property Archives | The London Mummy

Hutton Bubear : Finding Your Family Home

Spring has sprung and it’s the time of year when people who know it’s time for a change, start their property search. Where do you begin? Especially if you don’t know the area, the house might be right but what about location, commute, community to name a few major aspects on making a ‘good move’. The competition for a great family home, in particularly outside London, is fierce and you need someone in the know and on the ground who can be your eyes and ears to properties that you wouldn’t otherwise hear about…

This is where Catherine and Alice can assist! Hutton Bubear are a bespoke property-buying agent providing unrivalled access to properties marketed both privately and publicly including many not available on the open market.

They act solely on behalf of their buyers and tenants to find homes across Hampshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire and London.

They have excellent relationships with all the agents and are often first to hear about a new property on the market through word of mouth.

If any these counties are on your list – get in touch and I can guarantee they will make what is usually chore, very enjoyable!

We pride ourselves on clearly understanding our clients’ brief in order to find the perfect property for them.

What made you start your business?

We moved out of London to relocate in the country with small children in tow and even though we had a great deal of property experience, we realised that finding the perfect house is just the start. To us, there was an obvious gap in the market for a professional advisory service for families looking to make the move from town to country (or vice versa).

Together we decided to put our years of property search experience together and create the business to fill that gap. We both fully understand the challenges a big move brings and work tirelessly to make it as smooth as possible for our clients.

Who is HB ideal for?

We’ve worked with lots of people in different situations, from families relocating from a big city to the country to those wanting to downsize. We’ve worked with investment buyers to those with no experience wanting to find their dream house.

We understand our clients have busy lives so our aim is to provide a home search that’s second to none as well as taking out the stress of the buying process by dealing with agents, lawyers and other third parties on our clients’ behalf.

How do you juggle work with family?

It’s easier now that all of our children are at school but with two of us, we were able to help each other out when we first set up the business. We’re a real team and when we’re not on the road finding properties we work where we live. Obviously we try and maintain a healthy balance but because there are two of us, it means we really can be in two places at once if we need to be!

What do you recommend thinking about when looking for a home?

Schools are obviously high on the list with most of our clients but the key is knowing the (realistic) travel times as well as fully understanding what each school can offer.
We look closely at the practicalities of commuting including train journeys and travel to stations.
We find out if there are any hidden catches that might be a future nuisance or financial burden along with checking a myriad of other things like road noise, planning applications, flight paths and so on.
Gut feel when you walk into a house counts for a lot but we make sure all the pros and cons have been fully investigated.

Alice’s Favourite’s

Restaurant : Numero Uno on Northcote Road. A throwback to my London years! Still love it.

Hotel : Baba Beach Club in Thailand thanks to an unforgettable family holiday a few years ago.

Holiday Destination : The North coast of Scotland – remote, but so beautiful.

Shop : Iris in London. Happily they have a brilliant online shop so I can still visit albeit virtually these days!

Website : www.re-foundobjects.com – gorgeous things for the home

Interior designer : Rita Konig

Parenting tip?

The ability to laugh, a proper Sunday roast and a good night’s sleep all help!

Give them a call today for an initial chat!

Alice 00447920 454 944 Catherine 00447885604127 or just have a nosy of their website…

huttonbubear.co.uk

Follow @huttonbubear on Instagram

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Property Services Spotlight

Move To Surrey with Property Potential

‘So, is it time to ‘move out?’ Go to the sprawling countryside. Somewhere bigger? We will have to compromise somewhere. Large property, smaller garden. No, massive garden and smaller house? Hmmm. Not sure. Perhaps in a country village, perhaps on the outskirts of a town. Ok, let’s leave that. What’s our budget? Eek. What can we even get for that? You want old but I don’t want anything that is going fall down on me! And we haven’t even registered for schools!! Are there any schools that are decent in that area (that we don’t even know have any houses for sale) and first and foremost we need to check that they actually have places! ‘

Sound familiar? If you have ever discussed the BIG MOVE with your other half, it is enough to make you want to go and inhale that familiar London pollution.

Anyway, help is at hand. I have a couple lovely ladies who will be able to give you much needed clarity, information & insider knowledge on this very subject!

Maranda and Jen are professional home search consultants who run Property Potential Surrey specialising in helping families moving to the area to find their dream family home.

We cover Surrey, North Hampshire and West Sussex.

Many of their clients focus on the areas around Farnham, Guildford, Godalming and Haslemere as they are lovely towns surrounded by rolling countryside, but it’s easily accessible back into London.

The process starts with them meeting prospective clients to really get to grips with what they’re after from commuting needs to schools to the style of house that they prefer.

Based on their needs, they take them on an orientation tour of the areas that they think would work best for them. During the tour they will share lots of local information such as best nurseries, schools, pubs, restaurants, shops, the best stations to commute from etc. and will send them home armed with the knowledge that would normally take years of living locally to gain.

Once they have narrowed down the search area we then hit the ground running leaving no stone unturned to get into the very best properties, more often than not before they hit the open market.

