Evolution Properties

So, whilst many of us may have woken up to a very grey, wet, overcast outlook, we're not down in the dumps one bit on this buzzing Saturday!

3 amazing things are happening in our office today, 1st day of the advent (photo to follow), another amazing cheque for £100 will be handed over to David from the "Park Farm Playground Project" as we were given instruction on yet another in the Park Farm/Bridgefield developments (Thats £400 in November alone!) and finally, our chance to support an amazing local young lady, who for the 3rd year in a row we have supported, carries out the immense task of collecting many different items from local business' and residents, to be handed out to people in need, in particular the Family Food Bank. We are so humbled by this young ladies selfless efforst and so proud to be able to help her achieve an amazing goal!

As well as these amazing highlights, our diary is very busy today (who said the market is quiet!) with some great viewings, 2 are seconds! 2 valuations and there is just enough time in there for me to carry on with our aim of being paperless by the end of the year by using "signable" which is a superb and effective online signing platform. The feedback we have had so far is fantastic with comments ranging from "futuristic" to "makes my life so much easier!"

So, what are you planning to achieve today? Let us know!

Just a couple of comments received from our usual post completion feedback form!

So proud of everyone in the office, always going above and beyond!!!

"Your staff - Debbie, Claire and Andrew were always polite, pleasant, receptive and excellent communicators. It was a pleasure to deal with your organisation."

"Friendly, honest, efficient, high quality, first class service, always"

Then, there was the google feedback comments;

"As a first time renter, I have found Evolution to be very helpful and professional, I don’t have to worry about anything."

"As a landlord Evolution properties have taken full control with our properties and deal with all issues as and when they arise. Certainly makes our life a lot easier and our tenants happy. Thanks to Roy and the team 👍"

"I have been a tenant of Evolution Properties for many months and cannot fault the professionalism of Roy and his staff, highly recommend this company."

Do you want to know why we are different? Contact us today!

The latest data released by Rightmove has shown that once again, at this time of year, it is a buyers market.

According to the figures, the price of an average home in the UK fell by 1.7%. Although not unusual for prices to fall at this time of of year, this is the largest November drop seen since 2012.

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So I had the absolute pleasure of meeting with a new client today to discuss how to move forward with a project. The property had been occupied since 1976 and only the lounge had been decorated in that time. The plans for the property are to completely re-wire, re-plumb, new heating system which is nearly completed, new kitchen new bathroom and WC, redec, new floorings and a complete overhaul outside including new windows and doors. The list seems endless but with careful planning this will be ready for occupation in January so watch this space! Anyway, the reason for my excitement is to have experienced some very old decor (well, I would have been a baby when these prints were available on wallpaper!). I will let the pictures do the talking!!! Enjoy the trip down memory lane!

So, after months of research, development, breaking, fixing, breaking and fixing again, we are so pleased and proud to be able to bring rightval.com to the market. This was made possible by a really great colleague and friend Matt, who is the whiz behind the programming and I have no idea how he puts up with my OCD and pretty daft technical questions!

Basically, as an independent agent I was getting increasingly frustrated by not being able to offer a full service to clients who are moving from out of our area. Yes, we work hard and cover from Ashford to the Medway towns, out to Thanet, through Dover to New Romney and back so can cover a decent area but not far enough in my opinion! I didn't want to be paying for an expensive network set up and also one that limits what you can do. I wanted something creative and affordable so with Matts skills and my experience we built rightval.

Why is it different to anything else you may want to know? Well, its FULLY customisable to you and your company, you can allocate any lead to anyone in your company and in any branch automatically as well as manually, built in marketing packages using QR codes to allow you to track your results but more importantly, the referrals for out of town properties!

We all know that people buy from people right?

You have worked hard with a client, selling them a dream home but you cant fulfil that dream and sell theirs! You have to leave it to fate to do that and just hope they get a decent agent on board.

Well, worry no more!

With a few clicks of the keyboard, you can arrange for a local "partner" agent to contact them and secure that listing. We will happily show you how, provide you with training and make every deal count!

Why do you want to do that?

To sell the house that is on your books for a start but also earn commission from the sale of the instruction that you generated!

