Kent Home Finders

If you’re looking to move to Sevenoaks or surrounding villages please do get in touch for a chat.
I’m Louise Streets, a property finder (or search agent) who has specialised in buying many homes for happy clients over the last ten years in and around Sevenoaks.
I work only for you, the buyer, liaising with all the agents, off-market properties and private sellers plus other many contacts to find the home that you’re looking for.
Negotiation is key, particularly in this market, often offsetting my reasonable fee.
I can do everything for you from our initial chat through to completion (finding, negotiating, helping with conveyancing, recommendations for surveyors, solicitors, garden designers etc), the best outcome resulting in you being happy in your new home.
It’s probably your biggest investment you’ll ever make, ideally you need someone to guide you (whatever your budget) who knows the local market backwards.
I’ve lived in the area for over 20 years having moved back down from London, love my job and am very happy for you to chat to past clients.
I look forward to hearing from you for a no obligation chat about your search.

If you are thinking of moving house in 2024 then you have come to the right place.
If you are looking in West Kent or East Sussex – so Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Wadhurst, Mayfield (all the way down to Eastbourne) and over to Cranbrook and all the way around to Oxted (just tucked into Surrey), do give me a call as I can really help you with your move.
One of the main reservations people have with property search agents is the extra cost on an already costly move.
In fact we should be saving you money, either in the short or longer term, or ideally both. As a property finder (property search agent, home buyer etc) in a defined area I am very aware of pricing down to even the individual road level.
Some clients do come to me with their spreadsheets and that’s ok, it may be why they haven’t bought a house so far in their search but we can work with that and make them feel comfortable with their purchase if they find it harder to ‘feel’ it’s the right house for them or their family and need stats to back decisions up. Everyone has a different way of feeling comfortable.
These are the ways I would hope to help a client spend wisely on their next home:
Be totally on it in terms of valuation and supply/demand where you are buying and projecting alongside your timescales.
Negotiation – understanding what is going on in negotiation, not getting emotional, being able to stand back and use experience and see a way to make a deal that works for my client.
Being able to look ahead and future-proof any purchase – I’ve been there and done it, I try and plan for most eventualities because in practice life isn’t that easy, plan for the unexpected (without dwelling too much on the negative).
Logistics – how to make your new location work for you in terms of time spent in the car/time to the station/ realistic distances that you will be comfortable with (these often reduce as time goes on so I like to factor that in at the beginning of a search). This will save you time and money.
Making sure clients are aware of ongoing costs eg. gardening, hedge cutting and maintenance and how much that may cost them – something that they may not have factored in or be overlooking due to falling in love with a house.
Know when they can add value, which projects are overvalued, how they could progress and help them see that vision.
Help with living in the country (or town depending on their move), not taking on too big a project, understanding the costs involved (as above), the annoying country aspects eg cesspits, oil deliveries, mud, mud, mud…The wonderful aspects…walks, fresh air, blackberries and snowdrops…
Be realistic with timeframes (changing schools etc/ageing parents) and size of houses. Everyone wants a big house, but actually, do you?
There are a large number of off-market properties at the moment – some really interesting, some not so much, but the opportunity to buy in the winter months is something to be taken seriously – do give me a call if you are ready to make the leap or if you just want to chat through your options.

As of January 2024 I have around 45 plus properties in and around Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells that are available off-market. Most are very interesting and are a mix of in-town, village or out of town locations.
If you would like help finding your next house and to navigate the world of off-market properties whilst not overpaying for them, then please do get in touch.

A very happy, healthy 2024 to all my past clients, current clients and clients to be!
Starting the year optimistic that property finders can really add value in the market we are likely to experience over the coming year.
I always think we can add value (and if I didn't think I could I would always say), but in a 'tricky' market we can really help with buying the property you are looking for (or may not know you want yet) at a reasonable price on or off-market, whilst weighing up all your criteria, your lifestyle, whilst hopefully minimising surprises, managing expectations and making this undeniably challenging process a whole lot easier - enjoyable even!
My end game is to have clients who are excited to move into their next home, have been briefed and helped in all aspects of their move, can hit the ground running and get on with their life and will want to recommend my service to others thinking of moving.
My reputation is all down to my past clients and I am always happy to put you in touch with them so that you know I will do a good job for you.
There really is nothing more satisfying in this job than clients staying in touch post their move, letting you know that your help was invaluable and that they are happy and made the right move.
If you are thinking of moving to Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, Oxted, Wadhurst, Cranbrook and all the villages around and about then do get in touch, I would love to have a complementary chat about your next move and how I could really help you.

