Alison Letts - Property Consultant for the Built Environment

Events - Cannock Mill Cohousing 12 May 2024 – 11am to 4pm Event: National Garden Scheme open day Location: Cannock Mill The garden at Cannock Mill will be open to visitors as part of the National Garden Scheme. Full details including a description of our grounds are available here. 15 June 2024 – 10.45am to 4pm Event: Day for ...

This is so sad, should not of happened. Please sign and share.

Sign the Petition Grant an inquiry of the Ofsted inspection at Caversham Primary School

If you are a landlord in Oxford and interested in renting your property to Aspire Oxford on a long term rent guaranteed lease with maintenance covered do get on touch. I am looking to source 1 and 2 bed flats or 3-4 bed houses. This is a fantastic scheme run by an amazing organisation that I am proud to be working with. The situation really is critical. We are inundated with referrals for people in the city needing a safe place to call home.

Oxfordshire is facing a critical lack of suitable move-on housing for people affected by homelessness.

We're responding by working with partners in our community to provide innovative housing solutions - find out more: http://ow.ly/FB1t50HXubk

Alison Letts - Property Consultant for the Built Environment now takes appointments on their Page.

This is a fantastic initiative - well done to Reading borough Council and St. Mungo's. Shows what can be done. Lets hope more of these projects pop up all over the country 🙏😀
Everyone has the right to a warm comfortable place they can call home 🏠

“Every Borough should have a project like this. I’m like a kid at Christmas. This is the start of my life, welcome to paradise.” - Formerly homeless Jamie after moving in to our new 40 modular home development on Caversham Road to help give rough sleepers the chance to rebuild their lives, along with 24/7 on site support. Read more: http://rdguk.info/ModularHomes_qIOxF

Great to see this new venture coming to Henley, welcome addition to the town 😀👍🤩

Stable 34 | Independent Tap Bar - Experience Henley Coming soon, Stable 34 Independent bar with craft beer, gins, award winning breweries and distilleries and street food kitchen takeovers.

How to Market a property?

Keep an eye on the competition.

What are other realtors in your area doing? What do their websites look like? How active are they on social media? Take note of what competitors are doing – then avoid their mistakes and replicate their success!

Alison Letts - Independent Estate Agent

[email protected]
07935 429 367

Selling a home can be a nerve-wracking experience. You want to move on as quickly as possible and for a reasonable price, but frustration can easily creep in if your house has been sitting on the market for a few months.

If your home isn't getting many viewers and time is ticking on, these might be the reason:

Too Expensive - Dropping the asking price, even just a little bit, will attract more viewers.

Photos - It's very important to have good quality images and video showcasing your property. A local agent can help you with quality marketing materials to attract more viewers to your home.

Time - When putting your house on the market, it’s a good idea to be mindful of what season it is. It’s not impossible to sell your home during summer or winter; it just means that you might have to have more patience.

Too Personal - Put all overly personal items in storage to allow your buyers to visualise themselves living there.

Too Cluttered - Before you put your home on the market, make sure you declutter every room in your house as buyers want to walk into a house and see themselves living there.

It Smells Bad - Before showing your house, deep clean your carpets, dispose of any rubbish and freshen up fabrics with odour eaters. Use scented candles and diffusers and open your windows to allow fresh air in.

Pets - If possible, keep your pets out of sight during viewings.

You Won't do Repairs - If your home is a bit tired, that will leave people with the wrong impression.

Low Showing Availability - You have to make your home available for viewings as much as possible. If you decline too many showings, then you could end up missing out on the perfect buyer.

Make sure you avoid these mistakes, and you'll have a home that will sell in no time.

Alison Letts - Independent Estate Agent

[email protected]
07935 429 367

On average, the NHS recommends young people aged 5 to 18 get at least 60 minutes of exercise per day. However, a recent survey has found a 40% drop in the number of children meeting this requirement.

Public Health England (PHE) and Disney teamed up to look at attitudes towards physical activity in over 1,000 children aged 5 to 11 and their parents. They found that:

1 in 5 children who start primary school is overweight or obese. This increases to 1 in 3 by the time they leave primary school.
Only 23% of boys and 20% of girls currently meet the nationally recommended amount of physical activity.
Not having enough exercise can lead to many physical problems and affect students’ academic performance.

Encouraging students to make small changes, including 10-minute exercise sessions, can help them reach their recommended 60 minutes of exercise, which would also help improve their academic performance.

Active Oxfordshire is a local charity dedicated to fighting inactivity and challenging inequality. They work through partners to improve access to physical activity, break down the complex barriers that can prevent people from getting active and work through local communities to achieve lasting change.

