For your mind, body and wallet – a spa investment could be just what the doctor ordered

by Charlotte Ashton United Kingdom
The global spa and wellness industry is, simply put, massive. According to the recent report from the inaugural Global Wellness Tourism Congress, wellness tourism is already worth a staggering $439 billion, which represents 14% of total global tourism revenues. The same study showed that spa and wellness tourism is expected to outstrip other forms of tourism in terms of its growth rate over the next few years, increasing to a market size of $678.5 billion by just 2017.
  • Global spa & wellness tourism worth €439 billion (Global Wellness Tourism Congress)
  • German wellness industry grew 2% in 2012 and is now worth €4.5 billion
  • Investment in German award-winning AlpenClub hotel & spa from only £47,198 
A healthy industry

 Within Germany, the wellness industry is developing in line with these global figures. The country’s health and wellness sales increased by 2% in 2012, bringing the value of its wellness market up to €4.5 billion. Both domestic and international visitors enjoyed some of Germany’s leading spas during the year, escaping the pressures of modern life and healing their bodies, minds and spirits while on holiday.

Ray Withers, CEO of leading property investment agency, Property Frontiers, comments,
“As the internet and smartphones make the hectic pace of life almost inescapable, spa holidays are becoming increasingly popular and Germany is certainly stepping up to the plate in terms of developing world-class facilities with which to tempt those in need of a little pampering.”
A healthy return
Understandably, the booming wellness industry is attracting investors as well as tourists. Nestled away in the Bavarian mountains, the AlpenClub is the perfect example of a leading investment opportunity within this sector.
Home to the exquisite, Asian-inspired Karma Spa, AlpenClub is in the privileged position of having been awarded a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for the last two years running. Visitors to the spa are unsurprised by this news, given the sublime facilities. With an indoor pool, Jacuzzi, steam bath and year-round garden access, the Karma Spa offers organic, curative treatments from massages and Bavarian rituals to signature Himalayan crystal journeys.
For those looking to enhance the condition of their wallets as well as their bodies, a limited number of 4* hotel rooms are available for investment at AlpenClub, from £47,198. With a 10 year fixed return leaseback and 10.33% average NET yield assured, this opportunity is not expected to be open for long.
For more information get in touch with Property Frontiers today on +44 1865 202 700 or visit www.propertyfrontiers.com.

Do the maths: The global student accommodation sector is worth USD 200 billion, you can’t afford to ignore it!

by Charlotte Ashton United Kingdom
This is the advice of Philip Hillman, Global Student Housing Co-ordinator at Jones Lang LaSalle and confirmed speaker at the much anticipated OPPLive´s Global Student Accommodation Forum.
Joining a myriad of other A-grade seminar speakers including Marcus Roberts, Director of Student Investment at Savills, James Pullan, head of student property at Knight Frank, Gareth Fatchett, partner at Regulatory Legal Solicitors, Julie Harvey, International Sales and Marketing Director at Pinnacle MC Global Network and just confirmed, Jo Winchester Senior Director Advisory Services at CBRE, Hillman will lead a series of feature seminars, sessions and discussions on the thriving student accommodation asset class.
Held at the prestigious Central Hall in Westminster, London on Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th November 2013, the OPPLive Global Student Accommodation Forum will offer delegates, be they developers, consultants or agents, a packed programme including:
Wednesday 27th November from 09:00
•Student Accommodation Business Breakfast – looking at the fundamentals of this global asset class and a superb opportunity to network
•Focus session on Student Hotspots: today & tomorrow
•Advice on how to attract international investment into student accommodation

•Speak face to face with industry leaders at the Student Accommodation Champagne Reception

 

Thursday 28th November from 10:15
•Official unveiling of the first eve OPP Global Student Accommodation report – unmissable!
•Seminar on the hot topic of regulation and how does student accommodation fit in with other ‘alternative’ investments?
•Expert views on the State of the UK Student Accommodation Sector from developers operating in this market as well as advisories and consultants
Xavier Wiggins, Founder and Organiser of OPPLive, comments,
“Supplying purpose built student accommodation around the world has been and remains big business. Many international property developers and indeed agents have identified the high demand in this sector and offered a wide variety of products in numerous locations worldwide to investors. With the sector worth USD 200 billion, it would be criminal not to hold a dedicated Global Student Accommodation Forum at OPPLive 2013.”
Delegates can now purchase passes for OPPLive online through the new registration system available here http://www.opp-live.com/buy-delegatepasses/ with a special offer of the first ticket being FREE with the second half price using code STU9458.

