BigBlackHen.com - The Hertford Estate Agent

This amazing woman is every reason to sign up for organ donation

hertfordestateagent — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:28:37 +0000

I went to a First Thursday networking lunch at Lussmans in Hertord yesterday. Nice food, lots of interesting people, usual networking event. Then T Sandeman-Charles stood up and made the most inspirational talk about her quest to get 10,000 people to sign up for organ donation before she dies (which she will is she doesn’t get a lung transplant). A wonderful and positive woman who deserves all our support. And if you think that “I’m already signed up as I have a donor card” think again – if you’re not registered the chances are your organs go to waste. 500,000 people die each year in the UK but only 1,500 donate!!! Only 0.2% Sign up on her web site and help her reach her goa!! http://www.save5.org.uk/

Check out your home’s flood risk

hertfordestateagent — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:29:14 +0000

Put your post code into the environment agency web site to check your flood risk

http://maps.environment-agency.gov.uk/wiyby/wiybyController?x=531500.0&y=181500.0&topic=floodmap&ep=map&scale=3&location=London,%20City%20of%20London&lang=_e&layerGroups=default&textonly=off

Flood risk homes could become uninsurable – so effectively unsellable – from next year

hertfordestateagent — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:26:28 +0000

This is a scary article outlining how the government are going to stop supporting the insurance industry in insuring homes in flood plains from next year meaning many people could be left without insurance, and with no insurance, no realistic chance of selling their homes. Or at least not for market value. Surely the government and insurance companies will have to find a compromise?

http://www.estateagenttoday.co.uk/news_features/New-warnings-on-homes-in-flood-areas

Port Vale Parking Scheme could affect local house prices

hertfordestateagent — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:20:48 +0000

The local council are proposing making changes to the yellow lines and parking arrangements for Port Vale that could affect local house prices, home owners and businesses. Local resident, Andrew Figgis, is calling for a meeting of local residents in the Millstream Pub and we fully support all of his efforts. Andrew sums up the issue very clearly below:

PORT VALE PARKING SCHEME
PLEASE DO NOT IGNORE THIS AS IT AFFECTS YOU AS YOU LIVE IN THIS ZONE
Did you realise East Herts District Council is proposing to introduce a residents parking scheme in the Port Vale area? All road space in the area of Port Vale (Hertford North side of the barrier) and Balfour Street (to the bridge) will be either paying resident parking bays or double yellow lines (no parking or waiting at any time).
This will REDUCE the number of parking spaces in the area
This is despite their own consultation process results which showed two thirds of residences responding in the whole zone wanted to keep the existing single lines 8am – 6pm Monday to Saturday restriction.
In our area, only people with permits/tickets will be able to park or wait in the permitted zone; these are in the car park area, 3 resident’s parking spaces in Port Vale, and 6 in Balfour Street.
You won’t be able to park, wait or stop anywhere else, even with a permit or ticket, at any time.
DID YOU REALISE THAT
• You will have to buy a resident’s parking permit/ticket from EHDC for each vehicle, whereas you currently park for free (at present ₤102 per annum for 2 cars, but once implemented, price at the whim of EHDC in future, with no recourse). Payment is per vehicle. It’s not a membership arrangement.
• You will have to pre-purchase parking tickets for ALL friends, visitors and deliveries. THIS INCLUDES RESIDENTS WITHOUT CARS.
• Despite having paid for the permit / ticket, you and your friends may not be able to park, as the number of residents’ cars is greater than the number of proposed spaces. You are not guaranteed a space. If you try to park in neighbouring streets, they are usually already full and have restrictions themselves, so you may have to park some considerable distance away.
• We, as a business and the local community pub, will be threatened as our clientele will have very limited parking.
• The absence of parked cars in the early morning and evening will increase the danger of speeding and potential for accidents to pedestrians in Port Vale and Balfour Street when most of the commuters drive through.
• There may well be an adverse effect on the value of your property due to these restrictions. (See overleaf).
We would like to gauge local opinion as to whether you are in favour or against this scheme.

Please simply tick your preference and add your name (optional), address (optional), street and any comments you may have.
(This is only being distributed to residents within the zone to the Hertford North side of the Port Vale tree barrier)
In favour of the scheme as it stands:

Against the scheme as it stands:

Name (optional)

Street / Address

Comments

And post it through our front door.
We propose to invite EHDC to the pub to discuss the matter in an open meeting and will publicise it in due course.
You are going to have to pay for a permit where you can currently park for free
Remember, you cannot wait or park at any time on the proposed double yellow lines, even to unload your shopping or children.
You are not guaranteed a space under the scheme even though you will have paid for the right to park.

Thank you, Andrew, for taking the time and effort to make sure that local residents are properly consulted on these plans!!

