Estate Agents - are they all the same? #Sheffield #Spencer #Blog #SpencersAgents

"They’re all the same!"

Blog by Chris Spooner, our Senior Valuer at Spencer

I was in a well-known coffee shop last week when I happened to over-hear a conversation where two people were discussing a recent experience of choosing an estate agent. "I went for the agent who had the lowest fee because when you break it down they're all pretty much the same." This comment managed to make me experience sadness, disappointment, anger and happiness all in a 20 second moment but thankfully happiness was the emotion I felt for the most of that day.  I went back to the office to be greeted by our office manager who had a smile that was bigger than a Cheshire cat’s! The reason for her happiness was a vendor who had just been into the office to drop off a set of keys for the sale of their house which had just completed. Behind her on the desk were four bottles of wine, a bunch of flowers, and two cards, which had comments thanking us for all our help. This particular vendor has had plenty of recent experience with estate agents both as a buyer and seller so it was even more satisfying to read his praise of our team for all of our efforts. He was keen to point out that my initial marketing valuation was in the middle of three that he had received when looking to find a suitable agent, and he also was happy to admit that we weren't the cheapest agent to quote for his business. The results though were that we achieved a sale price higher than the highest valuation he'd received with a service that he couldn't find even the smallest of faults with. He couldn't believe the difference between using ourselves and the previous agent he used less than three years ago who at the time he chose because he thought all estate agents were the same! 

If you're thinking of selling your home in the near future and also think estate agents are all the same, please come down to our office for a cuppa and chat so we can try to help you see how different we might just be.

www.spencersestateagents.co.uk

#property #estateagent #sheffield #blog

PARTY - All Welcome! @ Concept Interiors 13th July #Sheffield

NEW KITCHEN SHOWROOM 

PARTY

@ CONCEPT INTERIORS

13TH JULY 

3-7

Please come and visit Concept Interiors, 117 Bamforth Street, #Sheffield, S6 2HE, and have a look around the new state of the art kitchen showroom on Thursday the 13th July 2017.   

Pop along to watch expert chef, Thomas Samworth, who has recently opened the fabulous ‘No Name’ restaurant in Crookes. Come and see him first hand at work and sample some of his delicious food. There will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions and he will offer his expertise whilst he prepares a selection of tempting dishes on our new Miele appliances! There will also be light refreshments available to include barrels of Bradfield Brewery beer from the pump, glasses of Prosecco, wine, and cold bottled beers.

Come and chat with the team who are knowledgeable and willing to offer advice and suggestions to help you create your dream kitchen or help with your trade needs for developments of any size. With a range of contemporary German kitchen displays, to the more bespoke, handmade kitchen with crafted wooden and painted finishes. There are over 10 fitted displays for you to wander round and take inspiration from, with our amazing kitchen worktops including Dekton, Silestone, Sensa, Granite and Corian.

So, if you are at a loose end on Thursday 13th July from 9:00am onwards you can call in or why not come to the Spencer Party from 3pm - 7pm. Everyone welcome! If you would like more information please email info@conceptinteriors.org.uk or contact us at Spencer The Estate Agent on 0114 268 3682 or lizzie@spencersestateagents.co.uk

Hallam Primary School #Sheffield Draw their Dream Homes

At Spencer (The Estate Agent) we’re really lucky to be able to work with the local community by sponsoring local football teams like Hallam FC and Ecclesall Rangers, provide prizes for Easter egg hunts for the South Yorkshire Twins and Multiples Association, and coordinate knitting for The Jessop's Hospital NICU, to name but a few.

  

 This month, together with Hallam Primary School in Fulwood, we have run a ‘Draw your Dream Home’ competition and the pictures are absolutely brilliant! From a dog-shaped house to an eco-friendly hut, we’ve seen it all. The whole school got involved and it was seriously difficult to choose a winner, so in the end we chose three winners from each year group. But that was still incredibly tough!

Managing Director Nicola Spencer & Co-Director Lee Bullen Assistant Coach at SWFC took their twins to Hallam to give out the prizes in a special prize giving assembly and it was fabulous to meet the artists themselves.

The winning pictures will be on display at our office at 469 Ecclesall Road until the end of April for anyone who would like to come and have a look. We’d love to see you!

Well done to all the amazing children, we have loved being involved. 

www.spencersestateagents.co.uk 

Partay with Spencer - Sheffield Estate Agents

October 31^st saw the 5 year anniversary of Managing Director Nicola Spencer & Lee Bullen taking over the family business at Spencers and what better way to celebrate than with a brand new look and a party!

