Our offices, including Venmore, Bradshaw Farnham and Lea and Ball and Percival, encouraged companies to donate gifts for their charity raffle, which included a pink bouquet from Liverpool florist Fishlocks, a goody back from Cricket Clothing and a Pink Signed Everton Shirt.
 
We also went one step further by turning our iconic red branding on our website to bright pink for the day.
 
“Pink wigs, feather boas and costumes were the rule for the day” commented Maria Barrigan, Business Development Director who was delighted at the turnout at all the offices.
 
“As well as enjoying seeing everyone in pink dress up, we hope that this will help remind everyone to attend regular breast screenings, as early diagnosis can save lives. We are delighted that we raised so much money and a huge thank you goes out to all the people who came along and showed their generous support.”

If you would like to make a donation to this worthy cause then please CLICK HERE.

Many thanks to everyone who has donated and shown their support with this campaign!

(Photo: BFL office West Kirby Wearing it Pink!)

'A VIEW TO BUY' has been launched across our branches to encourage our vendors to open their homes for two hours on one specific day, to allow potential purchasers through their doors with all hopes that one viewer will indeed turn into a buyer! With no more than four properties within a similar postcode area taking part, the sales team take time to work with the vendors, encouraging them to show the property at its very best and, where at all possible, manning the event either instead of, or in partnership with, the home owner.  Encouraged to visit each of the properties the viewers make considered comparisons and give valued constructive feedback.  As a direct result of the event many offers have turned into a 'Sale Agreed' with many viewers wishing their own agents had been as pro-active as BFL.  Check out the website or contact your local sales office for the next VIEW TO BUY event date.

As from February 2012 our successful property auctions will be moving to the iconic venue of Liverpool Town Hall right in the heart of the city.  We will be using the grand reception rooms before the auction to greet clients and then the auction itself will take place in the Council Chamber. This will provide a superb venue with the auctioneer facing the semi-circular council benches which are tiered to provide a great view with the properties being displayed on large LCD screens.

Quite simply this is going to be the best auction venue in the North West – we can`t wait!

Our up and coming auction is not far away!  There is a wide variety of properties to purchase from investment , residential, mixed use or commercial opportunities.

Viewings are still available prior to the auction. If you would like to arrange a viewing please contact the auction team; Paula or Ronan on 0151 236 6746. For further information you can click on the button below to see a full listing of properties available for this auction.

 The auction will be held at The Hilton Hotel, 3 Thomas Steers Way, Liverpool, L1 8LW and will commence at 1pm.

The Foundation aims are to generate funds for local community charities, as all our business revenues are generated across Merseyside we felt the fit was perfect and selected it as our charity for 2012.

The foundation will help a range of organisations both in terms of bringing in funding and raising the profiles of those groups. This is something Montse and Rafa had already been doing during their time in England, making personal donations and helping to publicise causes like Arrowe Park Hospital, The British Heart Foundation, Children with Leukaemia, HFSG, Liverpool Women’s Hospital and more. It’s a long list, and one we are proud to support.

We asked Mrs Benitez about why they set the foundation up and why it’s focused on causes close to the place they call home: “Since I started talking about setting up a foundation a question everyone was asking was: ‘Why? Why a Foundation and why Merseyside?’ The answer was quite simple.

“I want to help people in my home. I didn’t need to go far away – abroad – to help because here in this town there are people who need our help. That is why I decided with Rafa to set up a foundation to raise funds and then we’re going to give away funds to different charities and groups that help a wide range of people – children, elderly, disabled children, disabled adults, people with illness or problems in general.”

For further information about the foundation & events please CLICK HERE.

Our goal is with the help of our customers and staff is to generate between &15,000-&20,000 during 2012 for the foundation.

Another Space interior is run by Danish designer Sofie Munthe who started the design studio after having graduated with a First Class Honours Degree in BA Interior design from Liverpool John Moores University’s Art and Design school.

The studio works within interiors, styling, ideas and concept development and are always on top with the newest design trends. 

