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Latest Property Magazine & Market Insights

February 19, 2024 by John Holden

We are please to create our latest edition of In The Country & Town, providing an opportunity to provide our readers with market insights and also showcase some great properties to buy or to rent for those starting their 2024 property search this month.

In January and early February 2024 the house market has moved quickly with positive buyer activity turning into a healthy amount of new property sales, confirming in our view that house buyers believe that the best in house buying opportunities will be during the first six months of 2024.

For market insight and our advice to buyers and sellers, just click on the image below.

There are many fine properties to see within the pages of our magazine and you will see the wonderful interiors of some of the finest properties on the Berkshire / Hampshire borders, including a preview of the property shown below which is not yet on the open market. If you click on the image you will see more details and a video tour embedded in the magazine.

And here is another magazine preview exclusive, Situated within the sought after village of Herriard.

This exquisite three bedroom detached family home built in 2020 by Forays Homes, is located within an exclusive development of just three detached properties.

Benefits to this property include a detached double garage with ample driveway parking, air source heat pump, dressing room, underfloor heating, and wonderful countryside views.

Click on them image below for more details.

Why not indulge in looking at our 90 pages magazine and see the wonderful interiors of some of the finest properties on the Berkshire / Hampshire borders.

We also hope you will enjoy reading some of the editorial features, including recipes from new chef Big Zuu, Caroline Quentin on her gardening experience, Paloma Faith: Becoming a mum, why going plant-based could transform your health, Michael Sheen on why he hopes The Way ‘gives voice’ to Port Talbot, TV & Film on One Love star Kingsley, how to renovate your kitchen sustainably, and motoring.

Click image below for a full read.

Jay Blades says Sir David Jason is ‘perfect’ and collaborating on their new show was like ‘working with a teenager’

February 2, 2024 by John Holden

Jay Blade and Sir David Jason McCarthy Holden news item

Before the interview has even got fully under way, Sir David Jason is taking swipes at Jay Blades.

It is soon evident that this is the pair’s modus operandi. In fact, it becomes rather difficult to get an answer from either of them without the other butting in with a quip or alternative version of events.

Their zinging rapport is part of why the new BBC Two series, David And Jay’s Touring Toolshed, is such a joy. And beneath the veneer of friendly snark, their respect and esteem for one another is palpable.

Case in point: Blades is late to the Zoom call. Asked what his favourite moment from the series was – meeting the crafters, touring the country perhaps? – Sir David responds, “Well, I was going to say it was working with Jay. But now he’s not joining us, I can tell you the truth, that no way was he my favourite person. You can make what you like out of that.”

“Seriously though,” the veteran comic actor, 83, best known for his long stint in Only Fools And Horses, continues, “it was great working with Jay. He’s a super character. Lovely fella. Very, very easy to work with. He’s the sort of person where what you see is what you get.”

Blades appears on screen in a burst of laughter. “You’re not wanted now,” Sir David quips immediately.

“You thought you could get away without me being there, hey?” responds Blades. “David, you rein it in now. You behave yourself. It’s not the David show like you wanted it to be. They didn’t edit me out. I’m in there.”

Touring Toolshed sees Sir David and Blades take to the road, travelling the length of the UK to lend a hand to crafters and makers, both amateur and professional, and learn about their passions and projects. Donning matching blue caps, they visit craft shows, country fairs, steam rallies and engineering fairs. The toolshed – a trailer-come-shed equipped with a plethora of tools – pulls up and Sir David, Blades and various experts help individuals solve tricky challenges.

On working with the comedian for the first time, Blades, 53, calls him “a national icon”.

“It was a real joy working with someone I grew up with,” he continues. “And then you’re working with someone who is perfect in every single way. You’ve got to think, the age this young man is, we’d have done a full day’s filming – 14 hours, let’s say – and we go back to the hotel and have dinner and he’s talking about what we can do tomorrow. It was as if I was working with a teenager.”

Both Sir David and Blades are makers themselves. Blades is a long-time furniture restorer, author and presenter of shows including The Repair Shop and Jay Blades’ Home Fix. Sir David has a long-held passion for inventing and fixing things. Where did that originate?

