Exhausted Search for Right Property
Carver Commercial Chartered Surveyors of St Cuthberts Way, Darlington, have turned to matchmaking to help their clients. They have brought together an Exhaust company that needed bigger premises and a garage owner who wanted to retire and sell his property.
Julie Wallin, Commercial Director at Carver Commercial said “We were very pleased to be able to help two clients very quickly.
“Exhaust-a-fix, approached us early in 2010 and asked us to find them the perfect property. Brian Raine, proprietor of Bank Top garage on Neasham Rd Darlington, instructed us to sell his property in July. It was very easy to put these two clients together.”
Bank Top Garage on Neasham Road in Darlington, has been in Brian Raine’s family for over 40 years, Brian says, “It was a wrench to sell it, my dad had the garage before me, but I’m pleased it is going to be used for something car related.”
Exhaust-a-fix has been operating since 1996 from North Road Industrial Estate, however it changed proprietor in 2003 when it was bought by its current owner, Stephen Fairile. Since then Exhaust-a-fix has gone from strength to strength.
“We had been leasing premises on North Rd Industrial Estate, however due to the success of the business we were always looking to purchase our own place,” said Stephen Fairlie from his new Neasham Road premises.
Mr Fairile (pictured) was very pleased with Carver’s service, and enthused, “We just needed the right place and we asked Carvers to help.
“We have been actively looking for new premises for about three and a half years, but couldn’t find anything to suit our purposes, I asked to be registered on Carver’s mailing list to be updated with any suitable properties and they found me the perfect site, with main road frontage and plenty of parking, Carvers managed to give me everything I asked for”.
Carver Commercial is an independent firm of Chartered Surveyors and Commercial Property Consultants providing reputable, professional and personal services to clients throughout County Durham, Tees Valley and North Yorkshire. The Directors and staff provide a wealth of experience and take immense pride in supplying a complete service, which is second to none.
Snow Deal For Some Estate Agents
Some local estate agents have reported that last week was one of the worst weeks of the year for viewings and home sales. Many businesses closed early and some didn’t open at all, which is hardly surprising with 16 inches of snow and temperatures dropping to minus18 degrees in one of the worst Novembers on record.
However amongst all that snow there was a ray of sunshine and Nick and Gordon Carver Residential, part of the Carver Group, have another story to tell.
“Yes! viewings were understandably lower than normal due to the atrocious weather conditions, but we still managed to secure 15 property sales for the week, which is above average for this time of year and considering the snow, is quite remarkable” said a delighted Gordon Carver.
“All our offices remained open throughout and we have to thank all our 31 staff who all managed to brave the elements to help us to a successful week.
Lakeside deal secures bright future for retail outlet
A deal brokered by Carver Commercial has secured a new tenant for a popular former farmshop close to the A1M.
The company behind Otterburn Mill, a successful retailer that already operates two stores in Northumberland, has snapped up the retail operation at Lakeside Country Café at Ellerton, between Northallerton and Richmond in North Yorkshire.
The outlet is currently being rebranded to reflect Otterburn Mill’s successful formula of outdoor clothing and equipment for all the family, high quality men’s and ladies’ clothing, woollen goods, soft furnishings and gifts – all spread across two floors.
The company adds its North Yorkshire branch to two successful stores in Otterburn and Rothbury, in Northumberland, owned by Euan Pringle, a member of the famous Scottish woollen manufacturers.
“The opening of Otterburn Mill at Lakeside has created new jobs, with the potential for this to increase in the future,” he said.
“To find such a good quality client such as Otterburn Mill for a rural property such as this is exceptional,” said Carver Commercial director Julie Wallin, who brokered a 15-year lease. “During these challenging times in the marketplace, it proves that there are good businesses out there that are doing well and looking to expand.”
Janet Butler, Otterburn Mill’s new retail operations manager at the North Yorkshire store, said: “We’ve got everything, from the classic clothing range loved by our older customers to a wide range of outdoor gear.”
Lakeside’s bustling café is continuing to trade under the original management of Sarah and Graeme Thompson.
The Thompsons established Lakeside as a farm shop and cafe more than four years ago, building it into a strongly performing business after diversifying from pig farming and developing a butchery deliver round. They converted a grain store at their North Farm home to create the spacious retail outlet and café. Graeme has resumed his butchery round, while Sarah devotes her time to the café.
“The sale was handled very professionally and it has happened very quickly,” said Mr Thompson. “Julie has been exceptional.”
Lakeside is at North Farm, DL10 6AP, and can be reached on 01748 810320.
For more details, contact Julie Wallin on 01325 466945, or email enquiries@carvercommercial.com
Home Linked to Historic Hall Goes on the Market
A PROPERTY that has a past closely entwined with that of the region’s newest luxury hotel is on the market for the first time, having been passed down through three generations.
Cote Ghyll, in Hurworth, near Darlington, is built on land that once belonged to the estate of neighbouring Rockliffe Hall, now the region’s first five star hotel.
Homeowners David and Rosemary Gent are the third generation of the same family to live in the spacious four-bedroom bungalow, which was built by Mrs Gent’s grandfather Albert Hart in the 1950s.
He bought about seven acres – which included a gamekeeper’s cottage, some woodland and a grass paddock – of the old Rockliffe Park estate when it was broken up and auctioned off in 1948. He later built Cote Ghyll for himself and his wife to live in.
The house stands in a quiet lane that was once the tradesmens’ entrance to Rockliffe Park, off Hurworth Road.
