Surrey Properties Sold Within Hours

Aviva recently commissioned research into 4,000 homeowners surprisingly revealing that the average buyer takes just 33 minutes to decide on a house purchase. Probably one of the most expensive decisions a person makes in their lifetime and yet seemingly one of the most rushed. 

 James Wyatt, partner of Barton Wyatt (Estate Agents Surrey) is unsurprised,

"I have known my wife take longer choosing a pair of shoes than many people take deciding on a house purchase!"

 Aviva is of the opinion that buyers are reacting to a highly competitive market, leading them to make snap decisions. Indeed the insurance company reports that 24% of homeowners only ever make one viewing before taking the plunge on offering.

Wyatt suggests,

 "Properties are extremely evocative items and buyers know pretty much instantly if they like or dislike what they see.  I would suggest that the gut decision is actually make in the first 10 minutes of being in a home and the other 23 minutes is spent reassuring themselves they are making a good choice.

 "The real talent in being a savvy estate agent is knowing your buyer well enough that you don't spend ages taking them around properties that they won't like - it wastes everybody's time." 

 Barton Wyatt is red hot at qualifying potential buyers, utilising years of experience and expert insight into a property's specification so that it will meet the purchaser's requirements. This is important for every purchaser but even more so as you foray into super prime properties which need to accommodate lavish lifestyles.

 James Wyatt mulls,

"There is little point looking at houses that don't have the right size kitchen, the correct number of bathrooms, wardrobes or dressing rooms required to house your Imelda Marcos-esque collection of Louboutin shoes, enough rack space for haute couture collection or with the right storage facilities for your Chanel handbags. 

 "The garage needs to be big enough for not just one but multiple luxury cars - Bentley and Rolls Royce models are longer and wider than average. And external storage facilities can be important if you need somewhere to park the racing bikes, golf clubs, vintage cars and the ride-on lawn mower."

 So if you are limited to 33 minutes what should you do with this precious time?  Barton Wyatt advises:

1. Study the kitchen - does it have the room and space you are used too?  Accepting a smaller kitchen is a big ask for many.
2. The bathroom number might seem fine but turn on the shower - a trickle of water will not keep you amused.
3. Look at the boiler and ask about its maintenance and age.
4. Get in the loft - it may sound odd but 3 minutes in the loft could answer many questions!
5. Spend the last 10 minutes doing the school run at peak time. Many people look at houses in the middle of the day when no-one is around.

Further research from Aviva found that a third of home buyers didn't carry out any specific checks when viewing their future home, spending an average of £3,500 on repairs after moving in - an additional cost some home buyers may not have budgeted for.

These are often problems that the current owner knows about and doesn't want to fix before departing - damp and cracks are the worst culprits.   Buyers often fall in love with a property and don't want to hear about the bad bits.  Poor heating, a bit of subsidence, a leaky roof can all be swept under the carpet in a hasty viewing.

Further invaluable advice from James who goes on to say:

"Talk to the seller. You don't need to become best friends but you do need to get a good understanding of why they bought the property in the first place and why they are selling. Ask them who the neighbours are and what they are like.

"Get a good survey done, it will pay off in the end.  Agents are very keen to sell and most will give completely honest and open advice. The days of "Caveat Emptor" are long gone, today all and any adverse information must be given to a buyer BEFORE they start incurring costs.

"Above all, after you've agreed to buy a property, step back, breathe deeply, go and visit again. You can change your mind. We agents hate this, but it is a big decision for the purchaser, and if I have a happy buyer at the end of the day, I'd like to think they might sell that home through me in 7, 10, 20 years time."

For more details contact Barton Wyatt on 01344 843 000.

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Barton Wyatt provide luxury and select Property in Sunningdale. James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

Bricks and mortar remain top priority for millionaires with half of the Surrey's wealthiest owning more than one home

Being a millionaire is a tough business to be in. Deciding where to invest that cash, be it hard earned or inherited, can be challenging. Do you go for an Aston Martin Vanquish, a multi-million pound mansion or just put it all in the bank? Maybe not these days!

