illusion of more space.

How to Add Value to Your Home

Tue, 29 Mar 2022 12:00:00 GMT

Your property could be one of the biggest and best investments you make in your lifetime, so why not make the most of it by adding as much value as you can. The rule of thumb when it comes to adding value is to utilise what you already have. Any additions that are too costly might not bring you much of a return when the time comes to sell up, so work with the space you have and think about how it could be transformed to make it more useful.

Get spring ready in garden

As a nation, we value the addition of outdoor space, particularly after the events of the last few years. The pandemic encouraged buyers to escape to the countryside, shifting the need for outdoor space even higher on buyers` wish lists. Making your garden feel like another reception room adds heaps of value to your home, especially if it is currently somewhat neglected. Simply adding decking or a patio and outdoor furniture can turn a garden into a great entertaining space. Summer houses are another welcome addition, particularly when staged as an extra room to enjoy.

Make the most of the garden space you have!

Whether you have a big garden or not, first impressions count! So, if you`re selling your property you need to give the garden space that much needed curb appeal in order to gain the right attention! Even simple things like tidying up the lawn or sweeping up the leaves make all the difference.

Convert the garage

Most people would prefer an extra reception room to a garage. If you have permission to do so, then you could convert the garage to add extra square footage to your home. Depending on where your garage is located, they can make fantastic playrooms for children or home offices, which again, is another hugely important asset in today`s modern world of working from home.

Add an additional bedroom with a loft conversion

Loft conversions are a sure-fire way to add value to your home. Most houses don`t require planning permission to convert the loft and they make really stunning rooms. Plus, they`re reported to add up to 20% onto a property`s value.

How much value does a loft conversion add?

Research conducted by the Nationwide Building Society found that adding a loft conversion can increase the value of your home by up to 20%.

Add parking space

Having somewhere to park the car is a big plus for most buyers. We clearly do like our vehicles and parking spots are becoming even more scarce, making them especially valuable. Even if your buyers don`t drive, they will value the space for when family and friends come to visit. If you don`t already have parking but do have a front garden, consider paving part of it to create off-road parking. You might have to apply to have the kerb dropped, but it`s still well worth investigating.

Add a conservatory and increase living space

Conservatories are another great way of adding square footage to your property. Consider adding one next to your dining area or kitchen to increase the size of this hugely appreciated space. And make sure you keep it at a comfortable temperature as any rooms that are too hot or cold could put buyers off.

Boost the value with kitchen renovations

Kitchens are the heart of the home and there`s nothing more appealing than a big welcoming room in which to cook up a feast and entertain. If you only want to improve one room, then definitely concentrate on the kitchen and add a few wow-factor touches to really make it stand out. Consider upgrading the doors of your cabinets, and replacing the tiles and worktops in your kitchen to give the room an instant facelift, on a budget.

Add an extension onto the kitchen

Expanding the kitchen onto the side and to the full width of the rest of the property means that you will gain valuable space. As previously mentioned, a big open plan kitchen presents a warm welcome and inviting environment - which is guaranteed to add value to your property in the long run.

Overhaul your bathroom

After the kitchen, your bathroom should be next on the list for an overhaul if it`s looking dated. Opt for a crisp white suite so it appeals to lots of people and add a few ultra-stylish features to make it a room to remember. This can be an expensive investment, however, if it`s something that needs doing then it becomes a necessity. You may be able to get away with just a fresh lick of paint.

Make sure your home is structurally sound

At the very least, make sure you fix any structural problems before you put your house on the market to maximise your chances of getting your asking price. If your property is structurally unsound, buyers are likely to use this as leverage to negotiate as they will know they will have to invest money upfront fixing those problems.

Turn your home green

Not literally, your house is fine the colour it is… BUT, making your home more environmentally friendly with the likes of solar panels, wind turbines and good insulation - this can increase its value. If your home is cheaper to run, it will stand out in the property market and you can usually add a premium to the price.

Go for double glazing

Don`t have double glazed windows in your home? This is definitely one of the best ways to add value to your home. Double glazing is a standard in most new homes these days, if your home is relatively old, you may find that it still has single glazing. This puts you at a disadvantage, as potential buyers may be put off by this – so we recommend you get this sorted as soon as you can.

Get that kerb appeal

There are a number of different ways to add value to your home and improve the kerb appeal of yours. This could be a fresh coat of paint, new plants in your garden, new iron fencing or a brand new front door. Whatever approach you to take, make sure your home looks appealing from the outside. First impressions count and will go a long way to adding value to your home!

How to Inject Colour into Your Home This Spring

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 12:00:00 GMT

Spring has official sprung! This means it`s time to get rid of the heavy fabrics, dark colours and fluffy blankets and embrace natural materials, lighter fabrics and brighter shades in your home. Here are our top tips to inject colour into your home this spring:

Consider a new shade for your front door. A colourful entrance will set the tone for the rest of your home. Blue is known to be the best colour for helping your sell your property, so perhaps opt for a royal blue, teal, cornflower or powder blue to brighten up your home. Alternatively, popular shades include green, yellow and red.

A feature wall

If you`re working with a smaller room, coloured walls can sometimes make the space seem even smaller. If you`re tentative to use bright colours on your walls, find balance by painting or wallpapering one wall, or an alcove for a subtle alternative.

Paint your floors

This trend has become increasingly popular, particularly for those with hardwood floors. When we think of repainting a room, the walls seem the obvious choice, but a neutral wall with a painted floor can add a quirky twist to any room and is much more interesting to the eye.

Painting furniture and furnishings

Whether it`s your kitcen cabinets, an old chest of drawers or a dressing table, a paint job can completely transform your room without having to redecorate the walls, ceilings or flooring. Upcycling is a huge trend in 2022, particularly for those looking to live more sustainably.

Accessories

You may not necessarily want to invest in brand new furniture, so an affordable way to inject colour into your décor is by accessorising. Choose a colour and look for cushions, throws, rugs and curtains in various shades for an elevated look. In your kitchen, consider colourful appliances to brighten up the space, whilst in your bathroom, invest in vibrant towels you can switch out each season.

Hang artwork

For art-lovers, buying new artwork for your home is not only a fun day out, but it can instantly draw focus in any given room. For spring, choose colourful pieces such as pop art, landscapes or floral art.

Mirrors

If you don`t have the budget to completely redecorate, hanging a mirror that reflects a particularly colourful piece of furniture, such as an armchair, will automatically give the feeling of a brighter, more vibrant room, but also make the room appear bigger, too.

Plants

Flowers and plants are an easy way to make your home seem brighter and colourful, particularly in the warmer months. If you`re not going to be home too often, there are some great faux plant options available to order online which obviously require much less maintenance.

Quarterly Regional Market Report - Summer 2022

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 12:00:00 GMT

While the economic storm is brewing, the property market continues to be brisk as a shortage of properties to sell continues to underpin market activity.

The market, in both sales and lettings, is currently showing few signs of the cost of living crisis that is making daily headlines. However, affordability concerns are likely to become more pertinent as the year progresses.

Click here to read the latest regional property market report.

Too much or too little? The great interior design debate

Tue, 28 Jun 2022 12:00:00 GMT

When it comes to decorating your new home, there really is no right or wrong answer. Your interior design should be a reflection of you, and an extension of your personality while still serving your every day needs. Two of the most trending styles in design this year couldn`t be more contradictory – minimalism and maximalism. As the names suggest, one is the practice of decorating with very little furniture and incorporating empty space into design, while the other celebrates lots of colour, patterns and busyness. Read our tips below on how to recreate each design;

Tips for minimalist décor

Minimalism usually combines an open floor plan, lots of light, and functional furniture and is generally characterised by simplicity, clean lines, and a monochromatic palette with colour used as an accent. Minimalism is not just about design – it also has holistic benefits. The saying ‘less is more` is often thrown around in design and Marie Kondo advocates for the process of removing unfavourable things in your life, keeping only the items that add happiness.

When designing your home in a minimalist fashion it is important to consider that everything should have a purpose. Functionality is key when selecting your furniture – ask yourself, are these dining room chairs comfortable and functional, or are they simply aesthetically pleasing? Adding pieces which do not have a function will needlessly fill purposely empty spaces and distract attention from focal pieces in the room.

A minimalist space doesn`t have to be void of personality. While Marie Kondo encourages us to let go of anything we don`t need, our photographs and travel trinkets are certainly very sentimental and can make great statement pieces in the home. Try spreading these elements around the house to avoid cluttering spaces.

Make use of clever storage hacks. Just because you have eliminated clutter doesn`t necessarily mean you have to part with it for good. Use stacked baskets or foot stalls with built-in storage to hide your possessions out of sight while still being very much within reach. Open shelving goes against the minimalist trend, so ensure these storage solutions keep everything hidden up. Investing in less furniture and clutter will mean that you have the funds to buy quality pieces. Spend the extra money you would have spent on filling your home on larger, statement furnishings. Clean lines are a particular feature of minimalism so investing in a quality solid wood coffee table or marble worktop for example will only enhance the pared-back aesthetic.

In terms of colour, a classic minimalist home always starts with a neutral base. This creates a calm, fresh environment and the palette is easily built upon with similar colour tones and texture. A white base allows you to mix in natural tones of greys, tans and beiges without overwhelming the space. Try adding a pop of colour within the room to break up the monochrome, but remember, everything should be functional, so try not to add scatter cushions or coloured vases in an attempt to bring in colour without thought for the design.

Tips for maximalist décor

Maximalism pushes boundaries and challenges interior design rules by incorporating colours and patterns. It also encourages rooms to be filled with personal items and pieces of intrigue to create interest for visitors.

When you use too many colours, textures or styles, a room can feel busy and overwhelming, maximalism looks to rein things in by reducing the number of different colours and textures, and using lots of elements in one colour or repeating textures. This repetition can create harmony and look elegant when perfected. The best maximalist interiors combine many opposing complicated elements and are playful but always in a beautiful, sophisticated and restrained fashion.

Living with a maximalist interior is about having pieces in rooms that remind you of something. Perhaps it is a collection of sea shells which reminds you of a family trip to the beach last summer, or a painted plate from a child one Christmas or a poster you picked up in a quirky shop on your travels – every piece should tell a story and evoke a memory.

Wallpaper is a brilliant way to add interest to your home and help distinguish areas, giving them purpose and personality. Embracing the power of pattern is a great way to add instant maximalism to any room. Pairing stripes with flowers is a great contrast to get started with, this clash allows you to pick out colours to focus on when decorating the rest of the room.

How to create a classic Farmhouse-style kitchen

Tue, 05 Jul 2022 12:00:00 GMT

There are few designs more homely and comforting than the farmhouse kitchen. Designed with socialising in mind, this sought-after style provides the space needed to create hearty meals whilst mingling with friends and family. If you`re looking to bring some classic country charm into your home, here are a few tips to get you started.

Keep it light

Farmhouse kitchens are typically bright, airy spaces, so light shades are the way to go. Think warm creams, baby blues and soft sages, but if you`re looking for a more contemporary touch, try a muted grey.
As painted cabinets are one of the most style-defining and visually dominant elements of farmhouse kitchens, this is the best place to start when building your colour scheme. Don`t be afraid to play around with accent colours either – this can give your space extra dimension, and inject a sense of personality to make it truly your own.

Wood is the way to go

For an authentic farmhouse feel, wooden countertops are a must have. Natural and timeless, they can easily be coordinated with the colour scheme of your choice – for a lighter touch try oak or beech, and for something a little darker opt for walnut or cherry. If the maintenance of entirely wooden surfaces isn`t practical for your home, consider adding a wooden butcher`s block or island to your kitchen instead; just as traditional and visually appealing, but a little less upkeep required.

Texture is key

Putting some thought into the textiles you use can help to create the warm, inviting space a farmhouse kitchen should be. A simple low pile rug can add some fuss-free comfort to a tiled floor, and a curtain frontage beneath a sink rather than cabinet doors is a lovely country-style touch.
If coordination is your goal, try opting for a single pattern throughout – matching window coverings with cushion covers and even tea towels can help to tie a room together. However, mismatched patterns can be equally as eye catching, for a more relaxed spin on the style.

Embrace the clutter

Where other kitchen styles may look to hide away utensils and cookware, a farmhouse kitchen embraces a sense of organised clutter. Opting for open shelves in the place of some cupboards is a great way to store and proudly display items , including crockery, utensils and ingredients. For kitchens with ample wall space, consider adding a hanging rack to highlight your most eye catching pieces – contrasting copper pans with brass utensils are a staple of farmhouse style.

Make yourself comfortable

A farmhouse kitchen is about more than just cooking; it should also be a place for socialising. In addition to a dining table, a less formal set up such as a cushioned breakfast nook gives you a space for a casual family breakfast, or a place to catch up with friends. For something simpler, a set of stools placed at the kitchen island is a great way to make the room a social hub without sacrificing any space.

The must-haves

The main focal point of any farmhouse kitchen should be the classic range cooker, or aga. These cookers are available in a variety of sizes, with 6-8 hobs and double or triple doors being the optimal choice for this type of kitchen. Coming in a variety of colours too, you`ll be sure to find one that suits your needs.
When it comes down to the kitchen sink there`s one clear choice, and that`s ceramic. Deep and hardwearing with an exposed apron front, a farmhouse sink is the perfect practical addition to your space.

Hot Trends This Summer to Keep Your Garden Looking Fresh

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 12:00:00 GMT

Summer is here, so you`ve probably already dusted off your garden furniture and swept the patio ready for relaxing in the sun. But it turns out ththere are plenty of other easy things you could be doing to make your garden the ultimate hide-out this summer – here are the top trends this year!

Grow your own

Self-sufficiency appears to be one of the largest trends emerging from the pandemic. From home baking to home growing, summer 2022 is the perfect time to start enjoying homemade goods. Adding a vegetable plot is the perfect excuse to spend more time outdoors - and veg always tastes better grown from your own garden soil.

All-weather ready

For those wanting to enjoy their garden year-round, there`s a lot of work to be done, but it`s certainly worthwhile. Planting flowers that bloom in full colour all year is the best way to keep your garden looking colourful with little maintenance. Makeshift outdoor huts for cosy movie nights and drinks are growing in popularity due to many people working from home who are looking for a retreat in the evenings, even when the weather isn`t desirable. DIY bars and summerhouses are also on the rise as people have come to appreciate summer from home more than ever before.

Reuse, recycle and repurpose

With climate change concerns ever-growing, and the cost-of-living crisis on the rise, DIY has become one of the most powerful design tools. It`s a shame to see materials ending up in a landfill when they have such potential to be used again or made into something new! Examples of everyday reusable materials include yoghurt pots for seed starts, old pegs for tying together shade cloth to shield from insects, and leftover bricks for flower bed edging.

Bee-friendly gardening

From bug hotels to sensory garden areas for our pollinating friends, many gardeners are doing their bit to make the UK a good home for bees. Bees are known for loving cornflowers, sunflowers and wildflower mixtures. Be sure to never use pesticides on flowers and avoid toxic pesticides in your garden to prevent harming any pollinators.

Jewel-coloured gardens

While indoor designers see the minimalist trend on the rise, gardeners continue to embrace nature`s maximalism. Colour is the heart and soul of any garden, experimenting with colour variations and creating a planting palette attracts beautiful wildlife and creates a mood-lifting atmosphere – perfect for summer!

Water features

Water features tie your garden`s ambience together with the tranquil sound of running water. Whether you choose a stunning water fountain, a zen pondless waterfall, or a large garden pond, water features can bring your garden to life – and they might even attract some pretty birds looking for a drink.

Bird baths

Bird baths have made a welcomed comeback for their rustic and childlike feel. If you live in a typical city or town, chances are a bird bath will attract more birds than your feeders. By providing a source of fresh water, they`ll have somewhere to drink and maintain their feather condition.