Home is where the hearth is: Feature fireplaces are essential this winter

by Charlotte Ashton United Kingdom

As British Summer Time officially comes to an end this Saturday night, our thoughts naturally turn to winter. 

It is that time of the year when the leaves turn from golden to brown, soon forming great piles on the ground perfect for kids to play in. Conkers are in abundance, quickly becoming a feature in every school playground and sweet chestnuts, apples, rose hips and fungi are there for the taking by any adventurous foragers.

 

The shops are full of ghostly Halloween outfits, Christmas baubles have crept onto the shelves and mincemeat and marzipan are on the shopping list once again. At home, the menu has changed. The BBQ has been cleaned and put away for winter; salads have been replaced with stews and mulled wine becomes the top tipple. The 2014 calendar has arrived and thoughts have turned to Christmas – whose turn is it to host? Should we have a goose or turkey? What to buy Uncle Harry this year?!

 

Indeed Father Christmas and his elves might be becoming rather frantic but there is one other industry that sees a huge upturn in demand at this time of the year. For if you are one of the lucky households in the UK that has a real fire you will need to sweep it now.

 

The National Association of Chimney Sweeps reports that business has increased 40% over the past couple of years with much of this increase being as a direct result of the rise in popularity of wood burning stoves.

 

And what a delicious end to a hard day – to tuck yourself up on the sofa and watch the flames flicker up the chimney. A quintessentially British pastime of lighting fires and toasting bread or cooking your foraged chestnuts sets the perfect winter scene.

 

Are you looking for a house that has a fireplace of your dreams? Consider one of these stunning homes on the market today through leading online estate agent, My Online Estate Agent, which all feature a real fireplace:

Henley Road, Haslemere, Surrey                                     £685,000             

The picturesque rural hamlet of Henley is set in the heart of the South Downs National Park, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, on the Surrey/West Sussex border. Henley is surrounded by woodland and many miles of quiet footpaths and bridleways.

A lovely 4 bedroom 2 bathroom detached period cottage has been renovated and extended by its present owners to create a unique reverse level home, the property has under floor heating and double glazing throughout. The original part of the house is thought to be around 300 years old and retains a great deal of its original charm. The house sits in a wonderful elevated position with stunning views of the surrounding countryside.

Bwlch-Cae-Haidd, Bwlch-y-ffridd, Powys, Wales                     £325,000

An immaculately presented and modernised 16th century character farmhouse with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Set in approximately 2.5 acres of beautiful grounds including a paddock, large workshop and studio with veranda overlooking the pond. The property also benefits from a large workshop, greenhouse and shed.

Geers Farm,Heathfield, Sussex                          £640,000        

 

An excellent well-positioned detached 5 bedroom period house oozing with character.  Parts of the house date back to 1450 when it owned all the land in the vicinity surrounded by woodland and wheat fields. A magnificent drawing room with stable door to garden and sun terrace, heavily timbered and with fine large inglenook fireplace, bressumer beam and raised brick hearth and with French doors opening directly onto the large patio.

Muirton House, Belhelvie, Scotland                                               £675,000

Muirton House is just a short commute from the Aberdeen centre yet offers country living with stunning rural views.  The house has been extensively refurbished in recent years to a high standard to meet modern day needs, yet retains many original features. With 6 large bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, separate cloak room, 3 reception rooms and 2 kitchens the property offers versatile, spacious accommodation over four floors.

Rural views may be enjoyed from the property which stands in extensive grounds of 3.6 acres including a walled garden, woodland, paddock and outbuildings.

For more information please contact My Online Estate Agent on 0845 257 1101 or visit My Online Estate Agent.

Help to Buy is working as online estate agency records 28% increase in viewings in just 7 days of scheme launching

by Charlotte Ashton United Kingdom

It may only be a week since the second phase of the Government’s Help to Buy scheme launched but its aim to help more people get on the UK property ladder is clearly working according to leading online estate agency, My Online Estate Agent.

  • Help to Buy launched on Tuesday 8th October 2013
  • Government scheme aims to get more people onto the UK property ladder
  • 28% increase in viewings arranged by My Online Estate Agent in 7 days since launch 

In the 7 days since launch on 8th October 2013, My Online Estate Agent has recorded an impressive 28% increase in the number of viewings arranged for properties for sale across the UK compared to the last 7 days preceding Help to Buy.

Richard Patterson, Director of My Online Estate Agent and hands on landlord, comments,

 

“With all the hype surrounding the launch of the Help to Buy scheme, we expected to see a rise in interest levels but nothing on this scale. Enquiries have literally been flooding in from first time buyers and second steppers alike, all keen to arrange property viewings now that they have been able to access mortgage finance.”