For most millionaires, owning bricks and mortar remains a top priority with 49.9% of the UK's wealthiest people owning more than one property in the UK according to Skandia's 'Millionaire Monitor' report 2012. Furthermore millionaires under the age of 50 are significantly more likely to invest in multiple properties with over 60% of the rich under the age of 50 owning more than one property compared to 42% if they are over the age of 50.

They say an Englishman's home is his castle, but is this strictly true? Female millionaires it appears are in fact more likely that their male counterparts to own more than one property with 20% choosing to own overseas versus 16% of men.

But why exactly is owning property so appealing to millionaires?

Personal use is the driving force for second homes, perhaps a country pad, a pied-a-terre or a place by the sea to retreat to for long weekends. Having a home away from home to relax and recharge the batteries before heading back to the daily grind is clearly high on the wish list.

With second homes in mind, the Skandia report interestingly also revealed that in July 2011 the volume of UK high net worth individuals planning on leaving the UK was 7.7% compared to only 3.6% this year. Good news for the high end domestic property market.

Further boosting this sector is the ever increasing number of high net worth foreign nationals relocating to the UK, especially the South East, keen to experience a far greater degree of safety and security for their family than other parts of the globe.

Barton Wyatt Estate Agents in Surrey, multi award-winning high end estate agency located in the heart of in Surrey examined their prospective home buyers this year compared previous years discovering that 75% of their clients are from overseas rising from 65% last year. This figure appeared to reflect the same values for both the sales and the rental market and this increase in overseas clients poses some interesting challenges to the team at Barton Wyatt.

Reflecting on the findings, James Wyatt, owner of Barton Wyatt Estate Agents Surrey, comments:

"When I first started working in this area 25 years ago I would have suggested the population of foreigners living in Virginia Water was 5%. This figure has markedly increased to around 20% with droves of overseas nationals attracted here by the wonderful standard of living that the Wentworth Estate offers and often for the high standard of private education available on our doorstep.

"Our foreign clients also look to this area due to the value for money they achieve as opposed to living in central London. The sporting venues in the locality are another driver - golf, Ascot and Guards polo - and of course the area has become well known for attracting families from overseas which in turn creates more interest."

So if you are the lucky owner of a few million pounds, why not consider splashing your cash on these stunning Surrey properties:

Mariners, Virginia Water £3,995,000

A newly built mansion house in a handsome Georgian style with a contemporary internal finish. An elegant sweeping staircase leads the eye up to the first floor and impressive galleried landing. The dining area is open plan to the entrance hall and creates a tremendous feeling of space around the core of the house with views from the front door all the way through to the rear garden. The more formal drawing room and study are double aspect rooms and the tremendous kitchen/breakfast/family room is designed for contemporary family lifestyle.

The first floor has four bedroom suites with en-suite bath/shower rooms, the master having a dressing room and sitting room, opening on to a balcony overlooking the rear gardens. On the second floor is a further bedroom and bathroom suite and an adaptable room, ideal for a cinema or gym etc.

Over the three-bay garage is a studio apartment with a small kitchenette and shower, ideal for staff or an au-pair.

Eastry House, Wentworth, Surrey £4,750,000

Five bedrooms (four with en-suite dressing and bathrooms) principal bedroom with balcony and fireplace, reception hall, cloakroom, five reception rooms, kitchen/breakfast room with granite worktops, conservatory, utility, gas central heating and double glazing, detached double garage, swimming pool, tennis court, long private drive, 4.4 acres.

This magnificent house is approached via its own long sweeping driveway. It has been extended over the years to form a splendid large home with en-suite facilities to all bedrooms on the first floor. The ground floor is ideal for a growing family with four good size reception rooms which all enjoy beautiful views onto the parkland style gardens that surround the house.

Eastry House forms a comfortable home that also has enormous potential to further improve or remodel subject to any planning consents. The property is located on the main island which is a much favoured location as one can walk to the golf course along the private roads that surround Wentworth.