Due to their excellent relationship with local estate agents, they also get access to those houses being marketed ‘quietly’ which will never come onto the open market. This gives their clients a competitive edge over other buyers. Once they’ve found the right house, they then work with the estate agents to negotiate the best possible price for their clients.

Once the deal is done, they act as house moving ‘concierge’, and can organise surveyors, removals quotes and get quotes from other professional services. After their clients move in they don’t just disappear but are at the end of the phone to offer advice and information on the local area.

MEET THEM YOURSELF IN LONDON!

Maranda and Jen are setting up shop in South West London on Friday 3rd March to meet anyone who would like to explore the possibility of moving to Surrey.

What you can expect to learn –

House style:

“We have a special presentation, which helps clients think about house styles, what the love and hate about different houses. It is amazing how often a client hasn’t quite decided what they are looking for and depending on what they like, we know where you are most likely to find that style of house.”

House prices:

“Even if they are unsure of their end budget, we can give them an idea of where you are most likely to get what you want for your money.”

The area:

“We will have a huge map and can discuss the area in general. Talking though villages they may have heard of and what is available in different areas, from schools, to nurseries, to cafes to shops”

Travel:

“We will have commuting timetables and discuss best stations to commute from”

Schools:

“We will have a list of all the schools in the area and will provide them with a list of the next open mornings”

The meeting is strictly confidential and absolutely no pressure to use their services (although they are so nice, I am thinking I want to up sticks and move to the country, just so I can have them look after me!)

Call them to book a time!

Maranda Jones 07776 779993
Jen Butcher 07776 779998

They met in the way that many of us meet new friends when we have young children – at a local toddler group.

It was (and still is) a real social hub for local mums with little ones and it’s where we met the ladies who have gone on to be our great friends still today.

When our youngest children started school we, like many mums, wanted to go back to work but in a more flexible way where we could be our own boss. I built my own house when I moved into the village six years ago and developed a real passion for property. I also found that I was informally advising many friends and friends of friends about the area and what it’s like to live around here. I was also informally keeping an eye out for properties for them.

Jen and Maranda got talking about their future plans and decided that it would have been invaluable, when they had moved a few years earlier, to have had somebody to hold their hand through the entire process – from finding the dream family home to being able to pass on the local knowledge that can only be gained from living and breathing an area for a number of years.

This seed of an idea then snowballed into an actual business which they’ve been running successfully now for nearly four years. They both have a background in PR and marketing which really helped to promote their business and get it off the ground.

I can see why. When I spoke to them it was like speaking old friends. What a dynamic duo!

Their Favourite’s

Website: Houzz which is like an encylopaedia of interior design ideas

Shop: Bardoe & Appel, Guildford and The Packhouse for amazing home décor finds

Hotel: The Dormy House Hotel, Cotswolds – beautiful, cosy home from home boutique hotel

Restaurant: The Noah’s Ark in Lurgashall, West Sussex – picture perfect village setting and delicious food after a long Sunday morning walk.

Holiday destination: Cape Town – my parents live there half the year and Jen’s just been there on holiday – such a beautiful city.

Parenting tip:

Don’t stress about challenging behaviour – everything’s a phase and they (and you!) will come out the other side!

Contact details –

Property Potential Surrey

hello@propertypotentialsurrey.co.uk

Maranda Jones 07776 779993
Jen Butcher 07776 779998

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Services Spotlight

Harriet Rowlands : Family Home Property Finder

If this gorgeous spike in temperature is making you feel a bit restless in your current home and you’re thinking you might need a bit more space or even want to up sticks to the countryside – todays post is for you!

Harriet Rowlands offers a bespoke property search service, No Place Like Home, for clients looking to buy property in West London and surrounding counties. Her specialism and passion, is finding the perfect home for families, especially those relocating from London to the country. Her successful searches have taken her to Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berskshire, Sussex and Dorset.

As a buying agent, she has a comprehensive understanding of the complexities and subtleties of all that is involved in property search and acquisition. This extensive knowledge has been built up over a 16 year period of buying and selling property. She uses her expert knowledge of the local property markets, extensive network of contacts and highly effective negotiating skills to find the right property for her clients, and most importantly – at the right price! With her previous teaching background she is able to direct parents to excellent schools too.

She was lucky enough to buy her first flat in West London in her mid twenties and enjoyed every minute of her property search. She felt rather bereft after her own property search had come to an end, but over the following months and years she was lucky enough to be asked by many friends and family members to find the perfect property for them. At this time, she was a teacher in leading London independent schools so she carried out property searches as a hobby in her spare time. However, she knew that she would, one day, make her hobby into her profession.

So after her children were born, whilst they napped, she started to teach herself the ins and outs of social media and to write the content for her website. And so No Place Like Home Property Search was born.

Harriet is friendly and welcoming yet professional and of course discreet! She enjoys meeting new clients and understands their requirements quickly to enable her to find their perfect property.

My previous clients often remark about how I am able to cover my fees by shrewdly negotiating the final purchase price of their chosen property. This is obviously a real plus point when the buying process is already costly.

