Blog

11th Jan 21

The South and The Meon Valley – perfect locations to buy into

An article in the Sunday Times yesterday highlighted The Meon Valley as a perfect location to live in. The article stated that ‘With chalk streams, rolling open countryside, thatched cottages, country pubs, ancient churches, lavender farms, vineyards and wineries, not to mention Hambledon, ‘the cradle of cricket’, this is vintage English countryside.’ We are well […]

5th Jan 21

Housing market to remain open during lockdown in England

ARLA PropertyMark, our governing body, has confirmed and clarified the government’s most recent announcement that estate and lettings agents and removal firms can continue to work during the current lockdown in England. Property viewings are still allowed to take place as long as the COVID-19 safety guidance is followed. The Country House Company has been […]

18th Dec 20

Extension of Stamp Duty holiday

As a company we are in full support of the NAEA Propertymark (National Association of Estate Agents) in their campaign to extend the holiday on property tax. The importance of the property industry as a whole was clearly acknowledged by the government in authorising the reopening of the property sector ahead of others. The property […]

20th Nov 20

Update on regulations covering tenancies during national restrictions

Landlords and tenants it is worth noting further regulations covering tenancies during national restrictions. On 17 November 2020, the Public Health (Coronavirus) (Protection from Eviction and Taking Control of Goods) (England) Regulations 2020 came into force in England. The rules prevent the enforcement of evictions against tenants, other than in the most serious circumstances during […]

16th Nov 20

Why have a property fully managed?

‘Essentially so you know that your property is safety compliant, being checked regularly and that there is a point of contact for the tenant and landlord.’ In the past 5 years there have been over 150 new regulations affecting landlords and in some cases breaches of these regulations carry a criminal record or prison sentence. […]

10th Nov 20

You really can move to the countryside and have everything!

We were delighted that the cover story on The Sunday Telegraph focused on moving to the country and included Rogate in West Sussex as a village that ticked all the boxes for a successful transition from city life to country life. Covid-19 has changed how locations are chosen. Traditionally a desirable village for city relocators […]

4th Nov 20

You can still move home!

The government guidelines for the next lockdown are clear where Estate and Letting Agents are concerned…. “You can still move home……Estate and letting agents and removals firms can continue to work and people looking to move home can continue to undertake viewings.” A tweet from housing secretary Robert Jenrick reiterated that the housing market will […]

30th Oct 20

Nothing scary for Halloween just lovely houses!

As we go into what is forecast to be a rather wet and windy Halloween weekend why not spend time escaping into The Country House Company website and enjoy looking through the properties we have available for sale and to let. As the exodus from cities continues our properties often go under offer within days […]

26th Oct 20

New week, new houses!

It is always exciting to start the week with the launch of more properties and today we launched a lovely 4 bedroom family home in Newton Valence for sale, and a modern converted barn in Greatham available to let. Orchard Cottage in Newton Valence, is a light and spacious detached home in an idyllic semi […]

12th Oct 20

Demand for properties as urban exodus continues……………

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 […]

8th Oct 20

How The Country House Company can help you right now…….

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 […]

23rd Sep 20

Landlord legislation update

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, […]

14th Sep 20

Gas Safety Week 2020

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 […]

21st Aug 20

Safely helping to keep the country moving

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 […]

20th Jul 20

Unprecedented demand for properties to buy or rent – we have the applicants, now we need more houses!!

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 […]

14th Jul 20

Now is the time to move and Hampshire is the county to move to!

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 […]

1st Jun 20

Update on Electrical regulations for private sector landlords

New electrical safety standards for tenancies in the private rented sector have come into force on 1st June 2020. These regulations apply in England to all new tenancies from 1 July 2020 and all existing tenancies from 1 April 2021. This means that tenancies signed on or after 1 June 2020, which start on or […]

14th Feb 20

When is the right time to sell?

