Despite concerns about the economic outlook and rising energy bills, interest rates and the general cost of living, buyer demand has not really changed in our part of West Sussex, particularly in the upper end of the housing market and for the good quality homes. This means buyers still need to be prepared to compete for the best country houses if they are to have a chance of finding one, let alone purchasing one.

At Property Acquisitions, we are still just as busy as we were during the pandemic’s property buying frenzy, with offers still going over asking price amidst competitive bidding wars. This is supported by recent research from house selling weather forecast, PropCast, who tracks buyer demand across the country and often quoted in the national press. When looking at a county level, the free online tool has found that demand has remained stable over the last quarter in West Sussex.

We are finding that period homes with large gardens, outbuildings and high spec are still highly sought after, commanding a premium. Bidding wars and sealed bids are still very much going on as a result. This is especially true in the golden villages surround Chichester, Midhurst and Petworth such as Bosham, Witterings, Selham, Tillington or Lickfold. Recently for example, a really lovely Grade II listed house launched in one of the villages. We had made an appointment for a client for the next week, but received a call from the estate agent asking if we could bring the viewing forward as 40 viewings had been booked and they had already received two bids approximately 20% higher than the asking price. This is not uncommon at the moment – buyers are literally having to fight to secure the best country houses still.

Where we are starting to see a slight drop in demand are for the average houses, those that aren’t in such prime locations, or those that don’t have the period features, space, pools, outbuildings and amazing views that buyers still seek. Last year buyers were so panicked to buy a country house that they would take what they could find, but now they are a little bit more wary about anything they feel has a negative trait. For example a home near pylons or road noise, or somewhere that is too small. Houses where a sale has been agreed but then falls through are also taking longer to sell, because buyers presume that something is wrong with it. Meanwhile, although the rising cost of living doesn’t really affect our end of the market, buyers are more price sensitive, so overpriced houses are taking longer to sell. There was one in a hugely desirable village not long ago with an amazing view and lots of land, but because the house was small, it hasn’t sold yet. It’s priced over £2million and the estate agent has told us they haven’t had the uptake they expected and so will probably have to reduce the price.

So, whilst buyers may have been hoping for a drop in house prices by now, you still need to be prepared to battle it out on the playing fields for the best country homes in West Sussex. Here are a few of our top tips:

Be organised – Have all of your paperwork ready, know your budget and have your finances in place.

Sell your current home asap – Most estate agents won’t agree to a house viewing with a buyer unless they can prove they have the funds ready to go. My clients are a mix of cash buyers or those who have at least exchanged contracts already, putting them high on the list when it comes to just getting their foot through the front door.

Be realistic on your offer

There’s not much negotiation going on right now for houses over £1million, so be realistic on what your best offer should be to stand a good chance of having it accepted – but don’t overspend!

Agree to a long completion

Sellers still want buyers who can be flexible on the completion date. This is generally because they are worried about how long it’s taking them to find another house. After all, they’re up against tough competition too. Offering them time to find something else combined with all of the above points should stand you in very good stead as a buyer. It can even encourage sellers to accept a lower offer if they feel you are a good choice.

Retain a buying agent

If you really want to be ahead of the curve, then a good local buying agent will be able to find you the off-market houses first, before the general public get to know about them. For us, these are often the hidden gems in the golden villages surrounding Chichester, Midhurst and Petworth. A buying agent usually only works with proceedable buyers, which is why estate agents tend to speak with us first about what they have coming up for sale. Buying agents can also advise on what your maximum offer should be, which is especially useful if you are in a bidding war scenario – it is very easy to get carried away and spend too much.

Homes with some sort of kitchen garden (or the potential to have one) are now key selling points for country house buyers in West Sussex.

As a vegetable grower myself, I have so many fond memories of when my two sons were growing up. We had an impressive patch at the back of the garden where we grew all sorts – potatoes, beans, courgettes, radishes, asparagus, carrots, tomatoes and various types of lettuces to name a few. We also had apple and plum fruit trees and a herb garden. For them it was an adventure, from watching the vegetables grow over time to digging them all up. I don’t think the potatoes lasted more than ten minutes before they were washed, cooked and eaten!

I still enjoy growing my own herbs today. As I write this, I have just poured myself a cup of refreshing mint tea in the summer sun using the mint from my herb garden. I also love to cook with my own ingredients such as parley and rosemary. Not only do I find it therapeutic, but I think there’s something incredibly rewarding about enjoying homegrown food as it takes time and a lot of patience. Knowing exactly where your food comes from also adds to the appeal.

It would appear I am not the only one who adores this farm to table experience. When the nation was hit by the various Covid-19 lockdowns, people of all ages made the most of their gardens by unleashing their green-fingered thumbs and growing their own fruit and veg. This new trend of creating fresh seasonal produce at home made its way into the world of property too, giving sellers of country houses a competitive edge. When showing my clients around such homes over the last couple of years, I have seen more buyers comment on vegetable beds, orchards, kitchen gardens and green houses, than ever before. I have even been asked about soil types! Interestingly many of these are families who want to do exactly what I did with my children. It’s a fun way for young one’s to learn about the joys of home grown food, whilst gaining a greater connection with where their food comes from.

