|
|
|
|
"You are in the right place if you are interested in mews property. This is the most comprehensive guide to mews flats and houses there is, a street-by-street guide for mews properties, with photos, research on mews history and architecture, and legal advice on buying in mews."
|
|
Mews estate agents provide a very necessary service. There are some of the most important issues relating to mews estate agents. |
|
|
|
It's best to use mews estate agents to sell local propertyIf you are selling a property, it really is not viable to do it privately. Using decent mews estate agents is the best way to reach the market. Most potential buyers are not looking at newspaper adverts, so your ability to reach the market is limited. If you put it on the internet, it is hard to make sure your particular site comes up at the top of anyone’s Google search. Most buyers will simply be approaching the local mews estate agents and asking for details of property for offer. Once the deal is under offer, mews estate agents offer many advantages over outsiders. Often delays occur over the paperwork for past alterations at a property. All can be solved if only the necessary piece of paper can be extracted from a local council officer at the Town Hall. mews estate agents can save on weeks of correspondence and unanswered telephone messages by simply sending someone to sit in their offices until the problem is sorted out. (See 'The advantages of using mews estate agents'.) |
|
 . |
mews estate agents have the latest price knowledgeOn the question of price, the mews estate agents on the spot will have a far better awareness of prices achieved in the locality, or the potential to get a special price because of some features of your property – location, view, access to garden, etc – than you have. In our opinion, it is well worth the 2.5% or whatever which mews estate agents will charge you. It's a tiny proportion of the sale price when contrasted with the extra money they may get you. |
|
|
|
Do you employ your mews estate agents on joint or sole agency?You need to decide whether to have a sole agent or create a joint agency using two or more mews estate agents. If you give estate agents a sole agency – so only they are marketing the property – you will get a lower commission rate. They may actually give you the practical benefit of a joint agency because they may appoint a sub-agent, (another firm of mews estate agents), to also market the property. In a way, they will be in a better position to judge how to choose another firm of mews estate agents most likely to sell the property than you are. If you go for a joint agency, you usually have to agree to a slightly higher rate of commission. There is some benefit because the estate agents may compete to sell the property. It is pointless giving the property to more than 2, or 3 at the most. |
|
|
|
Specialist mews estate agents help with extending your leaseIf you own a flat, you may be considering extending the lease. Some of the mews estate agents specialise in this work and can help you with the precise value of the longer lease. If there is more than 80 years to run on the lease, you pay little. If there is less than 80 years to go, you split the additional value equally with the freeholder, so there is usually something to gain by extending. But you need to make sure the freeholder does not con you over price. Here, expert local mews estate agents can help you. They will know the values and the calculations to apply. In fact, your notice to extend can be invalid if you do not put a realistic price in it, so you do need a local mews estate agent’s help at that stage. |
|
|
|
Local mews estate agents offer a property management serviceMany local mews estate agents offer a management service to a building. If you and the other flat owners have bought the freehold of the building, you may not have the time or expertise collectively to organise repairs and all the other management issues which arise. You should consider appointing local mews estate agents as managing agents. They will still have to come to you for decisions.
|
|
|
Many mews estate agents offer a property letting serviceIf you are letting a property, it is worth using good mews estate agents to find you tenants. They will be able to maximise the rent and also check out the prospective tenant. You will usually pay your estate agents a fee of about 10% for the letting. If you want the letting agent also to deal with repairs or issues with the tenant, they will often do it for an extra fee. A lot of money rides on getting the best rent for your property and only mews estate agents local to your property will know what can be achieved. |
|
|
Tenancy agreements prepared by mews estate agentsSome mews estate agents may offer to prepare the tenancy agreement for you. There used to be big risks involved in how you worded the agreement. One mistake and you couldn't get a bad tenant out at the end of the tenancy. Now most assured shorthold tenancies can easily be set up by your mews estate agents without such risks. if a very large amount is involved or the property is particularly valuable, you might want lawyers involved but many people simply rely on their mews estate agents to set everything up, including vetting the tenant and preparing the tenancy agreement. |
|
|
mews estate agents advise on lock out agreementsOne frustrating problem for buyers is that the seller can pull out any time before exchange of contracts and take a higher offer. This is called 'gazumping'. mews estate agents will sometimes arrange a lock-out agreement. Under this the seller cannot negotiate with another buyer until a specified number of days or weeks have elapsed. It's still no guarantee that the seller won't switch to another buyer or just wait the period and remarket - there's no commitment to sell. But at least his mews estate agents aren't allowed to market the property, seek offers or negotiate in the lock-out period. Discuss it with your mews estate agents if you think it would be useful. |
|
|
Advice on strategy useful from mews estate agentsProperties go under offer and then the process drags and drags. Your mews estate agents will have seen it all before. They can help you devise the strategy to bring matters to a head without alienating the other party, or if there are genuine problems, they can sort them out. (See 'The advantages of using mews estate agents'.) |
|
|
The advantages of using mews estate agentsMany problems in the process come down to planning or building regulation issues at the Council. One major advantage of having mews estate agents in the deal - whether you are a buyer or a seller - is that mews estate agents can just take a walk to the Council offices and press for whatever piece of paper it is which is holding everything up. Your solicitors may be chasing things up by post or phone, but there is nothing like a personal visit. mews estate agents are used to this sort of thing and probably know exactly who to contact at the Council offices |
|
|
|
|