I can absolutely verify that Wadhurst is a great place to live - have lived very close by for the last 20 years…Nestled in some of the oldest woodlands in England yet near the coast and just over an hour from London with its own station it offers the best of all worlds.
Lots of independents, a great bookshop -Barnetts of Wadhurst, The Artful Grocer, At One (lifestyle store with presents you don’t find elsewhere), Hambly’s herbal that offers acupuncture, herbs and the natural approach to health with endless good advice on any health issue.
There are many deer 🦌🦌and getting through Wadhurst in the car can be a mission but it’s definitely worth it.
If you’re thinking of moving into the area I can help with any aspect of your move. Alongside finding your next home, negotiating on price, managing expectations (!), schools, commutes, solicitors, surveyors, managing conveyancing, local contacts and much more, just ring for a chat on 07771 723 807 ☎️

Downsizing is the new trend around here. But it's not really downsizing, more moving out of a big family house to another quite large house whilst sorting 'stuff' out.

If you're in your late fifties or sixties there seems to be less of an urge to hang onto the big house with increasingly empty (and cold) rooms filled only at Christmas (or the height of covid). The cost of living crisis is live, the hostel over lockdown has been utilised, a second home in the sun may beckon. It seems time to sort out all the detritus and move onto the next stage of life, unencumbered by too many accumulated unused belongings.

Recycling, repurposing and auctioning are the way forward, why hang onto belongings that you no longer use but someone else could? There's no need to hoard as we can find a new home for everything we don't need. And that is a relief. If you've sorted through a family home that hasn't recycled a single thing in forty years then, in my experience, you kind of get the bug for it, no cupboard or innocent loft is safe, it needs sorting!

It's worth pointing out that the generation now in their 80's and 90's are and were generally more thrifty and resourceful (the tide is turning back thank goodness) and had no real way of recycling anything, hence they hung onto things for when they may have been needed, hence the excess.

Once children have left home and are hopefully finding their own way (but ideally with the option of living at home for a while), grandparents are increasing fragile or have passed away having left their own houses to sort out, the bedroom heavy house (that probably needs some freshening up) can seem an additional burden that isn't needed (unless it comes with lots of extra help!).

On the one hand it's great that large houses are being freed up for younger families to buy. And buy they do, in this neck of the woods they are snapped up and then the real spending really starts. Within 18 months they are usually unrecognisable having been sharply bought into the 2020's with glass, light, swimming pools, heat pumps and new windows. On the other hand it's a little sad, there is certainly some character being lost along the way but maybe it's just the disappearance of gentler pace of life, no one wants draughty windows when there are such good other options. Planning is maximised, lofts converted, basements dug, sedum roofs laid.

The other side of this though is more tricky...Suitable houses for downsizers are in short supply. Ideally they want space, no cozying up post retirement, smaller gardens or less land and to be close to towns (or in town)or villages so they're accessible to all. And these houses are very popular with younger families coming into the area, their criteria are pretty similar meaning demand remains high for these types of houses in this area around Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells.

If you are thinking of 'downsizing' (in the new or old sense of the word), do get in touch to talk through your move and search, a search agent could be the inspiration that you are looking for.

The last three years have been full-on property finding. I could never have imagined the sustained house buying fever that came from a pretty benign 2019 as covid took hold. The property market was crazy mad until September last year.

It made sense. Houses in the incredibly accessible and hugely attractive search areas around Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells (not in town) had lagged their London counterparts almost to the point where you wondered if anyone would ever move to a large country house again.

Being interested in anything to do with Geography, it's breadth pretty much encompasses everything everywhere in some way. A global pandemic coupled with people having time to make major decisions in terms of where they wanted to live and how they hoped to live their lives going forward (given more flexibility at work) gave endless reading fodder and opportunity to speculate. And although the areas around Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells have been popular with commuters for many many years, changes in the workplace made this an even more popular and accessible destination to buy for anyone looking to move out of London.

I was envious too. Families were able to move where they wanted to (within reason) and carry on working, not be to be totally constrained by both distance to work and childcare. Factors that had been very difficult before suddenly had an air of possibility, even though they were likely to evolve over the next few years. And childcare will have to catch up with these changes as supply is low out of London.

That's where my search area came into its own. It didn't involve a family relocating hundreds of miles away or even very far from London and at the same time there was, and remains, a safety net. If your job changed and you then had to go to the office again every day it really wasn't a problem, if your new boss suddenly changed any covid work arrangements and wanted everyone in for 7.30am rather than three times a week by 9am, it could still work.