“I have the ability,” the Del Boy star says, “because going back into history, when I first started work I was an apprentice electrician. When you are an apprentice to any trade, you have to absorb all sorts of traits – you’re bumping into people who are bricklayers, plasterers, pipe benders, plumbers. And if you’re interested in making things, it leaves its mark. You get interested in how a plumber bends a piece of pipe, and that sort of thing is still with me, I still love bending pipes. Well, now the pipe I bend is round Jay’s neck but…”

“Well, don’t tell them about that,” retorts Blades. “But Sir David still makes, and I still make. And what I love about making is the future aspect of it – you never just make something and that’s it. You’re always seeing the next step. Where can I take this? How can I move it forward?

“We had a load of different makers come along and the beauty for me is upskilling, so a lot of the people did have a stumbling block and we teamed them up with an expert who would help them right now with the problem at hand, but also in the future, so when they go off and make something else, they’ll have the ability to do it.

“So there’s a lady on there who made these beautiful puppets, but she didn’t know how to make them move. We had an expert show her how to organise the motor and put the strings in the right place – so when she builds another puppet, she can apply those skills straight away.”

A project that particularly impressed the pair involved upcycling aircraft windows.

“We met a couple of chaps who worked on an airfield,” Sir David explains, “and in the corner of the airfield was a broken-down aeroplane that had been there for months and months and was just rotting away. So the pair of them started to take it apart, recycle and polish the windows, and sell them – and they were going like hotcakes.

“And it was brilliant to see how they were making something out of nothing – that was quite an eye-opener, wasn’t it?”

“They were making rubbish attractive and desirable!” exclaims Blades. The idea has since flourished into a fully fledged small business turning the portholes into mirrors and mosaic tables.

“You’d never believe that something that was rotting in a field could be turned into such a desirable item,” Blades continues. “That’s the beauty of what we found on the show. There were so many people with brilliant ideas.”

Do they hope the show will inspire viewers to start making and tinkering themselves?

“I don’t use the word hope,” says Blades. “I know it’s going to, plain and simple. This show, you’ve got a legend such as Sir David, and someone who knows about making and is as enthusiastic about it as me, and that enthusiasm comes over on screen and people will be inspired to continue making, tinkering and pushing it forward.”

“I’m sure he’s right,” says Sir David, followed by a brief parley between the pair about the shock of finding themselves in agreement about something. “We will inspire people to invent, create, perhaps see something that nobody else has seen. So we’re hoping that what we’re going to achieve is for people to be inspired and get off their…”

Blades, chuckling, adds: “Seats.”

David And Jay’s Touring Toolshed started on BBC Two on Monday January 22.

Year End & New Beginnings

December 28, 2023 by John Holden

In our January 2023 edition of the magazine In The Country & Town we predicted, despite the widespread media gloom about the house market at the time, that the year would end with house prices not greatly changed in our area of operation. We are pleased to say that this has proved to be the case with house prices only slightly down, impacted by buyer demand steadily improving as the year progressed. The Autumn of 2023 saw the first positive upturn in house buyer activity this year, and there was clear evidence confirming the market had stabilised as we approached the final quarter of this year.

There’s no better test of a market insight than some real life examples of property transactions during what most will agree was a challenging 2023 market place, so McCarthy Holden are taking this opportunity to provide our readers with some real life examples of property transaction which have taken place during 2023. You can see from the following that the general resilience and activity in the market was evident in all prices sectors.

Fleet - £1.750M.(sale agreed two weeks, contracts exchanged in six)

This 3,600 sq. ft. property came to the market with McCarthy Holden in the early part of 2023, but at that time the owner decided to remove the house from the market, perhaps considering it might be the wrong time to sell. However, so impressed were the vendors with our Fleet team that they came back to us to re-market the property in September of this year and after a full re-launch, we secured a cash purchaser for the property within 2 weeks, with an exchange of contracts in an impressive 6 weeks.

Odiham - £395,000 (buyer after first viewing + sale over guide)

This charming two-bedroom Grade II listed cottage in The Bury, central Odiham went on the market for a price of £395,000. Our Odiham office achieved a very quick sale on the first day of viewings and achieved over the guide price.

Blue Triangle, Fleet - £1.5M.(14 viewings, 5 offers, full price sale agreed)

Within a week of bringing this substantial six bedroom home to market in October of this year, our Fleet team had secured 14 viewings and 5 offers, resulting in the vendors accepting an asking price offer, confirming that there is still plenty of activity from excellent buyers who are looking to secure properties at the end of 2023 and going into 2024.

