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
We have recently sold and let a record number of properties and as the urban exodus continues, we need more houses!
Such is the level of activity that we have recently succeeded in letting a property in East Meon without even marketing and in the same village 2 properties were sale agreed within 5 days of being marketed. In West Meon a large family house was let on the first viewing and offers were made on the first day of viewing for a sales property.
We have completed similar transactions throughout the county and still the demand continues. As a result, we need more houses. The urban exodus continues as families are reassessing their situations and race to the countryside for a change of lifestyle.
We have also seen an increased demand for short term lets and are helping local holiday lets achieve full occupancy over the winter period.
At the Country House Company we have years of experience operating across the region and appreciate that every property and circumstance is different and our service reflects this.
We can provide the expertise in sales, lettings and management, we can provide flexibility and pragmatic, realistic advice, and most importantly we can provide the applicants. Now we just need the houses! So, if you have a property you are considering selling or letting for a long or short period of time then please call either Kate Morton or Kate Porter now on 02392 632275.
Marishelle Butler
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