KENT RANKS HIGHLY AS ONE OF THE ‘BEST PLACES’ TO LIVE IN ENGLAND AND WALES
Kent has scored extremely well overall in a recent ‘Best Places to Live’ index produced by the The Telegraph. The index was constructed using average weekly incomes, crime rates, health, home ownership, and economic activity.
We know that when moving house local crime rates, health chances and incomes play a big factor in your decisions. This index provides a simple ‘at-a-glance’ overview of the areas where you live. The good news is that Kent has at least 6 areas in the top 10% of best places to live from Tonbridge & Malling to Maidstone and Medway. The table below shows the highlights but he full index can be found at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11041812/Mapped-the-best-places-to-live-in-England-and-Wales.html
Property prices are predicted to continue to grow as demand for homes outstrips the current housing supply. The Chartered Institute of Surveyors (RICS) forecasts house prices will continue to rise at 6% per year until more homes are put up for sale. The housing market has been flat since the banking crisis but it is now showing signs of life and even vigour, with the highest number of homes being sold in the first 3 months of this year since February 2008.
In the South-East, in places like Maidstone, Ashford and Canterbury, the number of new builds is not keeping pace with the number of new buyers entering the market. In London and Kent house prices are now above their 2008 peak and the Office for Budget Responsibility predicts house price inflation will reach 9% this year. One bit of good news for buyers, all of this upward pressure on house prices doesn’t seem to be deterring first time buyers. According to the Council of Mortgage Lenders first time buyers accounted for 44% of house purchases last year.
Recently the Bank of England tweaked its forward guidance, hinting that it may raise the interest rate to 0.75% in late 2015, and the Chancellor extended the “Help to Buy” Scheme until 2020. This all means that it could be the ideal time to get on the property ladder or upgrade your current house. Waiting another year may find your dream home more expensive, as well as the cost of your mortgage or a requirement for larger personal deposits.
According to RICS, estate agents have sold on average 22.7 houses each in the three months to March, the highest number since February 2008. Houses are selling fast and with this upturn in the housing market a lot of the associated industries, such as solicitors and removal companies, are also seeing fuller order books. This means that not only do you need to move quickly to secure your house but you need to book your mover early to avoid disappointment. Whilst you may not know your exact move date start talking to your removal firm early as they can help. For instance, use of short-term storage may unlock that complicated “chain” and actually save you money in the long run.
All the indicators are that the housing market is growing and growing fast, making it a sellers’ market. Get in quick to secure the best deals and don’t forget to talk to your friendly removal company sooner rather than later.
How do you choose a removal company? With so many removal companies out there it is not easy and probably the last thing on your mind while you are buying a house. However, when all of your worldly possessions are being moved you need to choose a removal company you can trust. You need a professional, especially if you have a piano or unique item of furniture to move. There are lots of removal firms out there but which is right for you and whom can you trust?
We are a professional removal company based near Maidstone, Kent and have specialised in piano moves since 1978. At Colin Batt Removals we prefer to have our reputation and our customers speak on our behalf. We have linked up with ReferenceLine to provide completely independent feedback from all the homeowners we’ve moved. So take a look at some of the responses we have received so far this year and let our customers tell you about our service.
“When Mr. Batt first came to give us a quote for our move into temporary accommodation, we were impressed by his courteous manner, his knowledge and the quoted cost. The team arrived at exactly the quoted time and went about their business with good humour (somewhat unusual these days) and professionalism. We were very impressed and have asked them to quote our next move into our new permanent home if you want a good removal company. Would call.”Maidstone, Kent 26 Mar 14
“The move was smooth & stress free, with transitions between two properties (and the provision of all extra van & movers) was very well handled. The “movers” on the day worked incredibly hard & were at all times polite, friendly & more than willing to help in any way they could. We were consulted about any items that weren’t labelled with a room allocation & overall we were absolutely delighted with the service. Thank you.” Ashford, Kent20 Feb 14
We started collecting this online feedback in 2010 but we have always traded on our reputation. The majority of our custom comes from referrals or returning customers, something we are extremely pleased and proud of. In fact over 98% of our customers would recommend us and are either “Very Happy” or “Delighted” with our performance. You can see this and more in our latest ratings summary below, which covers all the feedback we have received for our house and piano removals since 2010.
Customer Ratings for Colin Batt Removals April 2014
Whatever removal companies you get to quote for your house or piano move, get some independent advice and see what their customers are saying. Also make sure the moving firm you choose is a member of the British Association of Removers (BAR). We will explain why in a blog soon but in the meantime you can see more about the BAR at http://www.colinbattremovals.co.uk/about-us/british-association-of-removers/.
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