 

Indeed the rush to step up or on the property ladder as a result of Help to Buy has also been witnessed by mortgage lenders. The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) reported taking 10,000 calls in the first 4 workings days and booking 5,000 mortgage appointments within just 3 hours of the scheme going live.

 

With Barclays the latest bank to sign up to the scheme at the end of last week, over two-thirds of lenders in the UK mortgage market are now committed to helping those who can afford mortgage payments but are struggling to raise the deposit to get onto the ladder.

 

Richard Patterson continues,
“It is very encouraging to see the likes of RBS/NatWest, the Halifax, Santander, HSBC, Virgin Money, Lloyds, TSB, Aldermore and now Barclays all committed to offering Help to Buy mortgage products by the start of January 2014.

 

“All too often past Government housing market stimulation initiatives have fallen flat on their face due to a lack of external support but this time, things might just be different and allow everyday, hardworking Britons the opportunity to own their own bricks and mortar.”

 

For more information on the impact of Help to Buy on My Online Estate Agent please contact Richard and the team on 0845 257 1101 or visit www.myonlineestateagent.com. 

For an emerging economy with a difference, look no further than Mongolia

by Charlotte Ashton Mongolia

With a rich history and a population that remains 30% nomadic or semi-nomadic to this day, Mongolia is a country of fascinating contrasts. Despite being the 19th largest country in the world, it has a population of just 2.9 million people, making it the most sparsely populated independent country on the planet.

  • Mongolia was the fastest growing economy in the world in 2011 (The World Bank)
  • Real income of Mongolians rose 20% between 2008 and 2011
  • Demand for western-style retail experiences has led to launch of The Village @ Nukht
Mongolia shot to global attention in 2011, when Citigroup analysts flagged it as a Global Growth Generator, earmarking it as one of the most promising growth prospects for 2010-2050. At the same time, the World Bank upgraded this emerging market from a low to a middle income country, while Mongolia led the world to become the fastest growing economy that year, with a growth rate of 17.5%.
Rapid growth
Things have certainly moved fast for Mongolia. Mineral deposits estimated to be worth USD 1.4 trillion have led to rapid economic expansion, with growth for 2013 predicted to reach 14% according to the International Monetary Fund. In just three years, from 2008 to 2011, the Mongolian Stock Exchange quadrupled in size. A year later, the International Finance Corporation’s Doing Business report saw Mongolia move up from rank 88 in 2011 to position 76 in 2012 – an indication that the ease with which business could be done in Mongolia improved significantly in just 12 months.
The move from a communist regime to a more market-led existence has coincided with the economic impact of Mongolia’s mineral deposits. Real income rose 20% between 2008 and 2011, while the number of retailers in the capital of Ulaanbaatar increased by an incredible 34% in the two years to 2010.
Looking west
Demand for western brands and western-style retail experiences has experienced a massive surge in recent years. Between 2003 and 2011, annual per capita spending on clothing went up by 500% and the result has been a rising need for new retail developments that meet the demands of Mongolia’s increasingly cash-rich population.
Nowhere is this more in evidence that in the capital, Ulaanbaatar. Back in 2007, Property Frontiers’ pioneering residential developments in Ulaanbaatar earned investors an average return of 24% and 300% capital growth over four years, capitalising on the city’s residential real estate price rises, which have increased eightfold since 2001.
Ray Withers, CEO of Property Frontiers, comments,
“As one of the first property agents in the world to offer investment opportunities in Mongolia, this is one emerging market which lies close to our hearts. Home to some of our most successful projects, both in terms of capital growth and rental income, Ulaanbaatar still presents a wealth of opportunity for investors keen to cash in on the thriving commercial property market.”
From residential to commercial
Indeed as is commonly seen in the west, commercial rental prices are now following suit from residential highs, having moved upwards from a range of USD 15-35 psm in 2009, to USD 35-70 psm this year. That’s why Property Frontiers is once more working with the same award-winning developer in order to launch a brand new asset class in Ulaanbaatar.
In the city’s upmarket ‘Billionaire Valley’ area, The Village @ Nukht is a luxury, western-style shopping and leisure centre, already under construction and on track for completion by the end of Q4 2013.
The prime one hectare site will include a number of freehold high end retail units. Strong yields with expected rental returns of 14.8% NET (with an assured yield of 12% for 24 months) and anticipated capital appreciation of up to 20% per annum, are attracting keen interest from the global investment community.
With investment from USD 254,000, retail opportunities at The Village @ Nukht are expected to sell fast, which is far from surprising given the explosive growth of this dynamic country. While the wider world watches with interest, smart investors are ensuring that they are part of Mongolia’s fascinating and rapidly evolving history.
For more information about this high end retail investment in Mongolia, contact Property Frontiers today on +44 1865 202 700 or visit www.propertyfrontiers.com.