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Barton Wyatt provide luxury and select Property in Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

12 Days of Christmas - Day 7

A remarkable opportunity to own a lakeside home with it's own private island, in a quiet exclusive cul-de-sac backing the Old Mile, close to Ascot Village Centre.

The property sits high and looks down onto a beautiful lake with wildlife wandering freely to the rear.

The current owners have significantly improved this property to give it a modern feel with the accommodation re-designed so it flows in a pleasant relaxing style.

There is a lovely breakfast area and a second sitting room which overlooks the grounds and a private study to the front of the house. The first floor has five bedrooms including the excellent master suite with balcony overlooking the lake. Three bedrooms have en-suites and there is one family bathroom.

There is also an integral double garage and plenty of parking to the front of the house on the sweeping driveway approached via electric wooden gates.

The garden to the rear is mainly laid to lawn and meanders down to the water and there is an enclosed heated swimming pool with surrounding patio to one side of the house.

Priced at £2,450,000, for more information, please contact Barton Wyatt on 01344 843000 Virginia Water properties.

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Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select Octagon Developments. James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt. Tel: 01344 843000

Relocating to surrey? - Listed here are some useful ideas

If you are considering of moving to Surrey then take a look at Barton Wyatt as they have an wide choice of Surrey houses out there in the marketplace today in exclusive areas of Surrey and Berkshire ranging from Virginia Water, the Wentworth Estate, Runnymead or Sunningdale.

There is a huge selection of properties accessible for anybody in search of a home on the market in Surrey whether you want a nineteen thirties semi, a refurbished Victorian terrace, or something a bit extra up market. When you're house looking there are a selection of factors that you simply need to remember, together with the local colleges (in case you have kids) and the procuring and leisure facilities. Whereas public transport is sort of good in many elements of Surrey, in case you choose a property that is extra off the beaten observe you might properly want your own transport. Some components of Surrey are very pretty, great to walk around or to go for an afternoon drive, which is why many people are on the look out of homes for sale in Surrey.

When you begin your seek for homes for sale in Surrey, you will discover that most of them will have the kind of curb appeal that you will be after. Surrey residents typically maintain their gardens and the appearance of their properties if they are not already in well-looked-after gated communities.

Before your search, you will probably have a set budget, especially under the present financial circumstances.  So it is sensible to find your self an estate agent who will do their greatest to get you a great price for the type of luxury you are after.

Barton Wyatt estate agents have an exclusive selection of houses for sale in Surrey, whether or not you are in search of a seven bed room mansion or three bedroom semi-detached house.

Some elements of Surrey are more well-liked than others because of the transport hyperlinks into central London, you could be in Waterloo in half an hour or so. Proximity to shops and transport may not be a precedence for you, however for many individuals getting into work easily is preferable than all the messing about with cars in central London.

One factor that you will not need to fret about too much if you find yourself on the lookout for a home on the market in Surrey is crime. Most of Surrey is quite secure and because the vast majority of homes are occupied by the owners that there is much less vandalism than there could be in inner city areas.

In the event you live in or near London and are fascinated by moving within the near future, then it's worth looking at homes for sale in Surrey.

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Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select Property in Sunningdale. James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