They are passionate about ensuring that every adult and child in Oxfordshire has the same opportunities to get active and change their lives.

If you'd like to be part of their journey, visit their website to find out how https://www.activeoxfordshire.org/.

Alison Letts - Independent Estate Agent

[email protected]
07935 429 367

how to market a property?

Virtual staging.

How can you pique buyer interest? Give them a sneak preview of what the home looks like by using virtual staging. Online staging saves you the time and money of physically staging the property. And is a great way to promote your property to the market!

Alison Letts - Independent Estate Agent

[email protected]
07935 429 367

Downsizing is becoming increasingly popular and can often make practical and financial sense if your home is too big or is too costly to run. 🏠

If you’re looking to move into a smaller home, here are 5 things to consider.

👀 Look to the future: You need to look at exactly what you’ll need, so consider location, amenities, ‘hobby’ rooms and space for when family come to stay.

♻ Declutter: Be ruthless and donate or sell off things you know you won’t use. Don’t sit on the fence and take stuff with you - you’ll only end up cluttering up your smaller space.

📏 A good fit: Measure the furniture you’re taking and also the rooms they’ll be going into. There’s nothing more frustrating than carting it all to your new home only to find it doesn’t fit.

🛋 Move around: With less room to experiment with, be prepared to rearrange the furniture you have a lot until it feels right for you.

🍷 Housewarming: Once things are set the way you want them, get your loved ones around for dinner or drinks. Having the people around you that are the most important in your life will put you at ease straight away.

Alison Letts - Independent Estate Agent

[email protected]
07935 429 367

The Search is on for the UK’s best Neighbour!

People across the UK are being invited to take part in an annual hunt for the UK’s ‘Neighbour of the Year’ – a nationwide search undertaken in partnership by Co-op Insurance and Neighbourhood Watch.

In its fourth year, 2021 sees the introduction of a new category: Community of the Year. This award will celebrate the nation’s most outstanding community (could be a street, a sports club, a faith collective, or anything in between, either in person or virtual, such as a WhatsApp, Facebook, or Slack group) and the lengths its members have gone to support others and make a real difference.

To nominate your Neighbour of the Year, Young Neighbour of the Year (for people aged 21 years and under) or Community of the Year, and to find out more about these exceptional awards, visit
https://www.coop.co.uk/insurance/hub/neighbour-of-the-year?utm_source=vanity&utm_medium=direct&utm_campaign=noty.

Alison Letts - Independent Estate Agent

[email protected]
07935 429 367

It is time to leave your sunflower fields and lavender farms behind and focus on something a little more seasonal. Specifically, spooky season.

A visit to a pumpkin patch to pick your own pumpkins or pumpkin carving is the perfect way to get into the autumn spirit, and it’s even better for that pre-Halloween fun! Pumpkin carving is a fantastic family day out!

If you’re looking to make a day of it, have fun carving pumpkins during Halloween at Tumblestone Hollow! They have a limited supply, so they recommend booking when you purchase your tickets.

To comply with current Government regulations, access to Stonor Park will only be possible with a pre-booked timed ticket, available from their website only.

Sessions will run from 20 October at Stonor, Henley-on-Thames RG9 6HF.

Book your tickets at https://stonor.digitickets.co.uk/category/36737.

If you are more for Pick Yor Own kind of fun, why not visit Millets Farm? On their Spook-tacular Farm, you’ll find everything from gremlins and goblins to witches with charm! With a circus full of tricks, a disco full of spooks, a reptile shack full of critters and fields full of pumpkins, there’s spookily good fun to be had by all.

Find more about these Spook-tacular events at https://milletsfarmcentre.com/halloween-spook-tacular.html.

Alison Letts - Independent Estate Agent

[email protected]
07935 429 367

Why I love being an estate agent..

Each day it’s something new.

Sure, there are regular tasks, but every day brings a different combination of things. New people, new properties, new obstacles to get past …

No two days are ever the same.

Alison Letts - Independent Estate Agent

[email protected]
07935 429 367

The Kenton Theatre in Henley is to launch a “community fund” to help schools, drama groups and workshops to hire the venue.

Twenty-five pence from each ticket sold for shows at the New Street theatre would go towards the fund, which would also accept donations.

Organisations wanting to use the theatre could apply for “a grant” from the fund towards the cost of hire.

The idea is to help and encourage local community groups, drama groups, and people from further afield to use the theatre.

It will help schools, diverse communities or theatre groups that may not have the funds to hire the Kenton.

Do check their website for upcoming shows https://kentontheatre.co.uk/.