At a Glance: Toronto tops Canada property wish list

by Charlotte Ashton Canada

Toronto tops the wish list for people buying property in Canada, according to new research by TheMoveChannel.com. The portal´s At a Glance infographic reveals that the city is the most searched-for place in Canada, accounting for over one-third of all country searches in the 12 months to September 2013.

 

36.2 per cent of house hunters in Canada targeted Toronto, far ahead of any other city or town in the country. Quebec was the nearest runner-up, accounting for 13 per cent of searches, followed by Vancouver and Montreal, which attracted 11.6 per cent and 11.1 per cent respectively.

 

While Ontario´s capital city was the most popular with buyers searching for real estate, though, the province only generated the third highest number of enquiries. Nova Scotia dominated buying activity, responsible for a staggering 62.49 per cent of enquiries. One in five (18.02 per cent) enquiries were for property in Quebec, driven largely by interest in Montreal. Ontario accounted for just 9.48 per cent of enquiries, ahead of British Columbia (6.43 per cent), most of which were targeted at Vancouver.
Nonetheless, buyers were clearly interested in Ontario´s property market: the province accounted for three of the 10 most searched-for destinations (Toronto, Ottawa and London), the same number as Quebec (Quebec, Montreal, Ile des Soeurs), while British Columbia and Alberta accounted for two apiece. Nova Scotia, on the other hand, had no cities in the top 10. Its largest city, Halifax, accounted for just 0.7 per cent of searches, enough to make it the 13th most popular place.
The At a Glance infographic also analyses Google behaviour over the past year. TheMoveChannel.com´s research found that “property in Canada” were the most commonly used keywords, closely followed “homes for sale in Canada”, a rare example of searches for a property type coming ahead of general terms for the entire country. Apartments and hotels appeared in almost no searches at all.
TheMoveChannel.com Editor Ivan Radford comments:
“Toronto is the largest city in Canada. Just look at that map and it´s no surprise that the province of Ontario is such a bright spot – Toronto is regularly ranked in the world´s most liveable cities by the Economist Intelligence Unit, along with Vancouver, Montreal and Calgary. According to Statistics Canada, just over 20 per cent of Canada´s population comes from overseas; expats are clearly keen on Canada and with Toronto´s renowned high quality of life, they head straight to the Ontario capital.
“Why, then, is Nova Scotia the province with the highest enquiries? Ontario has the highest number of properties for sale on the site (more than 5,000), followed by Nova Scotia´s 1,500 property listings: it is not a lack of homes that drives house hunters to another area. A closer look reveals that Nova Scotia´s real estate is more affordable: an average four-bed home costs approximately £302,000 in the province, compared to £451,000 in Ontario. With such a significant price difference, buyers are ultimately opting for Nova Scotia´s Atlantic coast rather than Ontario´s inland real estate. Expat appeal is one thing: money is another.”
Notes to Editors
Founded in 1999, TheMoveChannel.com is the leading independent website for international property, with than 400,000 listings in over 100 countries around the world, marketed on behalf of agents, developers and private owners.

The website address is http://www.themovechannel.com and the office address is 24 Jack´s Place, Corbet Place, Spitalfields, London, E1 6NN. The website address of Lead Galaxy is http://www.leadgalaxy.com

Contact Dan Johnson on 0207 952 7650 for further information.

A word from our sponsors: Jana Korpova, Head of Business Development, Smart Currency Exchange

by Charlotte Ashton United Kingdom

With only 8 weeks until the opening of the overseas property industry’s biggest and best trade event, OPPLive, we speak with official co-sponsor, Smart Currency Exchange.

One of the fastest growing currency exchange specialists in the UK founded in 2004, the Smart Team focus on helping clients to effectively and efficiently send and receive payments internationally – an essential part of the international property buying process.

Striving to save their clients substantial amounts of money – especially when compared to banks – Smart also help clients to manage their risk associated to foreign currency movements. Now in their second year of sponsorship of OPPLive and the Awards of Excellence we hear from Jana Korpova, Head of Business Development, a well-known personality in the overseas property arena, about what being an official sponsor means to her and the Smart Team:

Smart Currency is a lead sponsor of OPPLive, when and how did you first hear about the show?

I first visited the show when I joined Smart Currency Exchange in 2007. Since then I’ve never missed an opportunity to either visit, exhibit or be a panellist at one of the many seminars. OPPLive really is more than an exhibition – it is a hub where professional, likeminded people working in overseas property can meet, do business and compare experiences. I would recommend attending to anyone who is looking for partners or is interested in what industry leaders have to say about the industry’s latest trends.

