Blog

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 […]

28th Mar 19

Winchester – ‘The happiest city in Britain’

According to the Royal Mail UK Happiness Index, our lovely city of Winchester has just been awarded the happiest city in Britain. Royal Mail used eight specific criteria to measure a resident’s projected happiness: reported personal well-being, life expectancy, earnings, inequality, carbon emissions, crime, deprivation and access to health services. These were then combined using […]

22nd Mar 19

Legislation update

It is important that we keep our landlords aware of relevant changes in legislation, so please see below the most recent alert from ARLA Propertymark. From 1 April 2019, changes to the Energy Efficiency (Private Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015 come into force. This means from 1 April 2019 the ‘no cost to the […]

19th Feb 19

Electrical legislation

As always, we like to keep our landlords up to date with the latest legislation or changes in legislation. We have just had the following announcement from ARLA Propertymark our governing body. “The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced that mandatory five-year electrical installation checks on private rented housing in England […]

14th Feb 19

A perfect match

Its Valentines Day and the sun is shining so despite being in the middle of February there is a smile on most faces today. While many might be turning their thoughts to the ideal partner why not turn your thoughts to the ideal house? We have a wide variety of properties available to rent or […]

6th Feb 19

Renting is still a ‘win, win’ but only if a professional agent is involved.

Whilst renting out a property is still considered one of the best investments to be made as a landlord, being a tenant allows you to have a lifestyle and flexibility and not the constant worry of expense if things go wrong in the house. Apparently then a ‘win, win’ and certainly can be for the […]

30th Jan 19

Winter checklist

After a lovely mild winter, some snow is forecast for the region and we did get a flurry last night! It really is worth noting that during the winter months contractors in general, and particularly boiler engineers, plumbers and electricians, are very booked up. Therefore, landlords and tenants, please take the time to read the […]

25th Jan 19

Top tips for selling your home

There can be a lot of pressure in January to make extensive plans, set lots of aims for the year and expectation that this year will be the year of change. Whatever the year may bring time spent in preparation is never time wasted. If you are even simply exploring the possibility of selling then […]

15th Jan 19

A note on Stamp Duty from the Experts you can Trust

‘The Little-known loophole to save on stamp duty’ was the headline for Ruth Bloomfield’s article in Saturday’s Daily Telegraph; ‘buying a country home that has multiple-use land attached can drastically cut the tax you’ll pay’. The article goes on to explain that properties that have either a commercial or agricultural side line are classified as […]

11th Jan 19

Landlords; reduce stress levels for 2019

With so many articles encouraging us to detox and reduce our stress levels for 2019 we thought we would help! Winter can be demanding and challenging for both tenants and landlords. Whilst your tenants may be very competent, it could be reassuring during these months to have the professional team at The Country House Company […]

7th Jan 19

Key target for 2019 – To use a professional letting agent

In the past 5 years there have been over 150 new regulations affecting landlords and there are more in the pipeline for 2019. Whilst it is good that the industry is being more tightly regulated and there is a greater focus on safety measures, it does highlight the importance of using a professional letting agent. […]

3rd Jan 19

For 2019 – Focus on what you can control

The first quarter of 2019 is likely to be dominated by the rumblings of Brexit. We can express our opinions, but the outcome and consequences of Brexit are largely out of our control. Decisions you make regarding your property are within your control and whilst politics can affect the market we can actively influence the […]

18th Dec 18

No room at the inn?

One of the delights of the BBC’s The Archers is the number of story lines constantly unfolding and although dramatised are based on real life situations. Brian and Jennifer Aldridge are about to leave Home Farm and are desperately trying to find a rental property. Last night Brian moaned that Letting Agents were closing for […]

29th Nov 18

Help at hand for landlords

Response management offer Winter can be demanding and challenging for both tenants and landlords. Although your tenants maybe very competent it could be useful during these months to have the professional team at The Country House Company on hand to filter calls, react to urgent situations, recommend contractors and enable you and your tenants’ access […]

5th Nov 18

Any excuse to shop!

Here at The Country House Company we try to support many of the numerous charity fairs, fates and events that are happening across the region. All parties win; the event gets money and publicity, The Country House Company gets exposure and of course we all get to visit the various events and shop!! The annual […]

31st Oct 18

The Autumn Budget

Amidst all the various reactions, postmortems, reports, comments and critiques, the summary from ARLA Propertymark, our lettings governing body, clearly outlines what the Autumn Budget held for housing. This year’s Autumn Budget was probably one of the most anticipated in recent years, setting out the domestic policy and fiscal measures direction ahead for the UK […]

15th Oct 18

A welcome step closer to full regulation of the industry

The Country House Company has always been passionate about the importance of regulating the industry. Therefore it came as a relief to hear that Housing Minister, Heather Wheeler has announced that a new working group will be set up, tasked with raising standards across the housing sector; taking us a step closer to full regulation […]

24th Sep 18

Join the team……………..

Following last years success Bedales runners are again entering the Great South Run on 21st October and as a few members of The Country House Company team run to keep fit, we are excited to be a sponsor and member of the Bedales Great South Run Team. The Country House Company and Pledgit are helping […]

18th Sep 18

Gas Safety Week, 17th – 23rd September

Always keen to endorse campaigns that raise public awareness of safety issues, here at The Country House Company we are fully supportive of Gas Safety Week which takes place this week 17th – 23rd September. This is the eighth annual Gas Safety Week and will involve organisations raising awareness of the dangers of poorly maintained […]

25th May 18

As everyone is talking about GDPR

……………… it would seem a sensible time to highlight our Privacy Policy. The full Privacy Policy is on our website and I have posted below the key points. If you have any questions regarding this please do contact me, marishelle@countryhousecompany.co.uk or info@countryhousecompany.co.uk The following extracts from our Privacy Policy describe how we collect, hold and […]

10th Apr 18

Trust the process

Here at The Country House Company we were delighted to hear that the government has revealed a huge overhaul of the industry that will include mandatory qualifications for agents and greater transparency about referral fees. It is frustrating, when there are so many professionals in the business, that the reputation of an industry can be […]