Forget-me-nots

These unforgettable blue and purple flowers are a stunning finishing touch to any plant bed. They`re small and delicate, but their colours are striking, making them perfect for accentuating any flowers planted alongside them. Forget-me-nots are beloved among gardeners as they are easy to grow, are low maintenance, can tolerate shade, and bloom just in time for summer.

Low-carbon, more sustainable gardens

It turns out you can reduce your carbon emissions through gardening! Across the UK, gardeners are making use of recycled plastic items for planters, making their own compost pits to reduce waste sent to landfills, collecting rainwater for watering plants, and planting trees to absorb carbon dioxide. You can also reduce plastic and food waste by making your own compost out of fruit and veg peel and scraps.

Renting with Pets: All You Need to Know

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 12:00:00 GMT

It`s estimated that 51% of adults in the UK own a pet, and many will be looking for a place to stay with their furry friend. For most landlords, pets are out of the question and if you`re lucky enough to find a landlord who accepts your pet, you will need to understand the rules of your contract before moving in – here`s everything you need to know.

Why don`t some landlords accept pets?

Every landlord wants to minimize damage to their property, and pets are known for causing costly damage. It`s estimated that only 7% of landlords advertise their property as suitable for pets, this low figure illustrates that there`s a consensus for allowing pets amongst landlords, and many believe it`s a bad idea.

How pets can damage properties:

Chewing of skirting boards

Scratching doors and furniture

Stained carpets

Chewed electrical cables

Damage to lawn and garden

Odours

Pet hair on furniture and carpets

Fleas

The right to request a pet

As of 2022, there are plans to legislate that landlords do not unreasonably withhold consent when a tenant requests to have a pet in their home. The Government write in the Fairer Private Rented Sector White Paper: `Domestic pets can bring joy, happiness, and comfort to their owners, as well as supporting their mental and physical well-being, including through challenging times.` Alongside this, the Government`s plans to improve the lives of renters also looks to protect landlords by encouraging a ‘common-sense approach`. They plan to amend the Tenant Fees Act 2019 to include pet insurance as a permitted payment. This means landlords will be able to list pet insurance as a requirement, so that any damage to their property can be covered.

Honesty is the best policy

It`s a breach of contract to move a pet into your property without permission from your landlord so you must always make a request beforehand. After being granted permission, you will need to be honest about your pet before moving in. It`s no good for a landlord to be told that your pet is ‘quiet as a mouse`, only for a week later to receive a call from neighbours complaining about loud barking next door. Instead, be open about any troubles your pet may cause and how you`re working to resolve them. This will reassure your landlord that you are trustworthy as it shows you are a responsible pet owner.

Pet-proof the property

There are a number of ways you can protect the property and any furniture from your pets. Invest in a pet hair vacuum cleaner as coat shedding is inevitable for some pets, and you may need a more advanced vacuum specifically designed for pet hair to keep on top of it. Place down as many rugs and throws as possible to protect from dirty paws, buy a scratching post for cats to keep them away from skirting boards and make sure your dog has enough chew toys so that they don`t move onto the furniture!

Take good care of your pet

It goes without saying that most pets will need regular walks and letting outside. If you have to leave your pet alone in the property for hours at a time, make sure you have a trusted person available to come check on your pet and let them outside while you aren`t around. Prioritise your pet`s welfare and invest in microchipping, de-worming, de-fleaing, and vaccinations. Proper care for your animal will prevent sickness and therefore damage to the property.

Keep on top of things

Staying vigilant and taking steps to prevent damage is the best way to keep your rental home in top shape. Anti-chew sprays and cat spray repellent are good examples of measures you can take to stop your pet from causing any problems for your landlord. Keeping an eye on your pets at all times is advisable as you never know what they`re up to in the other rooms!

New Builds vs. Traditional Homes

Tue, 26 Jul 2022 12:00:00 GMT

Old vs. New; the timeless debate where houses are no exception. There`s no right or wrong answer, as both new builds and traditional builds come with their lists of pros and cons - so we`ve broken it down below for you to decide:

Pros of purchasing a traditional property
A previously owned house has history and quirks which give the home its charm and character, they also will most likely have improvements and upgrades made by the previous owner. Most traditional homes offer larger gardens, as for previous generations, there was less of a need to take advantage of all the available space on the plot. This can also apply to the bedrooms as built-in wardrobes weren`t always a trend. There will already be a sense of community when you move into a well-established area, and a traditional build will have all the needed local amenities and businesses nearby. Read our blog on six things to look for when purchasing an old property.

Cons of purchasing a traditional property

Unfortunately, you won`t be able to start from fresh. You may find yourself painting over bright walls and laying new carpets. Traditional properties can be costly to update to current legislations, such as Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES), which many traditional properties will need altering to meet. Purchasing a traditional property usually comes with a chain of other transactions due to having a previous owner, which makes the sale more likely to fall through.

Pros of buying a new build

New build properties have the advantage of being up to date as they comply with all current regulations, whereas existing properties must constantly be adapted to adhere to changes in legislation. If you`ve always wanted to design your own space, a new build is the way to go. You won`t have to worry about tearing off layers of wallpaper or pulling up old carpets, the house is yours to plan as you wish. As new builds come without a previous owner, you won`t have a chain of buyers above you, which makes for a smooth and stress-free transaction with no waiting around for the next move.

Cons of buying a new build

Although new builds offer a modern brand-new feel, some would argue that they lack character and don`t blend into their surroundings as seamlessly as traditional properties. A home which has no previous owner means you will be the first to undergo any trials and errors, which can be challenging if the build has any faults, and you also won`t have the advantage of enjoying any improvements made by a previous owner. A lack of an established community means possibly fewer local businesses and helpful neighbours who know the area well.

Top 10 Things Homebuyers Look for in a Property

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 12:00:00 GMT

Property hunting is never easy, so a great way to narrow down the search is to establish a list of ‘must-haves` for your new home. Here are some of the most popular home attributes that buyers specifically search for…

Garages with Extra Storage Space
For most first-time buyers, owning a home is their first opportunity to gain some space after years of apartment living. Which is why large garages with racks, shelves and extra storage units are extremely popular. In the wake of the pandemic, many people have learned to place more value in staying at home and DIY projects, which is why it`s not uncommon to see dual-purpose garages and sheds in many UK homes this year.

Open Floor Plan
Open floor plans remain popular among families and busy households due to their better traffic flow and multifunctional spaces. The wide-open space is most desirable to those with larger families as the layout offers a grand communal area – perfect for large gatherings.

Home Offices
Working from home has become a new way of life, and this has caused many people to move house entirely in search of better office space. Working from the living room or kitchen table is less than ideal for those with large families. A brand-new home office that is secluded from the rest of the household can eliminate the unpleasant feeling of being stuck at home all day.

Modern Kitchens
Most buyers will be drawn in by modern kitchens for their aesthetics and functionality. Beyond up-to-date appliances and fittings, today`s modern kitchen includes sleek work counters, high kitchen islands with tall stools and clean-cut, minimalist layouts. Modern kitchens typically emphasize efficiency and sustainability, as well as simplicity. These kitchens are perfect for people who want to keep their home looking modern and up-to-date.

Walk-In Pantry
Walk-in pantries are a great way to free up space in the home – and if buyers want anything from a new property, it`s space. These handy nooks are great for large families with hefty monthly food shops, couples who love cooking, and bulk buyers who like to shop in advance. Pantries also allow flexible organisation, enabling the owner to choose how they wish to arrange their storage.

Outdoor Patios
A property`s exterior can be a make-or-break for many buyers, as most people will want to enjoy the summer season from their own back garden. Having a patio in the garden which can be decorated with a barbeque setup is highly desirable to UK buyers.

Energy Efficiency
Since the Government announced its plans to reduce the minimum energy performance certificate rating by 2025, many buyers will be looking for properties already meeting that standard or near enough so that they won`t have to worry about lots of costly amendments later down the line. There`s an increasingly large demographic of new buyers seeking a home with a small carbon footprint, and the first thing they`ll check is the property`s EPC rating.

Walk-in Wardrobes
Walk-in wardrobes are becoming increasingly popular amongst buyers over recent years. With many people working from home several days a week, an organised walk-in space for clothes provides the sense of routine and structure to getting ready that might be missing in the absence of a commute. Spacious wardrobes can also prevent waste by providing ample space for both old and new clothes while keeping them safe from damage.

Hardwood Flooring
Parents and pet owners alike seek the benefits of hardwood flooring. Not only can it increase the value of your home, but it also offers a sleek, clean finish that is easy to maintain. With a diverse selection of materials to choose from, by far the most popular species of hardwood flooring is oak, due to its distinctive features, longevity, and durability.

Island Kitchens
There is no doubt that the kitchen island has become one of the most popular features when it comes to kitchen designs. The extra structure, space and layout that an island allows both function and creativity when styling your kitchen. They`re desirable for large households and those who entertain often as kitchen islands are an extra unit for cooking, seating and storage.

The Shock of the New - A Friendly Estate Agent!

Thu, 06 Jul 2023 12:00:00 GMT

July 30th this year is International Friendship Day, a worldwide celebration created by the United Nations which highlights the different forms the bond of friendship can take.

You might well ask yourself what that`s got to do with an estate agent? Let`s face it, our profession isn`t known for being held in high regard by the general public!

In fact the most recent survey by IPSOS found that the five least-trusted professions are politicians, advertising executives, government ministers, journalists and estate agents...

Stereotypes
It`s not much fun loving your job and also knowing that most people will likely treat you with suspicion, or even be predisposed to think you`re trying to con them in some way.

The sad thing about all this is that it really is the old cliché of a few bad apples ruining things for everyone else - most estate agents really are decent, honourable people who want the best for their clients.

The problem for anyone wanting to sell, let, buy or rent a home is how on earth do you work out the good from the bad?

Words and deeds
Pretty much every estate agency these days uses the words `honest` and `transparent` as if that`s something that sets them apart. Surely those are two of the things that clients should expect in any type of business dealings as being basic fundamental aspects?

As a well established independent estate agency based in Worthing town centre we prefer to highlight our differences by telling you we`re friendly and informal, yet also professional and successful. We think it`s a refreshing approach and a change from the stereotypes of the past.

A lot of other agents suggest you `pop in for a chat` and some even sweeten the deal with the promise of a hot drink... however, when you take them up on it you find yourself being the target of a hard sell!

We think it`s far more important to listen to what you`ve got to say. We want to know all about you, your hopes, dreams and aims. We want to know exactly what you want because that`s the best starting point for us to be able to help you get there.

Friendship
Listening really is the basis of friendship. Maybe the hard sell `city boy` approach that a lot of estate agents use when they talk about `deals` and `markets` is the reason they`re disliked and mistrusted.

When you take the time to listen to someone you`re acting in a friendly way and people really do respond to that. We know, because it`s what we do.

Every member of the Matthew Anthony team upholds the highest levels of professional standards to our clients whilst also being welcoming, friendly and yes even fun.

A member of our team guides you through every step of the process of moving home and that creates a very real personal connection. You`re on a journey and it`s our honour to be along for the ride.

So if you`d like to find out more give us a call on 01903 608080, email info@matthewanthony.co.uk or pop into our office at Worthing House, 6 South Street, Worthing BN11 3AA - we`d love to get to know you!

Wonderful Worthing - The Best Location on the Sussex Coast

Wed, 02 Aug 2023 12:00:00 GMT

Worthing seems to be picking up quite a lot of mainstream and national news at the moment for all the right reasons! Just down along the coast to the east Brighton and Hove shouts louder and makes more noise, but as is often the case it`s the quiet ones you really need to keep an eye on!

The recent Telegraph feature is a great example, highlighting different aspects that come together to create the vibrant and exciting atmosphere in the town.

Heritage
Worthing seems to be outdoing its near neighbour right now in so many different ways. Where large stretches of Brighton`s famous historical features such as the Marine Parade arches are in a dreadful state of disrepair, in Worthing heritage features are well-kept aspects of daily life.

Take the famous art-deco pier for instance. Named `Pier of the Year` in 2019 by the National Piers Society, it`s an iconic centre piece for the town`s sea front. Unlike Brighton`s neglected fire-ravaged West Pier and the gaudy, arcade filled Palace pier, ours is a delightful peek into the past.

As well as giving you the chance to end the original idea of an old-style pier, namely enjoying walking or sitting for a while above the sea below, there`s also a fantastic high end cuisine dining experience to be found in the lovingly restored building right at the far end.

Community
Although the recent press makes a good job of listing various venues offering food, drink and artisan retail outlets, most of the pieces miss out on the real sense of community to be found in Worthing.

For instance, Coast is a cafe-come-diner right on the beach, open seven days a week from 9am-5pm. You can grab a takeaway and sit by the lapping waves or go to the nearby Beach House Park a few minutes away.

Just along from this you`ll find East Beach Studios, where a row of concrete beach huts from the 1960`s have been re-purposed by local artists to show off their work. It`s a great example of the friendly, co-operative nature that pervades modern Worthing.

Real life
While they do a good job of capturing the vibrant, creative face of Worthing`s new food and drink outlets and other features, the press stories are classic `day tripper` pieces that miss out on the other equally important aspects of day to day life.

Many people who moved to the area do so because it`s such a great place to bring up a family. Worthing has twenty two primary schools, six secondary schools, as well as independent schools and a sixth form college.

Other `little things` really count too. In Brighton you`ll find yourself paying hourly parking charges that rival those of London, whereas in Worthing you can even park for free along a large swathe of the seafront on Sundays.

Essentially any news story that lets people know there`s far more to seaside living in Sussex than the brash city of Brighton and Hove is good news. However, focusing on the trendy entertainment, eating and drinking aspects of Worthing overlooks so much.

Our office is just over the road from the pier, we live and work in Worthing so we really know where its true attractions are. Have a chat with us if you`re thinking of moving here and we can tell you what you really want to know - call 01903 608080, email info@matthewanthony.co.uk or pop into the office at Worthing House, 6 South Street, Worthing BN11 3AA next time you`re nearby.

Why Landlords in Worthing Need a Letting Agent

Mon, 11 Sep 2023 12:00:00 GMT

If you`re a landlord with rental property in or around Worthing in Sussex, why do you need a lettings agent?

The simple answer is for exactly the same reasons anyone letting property in any other location does too - we can make life simpler, stress-free and more profitable!

Landlords are of course interested in their Return on Investment (ROI) but there are plenty of other three-letter acronyms that they should be concerned about too - HMOs, EPCs, GSRs are just a few examples.

Keeping up with the relevant laws and regulations governing the UK rental sector can be a time-consuming job as well as being a costly one if things aren`t done properly.

Estate agents for rentals?
Most people think of dealing with an Estate Agent as being about either selling or buying property. In fact, an established modern local agency will usually also have specialist team members dealing with the rental sector too.

Of course these services are not something that an online, individual or pop-up discount agent will offer, usually because it`s such a specialised area of operations and also most likely be too much hard work.

So how can a Lettings Agent make your life easier and make you more money at the same time?

Buffer zone
Providing a `buffer zone` between landlords and their tenants is the first essential service a lettings agent should provide. Finding the best tenants, doing all the due diligence checks and making sure all the contracts and the paperwork are correct is the bottom-line work that needs to be done.

Moving forward, dealing with tenants on a day to day basis takes the weight of the landlord`s shoulders. This can be anything from looking after maintenance issues through to dealing with rent collections, deposit disputes and so on.

Maintenance issues
Repairs and maintenance are a key issue for landlords, as rental properties must comply with many different rules and regulations set by both national and local authorities.