Alison Letts - Independent Estate Agent

[email protected]
07935 429 367

Why I love Oxfordshire?

Blenheim Palace!

Take a stroll up to the Grand Cascades or around the Lake to admire some of the finest views in England, looking out for the historical monuments such as the Column of Victory, Grand Bridge and Temple of Diana.

Alison Letts - Independent Estate Agent

[email protected]
07935 429 367

National Highways has partnered with AccessAble, the UK’s leading provider of detailed accessibility information, to help motorists plan where to stop for a break at any one of the 114 motorway service areas across England, including 15 services across the South West.

For many years, disabled people and carers using AccessAble have said how much they would value having access guides for motorway services and what comprehensive accessibility information would make to planning a trip.

The new guides, available online or via the free AccessAble app, are 100 per cent facts, figures, and photographs to help motorists plan their visit to the services. They cover key areas including parking, toilets, petrol stations, shops, and restaurants, with detailed information on everything from parking and hearing loops to walking distances and accessible toilets.

In addition, National Highways and AccessAble have worked together to create virtual route guides for the services. This new type of guide, which uses 360-degree imagery, will enable visitors to ‘virtually’ explore routes to necessary facilities like accessible toilets and Changing Places, so they can find out exactly what to expect when they arrive.

Alison Letts - Independent Estate Agent

[email protected]
07935 429 367

Experience Henley Cheese Club Event!

Michaelmas Feast of Cheese. A social evening of feasting from a groaning table of twenty different cheeses from Britain and Europe, partnered with an array of olives, pickles, ferments, local breads and other goodies.

If you love cheese, this is not an event to be missed.

Grab your ticket and join this event in The Boat Shed at The Three Tuns , Market Place, in the centre of Henley, on Tuesday, 28 September 2021 from 18:30 – 21:00.

Book now https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/experience-henley-cheese-club-michaelmas-feast-of-cheese-tickets-172113725787.

Alison Letts - Independent Estate Agent

[email protected]
07935 429 367

Weekend tip to adding value to your property this autumn.

Apply a fresh coat of paint

One of the most inexpensive projects you can carry out on your property to add value is to give it a fresh coat of paint – especially if your home has a dated colour scheme. Revamping tired walls with neutral shades is best. Should you decide to sell your home, you’ll attract more buyers if the paintwork is fresh and when the interior style resonates with a wider range of people.

Alison Letts - Independent Estate Agent

[email protected]
07935 429 367

According to new research, the ability to be more self-sufficient is fast becoming a feature that could help sell your home. 🍏🥦🥕

The research found that for 77% of homebuyers, the idea of a garden with a fruit tree or vegetable patch is an appealing prospect, providing the opportunity to grow their fruit and veg throughout the year.

For those selling a home this harvest season, adding a veg patch or fruit tree could be the extra factor needed to help stand out from the crowd. Research also found that 51% of UK homebuyers would opt to buy a property with a fruit tree or veg patch over a home without one.

It could even help sellers harvest a higher price for their homes. 24% say that they would even pay more for a home if it offered a vegetable patch or fruit tree than one that didn’t.

Alison Letts - Independent Estate Agent

[email protected]
07935 429 367

In partnership with Henley Town Council, Oxfordshire Greentech and Naked Planet, South & Vale Business Support are hosting an Eco Business Fair to highlight the brilliant green and sustainable approaches of local businesses in and around Henley.

In Henley Town Hall from 10:0 - 15:00 on 22 September!

If you'd like to make your business more sustainable, come and learn from over 20 exhibitors!

If you would like to showcase your business for free at Henley Eco Business Fair, you can find out how to register at https://www.svbs.co.uk/eco-business-fair/.

Alison Letts - Independent Estate Agent

[email protected]
07935 429 367

Children aged six to 13 will soon be able to join in musical groups in a series of new sessions at venues across on Saturday mornings.

https://news.oxfordshire.gov.uk/saturday-music-sessions/

By analysing the sold price records for 2021 so far, the data compiled a list of the most valuable house numbers in the UK. To qualify, there must have been more than 100 sales transactions for each house number, and the data only includes residential homes.

Using this methodology, the research shows that, excluding London, the most valuable house number in the UK is number one. Of the 7,523 number one homes sold so far in 2021, the sold price for homes numbered one averages £279,950, almost £12,000 more than the current UK average of £265,668.

Following number one is, conveniently, number two. So far in 2021, 7,463 homes have sold with the number two at an average sold price of £272,500. At roughly £7,000 more than the overall UK average house price, this makes numbers one and two the only house numbers to command an average price above the overall UK average.

