At this unprecedented time, we are continuously monitoring Government advice on the current Coronavirus pandemic. We are acutely aware of the current implications, particularly regarding visit requests to your home. At Norton Rickett we are still actively marketing all properties within our portfolio – indeed we are still launching new properties to the market this week – but we are also taking instructions from clients, particularly if self-isolation, whatever the reason, needs to be considered as our duty of care. At this point our approach is three-fold:

1. We will continue with viewing requests unless you instruct us otherwise, but we will be checking that viewers comply with current guidelines & will be requesting that there is no hand contact at the property. Please contact us if you have a particular concern regarding recommendations on self-isolation.
2. We have the ability to work remotely in case our office needs to be temporarily closed. This is an option that we have always been able to provide & all calls can be diverted to one of the Directors’ phones.
3. As a business we are here for the long-term, with sufficient financial reserves to see us through an extended period of reduced cashflow for over a year, while still ensuring that our commitments to suppliers & creditors are paid in full.

Visits to our offices are still possible, although we would ask that this is by prior appointment please, so that we can ensure that the number of people in the office is kept to a minimum.

We will keep you updated as we receive further advice & Government guidelines that may mean we have to adapt our working practices further. In the meantime, we hope that all of your family & friends are safe and remain well.

Sometimes people rush into decisions, others like to take their time, but ultimately when is it the right time to move home? Not many of us have the ability to make a swift move like the Sussex family, but often, like Harry & Meghan, once a decision is made we want to press on with plans as soon as possible. Timing can be tricky with a house move, either because of market conditions, or because of a long chain of buyers & circumstances causing delays – the conveyancing process alone is now reported to take on average in excess of 12 weeks to reach an exchange of contracts. We believe this is when an experienced agent’s knowledge can help keep a sale on schedule to a successful completion.

Our local housing market has started to show signs of improving and the sentiment is tangibly positive with an increase in buyer enquiries, but part of their frustration is still a limited choice of available properties in key areas. Part of this lack of supply has been due to apprehension through 2019, but now is an opportunity to catch a more optimistic period as the country goes through its Brexit transition. Previous hesitation was cited due to Brexit, then Christmas and now others could still point to Brexit (again, at the end of this month), the Budget, Easter, then holidays…. and before you realise it’s Christmas again.

At Norton Rickett we can help in making a move, even if a seller wants to initially only approach the market in a low-key discreet way, through our extensive range of buyers, both local & moving from further afield. Likewise, buyers are now finding that they can’t rely on expecting to find their next home browsing through adverts or websites, so if the decision is to move this year, we strongly encourage buyers to register with us so they don’t miss-out on a potential opportunity.

Give us a call to talk through how we can help you, whether buying or selling, and through our discussions we can help you with your decisions and find a way forward in a timely fashion.