Country Cottages are many peoples’ dream. Whether to escape to from the pressures of city life or to live in permanently, the country cottage holds a distinct charm and here are what we have found buyers most look for when making the move.

Period Character

Country cottages have plenty of character and what was often bricked in or boarded up in the 60’s and 70’s will now normally have been exposed again. Beams, inglenooks, flagstones and window seats all add to the flavour and enhance the value.

The Ambience of Open fires

There is little as cosy as a roaring open fire or wood burning stove, not only warming the rooms on dark winter nights, but also providing that certain ambience with flickering flames and the smell of wood smoke. A country cottage without a working fireplace or two somehow loses its soul.

Plenty of Light

Most peoples’ picture of a country cottage is of a dark and low beamed property with oppressive overhanging thatch. For some this is the ideal, but the majority would rather see larger windows letting in plenty of light. Some eighteenth and nineteenth century cottages have these better proportions, but if an older cottage is listed it is a harder task to achieve. The answer often lies in an extension with plenty of glass and perhaps a lantern or a vaulted ceiling giving at least some of the cottage that feeling of airy space and the modern touch.

An Attractive Garden

An authentic cottage garden in full bloom is simply stunning, although for some this Helen Allingham idyll is a bit old hat and these days buyers prefer a bit more open space. A well-structured area with lawn, well stocked beds and climbers would certainly do the trick, as long as there is the gin and tonic terrace catching the sun.

A Family Kitchen

Cottages have had to adapt to our modern way of life and over the twentieth century the kitchen came into its own as a separate room for, first practical food preparation, and more latterly eating in and socialising. These days a good quality family kitchen is often the most important factor in a buyer’s eyes. Add an Aga (preferably not oil fuelled) or Everhot and that is the icing on the cake.

A Great Location

It’s horses for courses and people have different ideas about where they want to live, some preferring rural isolation and others needing to have neighbours, but the most popular choice by far is a country cottage situated on the edge of a pretty village with a pub. You can’t do much to change the location of the property you are selling, but if you have a cottage in such a position and away from a main road you are sitting on gold dust.

We are deeply fortunate that our market is mainly country cottages. Not only because they sell so well, but also because we get to see some really lovely properties and are able to market them with genuine enthusiasm. If you have one to sell, therefore, let us know!

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When to Sell, When to Buy?

At this time of spring chickens and Easter eggs, when it comes to moving house the perennial question is: ‘do I sell my current home or find the next one first’?

The fear of some sellers who have yet to have another property in mind is that they will sell their present property before they are ready and come under pressure to buy another one that is not ideal or end up doing a double move by going into temporary accommodation.

The flip side is that if a buyer finds and falls in love with their dream home but is not in a position to proceed, their interest will not be taken seriously and are likely to lose out to a better placed rival.

There is no perfect right or wrong answer and personal circumstances such as work, finances, health or family matters may determine when to start marketing. An agent is always delighted when a vendor client says they are prepared to rent as it helps speed the sale process along. It also means that the seller can take their time searching and puts them in a stronger buying position but this is not always a practical proposition.

Having made the decision to move, what most people do is to commence a property search and marketing campaign at the same time in the hope of dovetailing the two.

Property Chains

Life becomes more complicated when one’s own buyer is dependent on selling a property or the vendor of the house one wants needs to buy one themselves leading to a ‘chain’ situation. The shorter this is, the better as the fewer number of related sales in it reduces the risk of everything collapsing.

With chains of related sales or purchases, it is vital that honest and regular communication is spread up and down its length via the agents so that everyone involved has a true idea as to how things are progressing and expectations can be managed accordingly. In most cases, both exchange of contracts and completion of the sale have to fit in with everyone else so all parties may need to compromise on timing.

The Spring Housing Market

Despite the economic uncertainty caused by domestic and World events in recent months, the local property market has remained remarkably resilient. Indeed, we at Rural View have just had a particularly successful winter, usually a dormant period in the property year.

There are good numbers of people looking for homes at the moment but there are not many actually available. This is being exacerbated by some prospective vendors holding back on putting their houses on the market for fear of not finding another one leading to a self-perpetuating chicken & egg conundrum. To reverse this trend, we need a few brave sellers to take the plunge as it would encourage others to do the same. Happy Easter!

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