Latest Blog Posts
Affected by Japanese Knotweed? Here’s what you need to know…
A court ruling has opened the door for homeowners to claim damages if Japanese Knotweed has encroached on their property. The Court of Appeals has ruled in favour of two homeowners whose properties were affected by the notoriously invasive and destructive plant. The bamboo-like species spreads quickly and through its underground root system can undermine the structural integrity of buildings. It’s also costly and time consuming to treat.
The home owners, who own two adjoining bungalows in South Wales, made a claim against Network Rail which owns the land immediately behind their properties. Japanese Knotweed has been present on the land for at least 50 years while the pair of home owners first complained of the encroachment onto their land in 2013.
They brought a successful claim against Network Rail at Cardiff County Court and were awarded damages in February last year. Network Rail challenged that decision at a Court of Appeals hearing last month, but the court upheld the ruling that the homeowners were entitled to damages because the roots had extended beneath both of their properties. This provides reassurance to homeowners who have been affected by Japanese Knotweed that legal recourse is available to them and the law is emphatically on their side.
50 Sales of Phil
Horton and Garton's most successful negotiator celebrates his 50th transaction in 15 months
Top sales negotiator Phil Coombes who joined the Horton and Garton family just 15 months ago celebrated his 50th property exchange last week. Phil has personally agreed almost 60% of the total office sales since he started with us. Continually proving he is a rare breed of agent, Phil's track record of success coupled with the consistently superb feedback he receives from buyers and sellers alike puts him amongst the elite within our industry. He is, undoubtedly, one of the very best and most successful negotiators in West London today.
Interestingly, Phil's sales have been agreed over 7 different West London postcodes with a total value in excess of £40million and a ratio of 40% houses and 60% flats. He's achieved a remarkable 98% average of listing prices, a testament to both Sales Manager Martin Clements' ability to accurately value, price and list Hammersmith and Shepherds Bush property coupled with Phil's ability to secure the very best value for every sale.
If you are thinking of selling and would like an up to date valuation of your home call the market leading West London estate agents. We're proud to have served local home owners for over a decade. If you're considering listing your property for sale, it's important to have the very best agents on your side. With an unrivalled track record (according to Rightmove statistics) of the most sales agreed in 'Our Patch', we would welcome the opportunity to provide you with our first class, gold standard of service.
Don't just take our word for it... click here to read our google reviews.
An update on Manjit’s recovery
Manjit, who fell down the basement stairs in her shop - The Tipsy Toad - has broken her neck. She can wiggle her toes so thankfully she is not paralysed. Manjit has had three major operations to date. The first was to set a bone in her neck, the second was a tracheotomy to assist her with breathing and the third was for a pace maker to regulate her heartbeat. She is not yet able to speak and needs to rest her lungs and throat muscles before attempting a conversation, but she can mouth words. Manjit is likely to remain in hospital until the autumn for a period of about three months.
Inder says she is conscious and recognises family and nursing staff, is in good spirits and is aware of and grateful for the overwhelming response from the people of Hammersmith and Shepherds Bush who have been sending their well wishes, keeping her in their prayers and donating generously. Inder asks that we all pray for her to have positive energy and hope for a speedy recovery.
Cards and greetings should be sent or delivered to Tipsy Toad at 91 Hammersmith Grove, London W6 0NQ. The shop has now reopened with its usual hours. If you haven't yet donated, please do consider helping Hammersmith's beloved Manjit and her family in their time of need.
Make a Difference for Majit
If you live in the Hammersmith Grove area, you know Manjit Rana. Part of the furniture in this beautiful spot, she and her family have owned and run the Tipsy Toad for almost three decades. Very sadly, Manjit had a very bad fall and is now in St Mary's Hospital Paddington with a broken neck. She is making a slow recovery. Manjit is well known and widely respected within our village; the consensus is most residents would like to help in some way. A group of neighbours have set up a fund for friends and locals to help Manjit and her family during this difficult time. The GoFundMe site enables the community to raise funds for Manjit without having to pay a great deal in fees. We understand donations will go to her eldest son.
Manjit was famously quoted as saying, "Occasionally people will come to the door and there is a sign outside that says 'We're Closed.' It means I am usually delivering to our senior citizens or the infirm who are unable to pop down to the shop for essentials. I found this is a way of giving back to the community. We truly love our customers."
This wonderful woman has a special place in our hearts. Our well wishes and prayers are with her and her family. We've donated - have you?
