Its been a busy few months for the staff at Ball & Percival. Not only did the firm proudly sponsor the Community Hero Awards 2011, but it has just unveiled its snazzy new office. The completely refurbished base, on stunning Lord Street, is now officially open and the team are looking forward to welcoming prospective purchasers, vendors, landlords or tenants to the new office. After its grand opening last week, where the firm enjoyed a fantastic turnout from local businessmen, solicitors, surveyors, vendors and landlords Ball & Percival is now looking forward to the future with a positive attitude. In what is a more positive yet still competitive market, Ball & Percival still believe it is vital to remain a committed and pro active agent. With highly experienced staff benefiting from vast local knowledge and outstanding professionalism, combined with the attraction of our new modern offices, we are all looking forward to completing a positive end to 2011!!

Roe Lane, Chirchtown, PR9 9DZ: &375,000

• Double fronted detached house
• Five bedrooms and En-Suit to master
• Three reception rooms
• Beautifully presented throughout
• Off street parking for multiple vehicles
• Viewing highly recommended!

 FOR FULL DETAILS AND PHOTOGRAPHS CLICK HERE

Lulworth Road, Southport, PR8 2AS: &599,950

 • Well presented detached residence
 • Beautiful landscaped gardens
 • Superb lounge and morning room
 • Walking distance to central southport
 • Four bedrooms
 • Three reception rooms

 FOR FULL DETAILS AND PHOTOGRAPHS CLICK HERE

 Fylde Road, Marshside, Southport PR9 9XZ: &187,950

 • Modern Semi Detached Bungalow
 • Two bedrooms
 • Lounge, kitchen & conservatory
 • Well presented & maintained
 • Presented to a high standard
 • Beautiful front and rear gardens

FOR FULL DETAILS AND PHOTOGRAPHS CLICK HERE 

 Kings Hey Drive, Southport, PR9 7JB: &224, 950

• Beautiful semi detached house
• Three bedrooms
• Modern presentation throughout
• Within walking distance of Churchtown Village
• Lounge, dinning room & kitchen
• Viewing highly reccomended!

FOR FULL DETAILS AND PHOTOGRAPHS CLICK HERE

Brinklow Close, Ainsdale, PR8 2SL: &289,950

• Detached property
• Four bedrooms
• Kitchen
• Driveway leading to garage
• Front & rear gardens
• Fantastic location

FOR FULL DETAILS AND PHOTOGRAPHS CLICK HERE

The Bank of England base rate is at all time historic low and there is much speculation about when it will increase.  With the recent financial upheaval this has impacted on the mortgage market. Lenders are now a lot more cautious about what and to whom they will lend. So now more than ever it is important to speak with a mortgage adviser.

It is still possible to obtain a mortgage if you have a deposit, have proof of income and are credit worthy.

We are a whole of market mortgage adviser which basically means we can search the whole of mortgage market when looking for the most suitable mortgage for our clients. This is unlike many other advisers who either work from a restricted panel of mortgage lenders or advisers that just advise on the mortgages of one mortgage lender ie bank staff. 

We operate a comprehensive mortgage sourcing system which allows us to search the whole of the market in a matter of minutes and could result in our clients making significant savings over the term of the mortgage

We only have experienced qualified mortgage advisers to assist our clients. Unlike many other mortgage advisers we do not charge a fee for our mortgage advice. Our advisers are also able to see clients outside normal office hours.

Should you wish to take advantage of discussing your circumstances with one of our advisers please call 0151 342 1755

YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE

This a promotion that supersedes all other agents and enables new landlords to have their properties comprehensively managed for the first three months, free of charge. Our property management department is here to tend to all of your needs as a student landlord, with regards to the decor, cleanliness and general condition of your property and will act to ensure that the issues of rent payment, cleaning and work arrangement are no longer yours to bear. With our wonderful introductory promotion of free management for the preliminary three months of tenancy, management of your property will not only be a lighter burden to carry but lighter on your pockets as well. There will never be a better opportunity for landlords to enter the lucrative and economically secure business of student lettings – call our dedicated student lettings team today on 0151 236 4400 or click here for further details on our student lettings service.

Venmores grand opening of their new flagship branch was conducted in style recently, with a Wimbledon themed event to co-incide with the world famous tournament.   The new branch was totally remodelled in the preceding months and is now home to the Sales, Lettings, Auction, Property Management, Commercial and Survey departments, housing a total of 32 staff.

Occupying a dominant position on the corner of Dale Street and Exchange Street East, the branch is in the heart of the Commercial District and very accessible to clients, offering bright and spacious customer areas, with the latest technology being utilised throughout all departments.