Of course making sure that tenants enjoy a healthy and safe environment should always be high on the agenda for a landlord, and of course ensuring that the property is kept in top condition means that it will hold or increase in value, both in terms of potential rental income and resale.

This is where some of those acronyms come in to play - the Gas Safe Register (GSR) is the official registration body for the UK, meaning it is essential to have any work that is carried out done so by accredited personnel.

Likewise, an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is a legal requirement for residential landlords. A minimum rating of E is required on a property before it is marketed to let and you can even be fined if you don`t get an EPC when you need one.

Our Lettings services
Worthing and the surrounding areas are highly attractive to landlords because of the strength of demand in the local rental sector.

Some of the extra services above and beyond the basics such as tenant vetting and rent collection include rental guarantee protection, legal expenses protection, co-ordination of maintenance and repairs, end of tenancy checkout and service of notices.

Another benefit for a landlord of having a successful ongoing relationship with an estate agent that offers lettings services means when you choose to sell a property, or buy to build up your rental portfolio, you already have a local specialist who you know and trust.

You can download a pdf of our lettings management package options here.

Right Now is the Best Time to Sell Your Home

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 12:00:00 GMT

When is the right time to sell your home? Right now!

We don`t say that because unique market conditions mean that this moment is better than last month was or next month will be. What we mean is that `right now` is always the best time to put your property on the market.

This might seem difficult to understand, especially when the media is once again full of negative stories about the UK property market - and it doesn`t matter when you are reading this, that`s always true one way or another.

In fact, estate agents and the property sector in general are pretty much the only industry that seems to prefer talking things down to highlighting the positives that are always there if you want to find them.

Times are hard
When buyers are struggling with high mortgage costs, unemployment worries, rising property values or any other number of concerns it makes for challenging times in the property market.

If house prices start to fall, or if they stay high due to lack of available homes for sale, it also means that negative voices will shout loudly about it.

Our point is that depending on how you look at it, there are ALWAYS challenges when it comes to selling property. If it was really easy, you wouldn`t need an estate agent!

Times are good
At the start of the Covid pandemic in 2020 it was a very worrying time for us all. For estate agents, our entire sector was completely shut down for months. It was unprecedented and many people wondered how things would recover.

When you understand that people always want to move home, for whatever reasons, you could predict that when the market reopened it would be like a property dam being unleashed - the pent up demand of months of inactivity meant that for the next couple of years things moved at a frantic pace.

That`s one of the reasons that things seem to be slowing down right now – it`s simply that the market is getting back to more normal fluctuations.

However, it also leads us directly to our main point, which is that if you want to sell your property now, it means this is exactly the right time for you to do it.

The time is right
Everyone has different reasons for moving. Upsizing, downsizing, relocating for work or family, finding your dream home - these are things that will always be happening.

It means that at any given time someone wants to sell a home and someone else wants to buy a home. It`s simply a question of arranging the pieces of the puzzle to find an outcome that suits everyone.

That`s what we do. We solve problems, we put puzzles together and we help people buy and sell homes. We`re estate agents and we`re very good at our job, every time, all the time.

If you`d like to know more call 01903 608080, email info@matthewanthony.co.uk or pop in and see us at Worthing House, 6 South Street, Worthing BN11 3AA.

What Does Flexible Accommodation Really Mean?

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 12:00:00 GMT

Whether you are selling your home or looking at properties to buy, the written descriptions you`ll see are equally as important as the photos when it comes to marketing.

A good write-up will give you a feel of a property before you visit and can tell you much more about what living there would be like. However, there are some phrases often used by estate agents that can be confusing and one of these is the mention of `flexible accommodation`.

Often this can give the impression of somewhere that is in some way unfinished or needs a great deal of work doing to it. In fact the opposite is usually true, as it`s more to do with being able to create your own environment by making simple and straightforward changes.

So what does an estate agent actually mean when they use the phrase?

Daily life
The legendary architect and designer Le Corbusier famously wrote "a house is a machine for living in" and one of the ways to interpret that is to think of a home as being there to do what you want it to do.

For instance, in a `three bedroom house` one of those designated rooms might easily be re-purposed as an office space, storage room or playroom. Likewise, a large open plan design could easily be changed to reflect the day to day needs of a family by installing movable or permanent separations.

For most properties there will usually be an element of `changeability` that would cost little or nothing to put into effect. The only real challenges would be in a listed building or if the desired changes meant that buildings regulations or utility installation safety matters would need to be addressed.

Indoors and out
When it comes to being flexible there`s no boundaries between indoors and outside. Having enough space for a `garden room` can mean the opportunity to add a fully powered office, gym or simply another place to relax with some peace and quiet to your home. The installation of bi-fold doors to the rear of a property allows a seamless connection with a patio or terracing, while on the other hand the addition of a conservatory or orangery can provide a brand new room that could be used as a dining space.

Sometimes existing outbuildings offer the chance to be re-purposed into totally separate accommodation (STNC) giving you the opportunity to provide friends and family to stay or even a second AirBnB income stream.

Your home, your rules
Of course the idea of flexibility takes into account that things change throughout life. A growing family`s needs will be different in the years to come. Health concerns may mean that certain aspects of home life will need adaptations which can be planned for, evolving work patterns might mean changes around the house too.

When someone is buying a new home they will be looking forward into the future and thinking about how things will be in the years ahead. Part of an estate agent`s job is to help buyers make the right decisions and find the right match for the clients whose properties they are marketing.

That`s why it`s essential that communication is at the top of the list for all parties involved in a transaction. Everyone is looking forward to the next stage of their lives and planning for their future.

Talk to us and tell us what your needs are now and how you see them developing over time - we`ll listen, learn and then help you future-proof your home life.

The Truth about the Property Market in Winter

Fri, 01 Dec 2023 12:00:00 GMT

Winter starts on December 1st according to the Met Office and takes us through into the first months of the New Year. For anyone thinking of selling or buying a home at this time of year there are some basic factors everyone should know.

Any experienced estate agent will know that the market ebbs and flows throughout the year, usually in a fairly predictable way according to the season. However, not every agent will be as up front and honest with you about what this really means in winter.

So here`s our take on how to make the most of selling or buying a property at this time of year.

A tale of two markets
At different points in the year the property market is affected by everyday matters that go beyond the latest interest rate movements or mortgage deal offers. Things like summer holidays, school breaks, family commitments and sometimes simply good or bad weather can all change the way people think about moving home at any given time.

Because almost all of these elements combine in the run-up to Christmas, the winter property market can be split into two distinct periods.

Pre-Christmas the market naturally slows down. People have got other things on their minds than doing research and going on viewings, so fewer offers are received and subsequently sales achieved figures are quieter. Ironically, for most people thoughts about home and family life take centre stage at this time, but in other ways than thinking about moving home!

This means that some who are thinking of selling may decide to wait until the New Year to contact an estate agent and put their home on the market.

The importance of Boxing Day
Waiting to put plans in motion can actually be counterproductive for one very big reason - Boxing Day.

In reality things do not simply come to a halt for estate agents as we get closer to Christmas. In fact, it`s one of the most important times of year for us in terms of helping sellers get ready to take advantage of what`s become known as the `Boxing Day Bounce`.

Obviously online research now plays a huge role for potential buyers and the day after Christmas sees them get involved in huge numbers. Rightmove is the biggest property portal in the UK and it`s coined the `bounce` term for the huge uplift it sees each year in visits to its website on December 26th.

In 2021 Boxing Day visits to the portal were 54% higher than the previous year. Last year there was another jump of 46% on the day and the remaining days of 2022 saw more than 51 million visits to Rightmove`s site.

Get moving!
What this means for sellers is that you really need everything in place to take advantage of this huge increase in buyer activity.

If you wait until after Christmas to talk to an estate agent you`ll miss out and that could potentially mean a longer wait to sell as buyers will have put in offers elsewhere.

By talking to us now we can put everything in place so that your home is ready to go live on the market at exactly the right time. Our multi-aspect marketing package comes as standard - 3D floor plans, 360 virtual tours, videoettes, lifestyle descriptions and professional photography - many of the things that other agents charge a premium for.

Buyers benefit too
Registering with us as a buyer in December also puts you ahead of the pack too. We`ll be able to give you priority notice of new properties, sometimes even before they go live on the large portals.

We are here all through December to give you all the help and advice you need. Give us a call on 01903 608080, email us, or even better pop into our office and see us for a chat at Worthing House, 6 South Street, Worthing, BN11 3AA.

Happy Christmas!

New Year, New Home - How to Get Moving in 2024

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Predictions about the next twelve months come quick and fast this time of year. Every January crystal balls are polished and pronouncements are made about what the about the property market will look like over the coming twelve months.

Banks, building societies, surveyors, economists and media pundits will all have their say. However, if you`re thinking of moving home in 2024 the only opinions you should really be listening to will come from your local estate agent.

What`s in store for `24?
At the start of last year many commentators were predicting a rough ride for both sellers and buyers in 2023. Interest rates set by the Bank of England went up steadily and this was reflected in higher mortgage costs. Activity did fluctuate but this was always going to be the case after such a record-breaking busy couple of years.

However, house prices didn`t collapse as many expected. In fact at the end of the year they had held up.

Likewise, by the end of the year popular two and five year fixed rate mortgage deals were cheaper than they had been twelve months earlier, having fallen for 19 consecutive weeks in spite of interest rates remaining at a 15 year high.

The big picture
So what can we make of all this? Well, most predictions for 2024 will again come in the form of looking at the big picture - interest rate movements, mortgage costs, the number of new homes being built and so on. All of these things will certainly have an impact on how the property market overall will shape up over the coming year.

For those who want to move home, obviously these things can all play a part for both buyers and sellers. However, it`s the smaller details that matter for the vast majority of people much more than what`s happening at the national level.

As an experienced local estate agent we know that this is true time and time again, year in and year out.

Des Res
Worthing and the surrounding areas are very popular places to live. There are so many `desirable residences` that there really is something for everyone.

From a modernist art deco apartment right on the seafront to a spacious detached house on the edge of the South Downs National Park, the sheer range of properties means that our local market will always be a healthy one.

A vibrant town with a clear identity, Worthing is more affordable than neighbouring Brighton and Hove just along the coast when it comes to property. It also offers everything from easier and cheaper parking costs through to cleaner streets and a greater sense of community too.

If you`re thinking of moving this year, tell us your plans and we can help put them into action.

Call us on 01903 608080, email us, or pop into our office just around the corner from Worthing pier at Worthing House, 6 South Street and have a chat in person

How Much Is Your Home Really Worth Right Now

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Wanting to know how much your home is worth is a natural thing for most people. With property prices always in the news for one reason or another, the temptation to check how much that `for sale` house on your street is on the market for is understandable.

And of course we can all check things instantly online these days. Along with instant access to your bank account and instant gratification from a bit of online shopping, it`s hardly surprising that you can get an online valuation too.

Agent AI

There`s no denying that an online valuation will be quick and it`s easy too - all you have to do is enter some basic details and even if you`ve no intention of selling you`ll get a rough idea of what you home is worth.

The drawback is that when you use this kind of online tool a computer algorithm simply looks at various bits of data and calculates a figure. Although it might seem like a clever `AI estate agent` it`s really just some computer code checking previous sales in your area and making a `guesstimate`.

Value

Of course your own home will always be worth more than just money to you. You`ll have made memories there and invested time and effort into making it a home.

Obviously renovations, decoration, fixtures and fittings can all add monetary value. An automated online process can`t take into account any of these things - it really just works on little more than `location location location`!

If you are thinking of moving and need to sell then getting an accurate valuation is vital. That means taking into account everything about your home, what makes it different from neighbouring properties and why someone might fall in love with it, just like you did.

A soulless online web-bot can`t do that kind of valuation for you.

Personal touch

The level of detail needed to get an accurate valuation of your home at any given time means you need an in-person visit by a professional, experienced local estate agent.

Market conditions change all the time and any particular house or flat can differ greatly from the one next door. That`s why you can`t just rely on statistics alone.

At Matthew Anthony we offer a comprehensive Property Valuation Report which takes into account much more than how much other properties might have gone for over the past few years.

We talk to you about your situation and the ideal outcome you have in mind. For instance, you might already have had your offer accepted on your next home and be looking for a quick sale.

In contrast, you might just be starting your search and know that being on the market first is a great way to make yourself a much more attractive potential buyer.

Ultimately marketing your property using the right valuation means you increase your chances of selling and also of achieving the highest possible price.

When we come round to value your home it shouldn`t take more than an hour of your time at most.

We will help you make plans by giving you all the information you need. If you would like us to arrange a convenient time to visit call on 01903 608080 or click here to book an appointment.

How To Choose An Estate Agent

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 12:00:00 GMT

When you want an estate agent to help sell your home it`s all about choosing the right one. Sometimes the biggest problems are one that many agents bring on themselves, because often they seem to be speaking a totally different language!

Thankfully things have improved in recent times. There is generally less use of industry terms that might be unfamiliar to the general public, and the old formal `notwithstandings` and forthwiths` are making far fewer appearances too.

Even so, sometimes it still feels like an estate agent might be trying to bamboozle you with jargon and playing buzzword bingo to knock you off guard - so how can you cut through and sort the wheat from the chaff?

Reviews and recommendations

In the old days `word of mouth` was seen by businesses as the best form of advertising. Having family or friends recommending someone for a job because they`ve used them themselves is always going to be the best way of introduction and that`s as true today as it has ever been.

If a neighbour has recently sold their house it`s worth asking them personally about the agent they used and if they would recommend them. If they had a couple of offers the agent might have a ready-made buyer for you!

Of course things always move forward and now online reviews often act in the same way as the old `word of mouth`. Anyone proud of their business will be asking happy clients to leave a review and as they are very hard to fake, you can be confident it`s a good way to help you come to a decision.

Big names

Big brands versus small businesses is the David and Goliath commercial battle that`s going on all around us in all walks of life. There are plenty of ways in which a local business can come out on top. When it comes to property, it stands to reason that a locally run estate agent will be more invested in your area.

A big chain agency is often seen as a first rung stepping stone for someone who wants to start a career in estate agency. A well established local firm with a good reputation will be far more likely to be staffed by experienced people who really know the local property market inside out.

Moneywise

Watch out for any agent who tells you they can get a much higher price for your property than others can - it`s all too easy to let the pound signs lure you into a situation which ends up with a price reduction a couple of months later and a property of which potential buyers will then be wary.

Likewise, you should always be clear what services and actions are included in the agent`s fee - essentially, it should be all of them! You`ll find that `add-on extras` often usually some as standard elsewhere and are things that any decent agent should be doing anyway.

Red flags

As with most things there are some obvious `rules of thumb` that can act as red flags marking out an estate agent to avoid!

An agent that tries to pressure you in any way is not going to be someone who is acting in your best interests. Depending on how busy the local property market is an agent might be more eager to take on new clients but that should never cross the line into aggressive marketing of themselves to you.

A good agent will have a history that more or less speaks for itself.

If you`d like to find out why so many people choose us to sell their home in and around Worthing call us on 01903 608080, email us or pop into our office just around the corner from Worthing pier at Worthing House, 6 South Street.

`Sold` Doesn`t Mean Your Estate Agent`s Work is Done!

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 12:00:00 GMT

When your `For Sale` sign is changed to the one that says `Sold` you can really start thinking about the future and make solid plans for moving... or at least that`s what should happen!

When you accept an offer on your home it means that your estate agent has done a good job in finding the right buyer and negotiated a sale price that you`re happy with. Sadly too many estate agents think their work is now finished and that they can sit back and bill you on completion.

At Matthew Anthony we know that is totally wrong - and here`s why...

