Your Spring Property News

Your Spring Property News


At last the evenings are getting lighter and the flowers are in full bloom.  Spring is always a welcome sign at Howkins & Harrison, along with the fresh starts and new ideas that it brings.

It’s a busy time of the property year, and a good time to take your property to market. Our offices cover a large part of both the West and East Midlands, having a great view of the regional market – and it’s currently a fantastic place to be.

The Midlands has led the field over recent months, with a recent study showing growth which is outpacing the rest of the country.  The economic health of the area, coupled with increasing affordability issues in London and the South East, are making the area an attractive opposition for investors and those relocating.  We’ll be at the London and Country Property Show in May, showcasing the best our offices have to offer, and you can find out more details below.

Optimism among our clients is high too, and we were delighted to see so many attend our Portfolio Growth Seminar this month, eager to hear what wisdom our experts had to offer. Our Collective Property Auction is attracting a lot of interest too from would be buyers and developers and we expect to see some good results next week.

If you’re thinking about moving, do let us know.  Our team are on hand to give advice on everything from valuations to how to show your property to its full potential.

We look forward to hearing from you. 

Robert Eyton Jones

If you’d like to have an informal chat about your home, or anything to do with property, we’d love to hear from you. Did you know we have a planning team who can help you with getting a planning application approved? If you’re thinking of extending what you have rather than moving, we can discuss your options with you. 

We have been supporting homeowners, landowners, landlords and tenants since 1888. 



Collective Property Auction

Join us on Wednesday 29th March at the Draycote Hotel, Dunchurch for the first Collective Property Auction of 2017.  Take a look at the properties that will be under the hammer.

Click here to read Collective Property Auction.



Relocation, Relocation

Target London buyers by featuring your property with Howkins & Harrison at the prestigious London and Country Property Show at the Chelsea Old Town Hall, Kings Road, London on Wednesday 10th May.
 
More and more London buyers are purchasing in our area and, with an office located in a prime position in St James, we are able to expose your property to London buyers. The London and Country Show showcases some of the best in the country, town and overseas properties and is superbly located for many visitors who are thinking of leaving city life behind or indeed taking on a second property.
 
If you are thinking of moving and would like to feature your property at this prestigious show, please contact us for a free no obligation market appraisal of your home. 



Our New Home in Atherstone

Our Atherstone residential sales and lettings team have a new home of our own.

 

They haven’t moved far, though – just across the square from Church Street to Market Street. After having two offices across the street from each other for the last 17 years, the sales and lettings teams havenow joined the rural and development land teams at  their office in 15 Market Street.

“It's a prominent position and a great place from which to  showcase all our properties,” said residential sales manager Andy Moss. “And after refurbishment, it gives us a better environment in which to work and to meet vendors and buyers.

“It also brings the whole Atherstone team together,” he added.

 

“We may have moved – but our traditional values of providing first-class service remain the same.|”

 



Calling all Landlords

Our seminar for would be and existing property investors was a huge success, with excellent professional advice from our panel of experts.  Read what they had to say.
 

Click here to read Calling all Landlords.



Midlands Engine given a kick start

The Midlands has powered to the top of the UK’s house price growth, as demand wanes in previous strongholds.
 

Click here to read Midlands Engine given a kick start.



En Route HS2

HS2 runs right through the heart of the Midlands - whatever your views - it looks like
it is here to stay. We are talking with all parties - landowners, HS2 and their contractors so we are well placed to advise and offer our expertise when needed.

 

Phase 1 (London to Birmingham and Lichfield)

Royal ascent to Phase 1 hasn't yet been granted but we are told it will be soon - around the end of February. HS2 intend to meet all farmers this Spring to discuss the work programme and some CPO notices could follow shortly thereafter. If you need to regularise any planning permissions or CLUEDs, there is still a short window to do this before notices are served, but act quickly. Environmental and Ground Investigation surveys continue and if you have been affected by crop loss or damage please give us a call.

 

Phase 2 (Birmingham to Leeds)

The route has been confirmed with the exception of the revised sections around Measham and East Midlands Airport, which are subject to public consultation finishing in the middle of March 2017. There is a chance that these parts of the route could be altered further. The likelihood of other sections of the route being changed at this stage is now remote, although minor tweaks here and there may occur. The fundamental principle has been accepted that the M42/M1 corridor is the definitive path for Phase 2b. The route has been ‘safeguarded’ and this triggers the statutory blight process.

In summary, our general advice for farmers and landowners on Phase 2 is:
If you are likely to stay put and continue to farm following construction of the railway, make sure your land ownerships and planning permissions are in order so that we can maximise

the compensation available. There will much more detailed maps available as the scheme progresses and an opportunity to negotiate small amendments to the scheme during the Bill petitioning process. If you want to sell up, the Express Purchase Scheme (a variation on the statutory blight process) could well be an option for those badly affected, for instance where buildings or farmsteads are due to be lost. It is possible to serve a Blight Notice in respect of the whole of your holding, even if only part of it is within the safeguarded zone.

Further discretionary compensation schemes will most likely be introduced during the course of 2017, including the Rural Support Zone, which lies beyond the Safeguarded zone and will allow owners of residential properties to require HS2 to buy their property at its full un-blighted market value, but these are unlikely to be of use in a farming context.

If you would like us to make a no obligation visit to discuss your circumstances, please call:

 

Phase 2 enquiries James Collier

01827 721385 james.collier@howkinsandharrison.co.uk

 

Ian Large

01827 721387 ian.large@howkinsandharrison.co.uk

 

Phase 1 enquiries

Jeremy Watson

01788 564680 jeremy.watson@howkinsandharrison.co.uk 



For Sale: A must for horse lovers

We are delighted to represent this delightful equestrian property.  Built in 1922, it offers excellent facilities with four stables, a yard, ménage and three acres of paddock with wonderful views over open countryside just outside Harborough Magna.

Click here to read For Sale: A must for horse lovers.



To Let: Uptown Living

The Napier Building is a brand new development of 1 and 2 bedroom apartments in the heart of Rugby town centre and completed to a high standard. 

 

 


Click here to read To Let: Uptown Living.