Breaking Records in W6
Horton and Garton achieves Hammersmith's highest £pound per square foot post-Brexit
Horton and Garton's sales team has just sold Hammersmith's most expensive property on record at a ceiling-smashing £1578 per square foot on Brackenbury Village's desirable Cardross Street.
Martin Clements, Horton and Garton's Sales Manager of a decade, says of the transaction, "Whilst it has broken every Brackenbury Village £pound per square foot record, it also represents the priciest post-Brexit £pound per square foot achieved in the whole of the W6 postcode.
We're extremely proud of this accomplishment in what is supposedly a 'difficult' property marketplace as it demonstrates what an exceptional agency can achieve. The fact is we sell 150% more property in Brackenbury Village than our nearest competitor which demonstrates the firm grasp we have on its unique micro-market."
Director John Horton notes, "Every article on the London property market spouts doom and gloom, and whilst the market certainly has shifted since the Brexit vote, it's tough to buy into that negative mindset when we're doing so well for our clients.
It comes back to one of my favourite sayings: some of our competitors couldn't value a £5 note. It was true ten years ago and it's true today. When you know property in Hammersmith, Shepherds Bush and Chiswick like we do, nothing is impossible.
My advice to sellers is to instruct the trusted local agent who has a genuine knowledge of your area then take their professional advice on the sale of your property.
We're working hard for you - every step of the way - and keeping our clients at the heart of each transaction. Our recent success with the property on Cardross Street is a direct reflection of our seller putting their total trust in our century of combined experience in Hammersmith property. By taking our advice it enabled us to do achieve an outstanding result."
Sales negotiator Phil Coombes, whose years of experienced sourced the ideal buyer, says, "I knew from the moment I saw the house that it had huge potential - the ability to extend on the ground floor, first floor and maximise the top floor with a loft and rear pod conversion.
Within hours of the seller instructing us and before it was listed on Rightmove, Zoopla or hortonandgarton.co.uk we had multiple interested parties chomping at the bit to view.
Our experience and already-established rapport with our buyers ensured we were able to achieve not just the best price for our seller but the best price Hammersmith has ever seen. The deal was negotiated and cliched within TWO DAYS of the seller instructing us to go about our work. One very happy buyer and one very happy seller means it's mission accomplished!"
If you're considering selling in Hammersmith, Chiswick or Shepherds Bush, our sales team is at your service - get in touch today.
Six Things I Won’t Miss About Working For A Corporate Agency
by James Liggins, Associate Director, Horton and Garton Chiswick
I'm very excited to join my first independent team and help Paul Cooney build the Horton and Garton business here in Chiswick.
Paul mentored me years ago. I learned the ropes years ago from him and one might argue that the last several years in corporate agency have been an extended training course on how the competition works and how we can outperform them... every day was necessary to ensure I got the job with Paul!
I've always been based in Chiswick so I feel part of the furniture here; I know the local shop owners and residents. Working for a forward thinking independent agency like Horton and Garton is the perfect fit.
My career in agency thus far has been spent working for corporates and the experience I've gained has been invaluable in terms of learning what to do and, more to the point, what not to do. At Horton and Garton we can do things better and work differently to the London-wide chains.
We're an office of committed property professionals; there isn't anyone 'in training' here for us to babysit... you'll never find 'the new guy' who's learning the ropes. The property industry is full of inexperienced people trying to make as much money as possible - your sale will suffer if it's in the wrong hands.
We have a collective experience of over a century and we're proud of this fact. At a corporate, their company-wide policies and procedures means, as a negotiator, you frequently can't take decisions that fully benefit the client. As we don't need to please our manager's area director's CEO, the whole team is fully client focussed, working for them instead of 'the company's' self-centred interests. It's a incredible feeling... I feel like a new man!
Reflecting on my first week in independent agency, here's what I won't miss about the corporate world...
Six things I won't miss about working for a corporate agency:
- Joyless, bland property descriptions. In a corporate agency, I had zero flexibility when it came to writing property descriptions and would often have my sellers calling me to say, "Can you add in our favourite local pub that's just a three minute walk? We think it's a real selling point." I had to tell them I wasn't allowed as it didn't fit in with the standardised description! Utter lunacy.
- Politics. Politicking was part of every day corporate agency life. Ego-stroking and keeping the peace between negotiators was exhausting. I've witnessed clients suffer due to the dark art of office politics. Selling property should be about the client, not inflated egos!