Quite often you could get into work (train strikes aside) as quickly as living in London. The (often rainy and wet) West country & (Soho house, touristy) Gloucestershire can't really give you this option.

After the mad rush...What happens next?

2022 was a year that started full on and carried on in that vein until the natural (very hot!) summer holiday slowdown when people are away and focused on children and just enjoying the weather. Ukraine, politics at home and the impending fuel crisis slowed the market. Followed swiftly by the mess that was the mini budget under Liz Truss at last put the brakes on and anyone looking to secure a mortgage had to reconsider their position. The years of unbelievably low interest & mortgages rates were over.

2023 is going to be a mixed picture. The stock market has roared ahead in the first couple of weeks this year and estate agents are reasonably busy, not silly busy but actively being asked to carry out valuations, making sure current deals are on track to exchange and re-marketing properties that hadn't sold last year. Potential buyers are booking in viewings a week ahead, it's active which is a positive sign. Downsizers are a big dynamic, they are downsizing from large properties with land to...quite large properties with less land. Watch this space. Unfortunately it also means that families looking to trade up to a larger property but without large gardens (they don't have time to garden or spare budget to employ a gardener x days a week) are looking for the same properties and they are in short supply.

Vendors will have to be realistic, they need to prepare their houses for sale rather than 'winging it' and knowing it will sell. Ideally agents should help them have everything ready to go. This could be having a report done on their private drainage to make sure it is up to current regulations, to finish off those jobs that lay unfinished and will only rile an incoming purchaser. Have tiles replaced that have slipped, clear the garden, take leaves out of the drains and have the gutters swept.

There will be a trickle of houses coming onto the market until gardens look a little less wintery (although to see a garden looking wonderful in winter is special) and there are still plenty of cash buyers or clients with mortgages agreed out there if good houses appear off-market.

This area of the market should be busy this year, will less competition for houses it makes sense to try your hand off-market if you are selling, avoid the internet and then if that isn't successful go live after a few weeks.

As a search agent I can access these houses, make sure I'm one, if not the first in to view and give clients good advice on every aspect of their decision, the way forward, bidding and then securing the house making sure that all aspects have been covered thoroughly and making sure that clients make the right decisions for themselves and the years ahead.

I'm looking forward to whatever this year will bring, there are always surprises and special finds, stressful weeks and problems to unravel, but the only good results are happy clients in a their new home. Do get in touch with me on 07771 723 807 if you would like to chat through your search, I look forward to hearing from you.

I’m very lucky that Sevenoaks is my main search area for clients, it’s a great place to live so do get in touch if you’re thinking of moving here!

Kent Home Finders is now on WhatsApp.

We’re currently looking at a very tricky property market that’s been slowing down in the last couple of months due to the continued high demand from buyers coupled with sellers (understandably) wanting to find their next home before moving (rentals are pretty impossible). If you need some help from someone working only for you then do get in touch otherwise me for an informal chat about your search.
I search in a large area around Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and all surrounding villages down into East Sussex...

Everyone knows how crazy the last eighteen months have been in the property market.
My clients are pretty private people so would prefer not to have their houses shown on here.
But if you’re thinking of going down the property finder route and would like to speak to one of my recent clients, then please do get in touch . I’m always happy to chat through your search and if you would like to speak to someone that has used my service, I’d be more than happy to refer you to them.

Beautiful morning in Tunbridge Wells...All the better for being the Spring Equinox. The sun crosses the Earth’s equator and day and night are equal lengths of time. A good feeling!

With children back to school on Monday and Spring on its way, the property market is extremely busy down around Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells. We're hoping for more listings to satisfy buyers and good options for sellers to move on to.
It may be hard to know right now how your home/office split may work (if it's an option) and how this potential new balance will make a difference to your choices when looking for a house.
It's always good to keep your options as open as possible when buying as you never quite know what life is going to throw at you next.
If you'd like a chat about your move then please do get in touch.

Sevenoaks tops the year on year increase in the share of homes bought by Londoners...If you’re thinking of making that move do ring me for a chat about how I can help you find what you’re looking for with access to off market properties.
Always happy for you to speak to past clients who have made this move.

Beautiful walk yesterday. Three intrepid women spent half an hour in the sea with only cossies, gloves and footwear.
I was not one of them.

Lovely clients living in Canada happily completed on their new house in Tunbridge Wells with many thanks to Natasha at Winkworths.

The property market is very active at the moment, much of it off-market with serious buyers who know what they want and are ready to move.
If you feel that you would like some help with your move to Kent or East Sussex please do get in touch. Kent Home Finders has access to off-market properties and we aim to find you your dream house.
We can also help with all other aspects of your move from advice on schools, travel times, solicitors, roofs, gardeners....We'd love to hear from you to chat through what you are looking for and how we can help.

