We’ve just created a new website – but you knew that as you’re already here!
We’re really excited about the new look and feel of our site. A big thank you to James Maiden at ReallyGreenWP.com for pulling it all together. The website has some great new features to help you learn about us, what we offer and improves ways to get in contact. The new website explains our services (house and office removals, piano removals and don’t forget our storage services) as well s providing top tips to make your house move go smoothly.
Some of the new features on the website include:
Review Page
We now show all the independently collated reviews and comments from all of our customers. ReferenceLine independently collect and verify all reviews and publish every single comment, good or bad. We’re pleased to say that over 99% of all of our customers would recommend our house or piano removals service. You can find this section under the ‘Home’ tab on the menu.
Video Gallery
Check out what we’ve been up to and some of the more interesting moves that we have done. For instance we hoisted a grand piano onto a cruise liner! This section is also located under the ‘Home’ tab.
Of course the website also has all the features you’ve come to know and love. You can keep up to date with the latest housing market news and moving top tips from our blog, you can request an online quote and you can learn about the British Association of Remover and the quality standards we adhere to.
We would love to hear your views on the website or more generally about our removals company, all our contact details are at the top or bottom of the page. Take a look around…
Thinking of moving home? Have you checked out Wye in Kent or the surrounding villages? Wye is a great medieval village on the outskirts of Ashford in the fold of the picturesque North Downs. In 2013 Wye was voted the third best place to live in the country by the Sunday Times and you may have seen the village in the TV series Perfect Village.
The village cum town is quintessentially British, with a farmers market twice a month. At Christmas you can also enjoy a street party and in the summer take walks along the Devils Kneading Trough.
Wye History
Wye has been an important crossing in Kent for centuries lying on the Pilgrims’ Way. The Romans built a settlement at the fording point of the River Stour on their road between Canterbury and Hastings. The village grew a meeting point and resting place for the weary medieval travellers. Since then the village has grown and now the travellers are mainly commuters.
Wye Properties
Like many of the villages in Kent, Wye boasts some beautiful houses, check out the medieval houses on Bridge Street. In fact in Wye you can find almost any type of property you fancy, from Georgian to 60s.
Transport Links
The train station allows you to get to Canterbury in 15 min and Ashford in a mere 6 min away, you can also reach London by train in 90min. By road Canterbury is only 12 miles away with the coast, Maidstone and London easily accessible from the M2 and M20.
Wye Schools
If you are looking for a primary school Lady Joanna Thornhill’s is graded as ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted as is Challock Primary School, which is only a few miles away. For secondary schools Highworth (Girls) in Ashford and Canterbury’s Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys and Barton Court Grammar are all also graded as ‘outstanding’.
Activities
Enjoy a walk along the North Downs and enjoy the views from the Devil’s Kneeding Trough or the Wye Chalk Crown. Further afield you have some great golf courses in Ashford or check out Chart Hills Golf Club in Biddenden. After all of this you might want to refresh yourself with a meal or a drink in the Tickled Trout or the New Flying Horse Inn.
Maidstone has much to offer being situated in the heart of Kent and only a stones throw from London as well as the coast. It is surrounded by some of the most picturesque villages in the South-East, without the hustle and bustle of some other commuter cities.
Maidstone is the administrative centre of Kent but surprisingly only has a population of 140,000 people. Sought-after areas of the town include Loose and Mote Park and there are several popular villages nearby such as Bearsted and Aylesford. The River Medway provides a beautiful back drop for the town which still has some wonderfully historic parts.
Maidstone House Prices
House prices in Maidstone have risen by 5.96% in the last year, according to Zoopla, with the average price paid for all properties being £282,904. This makes Maidstone really good value when you compare it to other commuter areas such as Surrey. For instance, the average price for a detached property in Maidstone is £446,433 whereas in Surrey the cost is £812,407.
One of Maidstone’s main draws for home buyers is education, with great schooling in and around the town. Several schools have an Ofsted grading of outstanding, including St Michael’s Church of England Infant School, Valley Park School and Maidstone Grammar School for Boys and Girls. Check out all the school reports at http://dashboard.ofsted.gov.uk
Culturally the town benefits from a plethora of attractions. You can catch a play at the Hazlitt theatre, explore over 600,000 objects at the Maidstone Museum & Art Gallery, all for free, or enjoy nature at its finest in the 450 acres of parkland at Mote Park. If retail therapy is more your thing check out Fremiln Walk and The Mall Maidstone, Maidstone is ranked in the top 5 shopping centres in the South-East for shopping yields.
Great Value Commuter Town
When you need to roam further afield, London can be reached by train in under an hour, or even 35 minutes if you’re prepared to drive to nearby Stroud. The M20 also gives easy access to London, including Gatwick and Heathrow which are 45 and 65 miles away respectively.