Single-digit house numbers dominate the rest of the top 10 with one and two being followed by number four (£265,000), six (£262,500), three (£260,000), five (£260,000), eight (£258,400), and then seven (£255,000).

Alison Letts - Independent Estate Agent

[email protected]
07935 429 367

Are you thinking of putting your property onto the market but would like to know more about the current local market and your property types demand?

Get in touch. I would be more than happy to help and share the markets current trends within your area.

Alison Letts - Independent Estate Agent

[email protected]
07935 429 367

🎉 On behalf of Aspire Oxford, please join us at our fundraising dinner at the beautiful Newington House on 21st September, hosted by the Nettleton family, to mark Aspire's 20th anniversary:

😀 We are thrilled to have Russell Brand - award-winning comedian, actor, author, public thought leader, and passionate activist for mental health and drug rehabilitation - as our guest speaker for the evening. Russell will talk about his personal journey and how he is helping others to overcome mental illness and addictive behaviours.

💷 All proceeds from the evening will support Aspire's year-long appeal, No Going Back, which aims to prevent a return to pre-COVID-19 levels of homelessness, disadvantage and inequality in Oxfordshire as we exit the pandemic.

🎟 To purchase a ticket via cheque or bank transfer, please email [email protected], or call her on 07930 559406.

🙏 We are also looking for donations for our auction on the evening so any businesses out there who can assist us with this request, please do get in touch.

🤩 Fantastic Buy to Let opportunity in RG30
🌳 Across the road from Prospect Park
🚘 On street parking , no permit needed
🛏 3 good sized bedrooms
🏘 Great location for access to Reading town centre, University and hospitals etc

Removing an internal wall to create an open-plan kitchen and diner area can increase your property value to around 30-50K plus!

Alison Letts - Independent Estate Agent

[email protected]
07935 429 367

The August Bank Holiday is almost upon us!

Here is a superb list of things to do with friends and family this coming weekend.

The Big Feastival 2021
https://thebigfeastival.com/

27 to 29 August
Alex James’ Farm, Kingham

Alex James - best known for being the bassist for Blur - will host The Big Feastival 2021 on his beautiful Cotswolds farm this bank holiday. Simply put, it’s three days of family-friendly events combining food from some of the country’s top chefs with a top-drawer selection of live music acts. Decadent supper clubs, delicious pop-ups and award-winning street food alongside an exciting array of family activities means there is something for everyone, making it one of our favourite things to do in Oxfordshire this bank holiday.

Foodies Festival Oxford 2021
https://foodiesfestival.com/oxford-food-festival/

28 to 30 August
South Park, Oxford

The UK’s biggest food festival returns to Oxford’s South Park over the Bank Holiday weekend with a mouth-watering selection of MasterChef champions, Bake Off winners, Michelin-star, and top local chefs offering workshops and masterclasses. Plus, you can see a live performance from Scouting For Girls and watch emerging bands and soloists from the Oxford area.

Thames Traditional Boat Festival 2021
https://www.tradboatfestival.com/

27 to 30 August
Fawley Meadows, Henley-on-Thames

The Thames Traditional Boat Festival 2021, or ‘The Trad’, is the largest gathering of classic river craft in the world. The popular event is usually held in July, is taking place over the late Summer Bank Holiday weekend on the picturesque Fawley Meadows at Henley-on-Thames. Expect a quintessential English summer weekend by the river with primped and polished vessels along with bars and street food.

Cowley Classic Car Show 2021
https://www.rotary-ribi.org/clubs/page.php?PgID=830680&ClubID=1548

30 August
Notcutts Garden Centre, Oxford

Organised by the Rotary Club of Oxford Isis, the Cowley Classic Car Show 2021 is a great summer’s day out to raise much-needed funds for local and international charities. This year the show will be at Notcutts Garden Centre, just south of Nuneham Courtney, close to Oxford. This is a charity event, and all profits will go to Rotary’s chosen charities. Pssst: Raising money for charity without breaking a sweat? This is right up there on our list of things to do in Oxfordshire this bank holiday.

Henley Country Craft Show: Summer 2021
https://ticketsales.ichf.co.uk/products/henley-country-craft-show-summer-2021

27 to 30 August
Stonor Park, Henley-on-Thames

Taking place on the gorgeous grounds of Stonor Park, explore marquees and outdoor markets filled with handmade jewellery, homewares, clothing and more – all lovingly created by specialist Craftspeople. Enjoy a wide selection of artisan food and drink providers, and relax in the striking landscape to live music. Upgrade your ticket online or on the day to explore Stonor House, Chapel and Gardens.

Alison Letts - Independent Estate Agent

[email protected]
07935 429 367