You’ve sponsored a number of other industry events in the past, so what made you choose to support OPPLive?

Smart sponsored OPPLive and its Awards last year and found it well worth it. As well as it being our way of giving something back to the industry and the OPP media platform, we see it as a great flag-waving exercise. Business to business partnerships and understanding what making our industry tick are crucial to the on-going success of Smart, so we want people to see our brand and name, and know we’re open for business. I think most people reading this will understand how valuable good partnerships have become over the last few years, given how tough the economic environment has been.

Why do you feel that it’s important for Smart to be a sponsor?

Personally, I believe that our partnerships with the industry leaders such as Rightmove, A Place in the Sun and indeed OPP are key to us achieving our vision, namely to become the UK’s number one foreign exchange provider for private individuals buying property or moving abroad. Sponsorship of the industry’s most recognised awards plays a key role in the message that Smart wishes to send out to everyone: We are proud to talk property before currency.

What do you hope to gain from sponsorship / exhibiting at the show?

In terms of business opportunities, I would like to see our business development team speaking with as many trade partners as possible. Our approach to potential partnerships is about much more than just gaining access to new clients’ databases, it is more consultative and long-term. It is important for us to understand how successful the industry professionals are, what their problems are and how we can help them. I hope my team will gain a lot of industry insight at the show and that conversely, other exhibitors, as well as visitors, will find our own information and talking to us both useful and interesting.

Do you think that sponsorships still have a place in property marketing today?

Previous to sponsoring OPPLive, I was sceptical about its long-term value and how it would assist us in marketing Smart and our partnership programme. But following the success we have had, I believe that sponsorship does have a place in property marketing. However, there is a fine balance between just paying for your brand to be displayed and being a true sponsor that believes and supports the industry on a day to day basis.

As a sponsor, how else will Smart be involved in the event?

Smart will have a stand at OPPLive, where we will be offering the chance to speak to potential partners about how they currently work with currency firms, what they ultimately would like to be achieving and how we could assist them. We all know that there are many FX companies operating in the overseas property industry, but only a few actually make extra effort to support their partners in achieving their goals, which are typically linked to selling more properties, getting more clients and adding value to the service they offer. At Smart we do our best to understand each individual partner’s needs and support them as best we can.

Why do you think international property professionals should attend OPPLive?

It’s a great place to network, meet like-minded companies and explore new opportunities for growing your business – or even set up a business – in the overseas property industry. It’s also fun and insightful bringing together visitors and exhibitors from all over the world.

Do you have any top tips for your fellow exhibitors?

The most important thing is to be enthusiastic and open minded to any propositions or ideas coming from either fellow exhibitors or visitors. The industry has suffered in the past few years, but there are reasons why this show is going to be a great place to share ideas and enter into great partnerships.

And here’s a practical tip from me, one I forget time and time again – ladies, wear flat shoes. It is going to be a long day followed by a great night at the awards, so bring flat shoes for the day and heels for the night!

OPPLive will be held on 27th and 28th November 2013 at Central Hall, Westminster, London with delegate passes are now available to purchases online at http://www.opp-live.com/buy-delegatepasses/. 

Working 9 to 5; what a way to make a living – now do it from home

by Charlotte Ashton United Kingdom

The number of people working from home in the UK has increased by 13 per cent in the last 5 years according to a new TUC analysis of official figures assembled to mark National Work From Home Day, organised by WorkWise UK.

  • Number of people in UK working from home up 13% in last 5 years (Labour Force Survey)
  • Majority of new homeworking jobs created have gone to women
  •  By 2015 1.5 billion people will be undertaking mobile working (IDF)

The TUC analysis of unpublished data from the Labour Force Survey reveals that just over 4 million employees usually worked at home in 2012, a rise of 470,000 since 2007, with many millions more occasionally work from home. Geographically the South East, Scotland and Wales have seen the sharpest rise in homeworking over the last 5 years.

The report went onto state that nearly two-thirds (65 per cent) of people who work from home are male with an increasing number of women making this choice. The research also showed that the majority of homeworking jobs created in the last 5 years have gone to women.

Further recent research from the Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion (ENEI) involving 55 UK companies found over 60 per cent believe a quarter of their staff will be making the most of mobile working practices in the next half a decade. Looking globally the International Data Forecast (IDF) predicts that by 2015, there will be 1.5 billion people across the world undertaking mobile working.