There are some obvious T&Cs involved to ensure quality of service and we will but this is all built in to the product and at just £49+vat a month its a no brainer surely?

Feel free to check out the site www.rightval.com and if you want a demo, which is totally free of charge, just click the button on the site or message me.

We love it and we know you will too!

Roy & Matt

With the UK set to part ways with the EU at the end of March, it's going to be an interesting year for any number of sectors, housing included.

Full Story; CLICK HERE

Specialist property investment agency, Surrenden Invest, has fired up the crystal ball and peered into the future to see if the UK housing market is as prepared as it can be to ensure that property investment continues as business as usual.

With the UK set to part ways with the EU at the end of March, it's going to be an interesting year for any number of sectors, housing included.

Jonathan Stephens, MD, Surrenden Invest, says: "Nobody can ever see what the future holds - that's the case regardless of Brexit. As such, looking ahead to likely investment hotspots is a case of examining the underlying market fundamentals. For 2019, that means cities with youthful populations and strong trends for city centre living. The UK's rental sector is still growing, so 2019's hotspots will be those areas in which populations are expanding rapidly, and where employment prospects are sound."

The UK is in the midst of a housing crisis and is falling further and further behind each year in terms of delivering the number of homes that our population needs. The 13,000 new homes mentioned in this week's Budget are a mere drop in the ocean. Combined with the rapid rise in popularity of city centre living, the shortage of housing is creating pockets of extreme demand in some of the UK's regional metropolises. As such, the Surrenden Invest team has done some number crunching (with a little help from data from the Office for National Statistics and Zoopla) to see which hotspots are worth keeping a close eye on over the year ahead.

2019 property investment hotspots

Birmingham

2018 population: 1,147,300
2041 projected population: 1,313,300
Property price growth over past five years: 29.46%
Housing development to watch: Westminster Works

With a 14.5% population increase on the cards between now and 2041, Birmingham tops the list of 2019 hotspots. The city has a young population compared to the country as a whole, with its five university campuses attracting young people with a thirst for knowledge. The city has the sixth highest graduate retention rate of any UK city, and the third largest inflow of graduates with no prior connection to the city.

This 65,000-strong student talent pool provides Birmingham with a vast pipeline of future workers and entrepreneurs. It also means that stylish homes in city centre locations are, and will continue to be, in hot demand.

Manchester

2018 population: 553,500
2041 projected population: 631,500
Property price growth over past five years: 30.60%
Housing development to watch: Ancoats Gardens

Manchester is on track to experience a 14.1% population increase between 2018 and 2041, meaning it will be snapping at Birmingham's heels in terms of growth. The city has already risen up the ranks in recent years, making it onto IBM's list of top ten global destinations for foreign direct investment in 2017 (as part of the Manchester-Liverpool metropolitan region).

Manchester benefits from a steady influx of bright, enthusiastic young people. The city is second only to London in terms of its graduate returners (at 58%), as well as its inflow of graduates with no prior connection to the city. Businesses are doing much to harness this talent; Amazon, for example, chose Manchester as the site of its first Amazon Academy, running a series of programmes and events designed to help hundreds of small, local businesses. Future residential developments in the city centre will need to serve these entrepreneurial young professionals.

London

2018 population: 8,965,600
2041 projected population: 10,346,000
Property price growth over past five years: 32.36%
Housing development to watch: Brook House

London leads the UK in many respects, as a world-renowned centre for finance, business, education, tourism and more. Over the next 25 years or so, its population is projected to increase by 15.4%, driving demand for housing across the capital. From sleek, centrally located apartments to sprawling houses in the suburbs, London offers every kind of property imaginable, providing homes for workers from across the UK and the globe.

More than 300 languages are currently spoken in London's schools, highlighting the diversity of the capital's future workforce. The city attracts some of the best and brightest as a result of its vast range of employment opportunities and is home to a huge rental population. According to PWC, 60% of Londoners will rent their homes by 2025, as the city's young (and not so young) professionals rent in ever greater numbers.