Using drones aerial photography and video marketing helped create significant interest.

Fleet - £465,000 (online only versus local with online)

Having had been marketed by an online only agent for 3 months without success, McCarthy Holden came on board and within 7 days had found the perfect buyer, resulting in some very happy vendors. When is comes to property marketing, a High Street premises is still a vital part of the marketing mix. .

Finchampstead - £2.250M.(Early year equestrian property sale with video marketing)

Many equestrian property owners would consider a property sale in February risky, especially because the condition of paddocks are not looking their best after a winter of use by horses. However, we encouraged the owners of this property to go to the market early because we felt the demand for country property was good and the supply / demand relationship of available property to buyers looking was more in their favour early in the year. This is because buyers start their early stage house hunting over Christmas / New Year and usually there are few country house properties on the market in the early new year. In the spring however, all the country house properties tend to come to the market around the same time when their grounds are looking their best, however, this timing to go to market improves the supply / demand relationship in favour of the buyer who has more choice by then.

This particular property example is a useful nudge to country house vendors to consider going to market early in the year. In this case McCarthy Holden achieved a tiny amount under 100 % of the £2,250,00 guide price.

Odiham, Hampshire - £900.00 p.c.m.(A sell or let decision - which way to turn)

Our Odiham office tasked with marketing a retirement property after the previous agent had failed to secure a buyer. We were working on securing the perfect buyer for this lovely home, but the age restriction on a purchase was taking time to overcome. Over to our Lettings team who stepped in and suggested joint marketing for sale and let. Within a short time, a tenant was found and they promptly moved in. Not only is the tenant extremely happy in their new home, they also plan to purchase the property much to the current owners delight.

Now that looks like a bit of serendipity as well as good agency marketing and advice!

Manley James Close, Odiham - £695,000

This beautifully presented four-bedroom property within close proximity to the high street was brought to the market in September of this year, achieving full asking Guide Price on the launch day. Further proof that with advice from a knowledgeable team and a great marketing strategy, properties are still moving quickly.

Berkshire - Offers in Excess Of £2m. guide (Many offers after marketing with video)

The success in agreeing a sale of this property in 42 acres was down to a realistic pricing strategy and high profile video marketing, which combined to get considerable buyer interest in September with many viewings and multiple offers. Each viewing took about 1.5 hours due to the need to take potential buyers on a tour of the 42 acres boundaries in a 4×4 vehicle, as well as the time needed to see the vast amount of outbuildings.

Several offers were made well in excess of the guide price and a sale to a cash buyer was agreed in October.

A Good End Of Year for 2023

As we are now in the final days of this years market, we are able to report that house buyers are still on the hunt for their ideal property, so a later year up-tick is providing opportunities for those wishing to sell their property now despite this being an uncharacteristic time of year for house sales activity. There is no doubt that December 2023 saw a respectable level of house buyers viewings, a fact that was notable especially in the top end sector which bodes well for people on the move to new beginnings in 2024.

Will Labour In Government + Interest Rates Down = Market Up-tick By December 2024?

The likelihood of a Labour Government being in power by this time next year is very high and in the past, such a change has had a positive outcome on the house market in the short to medium term. Add in the prospect of interest rates tumbling in the second half of next year, then there can be little doubt that the best in house buying opportunities for savvy buyers will be during the first six months of 2024. Our advice to house buyers is to start their property search early in the New Year and don’t delay.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if 2024 was a year of less warfare and conflict, replaced with more kindness to each other and the environment, so we end this year in that spirit of hope and optimism and wish all our customers past and those of the future we haven’t yet met all the very best for 2024.

Fleet Branch Top Rightmove House Sales

October 29, 2023 by John Holden

Our Fleet team were yet again recognised by Rightmove as a top performing branch, so the team got a bit carried away with their social media video.

Would love to see the out-takes!

Halloween House Hunting?

October 29, 2023 by John Holden

With October showing a lates season up-tick in house sales activity, who knows what might be encountered on a house viewing during the days around Halloween celebrations (October 31).

Chances are there will be a few spine-chilling encounters, so the only question is do you dare take a look?

To find your perfect Halloween home start your property search here.