The Yahoo CEO, Marissa Mayer famously banned working from home earlier this year as she believes that the best ideas happen when workers are face to face and have the ability to collaborate with each other.  But it turns out that remote workers are more engaged according to Scott Edinger from Edinger Consulting Group.

So what does all this mean for us?

The problem that many will face when considering working from home is a reliable broadband connection and having the space to accommodate all the paraphernalia that goes with the 9 to 5.

Twitter enthusiasts will have regularly seen #wfh (working from home) where tweeters are happily munching on cupcakes, cuddling the cat and enjoying their favourite station on the digital radio without interference from traditional ‘colleagues’.

But the cold reality of home working comes down to comfort, space and the ability to shut the door and return to ‘home life’ at the end of your working day.  If your house is to become for work and for pleasure then it needs to be able to accommodate both without one part infringing on the other.

With the rise in popularity of working from home, house builders, retailers and interior designers have become incredibly inventive about creating work space in the home.

Many retailers are able to provide dinky desk arrangements to fit in the corners of a spare room, in alcoves and under bunk beds.  Some families have installed multiple desk suites in a room, creating space for Mum, Dad and the kids to all work/study together.

Richard Patterson, Director of My Online Estate Agent comments on requests he sees from buyers,

“Many purchasers are looking for an area in the home that is dedicated to ‘work’.  They are looking for a room where they can install filling cabinets, shelves, desks, an office chair and all essential Wi-Fi kit.  Most of our clients are content to ‘make do’ with turning over a spare room for this purpose although some need much larger spaces.”

Partner of award winning Surrey estate agency Barton Wyatt, James Wyatt comments,

“A good number of our clients have added a garden studio to their homes.  In Virginia Water there is often ample space in the garden and the choice of garden rooms is becoming far wider.  These multi-functional ‘sheds’ can be as simple or as sophisticated as you desire, from a plain insulated cabin arrangement to an all-singing, all-dancing heated, plumbed and networked suite that includes a bathroom, soft seating area and a small kitchen.  Clients working from home include architects that need huge drawing desks, Pilates instructors seeking floor space and beauticians who want an aesthetically pleasing and peaceful environment.”

Luxury developer, Millgate, create homes that already incorporate modern day working areas.

Jonathan Cranley, Sales and Marketing Director explains,

“It is an essential today for most of our clients to have a spacious area to work from home; many are international business men/women who often work remotely at all hours of the day.  We endeavour to always include a room designed for this purpose with numerous electrical sockets and communication ports, a pleasing view and away from the noisy hub of the house.  Some of our homes afford rooms over the garages and these make excellent home offices; within these we create a large ‘living’ area, a bathroom and fully fitted kitchen enabling independence from the main house during the work day.”

Gallery of homes of the market that would be perfect for working from home:

Tavistock, Virginia Water, Surrey                             £1,995,000

This house has recently been subject to a complete modernisation programme including new heating system, rewiring, a magnificent new kitchen and luxurious bathroom suites throughout. The spacious accommodation is set over just two floors with generous room sizes and is well suited to contemporary family lifestyle with an enormous kitchen/breakfast/conservatory area, ideal for entertaining.

The house has a quiet study off the main entrance hall.  Being south facing, the house is incredibly light, with large windows and spaciousness being very much a theme throughout the property.

The rear of the house faces due south and has a lovely open view.

For more information please contact Barton Wyatt on 01344 843000 or visit www.bartonwyatt.co.uk.

 

Alderbourne Place, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire                    £2,100,000

Alderbourne Place enjoys a perfect blend of seclusion and comfort which offers the best of town and country living, nestled in rolling green-belt countryside.  This fabulous new development consists of 8 impressive country homes and 4 town houses reflecting meticulous attention to detail with architectural integrity, yet again setting the benchmark for building excellence.

The town house have been snapped up already but country homes with spacious studies are available from £2,100,000.  For further information or to arrange a viewing on 0118 934 3344or visit www.millgatehomes.co.uk.

Henley Road, Haslemere, Surrey                                                             £685,000             

 

This lovely 4 bedroom 2 bathroom detached period cottage has been renovated and extended by its present owners to create a unique reverse level home.  If you think you might need working from home facilities for more than one of you then this property is perfect – it has a studio annexe, double garage and a garden office. The original part of the house is thought to be around 300 years old and retains a great deal of its original charm. The house sits in a wonderful elevated position with stunning views of the surrounding countryside.

For more information please contact My Online Estate Agent on 0845 257 1101 or visit

http://www.myonlineestateagent.com/for-sale/surrey/haslemere/henley-1913/

Waterford House, Wentworth Estate
£4,250,000

Waterford House is superbly situated within the Wentworth Estate on arguably one of the most prestigious roads within Wentworth. Both the Wentworth clubhouse and the village are within easy walking distance.   This house has plentiful accommodation with five bedroom suites, five reception rooms, cinema room, games room and a three car garage.