Whilst Nicola would admit that the rebrand itself has been a labour of love, it’s all been worth the hard work, even if we do say so ourselves! We love that Nicola's signature is the face of the brand now, and that she is happy to sign her name to her work and the work that we all do for the business on her behalf, as we all passionately believe we are doing our very best. Watch out for loads more interiors based products too, as well as the gorgeous mugs, as we roll out more and more patternwork and colourways to show off the versatility and opportunities opening up with the new branding - we love it. 

We had a fabulous time showing off our newly designed and extended offices to our guests and danced the night away with thanks to DJ Greg, flowing fizz, and food from the fabulous Marcus (previously Rafters) for Spoilt for Choice. Not only were we able to celebrate with our loyal landlords and vendors, but with trusted local solicitors, developers, and other letting agents who continue to support our focused, family run, estate agency. A fabulous time was had by all and going by the sore heads in the office the next morning, I think we all managed to let our hair down too.

As well as property sales and rentals, Spencer is proud to offer a variety of services including block management and interior & property design. 

Please call the office to ask about what we can offer you on 0114 2683682 or visit http://www.spencersestateagents.co.uk/

Looking for a refurbishment project in Sheffield? Let Spencer help

Looking for a refurbishment project? Then we have the perfect property for you whether you are a budding or experienced developer, or if you want to renovate your own home.

13 Causeway Head Road in Dore is a fantastic Victorian two/three bedroom end terraced property which is located in the heart of village. This property is in need of love and attention allowing you to put your own stamp on it.

http://bit.ly/2guDaRQ

We’ve sold some fantastic refurbishment projects recently which might give you some great ideas.

93 Townend St, S10

96 South View Road, S7

To view 13 Causeway Head Road, or any of our properties, please call Spencer. The Estate Agent on 01142683682

Investment Properties in Sheffield from Spencer

Investment properties in Sheffield

Sheffield continues to be a highly sought after rental location due to the ever growing student and professional market looking for properties to rent.

With great transport links and a strong economy, investors from all over the UK are looking for buy to let opportunities in Sheffield.

We have some great properties for sale, to suit all types of investors budgets.

http://www.vebra.com/spencersestates/property/26393366

http://www.vebra.com/spencersestates/property/26430844

http://www.vebra.com/spencersestates/property/26200401

http://www.vebra.com/spencersestates/property/26097158

http://www.vebra.com/spencersestates/property/26345425

If you would like any further information on these properties, please call Spencers on 0114 2683682.

Selling your #property #blog in the Spring - Spencers of Sheffield

Tips for selling your home this Spring

With the weather hotting up and spring flowers and trees in bloom; now is the time to use the abundance of the beautiful flora and fauna to help sell your home. Freshly-cut flowers add an instant spring feeling and lovely aroma, whilst bright flowerbeds and hanging baskets can give your property that extra curb appeal.

It’s also the perfect time for spring cleaning and de-cluttering, to make your home feel airy, light, and spacious. Simple things like rearranging your furniture, can give viewers the impression of space and when it comes to accessories, less is always more.

Spread the word by telling family, friends, neighbours and local businesses that you’re selling. Social media is also a great FREE marketing tool, including Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook, so use them to your advantage. You never know where an unexpected buyer might spring from!

Be sensible about the value of your property, don’t just opt for the highest valuation, it might be tempting, but if your property is still on the market months later, it has cost you money.

Finally, check you have the title deeds and (if you’ve made any changes to your home) planning consents and certificates. The wrong time to start looking for them is when you’ve sold the property. “Apart from anything else,” says Howard Elston of Aylesford International, “delays in the legal process are the most common reason for properties not selling, and can give a buyer time to change their mind.”

If you’d like a FREE market appraisal of your home, just call Spencers on 0114 2683682

www.SpencersEstateAgents.co.uk 

How much does it cost to BUY A HOUSE? Spencers Estate Agent, Chris Spooner blogs

How exciting! You’ve decided that you want to buy a new home! The very thought of moving house for most people will bring a huge level excitement and wonderful ideas about what type of property you are looking for. Once you have trawled through the Internet looking at various property websites it suddenly dawns on you that it will cost real money if you are actually serious about moving home. Where to start though? How much will it cost? What do I have to pay for? What and how much is stamp duty? Even if you’ve bought and sold several properties before, I doubt that most people will immediately think of every expense needed when initially looking for a new home and there will be many who don’t fully understand the governments changes to stamp duty which have been brought in over the last few years.