Looking to move to London/Kent/Sussex in the next year?
You may have planned to be moving back to the UK for work/family/life reasons. If so you may well need the help of a property search agent. At times such as this, when we really don't know when we will be able to use air travel freely again, it makes sense to start the process using someone on the ground either in London or Kent/Sussex.
I can do whatever you need me to do once the market is able to function again. Once we have discussed your criteria and come up with a plan I can start the process as soon as I am safely able to do so .
Why not give me a call to discuss your relocation needs and
see how I can help you. If you would like to speak to any of my past clients who have relocated from abroad please do just ask.

Admin ready...
Selling a property isn't all about getting your house sale ready from a viewings point of view.
You should put in some early admin work to make the process as smooth as possible and give buyers any reassurance (before appointing solicitors) that this is a viable purchase. There is no point in hiding things that will come out in the survey or searches.
Are you buying another property ie entering into a chain?
Then firstly make sure that all your finances are in order to make that purchase. If you can't show you can pay for a house either through combinations of cash/mortgage/money from the sale of your current property etc then your offer won't be accepted by the vendor of the property you're looking to buy.
If you need a mortgage/moving a mortgage/transferring a mortgage for your next purchase then move towards getting a mortgage in principle for your next property. This may take some time but puts you in a very good position if you find a property that you like and will enable to chain to move forward.
Secondly, if you don't already have a conveyancing solicitor, make sure you tee one up. Chat to a couple that have been recommended to you, discuss a likely scale of fees and have a frank conversation so that if you need a quick sale you can ask them if they would be able to do that for you subject to searches and survey etc (subject to their workload when you need them, they may have annual leave booked for the exact time you need them).
It does help to use a local solicitor. I have three whom I happily recommend to my clients (with no attachment), I just know they will do a good job and have local knowledge.
Thirdly, make sure you have all your papers in order from when you purchased your house and that you have proof of any planning permissions obtained and building work done. Everything that you would want to see when you buy your next property along with anything your solicitor would need to see, copies of leases etc.
Be ready for questions about when you last updated your electrics/boiler/roof/woodworm etc and any certificates that you might have. Sort all your admin so it's ready to hand when you have to fill out your Property Information form.

Maintenance...Before you put your house or flat on the market it's really worth making a list of all the little jobs that you haven't quite got around to sorting.
Find a well recommended maintenance person (use the nextdoor app) and spend a few hundred pounds if your budget allows to sort them out. Touch up the paint etc
Otherwise they'll appear in the the surveyor's report as little niggles that add to all the other negatives that will appear (because they just do!). Don't cover up problems, sort them out, particularly damp as a surveyor will suggest it's there if there is any hint of smell or other evidence. A few hundred pounds could make the difference between a sale or a non sale later down the line. And later down the line means that it's cost you money you need not have spent on a solictor.
If you don't sell, you've done all the jobs so it's a win-win.

Having suggested that you try and present your home as homely but not hotel-like, it's also worth considering whether you have anything that may put off some possible buyers and waste a viewing (that's a lot of everyone's time).
Colours can be a big issue, one of my clients just couldn't get their mind around a bright red wall in a kitchen which could have been painted over in an afternoon. It seemed to take over the whole viewing.
If you have someone who you trust to look around your house from a house buyer's view and point out anything that may detract from the good points about your house or flat, that might save you some wasted viewings.
Or take some photos of your rooms and look at them critically as if they had just been uploaded on the internet. Would you go and look around? Well, hopefully, but again, give them to someone else to have a look at (I appreciate this might not go well!).
Think about painting over that bright red wall in the kitchen or whatever statement you've made because that is your taste, sometimes you have to play to the neutrals.

Plants and flowers...Adding these to your home is not only very ‘now’ but makes a house feel cared for (as long as they’re not wilting or yellow) if you’re serious about selling.
Fresh flowers are a responsibility but a simple bunch of flowers from the garden in a jar jar or any type of vase shows someone cares. Really good fake flowers can work really well as you don’t have to change the water and they look great with no added thought. Slightly OTT photo below but it was that time of year and I have endless little pots!

