Sunday 24th July 2022
“If you’re not barefoot, then you’re overdressed.” –
Anonymous
Holiday season, and for many, Sam and me included, the first overseas holiday since Covid struck. It was very strange going away again, mixing with people we didn’t know on the St Malo ferry crossing, and wandering around the south of France without masks, whilst being aware that the threat of Covid having returned was all around.
But away we did.
This was also the first holiday since we left High Street agency and set up our own business, under the MAC umbrella. This caused me no end of angst, and likely the same angst that freelancers and consultants across the universe also feel.
“Will our clients be annoyed that we are away?”;
“Will all collapse without us?”,
“What happens if something goes wrong?”;
Well, we were so very touched that, rather than be annoyed that we were going away for a break, every one of our clients were truly supportive and happy for us.
Okay, so I took my computer … and my mobile phone, safe in the knowledge that I could still do some work every day, for my sanity to be fair. Okay, so working an hour or two (or in essence about three or four hours a day) was also good for the family’s sanity otherwise I would have been stressed out. But that hasn’t changed for forty years, I have always worked a little on holiday, even when fully employed. Nothing got missed, viewings still happened, we still launched properties, we still prepared brochures, and I was finally able to accept help. I am a victim of rarely accepting help from anyone …
I don’t think I am alone in finding this difficult.
Part of the joy of working under the MAC umbrella is that we had cover there too. And help on hand. Whilst I could do paperwork, write brochures, sort photographs, negotiate offers, all overlooking the pool where the family were playing, I was safe in the knowledge that I had a Jenna in Winchester, covering my viewings. She was amazing, and the clients were happy.
I kept in touch with the clients anyway, much to their chagrin, as they were as keen as anyone for us to truly have a break, but nothing fell between the cracks.
The bottom line, we were somewhat forced to realise, is that no-one is indispensable, when they have a wonderful team around them, which is what we had.
Holidays are important, not just for Christmas …
And back to Winchester last Sunday evening, with a vengeance!
We went live that evening with a wonderful house in Edgar Road, attended three sets of photography on the hottest day of the year (seriously, Sam and I thought we were going to collapse, moving furniture, setting up the photography, in 40c!). exchanging on two houses, completing on another, three valuations, another instructed, and one more went live online this evening.
Maybe time for another holiday??!
Maybe not yet!
Back to the housing market, and how we see it.
The housing market is still stable. There are fewer buyers than there were, as so many bought last year due to the stamp duty holiday. Interest rates are going up, which is affecting mortgage rates, but still relatively reasonable, and nothing like the first mortgage rates Sam and I each had in the early 1980s at 15%!!
We are so proud that so many people are coming to us to market their homes, The feedback we are getting from clients is heartwarming – and along the lines of ‘old fashioned service, from people who care, with traditional values, in a modern world’. We go the extra mile – with one house we were photographing this week, the owners were away and left us a key for access, so we were at the (fabulous) flower stall on Winchester’s high street at 0800 on Thursday morning buying armfuls of cut flowers to help brighten their home.
We received this review just before we went away:
“As we were about to go on holiday, Nony persuaded us to market our house just before leaving so that she could show people around whilst we were away. And so our house went on the market on a Monday.
That Thursday, whilst we were flying from Gatwick to Tenerife, Nony showed seven clients around our house.
On the Friday we got two offers above asking price.
On Saturday we accepted one of the offers.
For the next three months Nony chased everyone involved, often on a daily basis, until finally we exchanged contracts. What would we have done without her?.
All I can say to everyone who reads this is “Never move house without a Nony!””
If you are thinking of moving, and would like to speak with Sam and me about how we would represent you in the market, please do give us a call.
I can promise you that we are not going away for at least another year …
Have a wonderful month, one and all!