The first and possibly most important cost will be a deposit. Typically this will be anything between 5% -20% of the price of the property that you buy. The bigger your deposit the better, as it will affect the mortgage rates on offer to you.

This brings us nicely on to the topic of mortgages. Most banks will these days offer you a mortgage and sometimes with preferential rates if you already bank with them. However the mortgage market is possibly the most competitive I have seen it in over 15 years and therefore it would be a good idea to speak with an independent mortgage advisor who has access to rates from all of the lenders out there.

As part of your mortgage application, a valuation survey will be carried out on the property you are buying which will confirm the market valuation and general condition. There are two further types of survey you may want to consider but be aware they will be much more expensive. A homebuyers report is a much more detailed report which can often be carried out at the same time and by the same person who is carrying out the valuation survey. The third option is a buildings survey which is the most detailed survey available but normally would only be recommended on older buildings or where you can see obvious problems with the structure and construction.

It is technically possible to buy a property without being guided by a solicitor however I wouldn’t recommend it and all mortgage lenders would insist on you using one. Fees for conveyancing solicitors can range from £500 - £1500 depending on the price of the property you are buying and any complications that may come up in the process. Many local solicitors will now offer a ‘no sale/no fee’ option in the event of a sale falling through.

Stamp duty is commonly misunderstood by many people who I meet and the best advice would give is to use an online stamp duty calculator which there are many of if you search google such as www.stampdutycalculator.org.uk  In a nutshell you will pay 2% between £125k - £250k and 5% on the portion between £250k and £925k.

When the end is in sight and your solicitor is talking about ‘exchanging contracts’ you will need to start thinking about removal costs. This could be simply the cost of a van needed to transport all of your worldly belongings which is likely to be no more than a few hundred pounds or a full removal service which could be £1000 or more. There are plenty of options out there but always go for a recommendation if possible.

The final cost you may want to consider is a bottle of wine for the helpful estate agent who gave you lots of valuable advice along the way! 

If you would like us to recommend an independent mortgage advisor, removals contact, or any other property professional, we are happy to help. 

Call us on 0114 268 3682 or email us via our website www.SpencersEstateAgents.co.uk 

More and more over 55’s downsizing - Sheffield Estate Agents Spencers Report

More and more over 55’s downsizing

‘Millions of homeowners over 55 are banking on raising money from their homes through downsizing to boost income in retirement’ according to a study by Saga.

We have more vendors and purchasers looking for a smaller property for various reasons;

• Raising cash for their pension
• Lower running costs and maintenance
• Raising cash to help their children get on the property ladder
• Less debt and less risk
• Empty nesters

There are plenty of advantages in moving to a smaller home, just think of how much more spare time you’ll have with less rooms to clean!

With a smaller property your household bills will be less, you can lower your mortgage payments, or pay it off altogether, even release some cash to go on a holiday of a lifetime.

Another positive in owning a smaller home is it can also stop those boomerang children from returning!

Whether you’re downsizing from a mansion, or a terrace, we can help find you the perfect property at www.spencersestateagents.co.uk

If you’re thinking of moving, why not call Spencers for a free valuation today on 0114 2683682.

Blog by Senior Negotiator Emily Kirkby 

Spencers Estate Agents Sheffield - Property Blog

Kelly Fletcher from Spencers Estate Agents talks about how to best present your property... 

A decision to sell your property is not one that is taken lightly. First impressions are vital so it is key to present your property in the best possible way. Steps can be taken to ensure your property sells quickly for the best possible price.

De-cluttering is a simple task but can make a huge difference in the presentation of your home. Potential buyers need to be able to view their possessions in a property. The best approach is to remove unwanted items in to cupboards and storage spaces, this will make your property feel more spacious and inviting.

Now is the time to get round to those odd jobs that you have been putting off. A lot of vendors think “what’s the point, we are selling”, but ask yourself would you buy a property that has lots of unfinished odd jobs? It can make a big difference so perfect time to pay a trip to the hardware store.

Cigarette smoke, pet’s odours, mould…… bad smells are a well know turn off for potential buyers. Eliminate these with air fresheners, candles, cleaning carpets and curtains. You could even put on a pot of coffee to give that homely smell before any viewings.

Outdoor space is as important to present in the correct way as the property itself. Trimming hedges, mowing lawns, tidying up flower beds. Take care of external paintwork and gutters, you want the property to be as inviting as possible from the minute any potential buyer arrives.