- Up to 50 live listings. I've always believed too many listings is a recipe for failure. You might sell a few of them, but what happens to the rest? If you're considering an agent with 50-odd live sales listings, you should also be considering how many minutes of their day the experienced team members will have to spend on your property. It's just basic maths.
- "Smashing the phones." If I never hear this phrase again it will be too soon! The utter inflexibility of working for a corporate agency meant cold calling was part of my routine. I absolutely hated it as I knew the buyers I was ringing hated it, too. People in West London detest cold calls. They might be received happily in other areas of London or the UK - who knows? - but they don't wash here.
- Leafleting and door knocking. It's still common practice but thankfully not at Horton and Garton. We're good enough at our jobs that we don't need to employ these outdated (and desperate) tactics. In fact, we run a paperless office in Chiswick so printing thousands of leaflets would go against the ethos.
- Ties. Bad ties, silk ties, ties in general. This one speaks for itself - never again!
Reduce your expectations?
Double your money for the H&F Foodbank’s Summer Holiday Club!
Today and tomorrow (Friday the 15th June) your donation to the Hammersmith & Fulham Foodbank's Children's Summer Holiday Club will be doubled thanks to The Big Give. A record number of families have been referred to this brilliant initiative. They require access to the foodbank and intervention from other council services, including social services, during the summer holidays. The H&F Foodbank are rising to the occasion with their amazing summer club which will run across two locations in LBHF twice a week and will cater to up to 70 children with their carers. These disadvantaged children will be able to access a healthy, nutritious meal every time they attend the club and will be provided with not only games, dance and cooking classes but incredible once-in-a-lifetime experiences and excursions to help make their summers memorable, educational, safe and enjoyable. If you donate £10, the H&F Foodbank's summer programme will receive an incredible £22.50! People of West London - local children need your help! Get donating by clicking here! At Horton and Garton, we are proud to continue our support of this invaluable local charity.
Write Big Cheques for the Big Give!
Brand new in Askew
Brand New Family House For Sale in Askew
This picture perfect newly refurbished and fully extended Victorian family house is available to purchase with Horton and Garton.
Granted a new lease of life by its current owner, the property has been lovingly restored and is ready for a family to make it their forever home. Nestled in tree-lined Valetta Road, the house boasts four double bedrooms and a family bathroom including a palatial master suite on the top floor. The ground floor offers a generous, flexible footprint of living and kitchen space, including a cloakroom, that is flooded year round with natural light thanks to the southerly aspect.
Tastefully and neutrally decorated throughout, this immaculate home is offered to the market with no onward chain thus offering a stress-free purchase. The location of the house means the buyer will benefit from a short stroll to two beautiful parks and two private members' health clubs.
In less than ten minutes you're in the heart of the popular Askew Village area with its independent shops and cafés. A variety of bus links via The Vale will bring you directly to Shepherds Bush tube station and Acton Central overground is also nearby.
Sales Manager Martin Clements says of the home, "Newly refurbished, chain free houses on Valetta Road are rarely available which makes this a unique opportunity for a canny buyer who is seeking their ideal Askew Village location."
To arrange your viewing, contact us or call our team on 020 8819 0510.
Street (and property) Sale in Hammersmith Grove
Neighbourhood Street Sale in Hammersmith Grove
As Hammersmith's number one estate agent, we recently agreed of sales hat trick on Hammersmith Grove. One sale was agreed last week via best and final bids after languishing on the market for months with another estate agency.
Top sales negotiator Phil Coombes says of the sale, "Ten days of intelligent marketing and hard graft was all it took our team. It's a tricky market at the moment which means you need the very best career agents in your corner."
What makes this leafy part of West London such a desirable place to live? As the local experts, our answer would be quite long winded (!) but we can assure you the annual street party and sale, which takes place this Saturday afternoon, is a major attraction. It brings local residents out in force to celebrate 'village' life together with a street sale, dog show, delicious food, children's games a bouncy castle and much more.
Director John Horton says, "Spend five minutes at the party and you'll quickly come to know the true affection residents hold for their friends and neighbours."
Various organisations including the Brackenbury Residents' Association will be attending to help make the day even more special. The BRA will have a stall with lucky dip for children, a Guess the Weight of the Cake game and information about the Association. Bring your family and friends to meet fellow residents and neighbours in the outstandingly beautiful and friendly Brackenbury Village area.
Our sales and lettings teams keep Hammersmith moving so for superlative service you won't find anywhere else and a true understanding of the local market, get in touch or call us on 020 8819 0510.
