We want to remind you that we are here; constant, informed and reliable, to support you in these changing and unpredictable times.
Here, in a few words, is how The Country House Company can help you right now…….
• Safe and efficient procedures in place;
We have procedures in place to enable us to safely and efficiently carry out viewings and market appraisals.
• Latest Information on changing regulations;
We are able to give you the very latest information on the changing regulations surrounding property transactions under COVID-19 restrictions.
• Professional advice;
We are qualified, governed by ARLA Propertymark and able to give professional advice whether or not you are a client.
• Regular communications;
We are communicating regularly with clients, ensuring that they are aware of relevant changes in legislation.
• Adapted working procedures;
We have adapted our working procedures to enable the whole team to continue to work together to provide a full service to all clients whether we are working from the office or remotely.
• Continued full management service;
We are able to continue with management visits, either in person or virtually, and are in regular contact with all contractors to ensure safety checks and essential repairs can be actioned.
There are many more ways we can help. We are aware that everyone has unique concerns and challenges as a result of this crisis so please be assured, we are here to work with you to find the right solution for you.
Temporary changes to Section 21 Notice
Please note that there has been a further change to the legislation surrounding Section 21’s and the process of repossession.
Notice periods have been temporarily extended as a result of the current Covid situation. To be clear if you issue a Section 21 to a tenant after 26th August, it must be for a minimum period of 6 months.
It is also worth noting that courts in England and Wales have reopened to hear possession hearings as of 21st September. This means that courts will begin to hear cases against those who have not paid rent or are guilty of unacceptable behaviour.
However, landlords should be aware that even with the introduction of ten new Nightingale courts, recently introduced to assist with the backlog of cases, there are still delays with hearings. Landlords should bear in mind that the eviction system is now more complex; landlords seeking to repossess a property through the courts due to rent arrears are now required to provide information relating to the effect of Covid on the tenant.
It is all the more important during these ever changing and complicated times that landlords follow professional advice. The team at The Country House Company are regulated by ARLA Propertymark and professionally qualified to give you the necessary advice and keep you aware of changes in legislation.
If you have any concerns regarding tenancies please call Kate Morton on 023 92 632275 or email kate@countryhousecompany.co.uk
As Gas Safety Week celebrates its tenth anniversary, we join organisations from across the UK to raise awareness of the dangers of poorly maintained gas appliances, which can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions, and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.
Landlords are legally responsible for the safety of their tenants and must make sure maintenance and annual safety checks on gas appliances are carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
If you’re a landlord, you are legally obliged to make sure:
• Gas pipework, appliances, and flues provided for tenants are maintained in a safe condition.
• All gas appliances and flues provided for tenants’ use have an annual safety check.
• A Gas Safety Record is provided to the tenant within 28 days of completing the check or to any new tenant before they move in.
• You keep a copy of the Gas Safety Record until two further checks have taken place.
• Maintenance and annual safety checks are carried out by a qualified Gas Safe registered engineer.
• All gas equipment (including any appliance left by a previous tenant) is safe or otherwise removed before re-letting.
Please contact Marishelle Butler or Kate Morton on 02392 632275 for expert advice on letting and managing your property safely and legally.
The focus at The Country House Company is to ensure that our viewings and appraisals are carried out safely and efficiently.
All the regulations in place for COVID 19 precautions may seem daunting but actually are quick, effective and inspire confidence during a viewing or appraisal and we have an efficient system in place for all members of the team.
Having ensured in writing that no individual involved with a viewing or appraisal are displaying symptoms of Covid 19, are self-isolating or have been in contact with anyone who is self-isolating, we ask all parties to wear gloves and mask and we provide our own re-usable Country House Company masks. For a market appraisal we will have gained a lot of information on a property before we arrive and would simply ask that internal doors are open so we do not need to touch any surfaces. Extended discussion on properties will take place outside where possible.
For viewings we ensure that doors are open in advance of a viewing, we only let 2 adults, from the same household, in a property at any one time, and we leave a sensible period of time between viewings. The viewing agent will wipe down any surfaces or door handles touched, and all viewing agents have a pack with sanitizer and disinfectant.