And don’t forget, at McCarthy Holden we do accompanied viewings.

Market Insight – June 2023

July 7, 2023 by John Holden

High levels of contracts exchanged on house sales in June

June was a bumper month for house sales going through to exchange of contracts, which is good news because during every month in 2023 when we start to write a quick blog about the house market, we expect to be reporting a house market in trouble because of the relentless UK media reporting of house prices falling and interest rates rising. The facts and experience from the shop floor is of a house market showing remarkable resilience half way through 2023.

House Prices?

It is clear from the volume of house sales going through to exchange of contracts that we have buyers and the market is in better shape than you would perhaps think.

Yes house prices have levelled off and in some sectors there has been a small reduction in values, however this is minimal and the buyer demand remains very good. House sellers are now more realistic on price if they are serious about moving home, so we have a more balanced market with buyers and sellers more aligned on pricing, which in some part has impacted on the fact that house sales productivity at McCarthy Holden are performing better than last year.

The Wider Picture

When the Nationwide recently reported the annual rate of house price growth as -3.5% to end of June, the lead their report with the heading ‘House prices relatively stable in June’

We need to remember that these sums represent the UK wide position, so in our area of operation in the Hampshire / Surrey / Berkshire borders house prices have held up well with some sectors only slightly lower compared to a year ago.

This resilience in the market is no doubt underpinned by the labour market conditions, which remain solid and also household balance sheets appear in relatively good shape because we get few if any house sales occurring because of financial stress.

The residential letting market is in very good shape with plenty of tenant demand, especially around the £4,000 p.c.m. price point where properties are being snapped up by eager tenants. If you need market insight at any time in 2023, just go to our web site and ask your nearest branch for a free no obligation house price appraisal.

Pretty garden plants you didn’t know you could eat

July 4, 2023 by John Holden

By Hannah Stephenson:

Garden designer, grower and social media star Lucy Hutchings, of She Grows Veg fame, has been showing followers the prettiest vegetables to add colour and form to ornamental borders.

“The best way to approach edibles within a planting scheme is to stop thinking of them as edibles and approach them as you would any other plants in your border. Look at height, colour and texture and vary that through the border,” says the designer, who has 171k followers on Instagram.

“You might want some frilly things, spiky things, architectural things, broad-leaved things – and you can achieve all of these textures and looks through edible plants as well.”

At the recent Gardeners’ World Live event, Hutchings launched She Grows Veg, a fully female design company. In The Secret Homestead show garden, she demonstrated how easy it is to integrate flowers and edibles and still make everything look beautiful.

With a background in fashion design, Hutchings explains: “Grow your own is almost always portrayed in a homespun, traditional, quite humble and slightly apologetic way. My interest lies firmly in edible plants and I never understood why there was this divide in approach.”

She aims to show people who love flowers and beautiful borders how to embrace the idea that veg can also be gorgeous.

Her show garden was filled with popular ornamental plants mixed with food crops which people might not realise are edible, including hostas, roses, cannas, dahlias, Oxalis triangularis and colocasia – which are traditional food crops in other parts of the world.

Here she suggests a selection of edible plants which will provide colour and texture to any ornamental border.

Striped japonica corn

Ornamental varieties of vegetable which blend in beautifully with a flower border include striped japonica corn (which can be used for popcorn), with candy cane striped foliage. “Popcorn is such an easy snack and you can get a lot off a plant,” says Hutchings.

Hostas

“These are very popular in East Asia, where people eat new shoots as they emerge. Take them from an established crown and give the plant a chance to bounce back. They taste similar to asparagus and you don’t get the woodiness.”

Japanese flowering kale

“Japanese flowering kale is sometimes referred to as ornamental kale, but you can eat it. It looks like a big purple flower, with white/green around the outside, fading to pink and bright vivid neon purple.

“All kales are really hardy and you can harvest it year round, sowing it twice a year, once in late summer to grow through winter and again in early spring to grow through summer.” Serve it as you would other green veg.

“I have kales spaced through the border, almost treating it like a great big flower as opposed to a foliage plant.”

Red orach

“This featured in quite a lot of the gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show,” Hutchings observes. “It’s commonly seen in borders and is sometimes referred to as French (or mountain) spinach. You eat it in exactly the same way as spinach despite the fact that it has really vivid purple leaves.