Don’t be afraid to ask for a second opinion, get a friend, relative or neighbour to give you honest feedback on the presentation of your property. Looking at properties every day, there will be things you get used to seeing so you may not even notice slight imperfections.

Here at Spencers we have friendly, helpful, honest staff that would be more than happy to provide details on presenting your property in the best way. 

www.spencersestateagents.co.uk 

Spencers Estate Agents - Sheffield, 469 Ecclesall Road

Sheffield Property Blog 

Sheffield Buy-to Let Hotspot

With rising rents, a strong housing market and excellent buy-to-let mortgages now available, many people are looking to traditional bricks and mortar to invest their hard-earned savings.

The S1 area is developing fast and is known to have some of the highest gross yields in the whole of the UK, providing up to 11% on some properties.

With a population of over 500,000, Sheffield is England’s fourth-largest city, and regularly attracts over 57,000 students, many of whom choose to stay after graduation. The S1 area is perfectly located for them with excellent links to the Universities, Colleges and Hospitals.

Let’s not forget the professionals either, with Sheffield’s economy booming and many young professionals unable to afford a deposit to buy a property, more and more are turning to rentals.

“Sheffield is at a massive advantage over other major northern cities, benefiting from its location, strength of the rental market and relative under-supply of city centre residential units. The strength of the rental market can also be attributed to the limited number of high-quality centrally-located schemes in Sheffield, especially when compared with other regional centres across the UK.”

Victoria Chambers is a perfectly placed development scheme for investors looking to buy in the S1 area, with an excellent blend of one and two bedroomed properties, all boasting period features, as well as high specification interiors and very competitive prices from £132,500 to £160,000.

www.spencersestateagents.co.uk Spencers Estate Agents Blog - Sheffield 

http://www.vebra.com/spencersestates/property/25884818

Tips for selling your home in the winter from #SpencersEstateAgents #Sheffield

Tips for selling your home in the winter

People often think that selling their property in the winter is difficult, however it’s a great time to play on your homes’ cosy, friendly charm. The things that lead people to buy a new home, like a new job, growing family, up- or downsizing -- happen all year round, and there are still plenty of buyers out there.

 

There are some simple checks to help sell your home in the winter.

·         Exterior - kerb appeal is key, so keep your gardens, guttering and drains clear of leaves and debris, and prune back any foliage, also cover your garden furniture

·         Interior - Check all your heating and lighting is in good working order and de-clutter your home

·         Atmosphere  - Scented candles, flowers, baking smells etc. all help towards making people feel cosy and if you have a fire then light it

As Simon Gerrard, president of the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) points out "Quite often, it is the smallest changes to a property that can make it stand out over others. A warm, inviting atmosphere in the dreary winter months is key,"

"Simple things such as making sure a home is warm and well lit can improve saleability during the darker months and additions such as welcoming garden lights to enhance the entrance to your home can appeal to buyers’ imaginations," he adds.

Why not call us for a free valuation today on 0114 2683682

www.SpencersEstateAgents.co.uk 

Thank you to all amazing Knitters from the #TheGreatKnitOff - keep the knitting coming! #NICU

Knitting for premature babies in the Sheffield NICU

We have been overwhelmed by the volume and quality of contributions for the Jessops Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Our babies, Maddie and Rudi, spent some time in the unit when they were born in September last year and received such incredible care and attention, so much so that we were desperate to give something back.
We were given the most wonderful cardigans whilst the babies were so small that nothing fit them, and were allowed to bring the babies home in their cardigans knitted by really special people who offer their donations and time charitably. We really cherish our cardigans and know that most mothers whose babies have been on the unit hold dear their cardies and blankets in their baby memory boxes. 
We thought it would be a great idea to offer the service of coordinating knitting donations with so many wonderful knitters and with wool donations from the non-knitters (like me!) 
The response has been really heart-warming and we are so very thankful. Yesterday we took the donations so far to the unit and the staff and babies were delighted! Thank you so very much to all the kind people so far. I am happy to continue in the role of Knitting Coordinator for life and so please don't stop the generous donations of wool and knitted garments coming. 
For patterns and information on wool please get in touch with Nicola Spencer on 0114 2683682 or email Nicola@SpencersEstateAgents.co.uk
We can't believe how talented you all are and whether you knit one item or ten, they all will end up snuggling a tiny baby at the unit - THANK  YOU.