After over 25 years in the industry we are experienced at making the viewing as effective as possible for the applicant and the vendor or landlord. As a company we have always prided ourselves on getting the right applicant for the right property.
We are experiencing an exceptional demand for houses at the moment to sell and to let. We have had offers on houses confirmed within a week of launch, sales offer agreed on the first day of viewings and a couple of rentals booked even before the property has been marketed. These are busy times so if you do have a property to sell or are looking at the possibility of letting out your house please do call us on 023 92 632275.
Marishelle Butler
Offered for sale through The Country House Company, this stylish home has been the subject of extensive, yet sympathetic renovation by the current owners.
Situated in the hamlet of Beauworth, the cottage has well-presented accommodation brimming with character features throughout including fireplaces, exposed timbers and wooden latch doors.
On the ground floor are a welcoming reception hall, a spacious kitchen/dining room with Aga, an impressive sitting room with inglenook fireplace and log burning stove and a cosy family room also with fireplace. In addition, and completing the ground floor is the utility and cloakroom.
Upstairs, on the first floor is the master bedroom with en suite shower room, three further bedrooms, a study area and family bathroom.
The property sits in a pretty, mature and well stocked garden with large areas of lawn and formal planting. It has a lovely outlook over the village green to the front and glorious views to the South Downs Countryside to the rear.
The house has private parking and a detached double garage, gym and store.
There is a public House and Church nearby and easy access to Alresford and Winchester which provide more extensive amenities, the latter train services to London. Local schools are at Cheriton and Alresford with private schools including Twyford, St Swithuns and Winchester College within easy access. Local road links also make this an ideal location for commuters with the A272/M3/A3 also accessible. For leisure pursuits the protected surrounding countryside offers an abundance of footpaths and bridleways.
By the time the government had launched its #keepthecountrymoving campaign activity levels were already high. We were receiving lots of enquiries from applicants looking to buy or rent and mainly from families looking to move out of London.
The level of interest has remained high. Applicants who made plans during lockdown to change their work/homelife balance, to embrace a more rural lifestyle, to have more space and access to the open areas have followed their plans through. The changes to stamp duty have been a further boost to an already busy market.
The results of a post Covid survey of 500 respondents conducted by Savills tell us that:
• The experience of Covid-19 had caused almost three quarters to reconsider their work-life balance
• This has made them become even more committed to moving, not just in the next 12 months but also in the shorter term
• There is less stock on the market than they expected and more competition among buyers
• The stock that is available is priced more highly than they had anticipated
• But a surprisingly high proportion will take a short-term view on future values if buying today
• Where they are unable to secure a property in the next six months, renting is a viable option for around half of prospective buyers in the current market
We have certainly seen these findings reflected in activity within The Country House Company. Rental and sales transactions during the past quarter are up on last year, despite the lockdown restrictions dominating that period. The demand is still high for reasonably priced properties for sale and to rent; so, if your plans and thoughts are reflected above then now is the time to act. Call Kate Porter or Claudia Hunt to discuss your property and the options open to you. 02392 632275
Marishelle Butler
The government’s campaign to #keepthecountrymoving appears to have been a success. Whether the current levels of activity can be attributed to the season, the weather, the recent announcements on stamp duty, a desire to move having been forced to stay put for so long, or a combination of all these factors, the end result is that the country appears to be on the move. Agents across the country are reporting exceptionally high levels of activity in sales and rentals.
Much of the interest is from families currently living in London. Hampshire has always been a desirable county with its proximity to London and the south coast combined with glorious open countryside, idyllic villages, numerous market towns and historic cities. A recent article in The Guardian listed Petersfield, a central Hampshire market town, as one of the top 10 hotspots to escape the city to, highlighting the fact that the commuting time by train to London Waterloo is just 3 minutes over the magic one hour mark, making it a commuter town with all the benefits of rural life.
The Country House Company has a wide variety of properties available for rent and for sale. Exciting and different sales properties include glorious barn conversions, a unique refurbished converted station and a former chapel now an immaculate character home. Equally exciting and different rental opportunities include a stylish contemporary detached 3 bedroom property in the Meon Valley village of East Meon, a smart furnished penthouse apartment in Petersfield and a converted period cottage opposite Gilbert Whites house in Selborne.