Sofie Munthe says; "We bring a clean, modern fresh look to the table and guarantee a fully worked trough and unique design where possibilities and function are important factors.

We believe that everyone deserves a home or work environment that reflects the people who live in it and with it.

In our often busy every day life our homes fill many important functions and our wellbeing therefore much depends on our home being personal and functional.

When we feel secure and the atmosphere is right we can then concentrate on the people we care about.

We can also help you when it comes to selling you home as it can some times be helpful to have a third part advising you on chances that can help you sell quicker and get an overall better deal.

When it comes to improving your company efficiency its work environment is an often forgotten but very important aspect.  A smart and clever spatial design together with carefully chosen materials improves the wellbeing of your employees and increases their enjoyment of work and can intensify their efficiency.

At Another Space we wish to be known as a versatile design studio there with an open and imaginative mind manages to familiarize ourselves with the customer’s world and transfer it to your creative work. With a always good spirit we aspire to be an inspiring studio to work with and appreciate a close cooperation and dialogue with our clients. "

If you would like further information and to arrange a quotation from Another Space Interior please contact Maria Barrigan on m.barrigan@venmores.co.uk or 07557 529 315.

Looking back at the last few months here in the letting department at Venmore, it all seems a bit of a blur!   The reason for this is because of how busy it has been.   From experience, we expect the summer months to be hugely busier than other times of the year but 2011 was in a league of its own.   We had a fabulous month in June, letting a large number of properties and set a new company record which we were naturally very pleased with.   July was also a very productive month with a superb number of properties let.   Then August decided to hit us like a steam train!   Not only did we hit another company record, we actually blew it out of site, letting a tremendous 98 properties.     September again was superb and even though the heights of August were not hit, we beat our targets and we ended the month feeling extremely satisfied with the month’s figures.   

I would like to thank my colleagues, Jennifer, Natasha, Lucy, Hayley, Natalie, Lynsey, Ashleigh, Laurence and Stefanie for their hard work, organization and for making the last few months enjoyable and rewarding.

                                                            Local Hot Spot: Church Town 

Churchtown is a tranquil and picturesque village, located only a couple of miles north of Southport Town Centre. The village has an array of restaurants, cafes and popular public houses, located between the charming thatched roof cottages.

Local amenities: The Village enjoys a selection of individual shops to browse around, alongside the beautiful Botanic Gardens which are a blaze of colour from early spring to late autumn. Highly regarded local schools are within easy reach, as is Southport Town Centre, Lord Street boulevard and Southport Promenade

Wining and Dining: Churchtown Village enjoys a selection different eateries, with local public houses The Bold and The Hesketh Arms both offering an extensive menu. Alongside these you will find the popular Botanic Bistro and Auberge restaurant, along with local wine bars and cafes.

Hot Property:  4 St Cuthberts Road, Churchtown, PR9 7NN.

A truly outstanding, detached thatched cottage, located in the very heart of the tranquil and picturesque village of Churchtown. This highly attractive one bedroom cottage offers buyers the opportunity to enjoy living in one of Southport’s most unique properties, combining many original features along with modern facilities. The property has accommodation briefly comprising; lounge, kitchen and bathroom to the ground floor, with master bedroom to the first floor. There are gardens to the rear, along with off road parking for one vehicle. Viewings are strictly by appointment with Ball & Percival Southport Office.

For further details and photos CLICK HERE

                                                            Local Hot Spot: Ropewalks District 

Ropewalks is the beating heart of Liverpool’s pop culture scene; a myriad of vibrant bookshops, coffee shops, pubs & clubs, boutique hotels, great food, businesses, music, galleries and movies that all mix together to make Ropewalks the perfect recipe for fun in Liverpool.

Local amenities: During the day, quirky boutiques and big high street names make Bold Street’s shopping a must, and at night, Concert Square is the place for the best bars around. But if you prefer contemporary culture over cocktails and clubbing, the FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology) hosts cutting edge media exhibitions as well as the latest blockbuster and independent films.