New Facebook App could revolutionise the estate agency business

hertfordestateagent — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:30:00 +0000

I have just read a report in Estate Agency Today that could have huge implications for our business. http://www.estateagenttoday.co.uk/news_features/New-Facebook-app-set-to-launch-to-sell-houses. There was always likely to come a time when social networking gave people a way to bypass agents and sell houses directly to one another. This new App has brought that a step nearer, though I have to say I think we are still a long way off. Estate agents are going to need to work out where and how they add value to the whole house selling and buying process to remain relevant in this new world. Standing still is not going to be an option.

BBC predicts flat market in 2012

hertfordestateagent — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 10:42:40 +0000

The New Year is nearly upon us and the BBC have their first article looking into the crystal ball and predicting what will happen to the housing market in 2012:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16356568

Although they talk about stagnation, I think there is reason for optimism. They note that the market nationally was “surprisingly resilient” in 2011 with a 1% rise nationally. The picture was much rosier in London with a 5% rise, so the Hertfordshire market will have benefitted from that. In 2012 it looks like the market will be as flat as a pancake, which is no bad thing really.

If people believe the market is stable they are far more likely to be happy to move, which means a market operating more normally. Its dramatic rises and falls that cause problems in the market so a flat market may be boring, but sometimes boring is good!

Traditional applicants are vanishing

hertfordestateagent — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:50:11 +0000

There’s a really interesting report in this week’s Estate Agent Today about the changing behaviour of house buyers when they register with estate agents. Expert Agent analysed over 200,000 applicants registering at its member agents (over 1200 branches, so a big smaple) and found that “nine out of ten prospective buyers are registering with an agent only when they see a specific property that they want to view. Instead of registering with agents when they want to start looking in a particular area, buyers now wait to see a particular property pop up online, and only then contact the agent”.

A representative said that “old fashioned applicants have disappeared and house buyers now sit on the virtual fence until they see something they like and then reveal themselves to the agent in question”.

This certainly marries up with what we have been seeing at BigBlackHen.com where last year 90% of buyers came of the internet, although in our case many were asking for more details of our properties before arranging a viewing. Some agents have been saying that they are worried that they are becoming detached from buyers and their needs – we just think that this puts the onus on the agent to call each potential buyer in person to discuss what they do, and do not, want. The internet is changing everything, but the need for personal interaction to understand what people want will never change.

Estate Agency Contracts are too one sided

hertfordestateagent — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:46:34 +0000

I’m always amazed that many High Street estate agents (with one or two exeptions) still insist that their clients sign restrictive contracts with lengthy tie in periods, 12 or even 16 weeks in common, and even ask for 2 weeks written notice in many cases. Signing such a contract is definitely not in the seller’s interest as if for any reason you are not happy with the service being provided, or simply have a change of heart and decide to try someone else, you are stuck. It may be your home but once you have signed the contract you are no longer free to sell it with whoever you wish. To my mind these practices are way out of date, which is why we have always used a client friendly contract, adapted from one recommended by Which? Magazine in their campaign for better estate agency, which has no tie-in or notice periods. We’ve even added an anti-gazumping clause as we detest this practice and want to do our bit to stamp it out. We’d rather our clients worked with us because they were happy to do so, than because they were forced to by a piece of paper.

House Doctor your home

hertfordestateagent — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 14:49:51 +0000

This year we have been working closely with a couple of local independent House Doctor’s (or home stagers) as we believe that helping clients present their homes properly is a crucial part of any successful sale – especially in a tough market. The concept is huge in America and Australia but for some reason has been slow to take off in this country. The results we have seen this year show that sellers should definitely consider this before putting their homes on the market. All six of the homes that used these services have now sold, and often for a better price that would have been the case if they had just been sold “as is”. For a minimal outlay you really can transform a home’s appeal to viewers, redecorating where necessary and even staging rooms with furniture which can be rented where appropriate. You wouldn’t sell a car without washing it and giving it a good hoover inside at the very least, so why sell your home without removing the clutter that builds up over time or taking a bit of time and money to bring it up to scratch. If you need House Doctoring advice, please ask for more information. It’s a great way to make your house stand out from the competition. We can prove it!

Happy Birthday to BigBlackHen.com Herts!

hertfordestateagent — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 12:45:01 +0000

It is exactly one year since BigBlackHen.com opened its Hertfordshire office, and what a year it has been. Only 12 months on and already our distinctive For Sale boards have become an increasingly familiar sight across the county from Arkley in the south to Old Stevenage in the north, from Furneaux Pelham in the east, to Hemel Hempstead in the west. We have out over £30 million pounds worth of property on the market, have nearly 30 houses sold or under offer, and have registered over 2000 applicants looking to buy in Herts on our database. We’ve had a terrific response to our fresh approach to marketing, our more user friendly attitude to service and, of course, our low fixed fees. Traditional estate agents charge too much for what they do and we are proud to be offering people a more cost effective way to move. So blow up the balloons, light the candles and raise your glasses to our first birthday!