Maidstone has considerable appeal with its proximity to London, great schools and culture. If you’re considering moving house the value that Maidstone offers is considerable. Thinking of moving to maidstone? Why wouldn’t you.
The number of first time buyers has risen to its highest level in the UK since the beginning of the recession in 2007. According to Halifax the number of first time buyers topped 326,500 in 2014, an increase of 22% compared to the previous year. Experts say that this increase has been the result of an improving economy and governmental polices such as the Help to Buy Scheme. Good signs if you’re looking to move house in 2015.
House Price Affordability for First time Buyers
Although house prices have continued to rise, first time buyers are finding house purchases more affordable. They are benefiting from low mortgage rates and reduced deposit requirements, Halifax say average deposits have reduced by 7% last year.
Whilst house prices have on average increased by 9% first time buyers now spend 31% of their disposable income on mortgages, down from 47% in 2007. Overall mortgage affordability has improved since the recession and is helping first-time buyers to get on the ladder. More people entering the market means more movement everywhere, more home moves and more house removals. Good for us all.
It is an interesting to see that the average age of first time buyers has risen from 28 in 2009 to 30 in 2014, with the average being 32 in London. The average house price paid by first-time buyers rose 9% to nearly £172 000 and about 80% of those using the Help to Buy scheme are first time buyers. This obviously means that people are either renting or living with their parents for longer. Hopefully we will see a reversal in this trend allowing more people to move into their own homes earlier.
The data produced by Halifax has shown that the growth in the number of first-time buyers has steadily increased for the last 3 years. All of this points to growing confidence in the current housing market and the overall economy, first time buyers are essential for a healthy and properly functioning housing market.
This is all good news if you’re looking to move home in 2015. With more potential house buyers entering the market, there will be more house moves all round. We are here to help with any aspect of your house removal if you do plan to move house in 2015.
All the experts say there are huge benefits if you declutter your house which all help with selling your home. By presenting your property in the best light and appealing to the widest audience you can sell your house more quickly and even achieve a higher price,decluttering really helps with this.
One of the biggest reasons people move house is for a lack of space at their current home. Buyers are usually looking for a property with extra space and room to grow. Keep this in mind when you are selling your house, you should always try and “show off” each room and really demonstrate the full potential in your current home.
You should try and display your house in the best light and demonstrate how large your rooms are, this can’t be done if your home is full of removal boxes or large amounts of furniture. You want your potential buyer to visualise their own furniture in your house and picture themselves living there. A busy house that is bursting at the seems it is likely to put off any buyer.
The solution – temporarily or permanently declutter your house.
Temporarily Declutter Your House
A temporary declutter is where you pack up some of your belongings and place them in storage while you sell your home. This allows you to keep all your items without having a cramped home. It also has the added advantage that you can slowly and easily pack up your house without having to do it all at the last minute.
There are lots of storage options available to you: borrow a friends garage or loft, hire some space in a self-storage unit or you can hire a removals firm to store your items in a storage container. The best solution depends on what you want to store – a few small items can easily be self-stored or sent to your friends but large amounts of furniture or belongings are best stored professionally. This removes the hassle of moving the items yourself but it also means you will be insured, which may not be the case if you used your Uncle’s garage.
For self-storage in Kent we would recommend either Space-Saver in Faversham, who are open 6 days a week, or we can help you with container storage in our secure facility.
Permanently Declutter Your House
Permanent declutttering means getting rid of your unwanted or unused stuff. It is always a good idea to have a bit of a spring clean before any move, you don’t want to spend money moving belongings you are just going to get rid of once have moved into your new house. There are lots of options to help permanently declutter your home, you don’t just have to throw your stuff away.
First you can sell your unwanted items; options include eBay, have a garage sale or attend a Boot Fair. There are plenty of auction houses around to help out as well. For instance Swale Auctions in Sittingbourne or Hop Farm Auction Room in Paddock Wood.
Another good way to declutter your house, whilst also helping others, is to donate your unwanted items to a charity. There are lots of charity shops on the high street that will accept most of your goods, these include Save the Children, Oxfam and Barnados. Some will also come and collect your furniture such as The British Heart Foundation and the Heart of Kent Hospice.
Charities will come and collect your unwanted furniture
By permanently or temporarily removing furniture and belongings you can really improve the appeal of your house and widen the pool of buyers. Any work you can do to declutter your house can really help you achieve a quicker sale and a higher price. The sooner you declutter the better and it will also help with your up-coming move.
Good luck with your decluttering and house sale. We are here to assist you with any of your house removal needs or concerns, including help to declutter your house. Please contact us if you want any removal advice, a quote for storage, a strong-hand moving some furniture or if you need some packing boxes and materials.
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