The event was hosted by Rob Farnham (Chief Executive) and Paul Lea(Managing Director) both pictured on the left, with local radio celebrity Sean Styles acting as Master of Ceremonies.  Over 180 guests attended the function, enjoying plentiful supplies of Pimm's, Peroni and Prosecco as well as delicious canapes.  Towards the end of the evening, several guests were testing their skills at "bucket tennis" (getting the tennis balls into the bucket!)

One lucky client won the first prize in the raffle, which was a Liverpool F.C. shirt, signed by the players.

Rob Farnham said, "It was a pleasure to welcome so many of our clients and friends into our new city office to celebrate another great chapter in Venmore's history."

 Photo: Rob Farnham (Chief Executive) & Paul Lea (Chairman)

We all know the housing market has been tough for the past two to three years, every day we hear news of repossessions, declining property values, investors who have made huge losses on their portfolios, lack of mortgage funding and problems for first time buyers getting onto the property ladder.  Lenders have slashed fixed-rate mortgages to record lows, but although headline rates are falling, banks have become more cautious about who to lend to.

Just talking to our Branch Managers in various locations in Merseyside and Wirral, paints a picture of just how diverse the market is at present.

Some branches have seen a resurgence of activity in terms of cash-rich investors coming back on to the scene, re-investing in property while prices are at a low level, benefitting from the rental yield and taking a long-term view of potential capital growth when the market recovers.

Other branches have seen interest from more first time buyers, certainly in terms of registering interest as a potential buyer, although some first timers will not have taken the initial step of speaking with a mortgage advisor to find out exactly how much they can borrow and what price they can afford to pay.  Many will fall at the first hurdle when they realise how much deposit they will need in order to be eligible for a mortgage.

Generally, those branches located in the suburbs, have seen a recovery in terms of activity levels, an increase in valuations and instructions and also of offers being made.  The suburbs offer more choice to prospective buyers as they have the full spectrum of property types and values, in comparison to the available stock in Liverpool City centre, which is dominated by apartments.

One of our Wirral branches reports their best month so far this year in terms of sales, with offers being accepted across most price-ranges.

Generally, the offers being received tend to be for recent instructions, which have come on to the market at sensible asking prices, or for those properties which have been reduced in price to reflect the market conditions we have today.  Any property which is even slightly over-priced, will not generate interest from would-be buyers in what is an extremely price-sensitive market.

The properties which are sensibly priced and presented to their best potential will attract buyers more quickly (see related article).

Yes, the market is difficult, but not impossible - and we love a challenge!

Top Ten Tips For DIY Home Improvements

Making a few effective changes to your home can make all the difference and it’s never been so easy! Follow our Top Ten Tips for DIY home improvements and see your home transform before your very eyes...

1.       Give your front door a fresh lick of paint to instantly revive the exterior appearance of your home. A smart looking front door will help to make a great first impression, so think carefully about your choice of colour and finish. Why not add a house number or name plate for the perfect finishing touch!?

2.       Adding shelves to a room is a great and simple storage solution that will help to make your home look more organised.

3.       Make a statement by adding a feature wall to your living room, contrast neutral colours with a bold block colour or patterned wall paper on one wall for maximum effect and style points.

4.       Fitting a new pair of curtains is a simple way of updating the appearance of a room without having to change any of the existing decor. Choosing the right fabric and design will have a dramatic effect on the overall appearance, so you will need to consider the shape and style of the room when making your decision. It is also important to measure the size of your window to ensure that your new curtains will be a perfect fit.

5.       If you are bored with your current decor then the easiest solution is to re-paint. Light colours will help to brighten a room, making it feel bright and airy, whilst intense colours can create a certain tone or atmosphere. Preparation is essential – make sure you smooth any cracks using filler and wash all the walls to ensure they are clean and dust free before painting.

6.       The easiest way to update the style and look of your kitchen is to buy new door handles for your kitchen cupboards. This small change will be sure to make a big difference to the overall look and requires minimum effort and cost!

7.       Hanging a mirror is a great way to open up a room and create the illusion that it is bigger than it actually is. A mirror also serves well as a point of focus in a room and looks good above a fireplace or positioned in a central location.

8.    If your tiles are looking a little grimy, use a toothbrush to clean the grout in between them to restore your bathroom or kitchen. Using a cleaning product which specifically combats mould will help to quickly break down any mould and prevent it from reappearing.   

9.       Whether they are favourite photographs or attractive wall art, hanging pictures instantly adds character to your home. Mix match a variety of sizes and frames to create an interesting arrangement.

10.   Spring clean! A good sort out will help to de-clutter your home and giving each room a thorough clean will instantly make it look more attractive.

If you’re buying a property, you should have a survey done before you enter into a contract. 