“Add colour through foliage and stem colour as well as flowers. Your greens don’t actually have to be green. Red and purple vegetables tend to be better for you because the red and purple colour is from an antioxidant called anthocyanin which is the same antioxidant that makes blueberries a superfood.”

Colocasia (elephant’s ears)

“A lot of people grow Colocasia as houseplants, but very few realise that it is actually taro, a starchy root you often get in Chinese restaurants – in Asia, it is very commonly eaten.”

Oxalis triangularis (purple shamrock)

“Again, this is a popular houseplant, but the leaves are really delicious, with a sour apple flavour. It’s a beautiful plant which is easy to grow and the leaves can be added to salads for a fruity taste. I’ve also seen it as a garnish on desserts.”

Dahlias

“These are a root crop, originally imported from Europe as a starchy food crop. If you lift them at the end of the season, use some of the tubers for eating. Cook them as you would a new potato – they have a slightly lemony taste. Flower petals of dahlias are also edible.”

Sunflowers

“These give you a lot of bang for your buck. Not many people realise how many ways you can eat a sunflower. They think that you just have to roast the seeds and they’re fiddly. But you can also eat the unopened flowerbuds as you would an artichoke head.

“If you harvest a sunflower head when the seeds have swelled but before the seed coating hardens too much, you can roast and eat the heads like you would corn on the cob.”

WARNING – This article was supplied by the Press Association. Check the facts / information and make sure a plant is edible, please consult an expert.

Resilient House Market On The Move

April 26, 2023April 26, 2023 by John Holden

Who would have thought it!

April trading showed a house market defying the doom and gloom peddled in the Media since last year, defying the odds and performing better than expected given the backdrop of the UK economy.

House Buyers Positivity

There are hints of the attitudes that house buyers displayed back in the Covid days, when the house market took off because people wanted to get on with their life’s ambitions determined not to let the disruption of the pandemic get in the way.

Today, the attitude of house buyers seems to be one of pursuing their house buying goals, negotiating cautiously but importantly being decisive and not waiting for the next piece of economic news to impact on their focused approach to house buying.

April Showers Didn’t Dampened April Sales

Take these examples of a properties going to the market, achieving excellent interest in today’s market, and finding perfect outcomes.

North Warnborough, Hampshire – This character 2 bedroom property was put to the open market in April at a guide of £675,000 and the marketing generated multiple buyer interest, resulting in a sale being agreed 5% above the guide price.

In the Blue Triangle area of Fleet Hampshire, this traditional property hot spot has seen several house sale agreed in April, provide excellent examples of a fast moving market.

During the first week of marketing at a guide of £1,250,000 the buyer response to the property below was excellent, resulting in five viewings in a matter of days and a sale agreed shortly thereafter.

Also in the Blue Triangle area of Fleet and nearer the top end of the market, the property below was sold (stc) to a cash buyer in April on a guide of £1,675,000.

And yet again in the Blue Triangle in Fleet, the property below went to market at a £1,100,000 guide and was snapped up with 24 hours.

The country and equestrian market is also on the move, as per the example below. This fine house in Finchampstead went under offer in April on a guide of £2,250,000.

These properties provide excellent examples of a house market still very much on the move!

In our area of operation on the Hampshire / Berkshire borders, house prices have held up well with some sectors only slightly lower compared to a year ago. Fears of a major downturn in prices are overdone and with levels of supply improving house sales are being agreed at an increasing rate. This is supported by the fact that our first quarters trading results show a 6.75 increase on the house sales front and a 7% on the house lettings front when contrasted to the same period last year. The resilience in the residential house market continues.

A strong labour market and medium term likelihood of falling mortgage rates are supporting good buyer activity levels and house sellers are becoming more realistic on price if they are serious about moving home, hence we have a more balanced market with buyers and sellers more aligned on where they see pricing.

If you are thinking of a house sale, contact our nearest branch and arrange a free no obligation valuation.

April Property & Lifestyle Magazine Out Now

April 12, 2023 by John Holden

Spring House Moving Activity On The Up!

In our March magazine we said that many home owners decided to tap into the early new year buyer demand, resulting in new properties coming to the market at a good level.

So, levels of supply have recovered and buyers and sellers are not miles apart on where they see pricing and this means house sales are being agreed at an increasing rate.

