Q: How is the housing market
faring in Sheffield (prices, hotspots, activity, who’s buying etc.)
A: Sheffield
has always had a remarkably robust property market, even through troubled
times, we haven’t seen the disastrous effects like some smaller cities and
towns. Currently we have plenty of first time buyers looking and the Help to
Buy has definitely encouraged some to the market, as well as having encouraged
some lenders to compete with similar products. Aspirational movers are also on
the up and up, and a shortage of supply in the most popular areas is meaning
that there are multiple bids pushing the values higher, sometimes with
extraordinary results. Largely this is led by school catchment, and is usually
a consideration for resale, even if the current buyers don’t have children of
their own. Investors are cautious with the changes in regulations and taxation,
but are still out there in their droves buying particularly in the city centre.
Q: Are there any up-and-coming
places?
A: Once upon a
time, not so long ago, the idea of living in Sheffield City Centre was
laughable, but the truth now is that it is affordable, convenient, diverse, and
on the rise in popularity. We thought we were taking a bit of a chance taking on
volumes in the city centre over the last couple of years but now that we are
the top selling agent in S1, it seems to have been a risk worth taking. The
buyers are as diverse as the properties; the quality of properties and the
quality of buyers mean that you have to know your market, but plenty are
selling, prices are stable, and the long term prospect of the city centre is
such that it is worth looking into.
Q: If you were the Housing
Minister what would you do and why? (i.e. bring back council housing, change
stamp duty etc etc
A: The
regulation of the estate agency business is a MUST in our eyes, Spencers have
been regulated and licensed for decades and have always felt that the
credibility of being audited and regulated should attract more conscientious clients
and discourage those with the wrong intentions. With the changes in CPR and the
soon to be changes in GDPR, the regulation of certain EU requirements are
pushed on to agents, yet the agents have little or no policing and the OFT,
Ombudsman, and the ASA do little to monitor rogue agents, unless a consumer
reports them. If landlords were licensed and so were agents, we would not need
such heavy over protection of tenants, which would lead to a fairer overall management
of property, tenancies, monitoring of bad advertising, and would improve the
industry overall. And the internet agencies would need to comply!
Q: What are the best and worst
things about working in property?
A: I love my job. There is
nothing at all bad about working in property! Every single day is different,
every client, property, circumstance, is different to the last and so life is
never dull. My worst day ever was probably attending a repossession on behalf
of a bank about 20 years ago, the lady had mental health problems following the
suicide of a loved one and had started to collect animals for comfort. When she
was repossessed the RSPCA took all her animals at the same time and my heart
broke for her. On the flip side of that though, many people feel super excited
to move and can’t wait to get their keys for their new home so it is great to hand
them over at the end of their journey, which is usually an interesting one! It
can be pretty stressful moving home, and when people are under pressure it can
bring out the worst in them, so patience is key and a good listening ear needs
to always be on hand. If you like architecture though, and are nosy about how
others live, you just need to add in tenacity, enthusiasm, and a thick skin and
you would love it!
Q: Where and what your ideal
home?
A: Not to be greedy but I
would need two! If price and location and planners were not a consideration I would
have a Frank Lloyd Wright Fallingwater inspired house surrounded by hills and
views and countryside and fresh air with an internal courtyard and large
mid-century style open plan rooms, water features, and trees. On the flip side
of that, I would also love a penthouse apartment in the thick of it with a huge
roof terrace and with extensive city views! If money were no object though, I’m
not quite so sure that either of these places would be in Sheffield, the
apartment would likely be in New York or Paris and the FLW would likely be in
Mykonos….. one can dream!
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