Prime Virginia Water Properties Top of Polls

Mortgage lender Halifax has recently released a report listing the twenty wealthiest streets to live on in England and Wales; the findings are a breath of fresh air to the property market after such a negative 2009, it would seem properties on these streets have maintained their price tags throughout the recession, however, serious interest will only come from those with deep pockets... Overall the findings revealed that prices in the south east of England still outrank those in the north and Wales by some margin. Properties in the most expensive street in southern England cost more than four times as much as their equivalents in the most expensive street in the north. In Wales, properties on the most expensive street are on average £600,000 pounds compared to over £5 million in London. Unsurprisingly more than half of the most expensive residential streets can be found in London's Chelsea and Kensington, with the report showing many of these streets tightly clustered together. Moving away from the capital however the south-east glitters in golden properties. Surrey's Virginia Water, Cobham and Weybridge are being targeted by foreign investors who are reportedly snatching up multi million pound properties in order to make the most of the weakened sterling. Barton Wyatt, exclusive Virginia Water based estate agency is pleased but not amazed to see Woodlands Road West featuring in the top 20 wealthiest streets list. Here the average property will set you back £2.3 million based on property sales between 2005 and 2009. James Wyatt, Senior Partner at the agency comments, "In 2009 alone we have seen much higher property prices in the area than the stated £2.3 million average and in the future we would expect more roads to be cited in the wealthiest streets list based on the properties and estates on the market, how well they sell and the demand from wealthy buyers. "Virginia Water exemplifies the best of high-end English living, many of the properties have been custom built to suit the owners' requirements including leisure facilities and staff quarters and are set in private grounds providing a slice of English countryside whilst only being a short commuter distance from the centre of London as well as London Heathrow airport and London Gatwick, the M25, M4 and M3 motorways. Wealthy families are drawn to the area with its excellent schools." Properties in Wentworth, sometimes referred to as 'the stockbroker belt', are roughly £400,000 higher than the national average and the area has also been listed in the Halifax report as the location for overall highest property values outside of London, something that Forbes agrees with specifically giving the GU25 postcode this rich status. This could be why it attracts celebrity residents such as ex-Formula 1 boss Eddie Jordan, Ernie Els, Bruce Forsyth and a number of foreign Royal families. James Wyatt continues, "Woodlands Road West on the prestigious Wentworth Estate boasts properties such as Woodlands Brae which is currently on the market for £5,950,000. It is an example of a newly built mansion with approximately 11,000 square feet including an indoor swimming pool complex. The property has very generous room sizes including an enormous kitchen/breakfast/family room with a Smallbone Walnut and Silver kitchen, it offers a master bedroom with dressing room and en-suite bathroom, guest bedroom with dressing room and en-suite bathroom, four further bedrooms, three further bathrooms, staff flat with living room and bedroom, second floor games room, drawing room, dining room, sitting room, study, kitchen/breakfast room, utility room, sauna, swimming pool, gardens." With quality properties such as Woodlands Brae nestled on the likes of Woodlands Road West, it is no wonder that these streets command such high price tags for the post code status.

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Barton Wyatt provide luxury Property in Wentworth. Tel: 01344 843000

Where is the real Spain

Where is 'the' real Spain? For some it is Gaudi's Barcelona with its stunning Sagrada Familia cathedral. For others it might be the capital Madrid for its sheer size, inspiring art of Velazquez at the Prado museum and endless tapas bars. For wine lovers, maybe the Rioja region with the pretty Cantabrian Mountain range nearby. Or it is the bustling boulevards and gin-palace excesses of Marbella and its surrounding moneyed towns full of royalty, aristocrats and decidedly less salubrious types.

Spain is a nation of wildly contrasting vistas, traditions, people, architecture and history. One of the few places in Spain where all of these ingredients come together is in Jerez de la Frontera in the heat of Andalucia. With 200,000 inhabitants, this is a modest sized city, but it packs a punch way above its weight while some of the best of ‘real’ Spain there is.

Take sherry for example. You can buy sherry just about anywhere in the World these days. Bahrain? Sri Lanka? Costa Rica? All of them important sherry. Brits are still the biggest drinkers of this unusual wine – more so than the Spanish even. Jerez is the worldwide centre of sherry. It all comes from Jerez. Today there are still some very British sounding companies including Harveys (everyone’s favourite Auntie has a bottle of Harvey’s Bristol Cream don’t they?) and Sandman’s. But the giant of them all is the colossal bodega of Gonzales Byass who amongst other brands, produces Tio Pepe. A tour of this fascinating place on their little tourist train is educating and ends with a welcome tasting. I came home with quite a taste for it.

Jerez is the cradle of flamenco. You can’t really get much more Spanish than the somewhat gypsy-esque sight of traditional flamenco dancing and the unmistakable music which accompanies it. There are more than a dozen flamenco penas in Jerez although surprisingly noen of them are much over 40 years old. Try CENTRO CULTURAL FLAMENCO DON ANTONIO CHACON in c/salas 2. They don’t charge to get in, but they do expect you to drink!