If you are working from home within the main house there is study and a studio annexe sits over the garage which could be used as an office.

For more information contact Barton Wyatt on 0134 484 3000 or visit http://www.bartonwyatt.co.uk.

Geers Farm, Heathfield, Sussex
£640,000             

An beautiful detached 5 bed period house oozing with character.  Parts of the house date back to 1450 when it owned all the land in the vicinity surrounded by woodland and wheat fields. Geers Farm is privately located in its own large garden with access via a long drive and electrically operated gates. The house has been extensively refurbished and re-modelled by the current owners and is now presented in superb order throughout.

A welcoming entrance hall with slate flooring and under floor heating leading into a spacious utility and separate kitchen. A magnificent Drawing room with stable door to garden and sun terrace, heavily timbered and with fine large inglenook fireplace and raised brick hearth and with French doors opening directly onto the large patio.

The first floor the property has two ´wings´ leading off to the newer part of the building is a large open plan reception area with oak floorboards and double doors to a decked balcony terrace which leads down to the rear garden.

The triple integral garage would make the perfect spot to develop an area to work from home.  There is lapsed planning permission to convert all of the garages.  And whilst this work is being carried out why not use one of the 5 bedrooms as an office.

For more information please contact My Online Estate Agent on 0845 257 1101 or visit http://www.myonlineestateagent.com/for-sale/east-sussex/heathfield/pook-reed-lane-1911/

Holland Place Sunninghill, Berkshire
Guide Price from £3,500,000

Three luxury contemporary private residences in soon to be completed in a gated private road.  The houses are located just two miles from Ascot High Street in the picturesque village of Sunninghill.

These 6 bedroom residences each sit within substantial landscaped grounds, reflecting meticulous attention to detail in design, specification and architectural integrity – again setting the benchmark for building excellence.  Well thought out studies are on the ground floor of each home and large media rooms in the roof give options for setting out your home.

For more information contact Millgate on 01189 343344 or visit www.millgatehome.co.uk

Property Inspector: Can you really advertise your home for free?

by Charlotte Ashton United Kingdom

TheMoveChannel.com’s Property Inspector, taking a closer look at global real estate month.

 

Advertising property can be an expensive business. Online portals have helped to change that, allowing estate agents and developers to reach international audiences. Now, though, real estate lead generation company Lead Galaxy have introduced Nubricks – a portal that advertises property completely for free.
What’s the catch? Who can sign up? And does free real estate advertising actually work?
In this month’s podcast, TheMoveChannel.com’s Property Inspector quizzes Lead Galaxy’s Account Manager Kim Roberts about an unusual approach to property marketing.
Click here to listen to the full investigation. An abridged transcript of the interview follows.
Let’s start with the obvious one: what’s the catch?
“There isn’t one. You can advertise your property on Nubricks for free.”
How did Nubricks come about?
Well, Nubricks started life as an overseas property investment blog, with lots of tips and advice for investors. At first we planned to use Nubricks as a portal for new build property, but as everyone tries to recover from the global recession, what people need as much as information is something that won’t cripple their bank account. So we decided to reinvent Nubricks as a portal where everyone in the world can advertise real estate listings for free to an international audience.
You say “international audience”. Is that important?
Yes. There are several free property portals that will advertise your property in the UK, but even on certain popular classified sites, if you want to advertise a home to an international audience, you will be charged. Nubricks doesn’t do that: you can be seen by everyone in the world at no cost. After all, if you’re selling a house in London, someone in Russia may be just as interested in buying it as someone in Norfolk.
What kind of traffic does the site get?
Nubricks has visitors from around the world. UK buyers account for a third of visitors, but one-fifth comes from the USA, followed closely by Australia, Germany, Canada, Italy, France and the United Arab Emirates. Overall, Lead Galaxy´s network has more than 10 million buyers around the world, but while some sites are targeted at particular countries or sectors, Nubricks covers all types of property and an international group of investors.
So what´s the point? Are you saying your other services are too expensive? 
No, we have a range of services that are designed to be flexible for everyone´s budget. Advertisers can pay for every lead they receive – except for spams and scams, of course – or list properties on a fixed fee basis, but what we´ve been seeing from buyers this year is a major shift back towards the eurozone, not just from opportunistic investors but from budget bargain hunters – people are clearly still tightening their belts. Private sellers and estate agents are strapped for cash too. There are people who want to buy that struggle to buy, but there are also people who want to sell that struggle to sell. So we’ve introduced a service to help them.
 