Fall through

It`s a sad fact that a large number of `sales agreed` actually don`t make it to moving day. Estimates vary, but it`s fair to say that as many as 25% to 35% of sales in some areas can fall through.

There are many different reasons for this happening and sometimes it is unavoidable. Unfortunate changes of circumstances do happen and people can have very genuine reasons for having to pull out.

Let`s face it, other people are unpredictable and sometimes that leads to a seller having to face going back on the market to try and sell again.

There`s far more than disappointment that can be involved as the property you wanted to move to might be in jeopardy, whilst a home that has previously been on the market months before can look unattractive to potential buyers.

Hard work

One of the things that separates a good estate agent from the bad is the hard work they continue to do after you have accepted an offer.

In the trade it`s called `sales progression` and as it says on the tin it basically covers doing what`s needed to make sure everything goes smoothly through all the processes that lead to completion.

We know that this is as important as any other aspect of the work involved in being a successful estate agent.

Initially doing the `due diligence` procedures to make sure buyers are serious in their intentions and in a position to put in an offer is the first thing we do. After that, some sales are more complex than others, depending on the length of the chain involved and the number of different parties that this can include.

Solutions

Essentially getting through to moving day means solving any problems that might crop up. A survey may cause a buyer to have some concerns or want certain assurances, a local government search might need a push in the right direction, someone`s solicitor might be dragging their heels...

Whatever the obstacle might be you can be sure we`ve come across it before and know the best way to get things moving. These are issues that crop up every day in our work and we`re highly experienced in dealing with them on your behalf.

It`s worth remembering that we don`t get paid until the keys are handed over, so we have as much reason to hate a fall through as anyone!

So if you`re thinking of moving and are looking for the right estate agent to handle your sale, bear these things in mind - we really will be there for you all the way through, working hard on your behalf every step of the way.

Call us on 01903 608080, email us, or pop into our office just around the corner from Worthing pier at Worthing House, 6 South Street and let`s have a chat over a tea or coffee.

Everything You Need to Know About Renting in Worthing

Tue, 07 May 2024 12:00:00 GMT

As one of the busiest estate agents in Worthing we`ve built up a big reputation for helping people buy and sell homes. Today the rental sector is just as important to us and is a significant part of our day to day work.

Worthing is such a popular and attractive place to live that it`s no surprise so many people want to rent a home here. The upshot of that is it can be quite competitive for tenants to secure the right property.

With one in five households across the country now renting their home from private landlords it means that there are more potential tenants than there are properties for them to live in.

So with all this in mind, you really need to make sure you have all the information you need if you`re looking to rent in Worthing. Luckily, we`re here to help!

Preparation

As with most things in life, there`s always paperwork to deal with when you`re looking for a rental property. This is really the first thing you need to get right to help make you stand out as a good prospective tenant.

Having references from previous landlords or letting agents are a great place to start. These can show you have a proven record of paying rent on time and keeping the property in a good condition.

Bank details and proof of income are other obvious documentation you`ll need, but did you know you also have to show you have the `right to rent`?

Right to rent

Landlords in the UK are now legally required to check that a potential tenant has `the right to rent`.

This has to happen before a new tenant can move in and a landlord can face fines if they don`t comply with the law, although they can have a Lettings Agent like us do this for them.

Everyone over the age of 18 who will be living in the premises must be able to prove that they have the legal right to live in the UK. This applies to everyone, not just those born in a different country.

In most cases it really is just another formality and an easy hoop to jump through. If you have the right to live in the UK you automatically have the `right to rent` too. So anyone with British or Irish citizenship, settled or pre-settled status under the EU settlement scheme, indefinite leave to remain (ILR), permission to be in the UK for example on a work or student visa, or official refugee status will all be covered.

Documents accepted as proof range from a current or expired passport through to a certificate of registration or naturalisation, a UK birth certificate and driving licence.

Finding a home

The best way to maximise your chances of finding the right rental and getting in ahead of the pack is by registering with an estate agent.

We`ll help you to make sure all the paperwork you`ll need is ready and in place, and then give you advance notice of suitable new rental homes even before they go live online.

When there is so much competition for each available property this can really make a difference.

Of course there is a lot more to know about too, such as how deposits are managed securely and even what your rental rights are if you have pets!

We`ve made a handy online guide that covers everything in greater details - read it here

The big thing to remember is that we`ve helped so many people find their perfect rental home in and around Worthing and we`re here for you too.

Talk to us on 01903 608080, email us or pop into the office for a chat at Worthing House, 6 South Street, Worthing BN11 3AA just around the corner from the pier.

How to Sell Your Worthing Home in the Summer Months

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 12:00:00 GMT

People buy and sell homes at all times throughout the year but it does stand to reason that some periods are naturally busier than others. For instance, a slowdown in the run up to Christmas happens most years yet even then, there is a surge of activity directly after the Holidays which more than makes up for the blip.

New research released shows that the optimum day to place your home on the market is the 1st of July. Analysis of Google searches shows that`s the day the most amount of people go online and search for a property.

However, it also happens to fall into the time of year when things are gearing up for summer and people have plenty of other things to be thinking about. Long school breaks, family holidays, even major sporting events can all be big distractions for even the most determined home buyer.

So if you want to sell your property in the summer months what do you need to take into account to give you the best chance of success?

The feelgood factor

Longer days, more sun and warmer weather always brings with it a feelgood factor that can actually help. Someone who is looking for a new home might be predisposed to fall in love with one more easily on a warm summer evening than on a dreary dark one in the depths of winter. Let`s face it, it`s far easier to fall for the charms of a room bathed in warm sunlight than it is for one that has the lights and central heating on!

Sellers should bear this in mind and make sure that there are plenty of opportunities for natural light to be used to best advantage for viewings. Simple tricks such as windows being clean and blinds or curtains pulled back are effective and cost nothing whilst at the same generating an inviting feel and a sense of space.

Overhanging plants or bushes that might block sunlight should be trimmed back too, with the added advantage of letting any potential buyer know that your property is cared for and well-maintained. Like-wise, if you`re lucky enough to have a sea view now is the time to make sure it`s the first thing people see when they step inside and have a look around.

Outdoor living

Being a coastal town, summer is the time of year that outdoor spaces really come into their own. Whether you have a sizeable garden, balcony or small patio, a key element in a summer sale can be letting a potential buyer know that apart from spending the day at the beach they could also enjoy the outside aspects of your home too.

All that really means is making sure things are neat and tidy outdoors as well as inside. Thankfully there shouldn`t be many leaves to rake, but tidy plant borders, cut grass and well-tended flowerpots all create an inviting environment to sit back and relax in the sun.

A couple of garden chairs and a table can make all the difference by suggesting relaxed al fresco summer evenings with friends and family. Of course, if you don`t have any outdoor space then we`ll always make it priority to let people know how lovely any communal gardens are and just how easy it is to get to the beach, Marine Gardens, parks such as Victoria or Beach House, the pier and lido.

Timescales

According to the official Government figures `almost all` routine ownership and mortgage changes to existing registered titles held by the Land Registry currently take between 2 to 4 months to complete.

This means that if you want to have the best chance of being settled in your new home by Christmas buying and selling over the summer is what you really need to do!

Call us on 01903 608080, email us or pop into the office at Worthing House, 6 South Street, Worthing BN11 3AA just around the corner from Worthing pier.

We`ll help you make the most of the summer whatever the weather.

Are Estate Agents Actually Human?

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 12:00:00 GMT

It`s a fact that estate agents get a bad press. When polls about what the pubic think about different professions are published we`re always down there with bankers, journalists and politicians!

That`s a pretty big challenge for anyone who decides that helping people to buy and sell property is the job for them.

The thing is, it`s actually a bit of an outdated perception to have. In the past our industry certainly had more than its fair share of wideboys and chancers - it`s one of the reasons we started our own company to get away from those old stereotypes.

Today things are very different across the board. There are far more `good` estate agents who enjoying working closely with sellers, buyers, tenants and landlords. Like us, most take pride in helping people.

However, there is a new problem for anyone trying to choose a professional to market their property for them - is their estate agent human?

AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been hitting headlines for all kinds of reasons for quite some time now. You might well have dabbled with Chatgpt or a similar online programme yourself.

Amongst the stories of how AI might start a third World War or steal everyone`s jobs, it has quietly become something that many different businesses use every day.

In our line of work words are important. A picture might paint a thousand words, but to sell a home you need a well-written property description to really give a prospective buyer an idea of what it would be like to live there.

Many estate agents fall into the trap of `the new thing`. Whilst it`s always key to adapt and use new technologies and methods, not every innovation has positive impacts.

AI isn`t actually `intelligent`. It simply takes information it can find and rehashes it in a different way. Come to think of it, that`s very much what a lazy estate agent does too!

Bespoke

AI is simply rewriting something it has `read`. When numerous estate agents are then using that same process it simply means that there`s very little human input.

We believe the human touch is at the heart of being good at our job. Of course that means listening and understanding what our clients are really after, but it goes much further too.

Our content is exactly that - our own. We write it, we think about it and we use it to connect with buyers using our own unique voice.

The result is that everything we do is bespoke - there`s no `one size fits all`, no cutting corners by using lazy online tools.

From our valuations, to our photography, our marketing plans, guided viewings and of course all of our written words - it`s all unique to each home we sell.

We are human estate agents!

Speak to us on 01903 608080, email us or come into the office at Worthing House, 6 South Street, Worthing BN11 3AA and speak to us face to face if you want to make sure...

Papers Please! The Right Way to Sell Your Property

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 12:00:00 GMT

When you decide to sell your property there`s plenty of work to do to make sure things go smoothly.

Choosing the right estate agent is a big part of the process, then there`s deciding on a solicitor to look after the legal side of things for you too. Depending on your plans, you might need to set up a new mortgage as well.

Having the right paperwork in place can speed things up and make sure there are no bumps in the road further down the line too.

So what exactly do you need to have at hand?

Who are you?

As with most things that involve officialdom, you`ll need to prove you are who you say you are. As you would expect, proof of identity is required and thankfully that`s usually something that`s pretty easy and straightforward, as most of us will know where their passport, driving license or birth certificate are currently hiding and gathering dust.

Property Title Deeds will also be needed at some point. If you have a mortgage it`s most likely that your lender will have the original documents, but the Land Registry carries records so there shouldn`t be a problem. If your property is leasehold then a copy of the lease will be needed.

Official requirements

Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are needed by law whenever a property is sold. This document contains important information about a property`s energy use
and typical energy costs, as well as recommendations about how to reduce energy use and save money.

The EPC energy efficiency rates go from the most efficient A down to G and the assessment is valid for 10 years. As an accredited assessor we can assess your property and produce the certificate for you.

Other similarly important records include gas checks completed by a Gas Safe registered engineer (or Corgi-registered engineer prior to 2009), electrical checks such as an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), or a NAPIT or NICEIC certificate/report from a registered electrical competent person, and FENSA or CERTAS certificates for windows.

Property Information Form

The Property Information Form (TA6) is not a legal requirement for selling a property but most conveyancers or conveyancing solicitors will strongly advise you to complete one. It gives potential buyers a clear picture of various background details and by not providing one it can look like there is something to hide.

The declaration covers things like whether the boundary is irregular in any way and if you have had any disputes with a neighbour. You`ll also be able to state whether you`ve made changes to the property and show the works have the proper consents and approvals, and more.

There`s also the TA10 Fittings & Contents form to fill in, which clearly states what is included and excluded within the sale of the property.

Don`t panic!

No one likes filling in forms and going through official processes but sometimes there`s no avoiding it.

That`s just one way a good estate agent can help you - we deal with these things every day so know that although it may all seem a bit daunting it`s really quite straightforward. We help and advise you all the way through from start to finish, and that includes when it comes to dealing with all the necessary paperwork.

If you`d like to know more just give us a call on 01903 60 80 80, drop us an email or come into the office at Worthing House, 6 South Street, Worthing BN11 3AA and have a chat about things.

What Is Gas Safety Week

Mon, 02 Sep 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Gas Safety Week is an annual event that aims to raise awareness and promote the importance of, yes you`ve guessed it, gas safety. This year it runs from 9th to 15th September and it`s been happening now for fourteen years.

Whether you`re a home owner, landlord or tenant, making sure that your gas appliances are safe to use is extremely important.

Gas Safety Register
The yearly Gas Safety Week campaign is run and organised by the Gas Safety Register. As the UK`s official gas registration body, among the most important aspects of their work is the regulation of gas contractors and engineers. Checking to see if a tradesperson is listed on the register is an easy way to make sure that your work is being carried out by qualified and certified professionals.

The theme for this year`s Safety Week is `Checking? Every Check Counts` and the idea is to highlight a broad range of messages to owners and users of gas appliances and fittings.

In a bid to keep the nation gas safe, each year thousands of companies and organisations take part in the event, both in terms of spreading the word and taking the appropriate actions. There are many different ways to help promote awareness and these all ultimately help build a gas safe community.

As a leading estate agent in the Worthing area we are happy to play our part each year.

Checks
One of the aims of Gas safety is to reduce gas-related safety incidents. Obviously major problems such as explosions are thankfully few and far between, but more insidious risks such as carbon monoxide poisoning can be just as dangerous.

Natural gas is actually odourless, which is why a strong-smelling additive is used to allow any leaks to be noticed quickly. Distinctive and rather unappealing, the smell is a bit like rotten eggs - if you think there might be a leak you must do something about it immediately.

The National Gas Emergency Service is there to investigate and take all necessary actions. Their number is 0800 111 999 and your call will always be taken extremely seriously.

Landlords
Understanding your gas safety responsibilities is not only a moral obligation it is a legal one too.

Legislation such as the Gas Safety (Installation & Use) Regulations 1998 and the Landlord and Tenant Act (1985) both cover the way that gas appliances must be maintained.

Landlords must make sure any gas equipment they supply has been safely installed by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and an annual gas safety check on each appliance and flue must be carried out by a registered engineer too.

Tenants should be given a copy of the gas safety check record before they move in or within 28 days of the check being done.

We`re Happy to Help
We deal with all of these types of issues on behalf of sellers, buyers, landlords and tenants every day and we`d be happy to chat about any questions you might have about gas safety.

Give us a call on 01903 608 080, drop us an email or come into the office at Worthing House, 6 South Street, Worthing BN11 3AA and we can talk things through in person over a cup of coffee!

Your New Home - When Does Redecoration Become Renovation?

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 12:00:00 GMT

When you`re looking for a new home it usually starts with a dream ideal, although it`s usually one that reality slowly chips away at bit by bit.

That`s probably not something you expect to hear from an estate agent but it`s the truth for the vast majority of buyers! It`s a fact that life is full of compromises and that`s certainly something most buyers will know all about.

Whether that means one less bedroom, a smaller garden, no off-road parking, or being a few streets away from the centre of your target location, it`s usually not really a big deal. It`s just part and parcel of the process of searching, offering and negotiating.

It does pay to be realistic and know what you can afford in the area that you want to live in.

However, sometimes the condition of the property will be a factor, because the cliché of `the worst house in the best street` is actually something that can turn out to be in your favour.

State of play

Finding a new home that is ready for you to `move in, unpack and open the wine` is something you expect if buying an off-plan new build, but for most people seeing the potential in a property is one of the big attractions.

For estate agents it cuts both ways, as it can be a difficult task to explain to sellers that a new owner won`t necessarily like the existing interior decoration or styling (the one they`ve usually been building up and living with happily for years).

So on viewings buyers will often need to look beyond the existing picture and see the way they could make the place their own - it`s why visiting a property gives you so much more than simply seeing an online listing.

The condition of a house or flat can sometimes not be quite as important as where it is, how big it is and what it offers in terms of possible improvements.

Redecorate?