With the demand for viewings remaining high if you are considering renting out your property or moving house then now is the time. Contact Marishelle, Claudia, Kate or any member of the team at The Country house Company for expert advice on 02392 632275
Situated in the Test Valley village of Wherewell, this beautiful cottage has spacious and stylish accommodation, off street parking and a large enclosed formal garden. The property presents all the features expected of its period including exposed timbers, beams, fireplaces and wooden latch doors and yet has unusually good ceiling height throughout.
The accommodation is extremely well presented and includes a spacious kitchen/breakfast room with Aga and feature oak panelling, a formal dual aspect dining room with fireplace, a substantial triple aspect split level sitting room with log burning stove, a conservatory which is accessed from the kitchen, a welcoming reception hall and a shower room.
On the second floor there are 4 double bedrooms, a dressing room, a study area and a family bathroom. The layout is flexible and this floor could easily be arranged to provide two elegant bedroom suites if preferred.
To the side of the property is a gravelled drive with off road parking for two cars and gated access to the rear garden. The garden is enclosed and laid mainly to lawn with mature borders and planting and a paved sun terrace immediately adjacent to the cottage. The garden is lovely and private and benefits from a south easterly aspect.
The cottage is positioned within the heart of the village of Wherewell which lies between Winchester, Stockbridge and Andover. The village has a thriving community with popular village school, a church and a public house. Locally, across the water meadows, is the neighbouring village of Chilbolton which has a village store and public house. The surrounding area offers glorious countryside that is renowned for its outdoor pursuits.
Guide price £895,000
All enquiries to Kate Porter, Head of Sales, 02392 632275 email: katep@countryhousecompany.co.uk
Old Droxford Station is a truly unique property steeped in history and now a stylish private residence available for sale through The Country House Company.
Droxford Station was a small station on the Meon Valley Railway, designed by British architect T.P.Figgis. T. P. Figgis was renowned for his work on British public buildings including the iconic London stations of Stockwell, Oval, Kennington, Elephant & Castle and Borough. Droxford Station was opened in 1903 and was one of 4 stations designed by Figgis for The Meon Valley railway, which between 1903 and 1968 ran along 22 miles of glorious Hampshire countryside.
The major claim to fame for Old Droxford Station came in 1944 amid World War ll, when Droxford Station was used by the Prime Minister Winston Churchill as his base during preparations for the Normandy landings. Based in an armored train parked in the sidings at Droxford, Churchill met with numerous ministers, military commanders and leaders of allied nations. On 4 June 1944, shortly before the landings were due to take place, Free French leader Charles de Gaulle visited Churchill at Droxford, and was informed of the invasion plans.
So, with that exciting history the property, with its classic station design and original features, has been skillfully refurbished by the current owners to create a unique and stylish 4 bedroom family home. The main station waiting room is now a dual aspect drawing room with a magnificent oak panelled vaulted ceiling and fireplace with log burning stove. The ladies waiting room is now a family room and the original ticket office is now a study designed to retain the booth and cabinets from its operating days.
In addition, on the ground floor is an elegant formal dining room, a superb extensively fitted kitchen/dining room with a range cooker and large utility/boot room with cloakroom and access outside. There is also a rear lobby, additional cloakroom and second staircase to the guest suite with bathroom.
Accessed via the main staircase is the master bedroom with en suite bathroom, two further double bedrooms and a large family bathroom.
The gardens are a superb feature of the house and again in keeping with its history. They have been attractively landscaped to include large areas of lawn with perennial borders, orchard, raised vegetable beds plus Victorian style Hartley Botanic greenhouse and two paddocks.
The detached signal box has been reconstructed as a tasteful one bedroom annexe which has open plan living space with kitchenette and fireplace, a double bedroom and private bathroom.
There is also a garage/workshop/office which is substantial and benefits from planning permission for use of the first floor as an office.
Old Droxford Station is in the Hampshire village of Soberton which lies on the west of the River Meon and in the heart of the Meon Valley and South Downs National Park.
Guide price £1,600,000
For full details please see www.countryhousecompany.co.uk or call Kate Porter on 02392 632275.