In this magazine edition we are pleased to show a selection of some of the new to the market properties so we hope you will enjoy exploring the pages which showcase some of the finest properties available on the open market.

You can see the full 68 page magazine by clicking this link or the image below.

2023 First Quarter Property Trading

As indicated earlier, levels of supply have recovered and house sales are being agreed at an increasing rate. This is supported by the fact that our first quarters trading results show a 6.75 increase on the house sales front and a 7% on the house lettings front when contrasted to the same period last year.

The resilience in the residential house market continues. House prices have levelled off, but because the market is more balanced with buyers and sellers more aligned on where they see pricing, then house sales productivity is actually up on the previous year in our area of operation on the Hampshire/Surrey/Berkshire borders.

Editorial Features & Property For Sale

We hope you will enjoy reading some of the editorial features we have pulled together for our readers, including recipes from cookery writer Kim-Joy, an interview with Alex Jones, some interesting insight keeping chickens and Su Scott’s thoughts and recipes on Korean cuisine.

For the super car enthusiast there is a first drive review of Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica by motoring correspondent Jack Evans.

A few samples of our property and editorial content is shown below – just click on an image to read the article / see the property details.

Is The House Market In Trouble?

January 12, 2023 by John Holden

The UK media headlines are full of alarming headlines with predications about house prices falling on 2023, so how has the market shaped up in early January on the Hampshire / Surrey / Berkshire borders

There can be no doubt that the upward movement in house prices has stopped and flattened out, however, that doesn’t mean the market has slowed. House sale transactions are at a good level and there is currently a remarkable resilience in the house market.

We should also remember that when intuitions such as the Halifax or the BBC make statements such as UK house prices will drop by 8%, they are suggesting this for the UK as a whole and not specifically Hampshire / Surrey / Berkshire borders. Also, if you look back on house price predictions in the past they are typically found to be wrong.

There can be no doubt however that the days of constant upward movements in house prices are gone for the short to medium term, despite buyers still being in a competitive environment because there is so little property for sale on the supply side. The cost of living will make buyers more cautious so price sensitivity will be a factor, but the house market will remain in good shape.

Some Facts About January 2023 House Sales

To demonstrate how resilient the market is and how the buyer demand remains very high, just take a look at the following properties that have exchanged contracts in the last five days. This wouldn’t happen in a flaky market because fewer buyers would remain committed to their house purchase.

The following is a selection of properties that have proceed to exchange in the last five days, despite the backdrop of media commentary. The price range is as impressive as the amount of buyers that have remained committed to their individual purchase plans.

The Blue Triangle Fleet – Exchanged c. £1.6m.
Hazeley Lea – Exchanged c. £1.6m
Hartley Wintney – Exchanged c. £900,000
North Warnborough – Exchanged c. £1.3m.
Odiham – Exchanged c. £875,000
Hartley Wintney – Exchanged c. £695,000
Odiham – Exchanged c. £800,000
Odiham – Exchanged c. £600,000
Fleet – Exchanged c. £800,000
Fleet – Exchanged c. £700,000

Fleet, Hampshire – Exchanged This Week (guide c. £1.6m.)

Hazeley Lea, Hartley Wintney, Hampshire – Exchanged This Week (guide c. £1.6m.)

Hartley Wintney, Hampshire – Exchanged This Week (guide £900,000)

North Warnborough, Hampshire – Exchanged / Completes This Week (guide c. £1.3m.)

Odiham, Hampshire – Exchanged This Week (guide c. £875,000)

Hartley Wintney, Hampshire – Exchanged This Week (guide c. £695,000)

Odiham, Hampshire – Exchanged This Week (guide c. £800,000)

Odiham, Hampshire – Exchanged This Week (guide c. £600,000)

Fleet, Hampshire – Exchanged This Week (guide c. £800,000)

Fleet, Hampshire – Exchanged This Week (guide c. £700,000)

By any standards most would agree that this is an impressive performance demonstrating the strength of buyer demand.

We believe the house prices we are experiencing in December 2022 will be around the same level by December 2023, if the current supply side levels remain in place and the cost of borrowing doesn’t increase significantly.

If you need market insight at any time in 2023, just go to our web site and ask your nearest branch for a free no obligation house price appraisal.