A common misconception is that a mortgage lender’s valuation report represents a survey. In fact, it is merely a valuation carried out on the mortgage lender’s behalf and is not designed to highlight any potential problems with the property. By commissioning a building survey, any structural problems or urgent defects are highlighted, enabling the buyer to make an informed decision before committing to the property.

Types of survey include:

• RICS Condition Report: It shows the condition of the property, offers advice to legal advisors and highlights details of any urgent defects.
• RICS HomeBuyer Report: Contains all the features of the Condition Report, plus a market valuation and insurance rebuild costs. It also includes advice on defects that may affect the value of the property with repairs and ongoing maintenance advice.
• A building survey: The most comprehensive report includes defects, repair and maintenance options. Essential for larger or older properties, or if you’re planning major works.

In difficult economic times it pays to be prepared. Nobody wants to be left with a property that needs extensive repairs or one they can’t sell on. By having a survey you’ll be armed with information on the condition of the property which puts you in a stronger position to decide whether to proceed with the purchase, or negotiate a better deal.

Our Auction Department has had a number of visits from 'Homes Under The Hammer' this year and the first programme was shown early in the summer.

The show gets great ratings and is popular across a broad spectrum of viewers.

The first Venmore’s show was about a student house in Allerton, purchased at Auction by Johnny Byrne. Johnny’s business is about finding houses with development potential in key student areas in Liverpool, doing the work either himself, with his Dad or with team he’s worked with for years and producing a top quality student house that he has no trouble filling.

Liverpool has 55,000 students so the market is big and highly competitive.

The house was bought in the February Auction for &101,000. It was a traditional 3 bedroom end of terrace with very little investment made in the property this past 30 years.

Within 6 weeks of purchase the property had been stripped to bare plaster, all the interior walls upstairs removed, re-wired,  re-plumbed,  new central heating, all new interior doors, re-pointed, roof brought up to scratch, two new bathrooms, one new kitchen, exterior patio built, security system fitted, new floors and repainted ready for rent .

The property will house 4 students, each paying around &85 per week for a 48 week contract, it was let within days. Each student  has a room, furnished with bed, desk, wardrobe, broadband and all electricity and rates paid.

The Homes under the Hammer team loved it as it was a real transition done to a high standard by someone who had a fixed business plan that has a great track record of success.

Photo:  Property Purchased by Mr Byrne

On Friday the 15^th of July Paul Lea, Chairman of the BFL Group took part in one of his biggest challenges to date, the Three Peaks Challenge.

Paul, along with 10 soldiers who have been injured whilst serving our Country, bared "the rain and pain" to climb 26 miles of mountain including Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scafell Pike in the Lakes and Snowdon in North Wales, all within 24 hours. A staggering 720 miles were also driven between hikes. Paul has given us a brief insight to the experience and how the team handled this extreme challenge...

"Regarding the challenge itself - we started at 5pm to climb Ben Nevis and passing banks of snow in thick cloud was an amazing experience.  The weather was poor with 50mph winds and rain."
 
"We returned to the Mini bus at 2200 hours and left for Scafell Pike the highest Mountain in England.  At quarter to two in the morning we ate our pasta dish and prepared ourselves for arrival at 0300 hours.  Getting out of the Mini bus the rain was hammering it down and it never relented.  In pitch black with only head torches to show us the way the climb was tough and at times frightening.  Wet is a word that does not descibe what we experienced in the 5 and a half hours we spent on Scafell - the paths had turned to rivers, the streams had turned to rapids, the rocks we had to clamber up and down were as slippery as eels.  Towards the top of Scafell was a really dark moment - we climbed a vertical bank of moving rock in 70mph winds and with the rain hammering it down you started to question your sanity."
 
"We had lost a lot of time on Scafell due solely to the atrocious weather so there was no time for chit chat when we got down the Mountain.  It was straight into the Mini Bus for immediate departure to Snowdon.  At least we now had the opportunity to change our clothes and have more high energy foods for the final challenge.  Having to put wet climbing boots back on was uncomfortable, but the thought of successfully completing the challenge was upmost in the mind.  Snowdon is the easiest of the 3 peaks but having had no sleep for 24 hours and being tired it was much more difficult than normal.  Due to a number of injuries several of the team were unable to challenge Snowdon but in part sunshine we completed the challenge in way under the 24 hours."
 
"Whilst there were dark moments meeting the Commando's along the way had a profound effect on our team.  Listening to their stories about what they have been through is truly a humbling experience and it put's your own life into true perspective.  These guys really are heroes and they deserve a lot more than they get although you never ever hear them moan about anything."

Sponosorship funds for the Challenge, in aid of the charity Help for Heroes and Commando 999 has so far reached an estimated &16,500. If you would like to contribute to this and help us to give more to these charities then please e-mail m.barrigan@venmores.co.uk.