Clutter, clutter, clutter...
Funnily enough I think many of the houses or flats that I see are beginning to resemble hotels rather than homes. Which doesn’t actually attract buyers unless it’s going to be a corporate rental.
My buyer’s looking for family homes or flats are looking for something that says to them that they could enjoy living there, that intangible, ‘this is it!’
If you have time to clear away clutter that’s great (and there’s no time like now for many people).
What do you use and what do you never use that someone else might? Be quite ruthless, we don’t need all this stuff.
That said storage is hugely important for most buyers ie coats and shoes/clothes/seasonal items/linen/admin, all necessary items that need a home.
So make sure your wardrobes are tidy and smelling good! Inevitably they are opened to check depth.
So assess all your rooms one by one and stick to the idea that generally ‘less is more’ without being too austere.
Lofts...I’m probably on my own here but why put anything in your loft? Unless it’s packed well in airtight containers then it’s going to be spoiled (unless you have a converted loft). Christmas decorations okay, anything else, why are you storing it, why not give it to someone else?!
Or convert the loft...

First few suggestions to think about when preparing to sell your house...

Make sure you clean all your windows inside and out or have a window cleaner come once a month to keep on top of the outside. The whole house will look better and dirty windows give the impression that you may not be interested in upkeep. Gutters too, make sure they are swept (the window cleaners will often do this once a year for you once the leaves are off the trees for a added amount).

Secondly, smell. I’ve been to two memorable houses who used so many scented candles to make their houses ‘smell good’ they were totally overwhelming and sickly. You then naturally think that they may be hiding something...Covering a damp smell with candles doesn’t really work, the surveyor will find it anyway. That said I was completely seduced when buying in London over twenty years ago by the vendor’s ‘bluebell’ scented candle. So go subtle!

If you have dogs then make sure that they are either off the property with you when there’s a viewing (if an agent is showing) or not in the main rooms. Never presume anyone will love your dog/cat as much as you do and many people are either allergic or scared of dogs but embarrassed to say.
Make sure that their beds are fresh smelling and tidied out of the way if they look a bit tatty. I fully appreciate that often clients like to see that a home has a dog as they may be looking forward to having one themselves and a dog proof garden is often a big plus.

Bathroom smells...It’s tricky but make sure they’re well aired and loo seats down, sometimes it’s the small details that make a difference! More coming up...

Now may be the perfect time to prepare your house for sale whether it’s going to be towards the end of the year or next year.
It takes far longer than you think if you really want to show it at its best.
That doesn’t necessarily mean spending money, it means assessing what needs doing and having a plan.
In my experience, the feel of your house is everything and although every client is different we generally come away from houses or flats with a similar feeling of ‘that felt right’ for a number of intangible reasons.
To the potential buyer your house isn’t a surprise, they’ve already made the effort to see it on the back of their own research on a portal (or through a property finder’s forensic research!) so how are you going to make the most of the viewing?
I’ll be doing some posts over the coming days to cover what you could look to be doing ahead of time and have as a possible checklist before you put your house on the market.

If anyone would like to chat through their worries or hopes for their next move whether it's relocating to West Kent or East Sussex from abroad or another area of the UK, moving down from London, downsizing or moving locally, do get in touch.
I'm available for any advice I could give in my capacity as a property finder and am totally confidential.
That could include chatting about schools in the area, location advice, commuting and any other questions you may have.
Either mail me at [email protected] to arrange a time to call /Facetime/WhatsApp or just call me and leave your details on +44 7771 723 807 and if I'm not available I shall get straight back to you.

Are you thinking of selling? If so do come through to me for a chat.

Currently my clients are looking for...

-A family home in Sevenoaks within walking distance of the station £1.5-1.9m

-A home near the A25 around Sevenoaks, Seal, Kemsing, Sundridge, Brasted, Plaxtol...Preferably detached, probably needing work, good accessible garage space, around £500k budget.

-A family home within 15 minutes drive of Sutton Valence with up to six beds. Can do work. Good budget.

-Downsizing to Mayfield, looking for edge of village detached house, 2-3 beds, lovely garden or potential.

Do come through to me if you think you may have something of interest or are thinking of selling. I may have a client ready to buy.

There is a market even in these uncertain political times. Using a property finder means you can cut through the noise and know what’s really going on with prices, availability and all aspects of your move or investment.
Access to off-market properties means potential properties can be viewed by or for you before they come onto the market/internet.
Do call for a chat to see how Kent Home Finders can help you, we’re always happy for you to speak to past clients.

The market looks set for a good run post Easter with people deciding that it’s time to carry on with life and put politics to the back of their minds. Demand is there, sellers have been waiting for the leaves to appear and their gardens to bloom. If you need help with any aspect of your property search in Kent or Sussex do give me a call, we really can make the whole process easier and less stressful for you whilst also sourcing great properties on and off-market.