Do you think free property advertising can work? You don´t think it might carry an image of inferior quality?
It could, but this isn’t a new site. Nubricks was an early-stage dotcom business. Because the domain has been active for a long time, it has a really strong SEO base and an existing, developed audience. People are already looking to the site as an authority on real estate: these are engaged users who are interested in buying property.
And will they ever have to pay further down the line? 
No – their listings can stay on Nubricks for free, although they will only be displayed on Nubricks. If they want to go on other portals within the Lead Galaxy network they will have to pay for one of our advertising packages, which are also affordable, starting from just £1 per lead. If they ever find they have money, it´s then easy for them to step up their marketing activity.
Notes to Editors
Founded in 1999, TheMoveChannel.com is the leading independent website for international property, with more than 400,000 listings in over 100 countries around the world.
Nubricks is part of the Lead Galaxy network and advertises property around the world on behalf of agents, developers and private owners for free.
The website address is http://www.nubricks.com and the office address is 24 Jack´s Place, Corbet Place, Spitalfields, London, E1 6NN.
Contact Dan Johnson on 0207 952 7650 for further information.

Award-winning developer, Millgate, appoints Knight Frank to sell outstanding new homes in Oxted

by Charlotte Ashton United Kingdom
  •  House prices have increased 8.4% over past 5 years in commuter village of Oxted, Surrey
  •  Annual train pass to London Bridge (only 30 minutes) costs £2,036 per annum
  •  The district of Tandridge has second lowest population density in the county

The district of Tandridge is the fifth smallest in Surrey and has second lowest population density in the county.  The District is almost entirely covered by the Green Belt (approximately 94%) and only 12% of the area is currently developed. The district is blessed with having nearly a third of its land as open space or woodland and two thirds for agricultural use, making this a truly peaceful and beautiful area.

However, building on designated Green Belt land is an on-going issue for councils and this chiefly rural district is no different.  With 19 conservation areas, 600 listed buildings, of which 20 are recognised as being of outstanding national interest and designated Grade I, eight Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), 6 Local Nature Reserves and over a third of the District designated as being either an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or Great Landscape Value – all means that viable land for new homes is very limited.

Indeed, finding sites to build new homes in the area is so incredibly hard that it took award-winning house builder, Millgate, years to find the right location for their latest development in Surrey – Trevereux. Last year the Millgate acquisitions team finally purchased a property in Oxted, previously the Marie Currie Research Institute until 2010, perched on the edge of an escarpment with far reaching, grandstand views across Surrey and Kent.

The innovative new Trevereux development has transformed a derelict old building into six luxury apartments where Millgate have used one façade of the original building and three further indulgent country mansions.

Rupert Connell, Partner of Knight Frank, who has been appointed as selling agents of Trevereux comments:

“Trevereux is cutting edge. The older building has been redeveloped to incorporate six luxury apartments as good as any 5* hotel; you literally feel like you have stepped into a top end London hotel! The three separate dwellings are also incredible; two are traditional homes, kitted out with the very best in luxury fixtures and fittings and the third house has been designed with ultra-modern futuristic look. This house has jaw-dropping views through the largest floor to rooftop windows imaginable; the main ground floor living area is vast and would be an incredible venue for people that enjoy entertaining.

“The local village of Oxted is delightful with quaint shops, pretty coffee houses and good quality restaurants.  The area is awash with quality schools such as Woldingham Girls School, Sevenoaks and Tonbridge – all leading public schools.  Kent is blessed with grammar schools which are easily commutable from here – Judds at Tonbridge and Cranbrook are both outstanding schools.”

Oxted itself boasts a small cinema and a much-loved Waitrose, which earlier this year, according to Savills Estate Agency could possibly drive up property prices by as much as 50%. Zoopla suggests that house prices have increased by 8.4% in the past 5 years and are continuing to rise so property is looking good in this area of outstanding beauty.

Trevereux itself is situated just outside Oxted in a tiny hamlet known as Limpsfield Chart.  Blessed with its own pub selling locally brewed ale, a village green and a pretty church this really is rural Surrey at its finest.

Jonathan Cranley, Sales and Marketing Director for Millgate comments:

“Trevereux has been such an exciting development for us.  Converting a property that has a place in history makes it all the more special and the ultra-modern house on this development is a completely new design for us – we are very proud to be launching a state of the art home to our clients.”

Guide price for the apartments will start from £1,250,000 and the detached homes from £3,750,000. For more details on this incredible new development please contact Millgate on 0118 934 3344or visit www.millgatehomes.co.uk.