Wining and Dining:  Down the narrow streets and squares of Ropewalks you can find over 40 restaurants boasting global cuisine, numerous bustling cafes and diners scattered amongst independent tea and coffee shops, so whatever your taste, Ropewalks has a place for you.

Hot Property:  &125,000 Argyle Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L1 5BL

This stylish duplex apartment has a substantial terrace overlooking Campbell Square. The accommodation comprises: an entrance hall with a double bedroom and bathroom on the lower level, with stairs leading up to the spacious open plan lounge/diner and fitted kitchen, with patio doors giving access onto the decked terrace.  For full details and photographs of the property CLICK HERE

Our staff were dressed for success in our bright red trade mark, we offered customers the chance to win a bottle of champagne by having a basketball game with us, we fed the exhibition with our chips and overall the day was very successful for us.

The most essential part of any exhibition is ensuring the follow ups after the show of all clients we met.  We are still continuing to work with these customers who didn't realise how easy and hassle free it was to change management companies and use us.  We met some very interesting people and with the work we are continuing to do we feel the exhibition was very sucessful for us.

If you would like to speak with us for any aspect of property please feel free to call us - every customer counts with Venmore!

1. Find a good mortgage advisor. A ‘Whole of market’ advisor is essential, get one step ahead on the mortgage front and obtain an ‘agreement in principle’ from your advisor. This shows that you are serious about buying and that the process will be quicker once your offer is accepted. We recommend speaking to an advisor who doesn’t charge any upfront fees, some advisors charge fee’s upfront for their services and if the sale falls through for any reason this is non-refundable.
2. Make sure you want to live there for some time. A house should also be a home, there is never the guarantee of an increase in property prices and you should not view your home as simply an investment, the location of your home is the most important factor, you can make improvements to the property, but you can’t pick it up and move it!!
3. Prepare for fussy mortgage lenders - It is therefore important to understand what affects your credit score and how you can improve it. For example, make sure you are on the electoral roll - even if you don't plan to vote.
4. View the property as soon as possible. Leave it to long and you could lose out. Make good use of your lunch hours or make appointments on the way to and from work, get the most out of your viewings. View the property at different times of day, speak to people living in the area. Look behind furniture and curtains for any signs of damp or defects.
5. Keep in contact with the Estate Agents, they will call you for feedback after viewings,  Give them honest feedback on what you think of the properties you have viewed, although it may not be the right property for you there could be something the vendor could do to help them sell to the next person. A good estate agent will also call or email you to let you know of any new or reduced properties, if you keep in contact with them regularly there is less chance of you missing out on the right property!!
6. Make an offer! Once you have found the property of your dreams, the next step is to make an offer. It is important to consider a variety of factors when choosing your price level in order to achieve the right deal for you. Take a step back to logically look at all the things that matter before making your offer, listen to the estate agents advise as they will know the vendors situation.
7. Specify what fixtures and fittings you want to be included in the price or any work you want undertaking, when making an offer and before the sale goes through, when offering request that the vendor removes the property from the market once the offer is accepted, this gives you time to arrange your survey and lessens the chance of someone else offering on the property.
8. Price Consideration; It's human nature to try to strike a deal, but if you find your ideal home and it seems to be priced correctly consider offering the asking price, be aware that properties new to the market are being valued in the current market conditions therefore they should be realistically priced. If you give a good offer  you will be taken seriously, there won't be any time-wasting and it will lessen the possibility of another party stepping - or gazumping you.
9. Your offer must be "subject to contract and to survey". This means that if there are unexpected issues on the survey or searches you can then look at re-negotiating the price, you are not legally bound to proceed until you have exchanged contracts.

10. Offer accepted, what next??? You need to instruct a solicitor to deal with the legal documents on your behalf, go with a solicitor that is recommended to you, your estate agent should be able to advise you on good local solicitors. You will also need to instruct your survey which will be arranged via your mortgage advisor on behalf of the lender you have chosen to go with.