Dean & Co are set to make their mark on Portslade Old Village. Andrew Kay went along to meet managing partner Les Newman

It’s an unseasonably sunny day when I take a trip to Portslade Old Village and it is the very best way to see this hidden gem. Few people ever stray from the A27 or the Old Shoreham Road and discover this pretty Sussex village with its crocus covered green and pretty parish church. You cannot help but suspect that the residents have been keeping quiet about it for fear of it being spoilt. And you can certainly see why Les Newman of Dean & Co has chosen this as the place to open a second office.

Dean & Co first opened their doors for business back in 1973; next year will be the 40th anniversary. Les bought the company back in 2003 as managing partner and has been there ever since.

He had for some time wondered about opening a second office and spreading the cover that the firm had to the west of the city. They were already selling and letting properties for clients across the whole of Brighton and Hove but he knew that opening a second base would help consolidate that presence.

He first spotted the new premises back in 2008 when they had then been occupied by another estate agent, but the recession was already hitting the bigger corporate firms hard and cuts were being made. After that it became the offices for a firm of architects, becoming vacant again last summer. On seeing that it was once more available Les decided that, despite the recession, the time was right for Dean & Co to open their second office.

“I started to negotiate immediately but only finally got the keys back in December. Since then we have been making sure that everything was in place for our opening in March and as you can see we have achieved that. We are delighted by the location, it really does have a perfect aspect on this sunny corner and as you drive in or out of the village it will be impossible not to see us.

I feel that now we have that real foothold and can focus more on Portslade and beyond. We are already a well recognised brand but this seems like a natural growth from our existing office in Hangleton. And in fact the Hangleton office will now be able to focus more on our ever increasing business in Hove and central Hove. We’re not an unknown quantity, far from it, but now we have a base from which we can really stamp our mark from Hove to Shoreham.”

Portslade is, of course, far more than just the pretty old village and it is an ideal place to consider buying, especially if you are looking for a family home. There are great local schools, sports centres and facilities. The bus and rail links are excellent with the mainline staion only 15 minutes walk from the village green and, of course, the road links are brilliant with the A27 only minutes away. There are also great local shops and the Holmbush retail park is right on the doorstep.

The properties available here really do cover the whole market from affordable entry level flats for around the £125,000 mark to large family detached properties up to £700,000, especially in the Benfield district. There have been some new developments in the last few years and there are certainly opportunities for more.

“Portslade Old Village also has a great sense of community with lots of local community clubs like football and cricket, and there are still some traditional pubs. As a company, Dean & Co have a strong belief in the location and feel that it has a great many similarities to the area and community that we have served from our Hangleton based Hove office. I very much intend that as a company we will continue to support and sponsor local events.”

After chatting I take a stroll around the old village and I am impressed by the diversity of properties, from the very old, clearly listed buildings to the far more recent. Right now Portslade Old Village may be an undiscovered treasure but it is certainly ripe for growth.

Dean & Co, 10 South Street, Portslade,
East Sussex, BN41 2LE
01273 414243
www.dean-property.co.uk

PORTSLADE £139,999

A well presented 5th floor flat offering two bedrooms, 20’ lounge with east aspect balcony, modern kitchen and bathrooms, night storage heating. Further benefits include secure under ground parking and being sold with no onward chain.

SOUTHWICK £284,950

A pleasantly situated immaculate detached
3 bedroom bungalow, offering a spacious lounge, modern kitchen, bathroom, separate WC, super west aspect conservatory, west aspect rear garden, private car hardstand to front for 2 cars.