Redecoration is a word that covers a lot of ground. It can mean everything from a simple new coat of paint on walls and ceilings, stripping back wood floors and doors, or a full-blown new bathroom/kitchen makeover.

For some properties things can be done on a room by room DIY basis once you`ve moved in, whilst others will involve calling in the professionals for a faster (but far more expensive) guaranteed result. Whatever the solution, it`s to be expected that the previous owner`s tastes might not match your own, and at the very least you`ll want your new home to reflect your character, not theirs.

Renovate?

Renovation is something else entirely. It definitely means getting professional contractors involved and might need planning permission or buildings control sign-offs as well. It basically covers things that are structural or on a totally different scale to simply changing the interior or exterior look of a building.

Think stripping absolutely everything out, adding a loft conversion, a side return extension, opening up the kitchen to the garden and so on. This type of work can totally change the character of a home and add monetary value too. Sometimes people will talk of buying a `doer upper` and in other cases it`s just a case of adding a specific element or improvement.

In any case, this type of work takes time, money and commitment. Do you see yourself moving into your dream new home and then doing without a functioning kitchen for two or three months? Have you budgeted for the work and the inevitable extra costs it will end up incurring?

Help and advice

Here at Matthew Anthony we set out to be a new type of estate agent. We see our job as being with you on a journey, giving help and advice along the way. That approach means we start at the beginning - when you tell us about your picture of your dream home, we can help you reach that goal.

When you get the chance give us a call on 01903 608080, drop us an email or come into the office at Worthing House, 6 South Street, Worthing BN11 3AA and have a chat.

Seaside Splendour in Art Deco Worthing

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Across Sussex there are many fantastic examples of Art Deco buildings and Worthing is home to some of the very best.

It`s one of the aspects that gives our town so much character, as well as offering some of the most beautiful and aesthetically pleasing properties that it`s possible to live in!

As Worthing property experts we thought it would be a good idea to look at this in a bit more depth and tell you exactly why Art Deco is such an important part of Worthing`s history.

Grand Designs

The distinctive Art Deco style (short for the French Arts décoratifs) first appeared in Paris in the 1910s. Its popularity spread to the United States and Europe during the 1920s to early 1930s where the exterior design approach influenced buildings ranging from skyscrapers to cinemas.

The look epitomised a feeling of luxury and glamour which continues to this day. Not only that, the use of new building materials including chrome plating, stainless steel and plastic together with highly stylised craftsmanship gave it a modernistic look that remains timeless.

Curved walls, reinforced concrete, smooth polished surfaces and wide ranging use of large glass panels provided a stark break from past traditions.

Interestingly, the actual term Art Deco first appeared in print as late as 1966 when the first modern exhibition on the subject was held by the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris. This was followed by a wider publication in 1968 when the historian Bevis Hillier published his book `Art Deco of the 20s and 30s`.

Worthing Pier

Perhaps the most famous example of Art Deco design in Worthing is the pier.

Built in 1862, the pier has long been a focal point for the town. What became known as the Southern Pavilion at the far end of the pier was built in 1889 but destroyed by a storm in 1913. Although rebuilt, it once again suffered destruction, this time by fire in 1933.

By this time the Shoreward Pavilion at the entrance to the pier had opened in 1926 and it is essentially the same Art Deco facade that greets visitors to the pier to this day. 1935 saw the Southern Pavilion further down the pier again rebuilt, this time with a similar design to the entrance.

Today both structures are in full use and welcome residents and visitors alike all year round. The Pavilion Theatre is one of the south coast`s premier theatres and also hosts craft markets, fairs and other events.

The Southern Pavilion had an extensive makeover starting in 2019 and today it has been restored to a height of elegance that offers high end dining experiences. You can see how much work was involved here.

Art town

Of course the pier isn`t the only example of Art Deco buildings in Worthing. The Connaught Theatre was originally built in 1916 and refurbished in 1935. Today it is used as a popular theatre and cinema in the centre of town, featuring a schedule that ranges from touring West End theatre productions to local children`s shows.

Other Art Deco buildings that come into our day to day work are of course the many properties dotted around Worthing that offer a truly unique living experience.

One of our favourites is Onslow Court. Dating back to the 1930s the distinctive curves of its monochrome facade provide a stunning example of Art Deco architecture, while inside the tiled floor and statuesque doors of the communal hallway retain all the elegance of a bygone era. Designed by ATW Goldsmith and sitting just across the road from the beach, this iconic building has undergone an extensive amount of renovation over recent years.

West Parade, running along the seafront from the pier towards Goring has several fantastic examples of Art Deco apartment buildings. As you would expect, the design theme goes far deeper than the wonderful exteriors, with hallways and the living spaces themselves having many period features and materials.

We love talking about Worthing and why it is such a great place to live - if you`d like to know more give us a call on 01903 60 80 80, drop us an email or come into the office at Worthing House, 6 South Street, Worthing BN11 3AA and have a chat.

What to Give an Estate Agent for Christmas

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Contrary to popular opinion, estates agents do actually have families and friends! So this blog isn`t for anyone who is personally connected to an agent and is looking for gift ideas, you should know them well enough... if you`re stuck, you can always give them an Amazon voucher.

Some estate agents see themselves along the lines of an accountant or lawyer - a professional who is advising a client in a substantial financial investment deal. That`s all well and good and of course is something that everyone should keep in mind.

We feel that it ignores the fact buying or selling your home is a much more important thing on so many levels. At Matthew Anthony we set out to break the mould of the stereotype estate agent and one of the ways we`ve done this is by understanding that key point.

Home for Christmas
Decorating and creating a welcoming atmosphere for celebrations brings the idea of `home` to front and centre. It`s just one of the ways that at this time of year home as a concept comes fully into focus. With families and friends gathering round the idea that no one should have to be alone over the holiday season is an important theme.

Ultimately it ties into the way we approach our work - we know we are taking part in a process that will lead to people being able to have a home to call their own, a place for all the important life events that follow on.

The present
What we want for Christmas is actually the same thing we want all year round - to achieve successful outcomes for everyone, whether we`re helping you sell, buy, let or rent.

So what can you give us to make that happen and make us happy?

We ask all of our sellers to make the most of our Digital Legal Pack. As well as showing buyers that you`re transaction ready it can lead to a quicker property sale by attracting more buyers. It also reduces the risk of a fall through due to issues arising at a later, more stressful and more costly stage of your sale.

We`ve even written a blog that tells you lots more - read it here

Happy Christmas!
Of course saying nice things about us always makes us happy too. Helping buyers find their new dream home is a reward in itself and making the process of selling your home as stress-free as possible gives us great personal satisfaction.

Even so, perhaps the best Christmas present you can give an estate agent is good feedback, especially as things like Google Reviews
show us how important our hard work is to our clients all year round.

So that`s it then, all that`s left to do is to wish you a Happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year. I hope we can help make your property dreams come true.

Call 01903 608 080, drop us an email or come into the office at Worthing House, 6 South Street, Worthing BN11 3AA and have a chat at any time of year.

The Worthing Property Market in 2025

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 12:00:00 GMT

With the festive season in the rear view mirror it`s definitely now time to stop looking back to happenings last year and focus on what 2025 holds in store.

When it comes to the local property market in Worthing things certainly seem to be fairly clear cut. The popularity of our Sussex seaside town continues to grow and more people than ever want to live here.

That`s great news for anyone wanting to sell or let, but what about those who want to buy or rent?

Market forces

The old `supply and demand` theme always applies to the property sector as much as it does to any other area of business or commerce. However, there are certain ways that it differs too.

Basically there will always be people who want to move for any number of reasons. Upgrading to a bigger home for a growing family, downsizing as needs and priorities change, relocating for work and career opportunities - these are just a few factors that can influence decisions.

Of course economics comes into play too and that`s where the `bigger picture` can be helpful in forecasting the year ahead.

Local matters

National statistics cut both ways when it comes to being an estate agent. On the one hand there are trends based on interest rates, mortgage costs, inflation and employment. On the other there are purely local elements that are equally as important.

These all fall under the famous `location, location, location` mantra and can include things like quality schools, access to health facilities and local amenities of all kinds.

That`s where being in Worthing really comes into its own for us. We cover an area that includes a long stretch of Sussex coastline as well as the edges of the South Downs National Park.

For an estate agent this is the perfect location because it means we really do get to help people make the best choices by utilising our extensive local knowledge built up over the years.

2025
So we`ve established it`s the local property market that really matters, so what does the next twelve months look like?

Worthing is a vibrant, friendly and diverse coastal town and its appeal will continue to grow even bigger. The affordability of homes here really comes down to personal circumstances.

It`s likely that more interest rate cuts will come from the Bank of England, although recent financial forecasts seem to have dialled expectations back a little. Even so, we should expect to see lower rates and cheaper mortgages by the end of the year, with things moving in the right direction over the coming months.

In terms of house prices, Rightmove predict a "stronger year for prices in 2025" with a forecast that average new seller asking prices will rise by 4%. That`s a significant figure as it`s their highest prediction since 2021. Meanwhile Zoopla has said they expect a 5% jump in housing transactions compared to 2024.

Our year ahead

With the general consensus being that this year will see a strong market across the board, we predict that will certainly be the case here on our own patch.

Our goal from the start was to create an Estate Agency that matched the character of Worthing and provided a service to local people that was unparalleled by others in our area. We believe we`ve achieved that aim and continue to keep to our own high standards.

We`d love to tell you all about how we do things - call 01903 608 080, email us or come in and see us at our office at Worthing House, 6 South Street just around the corner from the pier.

Can You Really Fall In Love with a Building?

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Every February love is in the air because Valentine`s Day falls on the 14th of the month. That`s why our thoughts have turned to something you might not often hear an estate agent talk about.

Can you really fall in love with a building?

Whether it`s a house or flat, or something a bit more off the wall such as a converted barn or an old windmill, there`s definitely something that makes a building feel like home.

So what`s love got to do with it?

First impressions

We all know that first impressions are important because humans are hardwired to think that way. Maybe it harks back to our distant past when we had to work out if another person was a friend or foe, or an animal potentially dangerous to our health.

Whatever the reason, there are still plenty of ways that we still put this into practise on a daily basis.

As estate agents we see it every day when we accompany potential buyers on viewings. There`s a certain look they can have - maybe disappointment in not finding `the one`, maybe something less poetic.

The upshot is that it`s often apparent this one isn`t going to lead to an offer. That`s where the idea of `kerb appeal` comes from and why it`s important for sellers to make sure their property looks good when you approach it.

Some people will be polite and still go through with the viewing, others might be willing to have a look and override their initial reaction, whilst those who really trust their instincts often just cut their losses and high tail it out of there!

Instant appeal

That`s one side of the coin. The other is that feeling you get when you visit somewhere you`ve already read about, checked out the pictures and probably `driven by` a few times on Google streetview.

It`s an indefinable `something`. A house is just a building, but a home is a feeling. Sometimes it can be a bit of a surprise, maybe somewhere that`s in a little need of care and attention that you just look through and see the potential. Other times it might just be a case of simply being introduced to your idea of perfection.

Property match makers

In a way we like to think of our job as being property matchmakers. We introduce people to somewhere that we hope they`ll fall in love with and then go on to have a long and happy relationship!

Like any true love there will likely be bumps in the road - offers to be accepted, the time it takes for everything to fall into place - but the end result is hopefully one that creates new memories and ends up a real-life happy ever after.

So if you`d like a little help in finding a new home to fall in love with in and around Worthing get in touch with us today - call 01903 608 080, email or visit us at our office at Worthing House, 6 South Street just around the corner from the pier.

Why Do Landlords Need a Lettings Agent?

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Most people have a pretty good idea of the work an estate agent does, although most don`t realise just how much work we actually do!

Less well known is what Lettings specialists do for clients. It`s been a fast growing area for many years and today at Matthew Anthony have an extremely busy team specifically dedicated to the rental sector in Worthing.

So what exactly does an estate agency do for someone who doesn`t want to buy or sell a home?

Landlords
Owning a rental property has changed quite a lot in recent years. New laws and legislation comes into force all the time and the economic landscape has also altered significantly.

Many people became landlords in the booming `buy to let` years, while some find themselves `accidental landlords` through various circumstances. Others see the rental sector as a perfect opportunity for achieving a great return on investment (ROI) and take on the role in the same way as they might any other business.

What ties all of these different types of landlords together is the need to navigate an ever-changing landscape of rules and regulations that effect the rental sector, whilst also trying to maximise their ROI.

Lettings agents
At the very basic level, a good Lettings agent can lift the weight of responsibility from a landlord`s shoulders. At a `one property` buy-to-let level right through to a large rental portfolio, this can cover everything from looking after maintenance issues to making sure rents are collected on time.

The very first step is of course matching the right tenant to the right property. That`s something estate agents are well used to doing, as vetting potential buyers is a key part of a successful sale.

We use the same level of detail when it comes to a potential tenant, therefore minimising risk right from the start.

Compliance
The ever-evolving demands on landlords when it comes to complying with new energy efficiency measures and safety regulations can be hard to stay on top of for landlords. For a lettings agent it`s part and parcel of their daily work.

This translates into practical matters on a daily basis too because keeping your property in good order is good business practise as well as being your legal duty.

As a landlord you might not want your phone to ring in the middle of the night to tell you to about a leaking radiator or something else that needs fixing. Having a lettings agent involved means that a leak, electrical repairs or any other number of small problems can be dealt with quickly without bothering you.

It also means catching potential problems before they can become something more serious.

Rents
Knowing the level to set a rent at can be difficult too. As well as covering all the various expenses and outgoings involved in maintaining a rental property you also need to achieve a good ROI.

As a dedicated lettings agent in Worthing we know the `sweet spot` for rent values locally.
There`s more to it than that of course, because dealing with rent collection is something many landlords don`t want to do. Making sure all the arrangements are made and payments are made on time is all part of the job we will do for you.

Many landlords also just like to have a buffer zone between them and their tenants - that`s why we can deal with everything on your behalf.

Even more...
Beyond the basics there are other aspects of being a landlord which can become a headache - end of tenancy inventory checks and the need to serve legal notices are examples that we look after for you.

Of course, having a successful relationship with a lettings agent also comes in handy if you ever want to expand your portfolio or sell a property you already have. As our Lettings team work alongside our Sales department you`ll already have a specialist estate agent who you know and trust right there!

We make life as a landlord simpler, stress free and more profitable and our lettings team would love to help you. Call 01903 608080, email us or come in to see us at our office at Worthing House, 6 South Street just around the corner from the pier.

How To Sell Your Home This Summer

Mon, 05 May 2025 12:00:00 GMT

2025 is going to be a great summer for anyone who wants to sell their home. That`s a bold statement isn`t it?

One of the things that sets a good estate agent apart from the rest is understanding trends and forecasting how the market will look in the short term. The thing that separates the very best agents from the good ones is knowing that sometimes the trends will be changed by other events.

It`s quite simple really. When you look at house price data and sales figures there are certain seasonal `ups and downs` that occur pretty much every year. For instance, it stands to reason the couple of weeks over the Christmas holidays see very few viewings, so mid December to early January isn`t likely to see many sales agreed.

The reasoning behind this is quite simple too - at certain times people have other priorities and preoccupations that take precedent over their search for a new home.

Summer selling

Here in the UK we don`t quite follow the same pattern as a lot of other countries in the summer, where the whole of August essentially sees things shut down and people take time away from their jobs. Of course, our politicians manage to do this quite nicely, usually taking a fair chunk of July off `work` too!

For most people though it`s a case of having a couple of weeks here and there and juggling things around the extended school holidays. Throw into the mix crowded airports, busy trunk roads and often dismal weather and you`ve got all the makings of a classic British summer...