Harriet is currently running a Summer Offer of 10% off her fees, so even more reason to get in touch with her.

In a similar vein, if you have already purchased a property, wondering which area to move to or are making a move into unknown territory, you must register on Life After London. Bee, a London mum, set the website up to help you move out of London and connect with people in the same boat.

Harriet’s Favourites

Hotel: La Residencia, Majorca

Website: The White Company

Restaurant: Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Great Milton

Shop: Jigsaw, Westbourne Grove

Holiday Destination : Vancouver & Vancouver Island

Parenting Tip : ‘Don’t panic, it’s just a phase!’

nplhome.co.uk

See Harriet on TLM Ultimate Directory alongside many more fantastic businesses!

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People Property Services Spotlight

Moving House With Penn Holmes London

The three most stressful things in life are death, divorce and moving house. The latter is the only thing we actually choose – so why is it always so difficult. If a house sale or move is on your radar at the moment and the thought of it makes you want to weep into your cereal – why not delegate the whole process to a wonderful duo who will look after it from beginning to end. They will use their experience, contacts and ability to take it out of your hands so you can put your energy into whatever else takes your fancy.

Penn Holmes London is a SW6 property search agency offering a very personal service helping clients find the right property for them at the best possible market price.

Penn Holmes London was set up by Francesca Penn and Katie Holmes, two childhood friends who wanted to put their enthusiasm and passion for finding and doing up properties into a concrete business of their own.

SONY DSC

Readdressing their work-life balance following the birth of their first children they decided to wave goodbye to their former corporate worlds to launch this niche, boutique Fulham-specific property search agency.

Having both spent a significant part of their lives living in SW6 they had hands on experience buying and selling property there so they really understood first-hand the emotional and time-consuming nature of the process. With five years under their belt now they offer a well established and renowned local property search service to families, young professionals, and investors alike looking to find the right property for them, at a competitive price within their budget.

Cosy mews houses

I urge you to contact Francesca and Katie for an initial chat. I have a feeling after meeting them, you will want to go the whole hog and work with this delightful pair…

Francesca’s Favourite’s

Shop – Anthropologie

Website – www.mollyandthewolf.com

Restaurant – Dock Kitchen, Ladbroke Grove

Hotel – Limewood, New Forest

Holiday destination – Mauritius

Parenting tip “Put down your phone and listen to them”

Katie’s Favourite’s

Shop – March, Fulham Road, London

Website – www.princessandthepram.co.uk

Restaurant – Claude’s Kitchen Parsons Green, London

Hotel – Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Dubai

Holiday destination – Dubai

Parenting tip “If you’re struggling to get a tantrum under control, film it on your phone and play it back to them. It stops them in their tracks!”

www.pennholmeslondon.com

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People Property Services Spotlight

London Property Management

One look at Amelia’s smart and concise website, A & L Property Solutions, would entice any homeowner who has a property that needs to be let or managed, to enlist her to do it for them. Her website is an extension of her professionalism and her background in property gives her the experience to take the pain, time and paperwork and do it all for you. She will find trustworthy and professional tenants and manage to process from start to finish.

Amelia has many years of experience in the industry. Her entrepreneurial mother has a property portfolio, so she has always helped find her tenants and manage properties from a very young age. At the end of University, she worked as a property stylist in Central London, which gave her a fantastic insight into what tenants wanted, before finally moving into residential agency.

After she had children, she decided to use her resources and set up on her own.
Thank goodness she did. London needs a personal service with someone who you can trust implicitly – and Amelia is just that.

Amelia with her gorgeous children

Amelia’s ‘5 Favourite’s’

Shop: Fara Kids

Website: www.tripadvisor.co.uk

Restaurant: Princess Victoria, Shepherds Bush

Hotel: Xara Palace, Malta

Place To Go with Children: Wellington Country Park, Hampshire

To see a list of services www.aandlproperty.co.uk

To contact Amelia 07813 215 851

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Family Life People Property

Life After London: The Mass Exodus

So many friends in the last month have declared they are moving to the country. It feels like a tidal wave must be approaching and I haven’t been sent the memo. Most popular choice is Hampshire that seems to be country enough whilst still having strong transport links into London.

The moves are so frequent now that I have got used to it. I understand the desire for a bigger place and putting down roots. Time spent with family in Surrey, Hampshire and Suffolk always gets my husband and I talking about if and when we will ‘do it’. When we first married the thought of living anywhere but London made me feel homesick but 6 years on and the tables have turned – I have alerts emailed weekly from Rightmove for our hypothetical preferred triangle, as I toy with what I Imagine would be a simpler life, whereas my husband quashes my wanderlust pronto when I bring it up, with a firm ‘I want to see my children before school and bed’ that would not happen with 7pm bedtimes in the Home Counties.

A clever mother Belinda has set up a website and online forum for those who are thinking of going and for those who have gone. It is well worth a look even if you are just toying with the idea.

Founder Belinda Aspinall

Www.lifeafterlondon.com

For now however, I am off to ‘utilise’ London…

Actually with 3 children, I’m so knackered, I might just settle with a box set!

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