Village and market towns with allotments are very popular now too – so much so that there are often waiting lists to get your own plot. Lodsworth, Graffham, East Dean, Lavant, Chichester and Petworth are just some examples of areas offering local residents the chance to grow their own seasonal produce. Allotments also bring a fantastic community spirit, where neighbours can make friends and socialise together.

Growing your own fruit and veg is not just about enjoying home-made food, however. There are many physical and mental health benefits too. Combine these with the fact that food costs and energy bills have soared, I believe this is a trend that is set to continue for a while yet.

If you are looking for a country house with plenty of space to grow your own fresh ingredients, perhaps I can help. You can contact me on 07776452128 or e-mail jh@propertyacquisitions.co.uk. 

Many homes are being purchased in and around West Sussex with a new love in mind; a dog. With plenty of walks to enjoy in the south downs, along the Chichester coastline and everywhere in between, it’s of no surprise that many of my clients over the last year have been keeping their four legged friends in mind when searching for their dream country abode.

Statistics state that in 2020/21 there were 12million dogs living in the UK, with 3.2million households purchasing some form of pet since the start of the pandemic.

However, if you’re thinking about moving this year with your beloved dogs, there are a few things to think about on your property search…

As a dog owner myself to labradors, I know that dogs love to find an escape route from the garden, so fencing all the way around is an absolute must. This is especially true if the land backs onto a farm as you need to prevent your dogs from chasing livestock.

Pools and ponds may be great fun for family and friends, but for dogs they can be very dangerous. You’ll need to invest in some form of fencing to keep them safe if there isn’t already something in place, especially if there is a pool cover. I’ve seen this done really nicely with picket fencing for example, but if you have small children too, this acts as a safety net for them as well.

The desire for utility rooms has shot to the top of the list for dog owners over the last couple of years. They have become essential for washing off the salty sea from one of the local beaches or mud in winter, as well as drying. One buyer for example asked me to find a house that had a dog room and a downstairs shower, but I’ve seen utility rooms with all kinds of cool dog stations and salons within them.

Avoid being on a main road or any busy road, just in case your dog decides to dash out of your front door.

Whilst we are very lucky to have some lovely beaches on our doorstep for dogs to run and enjoy the sea air, some do have seasonal restrictions. Most of the beach websites do have their rules listed on there to check, but between May to September for example, dogs are allowed on West Wittering outside of groynes 14A-18 (the area between the beach huts roughly). Whilst at Church Norton, another stunning coastal spot, dogs can be off the lead but they may need to be on for a short while due to the nature reserve.

On local walks, be sure to keep an eye out for livestock if you’re crossing farmers’ land. There are some great routes around this area to include Itchenor, Birdham, Halnaker Windmill Trail and Kingsley Vale.

Research which villages and local towns have a good dog community. Many have their own Facebook community pages which are very useful sources of information. For example, you can use these to ask for vet, groomer and pet sitter suggestions, or make people aware your dog has escaped so that the local community can keep an eye out and report back any sightings. If there’s a pub, café or restaurant, find out if dogs are allowed inside, and enquire about the local walks. I’ve even been asked if there is a dog show at the local village fete quite a few times. The Kennels at Goodwood have even started their own dog event now!

Owning a dog is definitely a way of life, and they have long been established as being our loyal best friends. From helping your homes feel more secure and allowing you to socialise with other canine friends on walks, to greeting you with their waggy tails as you walk through the front door, dogs can really help boost your mood dramatically whilst encouraging a healthy fitness routine too. It’s therefore no wonder that buyers are making them a priority when searching for their dream country house in West Sussex. For more information about how Director Jennie Hancock can help you with your search, phone +44 (0)7776452128 or e-mail jh@propertyacquisitions.co.uk. 

Since the pandemic began last year, the West Sussex property market has been red hot, as buyers scramble to get their hands on the best country houses for sale. However, for many it has come at a price, and a considerably hefty one at that, as competitive bidding wars have meant purchasers have been paying (and are still paying) substantial premiums in order to secure the sale.

The scarcity of good quality houses has played a significant role, as have the two stamp duty holiday deadlines. Let’s not forget Covid-19 itself either, as buyers young and old revaluate their lives and head off in search for a better life in the peaceful, clean air surroundings of West Sussex.

However, it seems those who did pay a premium for their pandemic purchases are now realising the consequences of what they paid. Recently, Aviva showed 94% of the homeowners they surveyed who agreed sales during the pandemic felt the pressure to buy quickly. Interestingly, 15% knew they were going to make an offer within twenty minutes of their viewing! Other stats show that 50% of recent buyers regretted how much they paid for their homes. 23% said they agreed a figure above the asking price, and shockingly, 92% of buyers found issues with their properties such as vermin, subsidence, poor insulation, damp, mould, bad plumbing, and faulty fittings costing over £10,000. Some of those people had to pay more than £20,000.