This is a question I am often asked and the straightforward answer is, the right time to sell is when it’s the right time for you. Within the property market, there is much written about when is the best time to buy and sell. Just like trading other investments you can try to play the […]

22nd Jan 20

For Sale, village properties with potential; exciting renovation projects in Hambledon

For sale through The Country House Company are two exciting renovation projects in Hambledon offering a unique opportunity to create a dream home to your own specification. The properties are totally different – one being a fascinating property designed in a unique 1970’s style and set above the village with incredible views, the other being an […]

2nd Jan 20

Positive thought

Much has been attributed to the power of positive thought and if ever there is a time to focus on positive thought then the start of a new year, and particularly the start of a new decade, has to be a good time. Despite our knowledge that The Country House Company is a key business […]

26th Nov 19

The hidden boarding school boost

A recent article in The Daily Telegraph demonstrated that as boarding schools get more flexible, families are moving within reach of schools, creating competition for homes in nearby villages. Proximity to a well regarded school is usually a priority for applicants looking to rent family homes. As many boarding schools now offer flexi, mixed or […]

31st Oct 19

Legislation update – Electrical safety standards on the way for England

Sections 122 and 123 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 (electrical safety standards) came into force on 25 October 2019. This means we are finally one step closer to the introduction of mandatory electrical safety checks in the private rented sector in England and will see actual regulations very soon. An enabling power was […]

29th Oct 19

Hambledon Hilly Run success

Eliud Kipchoge might have broken the two-hour marathon barrier in Vienna on 12 October, but he’s still yet to the conquer the gruelling Hambledon Hilly Run course. Even the promise of a free-race t-shirt and a Hartridges soft drink has yet to attract the Kenyan long-distance runner to one of Hampshire’s most scenic and welcoming […]

23rd Oct 19

Shorter term and more flexible rental available in Hampshire

We have a variety of properties that are available for a shorter or more flexible term. So if you are looking for a more flexible rental arrangement or unwilling to commit to a year’s tenancy then we can help. A stunning four bedroom barn conversion in Selham, West Sussex, is available fully furnished on a […]

15th Oct 19

Run, run, run

Bedales have a record team of 65 entering in the Great South weekend of running events being held in Southsea on 19 & 20 October. The team comprises of Dunhurst pupils, Bedales students, teachers, support staff, parents, Old Bedalians and other friends. Over 20,000 runners will be competing over the weekend as the event celebrates it’s […]

15th Oct 19

October 2019 Smoke Alarm and Carbon Monoxide Alarm legislation As a recent question arose on the regulations for smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms, we thought it worth clarifying the current legislation. The Government introduced the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Regulations (2015) to make landlords in the private rented sector in England responsible for […]

2nd Oct 19

The River Meon is facing a brighter future thanks to a community-wide effort to return it to good health

We are passionate about our beautiful environment in Hampshire and delighted to hear that others are taking the same pride in improving the area. For years there was widespread concern at the decline of river life associated with the River Meon, sparking the formation of the Meon Valley Partnership (MVP). The Meon Valley Partnership is […]

23rd Sep 19

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness

23rd September marks the official start of Autumn in the UK and 2019 marks the 200th anniversary of when John Keats spent a short while in Winchester and was inspired to write one of his most famous and best loved poems To Autumn. Just as the seasons change with alarming speed and regularity so too […]

11th Jul 19

Plastic Free July. No ifs, no buts, no bags, no cups……………….

This July The Country House Company has accepted the challenge to radically reduce our plastic usage and take part in Plastic Free July. This week, under the encouragement of the newest and youngest member of The Country House Company team, we as an office took part in a Plastic Free lunch. Everyone was assigned the […]

3rd Jun 19

Tenant Fees Act 2019

As most will have gathered from the many news reports over the weekend, the Tenant Fees Act 2019 came into effect on June 1st. This means that landlords and agents are no longer able to charge tenants for a range of administration fees and that tenancy deposits have been capped at five weeks rent. The […]