Find & Build: From search to completion
Latest Homes speaks to James Oliver of property search agency Find & Build
One of Brighton’s leading property experts believes there are definite signs that the UK property market is on the way to recovery. Prices appear to have stabilised and lenders are showing a keen interest to get back in the game. James Oliver is managing director of Find And Build Ltd, Brighton and Hove’s most experienced property search and renovation consultancy. “The last five years have been really tough,” admits James. “In the boom years we used to have as many as 10 property search clients signed up at any one time but not so long ago, when the country seemed to really be at death’s door, we were lucky to see three clients in a year!
“However, that is in the past and we have survived the downturn. I am confident that at last there is light at the end of the tunnel and things are beginning to look up, both in Brighton and Hove and the surrounding country villages. My optimism has been confirmed by a noticeable increase in referrals from past Find And Build clients and indeed repeat business.”
With the predicted upturn in business approaching, James is keen to see the property buying trends in the UK follow those of Europe. “In this country 91 per cent of house sellers use an estate agent to sell their property while only two per cent of buyers use a buying agent. Buying agents are commonplace abroad and could and should be in the UK too while we have a shortage of property stock which automatically puts buyers at an immediate disadvantage,” he said.
James is seeking to encourage more people to use a property search agent by launching a new Find And Build website at www.findandbuild.co.uk which details all the advantages a property search agency offers potential property buyers. Find and Build’s services are designed to put buyers’ interests first in a market heavily weighted in a seller’s favour. With the property market set to recover it is important that buyers have the edge and Find And Build gains access to properties before they are advertised as well as those that are off market or discreetly advertised .
“Working exclusively in the interest of the buyer we pride ourselves in offering objective and effective advice,” says James. “We are committed to overseeing the entire property search and purchase completion process. The stress involved in buying a property is often compared with that of getting a divorce, meaning it is pretty high on the Richter scale! So our support and advice, our knowledge and experience of the business can relieve that stress considerably and make for a much smoother process.”
One final and very important point, and one that is heavily emphasised on our new website: we can save people considerable amounts of money when it comes to price negotiations,” concludes James.
Find And Build has an impressive portfolio of case histories where the company has played a vital role in finding the perfect property for both residential and industrial clients.
Find And Build, 3 Gloucester Mews, 113-120 Gloucester Road, Brighton, BN1 4BW, 07958 438 813, james@findandbuild.co.uk, www.findandbuild.co.uk
Find And Build were recently recommended to a local web design agency by a past client whom they had found a house and two offices for. The new client wanted something cool and urban as new headquarters, although they were looking for something that was in short supply and popular demand. Oliver identified an office that was twice their budget and didn’t have the ‘loft’ style they were after. “I set about negotiating with the vendors’ agents to buy the upper floors only of the subject property, and then when it looked like it was possible, suggested to my client that if he took out part of the middle floor of the building he would achieve the loft proportions he was after.” Find And Build’s client actually ended up buying the whole property after a substantial discount had been negotiated!