Liverpool

2018 population: 495,300
2041 projected population: 554,500
Property price growth over past five years: 24.67%
Housing development to watch: The Tannery

Liverpool is on track to experience a population increase of 12.0% between now and 2014, as the city continues to attract talented young people as a result of its thriving service sector, healthcare sector and knowledge economy. The city's extensive cultural offering is also a draw, from its plentiful museums and art galleries to its excellent restaurants and lively music scene.

42% of Liverpool's population is below the age of 30, compared with 37% nationally. This youthful population is driving forward Liverpool's reputation as an innovative, entrepreneurial city. It is also one of the main forces behind the extensive regeneration that the city is experiencing, while the growing trend for city centre living is creating new hotspots close to key attractions and amenities.

Newcastle upon Tyne

2018 population: 297,400
2041 projected population: 318,100
Property price growth over past five years: 23.70%
Housing development to watch: Hadrian's Tower

Newcastle's city centre population has grown rapidly since the turn of the century. According to Centre for Cities, Newcastle city centre enjoyed population growth of 112% between 2002 and 2015. The massive jump in demand for city centre living is creating a hotbed of innovation within the housing sector, as developments seek to woo the bright young things who have flocked to the city for work and want prime accommodation in the heart of Newcastle.

With a superb social scene and a thriving urban renaissance well underway, Newcastle's attractions to ambitious young professionals are plenty. It also has a rapidly growing student body as a result of its superb universities. Student numbers at Newcastle University have shot up by over 70% since 2000, while Northumbria University has enjoyed a student body increase in excess of 114% over the same period. With nearly 50,000 students in total, a full sixth of the city's population is engaged in study, creating a uniquely youthful atmosphere as Newcastle grows its own talent for the future.

Jonathan concludes: "Each of these cities has its own distinctive culture, which is drawing in young people who will ultimately contribute to the future success of that city. Those working in the housing sector need to respond accordingly, delivering high quality homes in central areas, in order to meet the demand that these young people are driving."

Full Story - CLICK HERE

Halifax has released its data on the UK housing market for October and revealed that during the three months to October, average house prices across the UK rose by 1.5% on an annual basis.

This is down from 2.5% in September, resulting in the lowest rate since March 2013.

According to Halifax, house prices in the latest quarter were 0.2% higher than in the preceding three months, and rose by 0.7% on a monthly basis following two consecutive monthly falls.

Russell Galley, managing director at Halifax, said: “The annual rate of house price growth has fallen from 2.5% in September to 1.5% in October, which is the lowest rate of annual growth since March 2013. However, this remains within our forecast annual growth range of 0-3% for 2018.

House prices continue to be supported by the fact that the supply of new homes and existing properties available for sale remains low. Further house price support comes from an already high and improving employment rate and historically low mortgage rates which are creating higher rates of relative affordability. We see this continuing to be the case over the coming months and we remain supportive of our 0-3% forecast range.

Mark Readings, Founder and Managing Director of online estate agency, House Network, comments: "These figures are reflecting the lack of new stock coming onto the market, with many existing homeowners remaining cautious and not looking to sell their property until political uncertainty fades and the market stabilises.

The market fundamentals of low-interest rates and strong employment figures will eventually support growth in the market, which is why we remain positive that even coming to the end of the year we will see an uplift in 2019."

Mike Scott, chief property analyst at Yopa, commented: "The Halifax reports the slowest annual rate of house price growth for five years, at 1.5%. This closely matches the figure and trend published last week by the Nationwide. Prices for the three months from August to October were barely up on the preceding three month period at just 0.2%. The monthly figure recorded an increase of 0.7%, but this was a correction following consecutive monthly price falls in August and September.

This slowdown is unlikely to turn into an actual fall in the market in the short term, and the Halifax still expects the outcome for the year as a whole to be an increase of between 0 and 3%. The supply of homes is tight, mortgage interest rates are low, lenders are willing to lend, employment levels are high and average earnings are increasing. It will take a change in at least one of these factors, and probably in several of them, before we see any kind of sustained fall in house prices. However, with demand also weak and the numbers of house sales and mortgage approvals a few percent down on last year, we are equally unlikely to see a return to any kind of a house price boom."

Full story - CLICK HERE

More happy customers providing some great comments!

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"Everyone is always very helpful and friendly, always do their upmost to help you."

"Very professional and pleasant service"

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