Little known to many English visitors, and visited by even fewer, this City nevertheless has direct air links with UK airports and is gradually putting itself on the UK tourist trail.

The new golf resort of Arcos Gardens in nearby Arcos de la Frontera has been a great influence in promoting Jerez and the surrounding area to the UK market. And, with good reason too as I recently found out.

Arcos Gardens is being created from 440 acres of former olive farm on gently sloping land, with wonderful views towards the whitewashed hilltop town of Arcos de la Frontera.

At the heart of the development is a World class 18 hole golf course designed by Landmark (who designed amongst others, the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island). With wide and fairly forgiving fairways, the greens are well protected with accuracy a must. But with 5 tees on each hole, the course is fun for higher handicappers from the forward tees, and a challenge for top players from the back tees.

The course has been in play for two years now and you’d be forgiven for thinking it had been there for many more years. The fairways are as green as green could be, fringed by mature olive trees. The greens are fast and as good as you’ll find in the US. The views towards Arcos de la Frontera and the surrounding Andalucian countryside make this a memorable course to play.

Around the gold course 470 new home of Andalucian style are under construction –a very low density which mean more open spaces and good sized gardens for many of the homes. Of the 80 two bedroom townhouses, just four are still available at about £275,000. There is a very well organised rental programme for these houses and already there are repeat corporate bookings which is testament to the quality of service and facilities this resort has to offer.

There and four bedroom detached villas in good sized plots range in price from £520,000 to £765,000 and will be ready for early 2009.

The final phase will be finished in 2012.

Despite this resort having a real Spanish feel about it, the sales director Regan Berger is very definitely English although he and his family have lived in Spain for many years now. Ashley Northridge is the golf pro who originally came from Wentworth. Also on site is Simon Holmes golf academy. Simon is well known on Sky TV as a golf pundit, and has coached Nick Faldo, Ernie Els, Darren Clarke and many others. Simon has decided to move to Arcos Gardens permanently with wife Melanie and young family when his house on the 10^th fairway has been completed. He is also a consultant to the Swedish Golf Federation who base themselves at Arcos Gardens over the winter months.

The centrepiece of Arcos Gardens may be the golf course, but there is so much more to do. The gorgeous 300 year old Cortijo Fain is currently a boutique nine bedroom hotel with a competent restaurant and atmospheric bar where residents can enjoy tapas and drink the excellent local wine late into the evening.

Future plans include the new Clubhouse which will be finished early next year and which will provide superb facilities including a very smart Spa. Tennis, equestrian facilities, mountain biking and plenty for the kids to do are all coming soon.

Outside Arcos Gardens there is almost too much to do – from Motor Racing at the F1 circuit outside Jerez to rock climbing, fishing and all manner of water sports on the local lakes. Some of the prettiest and most unspoilt coastline is about 45 minutes away.

Right on the Arcos Gardens doorstep though is Arcos de la Frontera. In my search for the ‘real Spain’, this is as good as it gets. It has been described as the ‘romantic queen’ of the white cities (the other favourites of mine being Ronda, Zahara, Grazalem and Estepa). Arcos is set stop a spectacular sheer cliff and is a delightful mish-mash of steep narrow streets – a strong reminder of its Arab inheritance. About 30,000 people call this home. It is a town for walking and there is plenty to keep you walking for a long time. He many churches were nearly all started in the 16^th century and there is also a closed convent. The 8 nuns sell home made biscuits which you can buy from there through a blind spinning cupboard and a one way mirror. Look closely enough and you can see the nuns behind.

Just around the corner is the main town square, the Plaza del Cabildo where the views down the river and the surrounding countryside are majestic. The unbalanced local man use this as their preferred suicide point (the ladies strangely use the other side of town!).

The market, shops, bars, restaurants and so on make this a genuinely ‘A’ grade real Spanish town.

The mix of Arcos Gardens with its new locally influenced architecture and World class golf course and the traditional towns of Arcos de la Frontera and Jerez de la Frontera is a delightful combination. It is the ‘real Spain’ at its best.