Although you`d think that the summer months would be perfect for searching for a new home , in fact in these ways `real life` often gets in the way and market activity actual drops.

So why should 2025 be any different?

This year`s model

Something else that often has an impact on people`s behaviours over the summer in the UK are major sporting events. In terms of sport, the World Cup and the Euros are big deals for football fans, likewise the World Cup for Rugby. The summer Olympics always draw huge interest across all age ranges too.

As 2025 is an odd-numbered year none of these events take place. Of course, things like annual golf and tennis tournaments still happen, but these don`t really compete in terms of mass-market interest.

That`s one example of how an expected trend can be changed by other factors.

This year there are other far more practical influences too. At the time of writing, the Bank of England has just reduced the base rate again. A cut of 0.25% has taken it down to 4.25%, the lowest for two years with experts predicting it to fall to a figure of 3.75% by the end of the year. Many expect that the reductions will start over the summer and mortgage rates will follow suit.

Already this year house prices have been creeping up , but sales being agreed have also been consistently higher than the previous year too.

The Worthing factor

Reading between the lines it`s easy to see why this summer could be an extremely busy one for the UK property market. However, what always really counts is the local market and of course a coastal town like Worthing really comes into its own in the summertime.

Viewings on a nice summer days will always help your home to be seen, literally, in its best light. The feeling of living by the Sussex coast that a potential buyer can get is like having a huge home advantage for a football team when the crowd gives them an `extra player`.

The other big thing to remember about summer selling and buying is that the land registry process still has a huge backlog. It really is a case of thinking that if you want a sale to be completed in time for Christmas you really need to get things moving right now!

If you`re thinking of selling your home in and around Worthing we`d love to tell you all about how we do things - call 01903 60 80 80, email us or come in and see us at our office at Worthing House, 6 South Street just around the corner from the pier.

Summer is a Great Time for Seaside Property Selling

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Britain`s seaside towns are still extremely popular for visitors over the summer months. Although the advent of cheap flights in the 70s hit some local tourist economies hard, recent years have seen an upsurge in so called `staycations`.

Visiting an area and having a great time can easily lead to falling in love with it. Many people have a dream of living by the sea, and some decide to make that vision a reality.

That`s why the summer slowdown that is usually expected by most estate agents isn`t necessarily true for us - we`re local property experts in and around Worthing and we know that this can be a great time for anyone thinking of selling their home.

Holiday life
Of course a short stay in a certain place can present a very different view than the reality of living there fulltime. Although a holiday is meant to be relaxing, it`s often filled with activities and doing things that wouldn`t normally apply.

Likewise, living by the coast in Sussex is not quite the same in the winter when the storms are driving in off the sea or rolling in from the hills of the South Downs. However, most people understand that all-round living will be different and that often forms a large part of the appeal.

Coastal living
Official figures have shown that around 3 million people live in the main seaside resorts of the UK fulltime. In and around Worthing there are over 100,000 residents.

There is definitely a general `quality of life` that is quite different from inland urban areas. The proximity of the sea on one side and the unspoilt nature of the South Downs on the other offer many different opportunities that most cities or large towns simply can`t compete with.

A traditional seaside appeal of beach, pier and fish `n` chips isn`t one that`s outdated - quite to the contrary, Worthing`s cultural history is one of its great attractions.

Of course there is a great deal of choice when it comes to property too - and the warmer, lighter summer months are the best for viewings!

Summer sales
In general the property market does slow down over summer. However, local property trends can `buck the market` in significant ways and that`s certainly true when it comes to selling a coastal property.

Of course, that doesn`t mean somewhere that`s on the beach - one of the great things about Worthing is that everywhere is close to some of the very best that nature provides.

We love working and living in Worthing. It`s why we choose our central location just around the corner from the pier for our office - it`s a statement that says we`re at the centre of town and at the heart of Worthing living.

As one of the leading estate agents in the area we know how much appeal living here has to the many people who dream of making it their home. So if you`re thinking of selling, get in touch now - it really is the right time to get moving!

Call 01903 60 80 80, email us or come in and see us at Worthing House, 6 South Street just around the corner from the pier.

Matthew Anthony Lettings presents an Evening with TV`s Paul Shamplina

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Aiming to give Landlords all the information they need to be ready for the Renters` Right Bill, join the Matthew Anthony Lettings team on Wednesday 10th September for an entertaining and informative meeting focusing on the landmark new laws that will come into force later this year.

We`re excited to welcome Paul Shamplina – one of the most recognised voices in the private rental sector and four times winner of `Seminar Speaker of the Year` at The Landlord Investment Show Awards.

As founder of Landlord Action and star of TV success `Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords` our star guest speaker guarantees a lively evening!

The biggest changes in a generation to the laws governing being a landlord are on the way. Everything from the end of fixed-term tenancies, restrictions on rent increases, the abolition of `No Fault` evictions and much more is coming into force later this year.

Paul will be speaking about how Landlords can protect their buy-to-let investments, keep compliant with all the upcoming changes to regulations and how to avoid possible fines. His unique way of explaining the complexities of property management and why landlords must treat their rentals as a business are as entertaining as they are informative.

Join us for an essential evening`s discussion where we`ll be breaking down what the Renters Rights Bill really means for landlords and what the impacts will be.

Book your FREE tickets today

Date: Wednesday 10th September 2025
The event will start at 6pm with `get to know you` complimentary drinks and will run through to 9pm.

Location Field Place Manor House and Barns
The Boulevard Worthing BN13 1NP

Nearest train Durrington-on-Sea station only 500 yards away.

August 2025 Exclusive Interview with Paul Shamplina

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Earlier this year Yougov`s `Fame Report` research found that 64% of the UK population had heard of Channel 5`s `Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords`. Star of the show Paul Shamplina will be the guest speaker at an event in Worthing on September 10th presented by our Matthew Anthony Lettings team.

Aiming to give landlords all the information they need to be ready for the massive changes included in the Renters` Right Bill it promises to be an entertaining and informative meeting. Even better, it`s FREE admission - you can reserve your place here right now.

We caught up with Paul to hear his views on the current state of the UK rental market and give us an idea of what to expect on the evening.

Matthew Anthony: Our event will focus on the Renters` Rights Bill and the impacts it WILL have on landlords. You contributed to government consultations, so do you have a positive or negative view of the coming changes?

Paul Shamplina: Positives - it will force landlords to become more professional, invest in educating themselves and treat renting properties out as a business, to be more compliant and have a better understanding of responsibilities. Landlords can and will adapt, watch and wait for the detail.

Negatives - I worry about the court system not being improved, with bailiff backlogs, with a lack of investment. I have concerns that more vulnerable tenants will miss out on lets, as landlords and agents become more stringent on referencing, when Section 21 is abolished. I have concerns of the strength of grounds of section 8, would have preferred more mandatory grounds.

MA: In general, do you think that a single `buy to let` owner landlord faces the same problems and issues as one with a larger portfolio of properties?

PS: I think single let landlords need to really evaluate their time spent in full management, larger corporate landlords I believe will be able to scale and put more robust systems in place to deal with the compliance changes.

MA: Will the new Bill simply mean that landlords need to be even more serious about being compliant with all the laws and regulations, or do you think it goes further than that?

PA: Most definitely!

MA: In general, what do you think is the current `balance of power` between landlords and tenants, and how much will the bill change that?

PS: The bill is levelling up the power, giving tenants more rights. The aim for the government was `levelling up`. The government want tenants to have great security and safer properties. Tenants deserve a good service from their landlords or the agents. Without the tenants rent, there would be no Private Rental Sector.

Supply and demand still very strong for landlords. People need to sleep somewhere, especially with a broken Social Housing sector. Affordability for tenants is an issue.

MA: Your own bio highlights your past as clerk, private investigator, debt collector and certified bailiff - are you a landlord yourself?

PS: Yes, I`m a landlord and still investing, I first became an accidental landlord in 1993, when I had to rent out my own flat I was living in.

MA: Do you have connections with West Sussex/Worthing?

PS: I used to live in Hove from 1985-1990, went to a secondary school and started my legal career with a firm of solicitors in Brighton. I have family in Hove and some of my old best friends still live there, No real ties to Worthing, but just down the road!

MA: Finally, do you have a favourite rental sector joke to share?

PS: How many ants does it take to rent a house? Ten ants

The Renters` Rights Bill will introduce the biggest changes in a generation to the laws governing being a landlord. Everything from the end of Fixed-term Tenancies, restrictions on rent increases, the abolition of `No Fault` evictions and much more is coming into force later this year.

So join us for an essential evening`s discussion where Paul and our own local rental sector specialists will be breaking down what the Renters` Rights Bill really means for landlords and what the impacts will be.

Reserve your place today!

Date: Wednesday 10th September 2025
The event will start at 6pm with `get to know you` complimentary drinks and run through to 9pm.

Location Field Place Manor House and Barns
The Boulevard Worthing BN13 1NP

Nearest train Durrington-on-Sea station only 500 yards away.

Brighton Road, Lancing - Sold for £1,330,000

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT

We were delighted to successfully bring to market and complete the sale of this exceptional beachfront home on Brighton Road, Lancing — a truly standout property that captured significant attention from the moment it launched.

Positioned directly on the seafront with uninterrupted coastal views and private beach access, this striking detached residence was offered for sale for the first time since it was originally constructed. Designed with lifestyle in mind, the property centred around a spectacular 40ft open-plan living space, where floor-to-ceiling glazing perfectly framed the panoramic sea views.

The attention to detail throughout the home was evident, from the bespoke kitchen with its wave-inspired stone island to the seamless connection between the interior and the beautifully designed beachside terrace. All three double bedrooms enjoyed sea views, with the principal suite offering a luxurious retreat complete with dressing area, en-suite, and private balcony.

In addition to its aesthetic appeal, the property incorporated high-spec modern features including underfloor heating, solar panels, and advanced ventilation systems, ensuring both comfort and energy efficiency.

Following a strong marketing campaign and high levels of buyer interest, we were pleased to agree a sale and guide the transaction through to a successful completion at £1.33 million.

This sale highlights our ability to showcase unique, high-value homes to the right audience and achieve excellent results for our clients.

Summer is over - Now it`s Time to Sell!

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

It`s natural that the summer months see a dip in the property market. It happens every year as people go away, work around school holidays and simply put a different priority on things.

Once August ends it`s always a busy time for estate agents as both sellers and buyers put their plans back into action and want to get moving! So although it`s not really autumn and September can sometimes still feel like the warm embers of a hot summer, there are plenty of reasons for this really being the right time to sell your home.

Christmas
Is it too early to mention Christmas? Well, yes and no. Thankfully not even the most eager supermarket is playing their festive in-store soundtrack yet, but for anyone looking to be in their new home by December 25th it is something to be thinking of.

Current Gov.UK estimates suggest that `almost all` straightforward property sales transactions will be completed by the Land Registry within four to five months. So if you accept an offer or have an offer accepted in September you should be fairly confident about being able to put up this year`s decorations in your new home.

However, that does revolve around the sale going through smoothly and if there`s a `chain` this can sometimes lead to complications. That`s why you must have an estate agent who is there for you from going on the market right through to completion day.

We take our `sales progression` duties very seriously indeed. Some agents think that their job is done when the `sold` sign goes up - we are different! We know that dealing with solicitors, surveyors and other third parties can lead to unnecessary delays, and we know how to deal with them to minimize the risk.

Competition
In recent months there has been a ten-year high in the number of properties for sale on the market. There are lots of reasons for this, but the bottom line is that it favours buyers by giving them more choice and means sellers have to be savvy about things.

Getting the market valuation (asking price) spot on right from the start is the best way to get a quick sale with a good buyer making the right offer. The only way you can be sure of this happening is by working with an estate agent who really knows the area.

Some bigger chains might talk the talk, but it`s local, independent agents who know what`s really going on in their patch. We`ve become one of the leading estate agents in Worthing because we are local and we know what we`re doing.

Timing
While it is important to get on the market at the right time it is also essential to do it in the right way.

It isn`t just a case of putting a listing on the big property portals and hoping for the best in a `if you build it they will come` way. There really is far more to it than that - just look at those sellers who have to change agents after two months and slash their asking prices!

We do things properly. Industry leading professional photography, bespoke written property descriptions (by a human, not AI!) accurate floor plans, local information - all of these things come as standard when you ask us to sell your home for you.

Worthing is a vibrant, attractive place to live and plenty of the right people will want to buy your home. Call 01903 608080 or email us and find out how we can help you get moving.

Uplands Avenue, High Salvington – Sold For £780,000

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

The demand for detached homes in High Salvington continues to be driven by one key factor — lifestyle — and this exceptional property on Uplands Avenue is a perfect example.

Set within secure gated grounds in an elevated position, this substantial chalet bungalow offered a rare combination of privacy, space and far-reaching views towards the sea — something that consistently attracts strong buyer interest in the BN13 area.

Extending to over 2,600 sq ft, the property appealed to a wide range of buyers thanks to its highly versatile layout. The inclusion of a ground floor bedroom with en-suite, multiple reception areas, and a dedicated study made it particularly attractive for multi-generational living and home working — two requirements we continue to see more of in the current market.

The flow of the house was another standout feature. From the main living room, doors opened directly onto a south-facing terrace, seamlessly connecting the interior with the beautifully maintained wrap-around gardens. The adjoining sunroom, dining room and breakfast area created a series of interconnected spaces that worked equally well for everyday living and entertaining.

Externally, the property truly set itself apart. The south-facing gardens, gated entrance, extensive driveway and double garage combined to offer a level of privacy and practicality that is rarely available, particularly within such easy reach of the South Downs and Worthing town centre.

Interest was driven by buyers specifically searching for homes in High Salvington, and we were able to secure a committed purchaser before guiding the transaction through to a smooth and successful completion at £780,000.

This transaction highlights the continued strength of the upper end of the Worthing property market, particularly for detached homes in sought-after areas such as High Salvington where views, privacy and space are key drivers.

The Renters` Rights Bill and Managed Lettings Services

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Being a landlord can already be time-consuming and now The Renters` Rights Bill is about to take things to a whole new level!

Whether you own a single rental property or have built a portfolio of a significant size, the new legislation is going to add to your workload of red tape. The key issue is that many landlords simply aren`t prepared for what is coming their way.

Lettings management

It`s true that some landlords enjoy every aspect of renting out property. However, vetting potential tenants, collecting rents, making sure all the legal responsibilities are complied with - these are all matters that others find hard to come to terms with.

That`s why using a lettings agency to manage your rentals isn`t just about helping make sure you guarantee a return on your investment. It`s as much to do with allowing responsibility to be lifted from your shoulders, so that the day to day running issues are looked after on your behalf.

So where does the new Renters` Rights Bill enter the equation?

The Renters` Rights Bill

Currently working its way through Parliament, this new legislation will see the most extensive raft of changes introduced into the rental sector for a generation.

Affecting everything from rental agreements, evictions, rent increases and much more, it also includes one particular change that will mean extra time and effort to deal with for landlords right from its introduction.

A new nationwide Private Rented Sector Database will be mandatory to join and there will be penalties if a property is let or even marketed without having first provided the relevant information.

PRS database

The Private Rented Sector Database is being sold as a tool that will help landlords understand their legal obligations and be able to easily demonstrate compliance with all relevant rules and regulations.

It also aims to give better information to tenants and to support local councils in their efforts to regulate the private rental sector locally.

In practise, it could lead to landlords making themselves liable to penalties and fines, as well as raising some concerns about how private personal information with be handled.

The changes

Landlords of assured and regulated tenancies will be legally required to register both themselves and their properties. Registration will be available online and there will be alternative off-line ways to be processed.

Various penalties can be risked, as local councils will be in a position to take enforcement action against private landlords.