It’s easy to understand why this has happened if these buyers weren’t being given the professional guidance that they needed at the time. There aren’t that many properties for sale and knowing how fast they’re selling, it’s easy for buyers to get pulled into the bidding war scenario – especially if they have fallen in love with the home. So, with all of this in mind, I thought I would suggest my top tips for buying in 2022…

Location

Location is always at the top of my list when it comes to advising clients on buying a house. Get this wrong and you risk selling up sooner than you had planned. This doesn’t just have to include the area you’re planning on living in. You also need to consider whether you’d be living next door to a pig farm for example (it will smell a lot, especially in summer!), or on a busy main road. You won’t appreciate the mad rush of commuter and school traffic that happens multiple times a day whilst relaxing in your garden, or having your Sunday lie in disrupted by weekend traffic buzzing past your front door. If you’re looking at a village, see how close you are to local amenities such as shops, schools and the nearest train station too. Panic buying on location can be costly. They cause expensive mistakes and often people end up having to search again in two to three years time.

Don’t panic buy

Be prepared to walk away. Easier said than done, I know, but hasty decisions are being made because buyers think they won’t find a house. However, you will in time – I promise. I strongly advised a client during the pandemic that they didn’t purchase a house in the south downs as I knew from the estate agent that the offers coming in were 20+% over asking price. My buyer walked away from the property and I managed to find them something just as good elsewhere quickly, for a lot less money as it was off market and nobody else knew about it.

View more than once

Of course it’s easy to fall in love with a home on the first viewing, we’ve all been guilty of it at some point, but you must do your homework before committing to anything. Book your second viewing as soon as possible after the first. This is to ensure you are still able to put in an offer should it end up in a best and final or sealed bid scenario. It’s worth visiting the house again in the dark, so you can get a feel for what it’s like then, and/or at a different time to the first viewing so you can ascertain whether you can hear main road traffic now that the wind has changed direction or the commuter traffic whizzing along a mile down the road between 7am-9am. Sunlight is also a consideration – if you enjoy a gin and tonic on a summers afternoon in the sunshine, then you want to ensure the sun is in fact shining on your patio or garden at the time you want it to. By organising a second viewing, you are minimising the risk of rushing to purchase something that may not actually be suitable for you.

Do your research

If you are using a buying agent they will research everything on your behalf, but if you’re going it alone, you need to know quite a few things before making an offer. Investigate the reason for the sale and the ownership history, as these can often raise red flags. For example, if the vendor has been in the house a long time it demonstrates they love their home and can give you confidence it’s a lovely place to live, but if it has changed hands multiple times in ten years then I’d find that concerning. It could be the road position and it’s too noisy, or perhaps it’s a bad farm smell, a horrid neighbour or a damp problem and so on. If you’re a family and schools are important to you, find out how far away educational facilities are. If you’re a commuter, where is the station? If you need local amenities within walking distance, make sure you’ve worked out how long it would take to get to them. Ask about how much the house costs to run too.

Consider temporarily renting

It may cost a few thousand to rent for six months, but renting is worth considering when low stock is causing purchase prices to be pushed up. If you can, wait, as historically Spring is the best time to be buying a country house as gardens are in their full glory and everything looks wonderful for photos and viewings. This tempts vendors of these homes into selling, bringing far more houses to market for buyers to look at. This automatically helps stabilise prices due to the better balance between demand and supply. Many of these will be off market however and will not hit the property portals – which is where the benefit of a buying agent comes in.

Offer the seller a delayed completion

Sellers will be struggling to find a house too, so it’s worth offering them a delayed completion date which gives them the assurance of an exchange so that they can become a proceedable buyer for their seller. This flexibility can often tempt them into accepting your offer over the highest bidder. Other benefits for buyers include allowing time to seek planning permission, architects and builders for any alterations you plan to make. This is especially true now when Covid-19 has caused huge delays with planners, whilst builders are so busy with business there are long waiting times to book them in. For anybody moving from overseas, a delayed completion is ideal should you wish to secure the house via exchange and then wait until you are back in the UK to complete. You also have more time to secure the funds from the sale of your own home in order to complete the purchase.

Reduce your budget

With the sorts of prices being paid, I am actually advising clients to under budget at the moment. For example, if you are looking for a house around £2million, reduce this to £1.75m/£1.8million to take into account the premium you will most likely be paying. This is especially true if you go to sealed bids or best and finals where buyers are paying 10-20% over asking price. It also allows for any unexpected costs. There’s quite a lot of hidden expenditure if you don’t do your research properly. For example, a survey could say you’ll need to spend an extra £100k on the property due to a number of hidden issues, pushing the budget way out of control.

Manage expectations

If you fall in love with a house you see, but somebody snatches it up from underneath you, it can be quite a downer. I’m all for keeping your glass half full, but in this game, it’s important to be realistic that there a is a high chance you will be outbid in the current market. Obviously be excited, but try to keep emotion out of it. Property is an asset class at the end of the day and needs to be seen as an investment that works for you now and in the long-term.

Retain a buying agent

A good buying agent will do all of the leg work for you, minimise risk by providing you the expert advice you need, whilst giving access to properties off market that nobody else knows about – reducing competitive bidding tremendously.

For more advice about purchasing a home in West Sussex, contact our Director at Property Acquisitions, Jennie Hancock , on +44 (0)7776452128 or jh@propertyacquisitions.co.uk.