Kicking off 2019, our founder Monica Bradley looks at how the local property market has started the new year in Cheam, Banstead, Sutton and the surrounding local area…

“A new year is frequently the catalyst for change, and we often see that those who wish to move use January as the time to get their ducks in a row with regards their mortgage, as part of their plan to move in time for the Spring.”  Says Monica.   “This has very much been the case this month, and we’ve assisted significant numbers of prospective purchasers, from first time buyers to family movers in the higher price brackets, as well as investors.  There’s no lack of interest or confidence in the local market, in fact quite the reverse.   We would suggest that the biggest factor that’s currently holding the market back in and around Cheam is the lack of homes available for sale, rather than a lack of buyer confidence.” 

Monica continues, “What we have observed, however, is that now many landlords have either just received or processed their Self-Assessment tax bills for this year, they are re-assessing their portfolios and seeking guidance on how they could perhaps review the way they are structured in order to make them a more tax efficient investment.  Part of that strategy is, in many cases, a review of borrowing across their portfolios.   It’s a sector that we’re exceptionally well-versed in dealing with, and as Buy To Let borrowing has now become a more complex environment, our advisers are able to add significant value by packaging cases to specialist lenders in order to achieve a great result for the client.”

Monica concludes, “We’ve also spoken to a significant number of clients who plan to undertake a substantial home improvement project this year and wanted to remortgage their property in order to raise funds to do so.  These clients have benefitted from some of the most competitive rates we’ve seen for some time, as have those who’ve decided to review the market and lock into their next fixed rate product, in order to provide peace of mind around their monthly mortgage payment.” 

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