Letting or marketing a property without it being registered will carry a potential civil penalty of up to £7,000. On top of this, repeated instances or providing fraudulent information to the database could incur a civil penalty of up to £40,000 or even a potential criminal prosecution.

Privacy concerns surround the nature of the information that will be publicly available to potential tenants. The government is offering a commitment to carefully balance landlords` privacy concerns with the needs of private tenants` and it is not thought that all of the information held will be able to be accessed by the general public.

What should you do?

The most important thing to do is make sure you are aware of all the ramifications included in the new laws. As anyone who attended our recent event that gave landlords all the information they needed knows, that`s quite a lot of things to take into consideration!

Part of our mission at Matthew Anthony is to make sure our managed lettings services make life as a landlord as stress free as possible. That includes taking on the responsibility to deal with the ever-changing landscape of rules and regulations that govern the rental sector.

Call our lettings team today and find out why so many landlords in and around Worthing choose our Lettings services.

Click here to contact Ian and Julie today , call them on 01903 608 080 or email Ian.

Alinora Crescent, Goring-by-Sea – Sold for £780,000

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Homes like this sit right in the heart of what we consider our core patch in Goring-by-Sea, and this sale on Alinora Crescent is a standout example of just how strong demand is for coastal property in this location.

Positioned just moments from the beach, close to the ever-popular Sea Lane Café, this detached bungalow offered a lifestyle that buyers are actively searching for — sea views, immediate access to the Greensward, and a peaceful residential setting. Opportunities in this particular stretch of BN12 are relatively limited, which naturally drives competition when they do come to market.

The response to this property reflected that demand. With its large west-facing garden, extensive outdoor entertaining space and highly private setting, it stood out from more standard bungalow offerings and appealed strongly to buyers looking for something lifestyle-led rather than purely functional.

Internally, the open-plan design, conservatory and kitchen/dining space created a seamless flow into the gardens, while all three double bedrooms opening onto outside space added to the overall sense of light and connection throughout the home.

As a result of this combination of location, presentation and demand, we were able to agree a sale at £780,000 — significantly above the original asking price — before guiding the transaction through to a successful completion.

This sale underlines the continued strength of the Goring seafront market, where well-positioned homes can command a clear premium. It also highlights the importance of working with an agent who understands micro-locations such as Alinora Crescent, where proximity to the beach and lifestyle appeal have a direct and measurable impact on value.

What Happens When Estate Agents Move Home...

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Here at Matthew Anthony we`ve helped people buy and sell homes across town for the past seven years from our base at Worthing House, just around the corner from the pier.

I started the business with a clear vision. Worthing is a modern, vibrant and diverse coastal town and I wanted to create something that matched that character and would provide a service for local people unparalleled in the area.

I also wanted to make sure we offered the highest levels of service. You only have to look at our reviews to see we`ve achieved all of this, what`s more we`ve done it in a unique way by being welcoming and friendly. We really have broken down the estate agent stereotypes of the past.

Collaboration

Another example of how we really are different is that instead of the usual fierce rivalry between estate agents, something we believe can never benefit clients, we instead adopted an approach of collaboration.

For the past few years we`ve worked closely with our friends at Stafford Johnson, sharing experience and expertise as well as workload. It`s a partnership that has been so successful we are now taking things to the next level by fully joining forces.

Moving forward

Finding another estate agency that shares the same work ethic and values as us made this choice an easy one to make. It`s a very natural progression to make the bond between our two companies even stronger by merging our teams and combining our resources.

We will all be working together under the new banner of `Matthew Anthony incorporating Stafford Johnson` in an expanded office on Goring Road. We`ll continue to offer the very best service to clients of both companies past, present and future, mixing together what made each of us unique and in doing so creating a totally new experience.

Area of expertise

We love Worthing, It`s where we live and work, which is why we know the town and surrounding areas so well. The quarter of a century`s worth of experience that the name Stafford Johnson brings will ensure the continuation their own hard-won reputation as THE local property experts in Goring, Ferring and West Worthing.

Changing with the times doesn`t have to mean that you simply stop doing things that have worked in the past. In the same way that Stafford Johnson`s traditional values will continue to be upheld, our own approach of providing a first class service across the board, utilising all the cutting edge tools available to a modern estate agency will also carry forward.

Moving home

Our new partnership is also symbolised by us moving into the totally revamped and extended offices previously occupied by Stafford Johnson. Being situated on Goring Road will allow us to serve the local communities of Goring, Ferring and West Worthing whilst still keeping the whole of Worthing firmly in our sights.

Working in person side by side is the best way to share skills and experience and allows each member of our growing team to perform to the best of their abilities. Whether this involves giving the most accurate valuations, the friendliest accompanied viewings, getting the best offers for clients or making sure everything goes smoothly through to completion, we`ll all be working to the same goal - giving our clients a truly first class service.

So as a chapter for both agencies draws to a close a brand new and exciting one begins. We`re an estate agent who is moving and we look forward to helping you make your own move with as much happiness and future success as we will have from our own.

The Truth About The Property Market at Christmas

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Most people think there are two periods every year when the property market slows down regardless of outside economic forces. In the summertime, holidays and school breaks jump to the top of the priority list and plans for buying or selling homes drop down. It`s an annual seasonal dip in activity that is often reflected by a drop in asking prices too.

Likewise, most people think that December is a quiet time of year for estate agents as everyone is concentrating on getting ready for the Christmas and New Year festivities.

Often the only ones thinking about moving in December are those who have been waiting for a completion date and now want to be in their new home in time for the holidays!

As with many things in life there are two sides to the story, so here`s the truth about the property market at Christmas...

Year`s end

For almost every business things wind down as Christmas draws near. It`s actually very different if you`re an estate agent, although of course we`re only human no matter what most people might think!

We have the usual office parties and close up shop for the actual holidays themselves. There are fewer viewings by potential buyers, so that`s another thing that gives a general perception of the market slowing down.

However, what most people don`t take into account is that January is always an extremely busy time for buying and selling property. Once the festive season is behind us and the New Year has been rung in, everyone who has put their moving plans on hold starts to take things very seriously indeed.

New Year

In fact things often start to pick up in terms of online searches for homes as early as Boxing Day, though it`s not until January that enquiries really start to pour in and viewings start to be arranged.

For sellers it`s always a positive time because demand goes up and if your asking price is competitive you can stand out in a crowded but busy market.

This is why we`re always busy in the run up to Christmas, because we are preparing marketing materials and making sure everything else is in place for those sellers whose homes are `going live` early in January.

Other sellers who are looking to get moving after the festive fuss has settled down often ask us to visit for a valuation in December, so that`s another way we`re always busy too. Of course it`s a great time to show off your home and also something that makes our job even more enjoyable at this time of year.

Moving on

As mentioned last month, here at Matthew Anthony the New Year really does ring in the changes for us as we`ll be in our new offices and taking on exciting new challenges.

If you`d like to chat about putting your home on the market as early as possible in the New Year, call 01903 608080 or email us.

We`d like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of us at Matthew Anthony incorporating Stafford Johnson

Landlords, The Bill is Now Law - Time to Act!

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

We`ve been warning landlords about The Renters` Rights Bill for quite a while now. We even arranged a highly successful meeting in Worthing in September where we met over a hundred worried landlords who were eager to know more.

Well, the Bill has now been passed into law by an Act of Parliament. The good news is that if you are a landlord there`s still time for you to act and make sure you`re ready for the big changes coming your way.

May 2026

The first of May next year is the date that many of the most important changes brought in by the new laws will actually take effect.

With more than 11 million people living in private rental accommodation in England a sizeable proportion of the population will be affected. The abolition of Section 21 `no fault` evictions, the right to have pets, the end of benefit discrimination and much more will all play their part.

The abolition of Section 21 is perhaps the most spoken about change, although for many landlords it is something that might not be at the top of their own list of things that will impact them.

Tenancies becoming periodic by default is a big concern for some, as is the change to the ways rents can be increased. Existing assured shorthold tenancies (AST) will automatically convert to a periodic tenancy even without the need to sign new documents.

However, all landlords will be required to issue information to tenants about the new rules and if there is no written tenancy agreement in place one will have to be drafted.

In the pipeline

Although the Bill has become law some of the contents will still need to go through the `secondary legislation` process in Parliament, which doesn`t require debate but does need them to be `introduced`.

These elements include the establishment of the new landlord ombudsman and setting up the private rented sector database (PRS). Registration to this will be mandatory for landlords.

If all this isn`t enough there`s much more!

How about the introduction of 15 new offences with potential civil financial penalties of up to £40,000? Add to those another six new offences which could result in landlords facing a rent repayment.

These are just some examples of the things we`ve been talking about for months.

Help at hand

Being a landlord can be stressful at the best of times. Dealing with day to day maintenance issues, collecting rents, making sure that things in general are running smoothly all take time and effort.

When you add in all the new rules and regulations bring ushered in by the Renters` Rights Act it becomes even more daunting.

Our property management and lettings services take the strain for you. We have the experience and skill to deal with everything so that your rental properties generate the best return on investment with the least hassle.

So if you are a landlord with property in West Sussex talk to our Lettings Director Ian Colban or Property Manager Julie Fivash to find out exactly how we can help you. We`ll start by making sure you`ll be ready for the challenges that the new laws will bring - get in touch today

How to Sell Your Home in Goring

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

`Matthew Anthony incorporating Stafford Johnson` - soon you`ll be seeing that name on `for sale` and `sold` boards outside homes all over Goring.

The `Stafford Johnson` part has been a familiar sight in the area for more than a quarter of a century. Now having joined forces with Matthew Anthony, a name well-known all over Worthing and surrounding areas, the new team is working out of the newly extended and refurbished SJ offices on Goring Road.

So it`s true to say "We`re New Here" and also "we`ve been in Goring for 25 years"...

2026

We`ve all been working closely together in collaboration for a few years in a partnership that proved so successful it made sense to take it to the next level.

What this means for anyone selling their home in Goring is that you can now use the services of a dynamic, forward looking company who also happen to have unrivalled experience in your area.

It`s no exaggeration to say that the reputation of being THE local property experts in Goring, Ferring and West Worthing is something that our new joint venture has inherited and will carry forward.

Our fully revamped and extended offices on Goring Road are also something of a statement of intent, allowing us to be a strong presence and point of contact for the local community.

There`s so much more to being a successful local independent estate agency than simply opening the doors in the old `build it and they will come` style cliché. The fact is that it requires hard work to win trust and build a reputation to the degree that Stafford Johnson has done in Goring - now we`re building on that and moving into a new year with renewed vigour.

Choosing an estate agent

When you want to sell your home choosing the right estate agent is such an important part of the process.

Make the wrong choice and you can find yourself six months down the line with no offers and a `stale` property that potential buyers have already rejected.

Go with the right agent and things can move quickly, with viewings and offers leading to a smooth path to completion day.

We don`t see ourselves as being in competition with other agents in the area because we know our methods and individuality clearly stand out from the crowd. We`re here to help you sell your home and do a good job of it - it`s really that simple.

We avoid the hard sell `barrow-boy` approach of others, we`re friendly and approachable and we work hard on your behalf. That`s always been the Matthew Anthony way and we hope that sounds like a breath of fresh air to you.

We`re an estate agency moving forward and we can help you make your own move as stress free as possible. If you`d like to find out how we do things call 01903 501 105 or email email us today.

Is It Worth Being a Landlord in 2026?

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Sometimes it seems as though the world has turned against landlords.

It`s no exaggeration to say that times are getting harder for anyone who lets out property. Many of the major changes in the Renters` Rights Act will come into effect in May. The last budget piled on even more pressure with upcoming changes to the way rental income will be taxed.

In a general sense it seems that being a landlord and offering tenants accommodation is no longer seen as helping to solve problems, but rather to be causing them.

It`s a very different picture from only a few years ago. Back then investors were being encouraged to become landlords with cheap buy-to-let mortgages and tax breaks. Fast forward and now you`d almost be forgiven for thinking that there`s a concerted attack on rental property ownership!

So if you are a landlord you could also be forgiven for wondering is it worth all the trouble?

Hard times

With so much red tape, legal responsibilities and hefty penalties for non-compliance it can be hard to keep on top of everything.

Add to that the work involved in finding prospective tenants, vetting them, checking their `right to rent`, working with deposits, inventories and collecting rents - well, it`s no surprise many are finding it so much hard work.

That`s why many are asking if a landlord makes enough return on their investment to make a profit in the current month, let alone the coming year!

Of course things are really not much different than before, it`s just a question of scale. There has always been red tape, rules to be adhered to and regulations to comply with.

Good news

We`ve got good news. The answer is yes, landlords can still make a worthwhile return on their investments, one that outstrips many other income streams. We hesitate to call it a `passive` stream because as we`ve pointed out there`s a lot involved in making things work in your favour...

However there`s more good news - renting out property CAN essentially be something that doesn`t involve any more time and effort than other forms of investments. That`s where we come into the picture...

Lettings management

The facts are that high tenant demand is at record levels and correspondingly high rents are combining to make it a great time to be a landlord - IF you do things the right way.

Our fully managed lettings services take on all the responsibilities and the work on your behalf. We become your team, working for you to make sure you achieve the best possible ROI with the least stress and strain.

Our area of operations stretches along the West Sussex coastline from Worthing to Bognor, taking in East Preston, Angmering, Littlehampton and many more desirable locations with high tenant demand.

If you would like to know how we can make it worth continuing to be a landlord under challenging circumstances in the year ahead, talk to Lettings Director Ian Colban or Property Manager Julie Fivash to find out exactly how we can help you. Get in touch

We`ll start by saying we can help you have a Happy New Year!
Ian and Julie

Number of Goring Home Owners Higher Than National Average

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Goring by Sea stands out from many of the other areas of Worthing for a variety reasons.

The two and a quarter square miles that make up our `town within a town` has a High Street that maintains the character of `how things used to be` with its mix of independent shops, bars and restaurants. Add to that a mile and a half of pristine coastline and you`ve got just two of the reasons why so many people want to move here.

One of the most surprising things about Goring is that with a population of just over 8,000 people it has a level of home ownership that is significantly higher than the national average.

Facts and figures

Often taken as being an indication that an area is economically sound, the number of people who own their own homes is a metric that usually brings with it other associated factors.

The data from the 2021 census (rounded to two decimal places) reveals that 82.36% of Goring residents own their home, either outright or mortgaged. With an average across Worthing of 67.5% and across the whole of England of only 61.31%, the figures for our patch really do tell their own story.

For an estate agent firmly based in the local area this is of course great news! However, it also helps us explain why there can never be a `one size fits all` approach to selling homes, something that the larger chains often overlook.

Local matters

With such a large percentage of owner-occupied homes it stands to reason that Goring`s property market is a busy one. At any given time, regardless of bigger national trends, locally there will always be people who wish to sell and others who want to live here and buy.

It really is that simple. Where things get more complicated is that because of the level of activity, at difference times the balance between demand and supply will change. That`s where being an experienced, local estate agent really does make us stand out from others.

Market rules

At the moment the property market in Goring is going through a very busy period. People who want to sell their homes are in competition with others doing the same thing. Potential buyers are spoilt for choice and the result is that overpriced properties are not selling.

One of the reasons that some people find out some way down the line that their home was overvalued is because the estate agent didn`t know the area well enough. Of course there can be other reasons, such as an agent who needs your business simply over promising and then of course under-delivering.

When you speak to us about selling your home you can be sure of two things. Firstly, we`ve been working out of our office on Goring Road for more than 25 years and you can`t get much more local than that.

Secondly, using our experience and knowledge we will always give you an honest and accurate valuation which we believe reflects the current market.

If you`d like to know more about how we can help you sell your home Goring call 01903 501 105 sales, email us or pop in and see us at 325-329 Goring Road, BN12 4NX.

Wadhurst Drive, Goring-by-Sea – Sold for £530,000

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

We were delighted to successfully complete the sale of this beautifully presented link-detached bungalow in the ever-popular Goring-by-Sea area.

Offered to the market chain free, this attractive home generated strong early interest thanks to its versatile layout, excellent condition throughout, and highly desirable location close to local amenities and Ilex Way.

The property offered an ideal blend of comfort and flexibility, with a spacious bay-fronted lounge, a contemporary kitchen/breakfast room with integrated appliances, and three well-proportioned bedrooms — one of which could easily serve as a dining room or home office depending on a buyer`s needs.

A particular highlight was the generous south-facing garden, providing a private and tranquil setting with a large patio area perfect for entertaining, along with a well-maintained lawn and mature planting. The addition of French doors from the main bedroom created a seamless connection between indoor and outdoor living.

Externally, the property also benefitted from a smartly presented frontage, ample off-road parking, and a fully powered garage — all adding to its broad appeal.

Following a well-executed marketing campaign and strong levels of buyer demand, we were pleased to agree a sale and guide the transaction through to a successful completion at £530,000.

This sale is another great example of how effective presentation, accurate pricing, and targeted marketing can deliver excellent results — even in a competitive market.

How Can You Be An Ethical Landlord?

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Renting out property for people to live in would on the face if it seem to be a good and decent thing to do. Of course there is the return on investment aspect that requires a profit to be made, however that`s really no different from any number of other ways of doing the same thing.

It often seems that today being a landlord isn`t something that is seen as doing something beneficial for the community, even though an estimated 4.9 million households were in the private rented sector, almost one in five of the total number in England.

The truth is that most landlords want to act in a way that is of course totally within the law, but above and beyond that when it comes to treating tenants properly too.

The incoming changes the Renters` Rights Act will be introducing will offer a different landscape for how landlords must operate, but what else can be done to make sure you are managing your rental portfolio with an ethical approach?

Good relationships

Any transactional situation should be based on trust. When it comes to the rental sector that cuts both ways. Tenants need to show they can be trusted to take care of the property and pay rent on time, while landlords have to abide by the many and ever-changing laws, rules and regulations governing the rental sector.

It`s not always easy for a property owner to take on the role of landlord. Dealing with tenants who might have genuine concerns about maintenance or other issues can be draining and `not what you signed up for`!

Of course having long-standing relationships with local contractors also need to be based on trust. When you need an emergency plumbing situation resolved or have a need for any type of work done it can be a problem finding the right people to do it. As property management specialists we have built up tried and trusted contacts across the board who we know will get the job done to the highest standards at the most competitive prices.

These are some of the reasons why so many successful landlords use a lettings management service like the one we provide - it really does make life easier and much less stressful.

Regulation

Another way that a bond of trust can be created is by being part of an organisation that is recognised as making sure things are run along ethical principles.

We are Certified and Accredited by Propertymark. As such, we are governed by their Code of Practice which provides a framework of ethical and professional standards at a level far higher than simply demanded by law. We believe this gives both tenants and landlords peace of mind.

We are also registered with The Property Ombudsman who carry out proactive audits to check that businesses are operating in line with best practice as set out in the General Membership Obligations and/or Codes of Practice.

Morals or ethics?

For us there isn`t really a difference. While an ethical way of doing things is largely understood to be in line with professional rules of conduct, morals are more usually personal beliefs in regard of what`s right and wrong.

It could be said that morals are based on conscience while ethics come from established guidelines, although for us it comes down to a simple rule of treating everyone we deal with in a straightforward, honest and open way.

If you are a landlord with property in West Sussex and would like to work with a lettings management service that shares your values talk to us.

We`ve built up a reputation built on outstanding customer satisfaction - call Lettings Director Ian Colban or Property Manager Julie Fivash on 01903 608 080, email us or click here to find out exactly how we do it.

Why Don`t People Trust Estate Agents?

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

It`s a strange feeling to be in a job where you can assume that only one in three people trust you!

The latest Ipsos Veracity Index reveals that when asked if they thought various professions tell them the truth, only 32% of respondents said they trusted estate agents.

You can view the full survey by clicking here.

Having said that, we`ve actually gone up a few places as quite a few other jobs come off far worse - among them are journalists (26%), politicians (9%) and bottom of the lot are social media influencers with only 6% of people believing what they say...

Still, it`s not much of a consolation and the worst part is that it`s all based on an outdated stereotype image of who we are and what we do.

Truth and dare

Things have got better in our industry. For one thing, certain laws are now in place that make it far more difficult for a dodgy agent to make misrepresentations in advertising and marketing materials.

Also, you`ll often find that a good estate agent will give you a valuation for your property`s market price that could be lower than you expected. Only those who are desperate for your business or simply don`t know their local market will knowingly inflate an asking price.

It stands to reason really - overpriced properties don`t sell, especially when there are record numbers of other homes crowding the market. So there`s little point in telling a seller they can achieve an unrealistic figure and then try and persuade them to drop the price months down the road.

So honesty is always the best policy.

Changing perceptions

When I started the business I set out to change the way people thought about estate agents by breaking away from old stereotypes.

One thing we did right away was ditch all the old outdated jargon, "we are proud to bring to market this exceptional residence" and all of that.

Treating everyone as an individual and not trying to fit them into our own check-box way of doing things was another. It is such a surprise that this still happens, especially in the larger chains and the smaller brand names that are owned by them.

A friendly approach doesn`t mean a lack of professionalism either - we enjoy our work, so why shouldn`t we be happy and have a certain level of informality too? The bottom line is that to be a good estate agent you have to be a `people person`.

Mostly though, the way I achieved my business aims was to make sure everyone who worked for me shared my values.

Trust matters

I trust every single one of the team that works at Matthew Anthony incorporating Stafford Johnson. The reason is simple because I hand-picked each and every one of them.

This goes much further than purely having full confidence in their skills, experience, knowledge and professionalism. Most importantly I trust them all to be honest and do the right thing. These are the foundations that every successful local estate agent should be built on.

If you`d like to know more call 01903 501 105, email us or pop into our office at 325-329 Goring Road BN12 4NX and let us tell you in person.

Matthew Cohen
FNAEA, FARLA, AssocRICS, DEA
Managing Director

Landlords - How Does Your Garden Grow?

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

When you sell a property it`s natural to make sure it looks well-kept and looked after. The whole idea of why `kerb appeal` can be so important is based on the old adage that first impressions really do count.

When landlords are looking for a new tenant there is so much to take on board. From checking `right to rent` status, doing due diligence on the ability to afford the rent, dealing with deposits right through to making sure that the property itself is competitive in the sector of the market you are aiming at.

That last point is key. If you are looking to attract tenants willing to pay top scale rent then high-end brand name appliances need to be given the right level of attention. If your business plan is focused on a busy local student market then other considerations will come into play. There are different matters to take into account whatever your aims.

However, in each and every case you will be looking for people who will take care of the property and treat it with respect. What`s more, even in these times of record levels of high demand in the rental sector, you do have to find tenants who actually want to live there as well.

Gardens - literally!

Most old proverbs and sayings are based on some truths and we all know that first impressions really do matter. If a property has a front garden that looks unkempt and uncared for it provokes an immediate reaction. Likewise, if your rental has the added attraction of a garden space it is something that can be a big selling point, both in attracting the right tenants and commanding higher rental income.

If you are aiming at young families with a view to finding someone who will be a long-term stable tenant this aspect can be key. So it stands to reason that taking some time and effort will pay off. Making sure the area is at least clean and tidy is the minimum, and being presented as a mature garden ready to enjoy all year round will pay dividends in the long run.

Gardens - metaphorically!

Tending for and looking after a garden has many similarities to being a long-term successful landlord. In fact, `how does your garden grow` is another old saying that has multiple applications to life.

Finding the best tenants can be like planting a seed and if your business plan is to have stable, responsible long-stay tenants things do need to be nurtured and relationships developed along the way.

It`s pretty much the same for any business venture that involves investment and financial outlay. The simple trick to ensure success is to make sure you take the best approach right from the start.

Gardeners and letting agents...

Ok, so we might be pushing the connection a little here, but in truth our job is a little like being a gardening contractor that takes on the planning and heavy lifting for our clients.

It involves a lot more than taking on the `red tape` paperwork and legal compliance side of things, which is only set to grow as The Renters` Rights Act comes into full force in the coming weeks.

It`s actually more about making sure you get the best return on your investment. For instance, did you know that landlords can claim gardening costs as a tax-deductible expense? www.gov.uk guidance clearly states that costs of services, including the wages of gardeners, are considered part of the allowable maintenance and repairs.

The one pitfall is that this only applies if the work is done to maintain the property to its original standard when let, i.e. regular mowing, weeding and so on rather than for any improvement works.

These types of relatively subtle distinctions can make the difference when it comes to maximising ROI and there are many others that are similar which you might not be aware of - that`s where we come into the picture.

If you are a landlord with property in West Sussex call Lettings Director Ian Colban or Property Manager Julie Fivash on 01903 608 080 or email us and find out how we can help your rental portfolio come into bloom!

Bury Drive, Goring-by-Sea – Sold For £509,500

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Demand for detached bungalows in Goring-by-Sea remains incredibly strong — and this sale on Bury Drive is a perfect example of why.

Positioned on a quiet, tree-lined road close to local shops, schools and Goring station, this chain-free bungalow immediately stood out to buyers looking for space, privacy and long-term potential. Properties offering this combination — particularly with large south-facing gardens — are increasingly hard to find in the BN12 area.

From the outset, the home appealed to a wide range of buyers thanks to its flexible layout and clear scope to extend or reconfigure (subject to the necessary consents). The open-plan lounge and dining space created a natural hub of the home, while three well-proportioned bedrooms offered versatility for downsizers, families or those working from home.

However, it was the outside space that really captured attention. The generous south-facing garden, complete with two separate patio areas, provided both privacy and potential — whether for entertaining, relaxing, or future extension. This type of plot size is a key driver for buyers in Goring and played a major role in generating strong interest early on.

Additional features such as the private driveway, fully powered garage, and attractive frontage further strengthened its appeal, particularly for buyers prioritising practicality alongside lifestyle.

Following strong interest and a carefully managed sales process, we successfully agreed a sale and guided the transaction through to completion at £509,500.

This sale underlines the continued demand for bungalows in Goring-by-Sea, especially those offering scope, location and outdoor space — and highlights the importance of positioning a property correctly from day one.

Landlords Are You Ready to `Make Tax Digital`?

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

The huge changes for landlords coming into effect under the Renters` Rights Act are just one part of a double whammy - many owners of rental accommodation will also be affected by HMRC`s Making Tax Digital.

Eventually all sole traders and landlords will fall under the auspices of the new way that their income tax is dealt with under the new system. However, from 6 April 2026 those with a total combined annual income from self-employment and property of over £50,000 will be the first to be expected to report their income and expenses to HMRC in this way.

As well as using special software that works with Making Tax Digital for Income Tax you will have to create, store and correct digital records of self-employment and property income and expenses. Quarterly updates are to be sent to HMRC before then submitting your tax return and pay tax due by 31 January the following year as usual.

Red tape

If that sounds to you like a big change is on the way that`s because it is!

Making Tax Digital is being introduced in various stages between April 2026 and April 2028 so this year only those who break the £50,000 will have to comply with the scheme. Subsequently a gross annual income from property or self-employment of £30,000 or more will apply in the 2025-2026 tax year for compulsory use of Making Tax Digital starting April 2027.

After that it then reduces to a gross annual income from property or self-employment of £20,000 or more in the 2026-2027 tax year, with using Making Tax Digital to start in April 2028.

It`s worth noting that MTD will only affect unincorporated landlords, as those who operate through a limited company will remain untouched by these changes as they will continue to pay corporation tax.

New mod cons

Making Tax Digital is being promoted by the Government as a way of modernising the tax system by forcing submission of records of property income and allowable expenses digitally.

The quarterly updates will have to be uploaded by the 7th of August, November, February and May every year, followed by a final declaration which will be similar to current Self-Assessment tax returns. This end of year declaration will have to be delivered digitally to HMRC using the new software as submission by any other means will cease.

There is of course much greater detail to go into which is being the scope of this blog. For instance, a three-line accounts approach can be used but there will be exceptions for expenses such as mortgage interest.

Another thing to note is that the Government has confirmed it will introduce legislation to finalise exemptions which will be offered to taxpayer groups `who would face disproportionate barriers in operating Making Tax Digital`. HMRC will determine applications for exemptions on a case-by-case basis.

Other factors such as using Cash basis accounting or Traditional accounting will also come into play.

Help at hand

One of the reasons that so many landlords trust us to manage their rental properties is that we`re here to help in ALL aspects of being a landlord. We`re not just here to make sure a good plumber quickly fixes a leaking tap (although of course we do that too!).

We will help and guide you through every part of making sure your property investment creates the optimal financial return, with the minimum of fuss and stress. This includes working alongside trusted local professionals such as Galloways Accountants, who support landlords with Making Tax Digital and wider tax planning, ensuring you remain compliant while keeping your finances as efficient as possible.

Our reputation is built on firm foundations of outstanding customer satisfaction - call Lettings Director Ian Colban or Property Manager Julie Fivash on 01903 608 080 or email us to find out why.

Can You Really Find Your Dream Home?

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Looking at property portals and estate agent websites can become quite addictive when you are looking to buy a home.

There are many factors that come into play even before you decide to book a viewing. Location, location, location is the old mantra but it does ring true - most people will have a good idea of where they want to live.

The type of property is something that narrows things down too. Some people may be looking for somewhere bigger, others downsizing, while sometimes outdoor space or access is a big issue.

Essentially most people will have a fairly good idea of where there dream home is and what it looks like - so is it possible to make that dream come true?

Search
The good news is that your dream home, or something very much like it, is probably out there waiting for you to find it.

That picture in your mind`s eye is something that you`ve probably gone over so many times you could describe it to someone in great detail. That`s actually what we love to hear, because as an estate agent it gives us a focus to aim for.

We`re here to listen because that`s how we can then help you. Strangely, it`s not something that every estate agent does.

Look
Just because you`ve found a property that`s in the right place and looks like a good fit, there`s much more to it than that.

That`s why hardly anyone just buys a new home direct from finding it online. It`s not like ordering something from Amazon that you can send back if it`s not the right fit!

Going on a viewing is where the magic really happens - or often doesn`t. As estate agents it`s our pleasure to show you round a property you`ve taken time and effort to visit. You wouldn`t have done that if you didn`t think it might be `the one`.

It`s actually a great part of our job seeing people have a `love at first sight` moment with a home they`ve only seen online before. And yes, it happens all the time!

However, the flip side of that particular coin is that sometimes something just doesn`t feel right. It is often a feeling too, rather than any particular physical factor such as dimensions or build quality.

It`s that intangible thing which really does make a house a home - it`s something that even after years of viewings even the best estate agent will never be able to describe properly. That`s because it simply comes down to whether or not something lives up to your dream.

Buy
It might take some time, it could take many viewings or it might be that magical `love at first sight` property. The good news is that most people find what they are looking for, or at least get very close.

Renovating an older home can morph it more into your dream image, as can simply adding a fresh coat of paint here and there. Sometimes it`s a case of everything being right just as it is - an ‘unpack and uncork the bottle` property, or perhaps in the reverse order!

You can start the ball rolling by sharing your dream with us. We`ll take it from there!

Call 01903 501 105, email us or pop into the office at 325-329 Goring Road, Goring by Sea BN12 4NX and tell us all about it in person.