Rockliffe Park, formerly known as Pilmore Hall, was built by the Quaker Arthur Backhouse in the 19th century. It was later sold to Lord Southampton, who renamed it Rockliffe Park. In the Second World War the hall was used as a command headquarters for the military, before the estate was divided into lots after the war and sold.
The auction of the 660-acre estate took place nearby at what was then called the Croft Spa Hotel, on September 8, 1948. Mrs Gent still has the original auction catalogue and map outlining the lots on offer.
The catalogue shows Lots 5 and 6 – bought by Mrs Gent’s grandfather – and describes a vegetable plot and poultry runs on land let by Lord Southampton to local residents. It also describes how the Keeper’s Cottage, now called Birch House, was let for a sum of “£7 per annum”.
The Hall itself was sold to the Brothers Hospitallers of St John of God, a Roman Catholic order of monks, which converted it into a hospital for disabled people. The Brothers sold the hall and remaining grounds to Middlesbrough Football Club in 1988. It is now a luxurious five-star hotel, spa and golf course.
Initially, Mr Hart lived in the Keeper’s Cottage, but as his wife grew increasingly infirm, he built single-storey Cote Ghyll and sold off the cottage and its surrounding land.
Mr Gent said: “Everyone in Croft and Hurworth knew Albert. He had a white beard, a bowler hat and he always wore a flower from the garden. He even had his own seat in the Croft Spa Hotel.”
Mr Hart bought the land and property as a home for his retirement after having spent a lifetime farming. He had even emigrated to Queensland, Australia, with his wife and five children to farm sugar beet, but returned after three years because they found the heat unbearable.
His last farm was Cote Ghyll in Osmotherley, near Northallerton, which is now a popular caravan and camping park. He named his bungalow after the farm.
After his death in 1967, his daughter carried on in the Hurworth house. In 1990, David and Rosemary extended the bungalow to make it a spacious family home for their two children, with four bedrooms, and a self-contained annexe.
Mrs Gent is a keen gardener and still has a large vegetable and fruit plot on the same site of the old land let by Lord Southampton to locals as allotments.
She said: “Everything grows beautifully there and I’m sure it’s because it has been nurtured by people growing vegetables on it for at least 70 years.
“It is just off the main road through Hurworth yet it’s so peaceful and tranquil. It’s a real gardener’s paradise.”
The property, which is on the market with Carver Residential (part of the Carver Group) for £650,000, has a large 1.3 acre garden, woodland, orchard and vegetable plot, as well as a double and a single garage.
Carver Group director, Gordon Carver, said: “There is a fascinating amount of history tied up in this lovely property, and it’s very rare to come across a home that has never been on the market before – let alone such a gem as this.”
To find out more, contact sales@nickcarver.co.uk or call 01325 357807. Alternatively, call in at Carver’s Duke Street office, in Darlington.
View property details
Keen footballer signs for Carver Commercial
CARVER Commercial (part of the Carver Group) has appointed Darren Naylor as a graduate surveyor.
The 26-year-old keen footballer, who as a youngster played for the Newcastle United and York City youth academies, has just completed his final exams in an Estate Management degree at Northumbria University.In his new role at the commercial property firm’s Darlington head office, he will work towards his Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) qualification to become a chartered surveyor.
Mr Naylor, from Fenham, in Newcastle, was spotted by a football talent scout at the age of 12 and played for Newcastle Academy until the age of 15, when he started playing for York City Academy. He now plays for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors’ North East Football Team, and also enjoys cricket, running, and most other sports.
“As a keen team player, I’m delighted to have joined a winning side in Carver Commercial,” he said. Carver Commercial director Julie Wallin said: “Darren’s competitive spirit and enthusiasm set him apart from the rest of the applicants for this coveted post. He is already proving to be a valuable addition to the team and will form an important part of the company’s future development.”
For more details, contact 01325 466945, or email enquiries@carvercommercial.com.
Reaction to the emergency Budget
Gordon Carver director of Nick & Gordon Carver Residential (Part of the Carver Group), said everyone involved in the property sector – including homeowners – was likely to be relatively reassured.
“After some of the more alarming forecasts of what George Osborne might have announced, we can now breath a sigh of relief,” he said, adding that capital gains tax rates of as much as 40 or 50pc had been floated recently but failed to materialise, as did a rumoured removal of the £10,100 annual exemption.
“The fact that things have remained the same for the majority of people is great news for everybody,” said Mr Carver. “It will also continue to encourage people to invest in property by buying to let, providing much-needed affordable rented property for young people and others still struggling to find lenders willing to give them mortgages.”
Mr Carver also predicted the relatively light-touch measures affecting the property sector would provide a welcome tonic to the region’s housing market after a recent lull, caused by people hanging on for the Budget – and more specifically – the Chancellor’s announcement about capital gains tax.
“For example, I have a major client with substantial funds who has been awaiting the outcome of the Budget before making an offer on one of our properties.
“Now he knows he’s going to be paying 28pc capital gains tax rather than 40 or 50pc, I’m confident he’ll make a move. We are pleased to report that almost as soon as Mr Osborne sat down on Tuesday, the phones started ringing again.”
More People are Taking Out Protection
CONCERNS about rising unemployment and an uncertain economic climate have seen more people taking steps to protect their homes, according to the Carver Groups financial expert.
With figures showing that unemployment has hit a 15- year-high at eight per cent of the population, more people are flocking to buy mortgage repayment protection, according to Carver Financial Services.
And with recent high profile job losses, including the 1,000 at Garland call centres and 1,700 at Redcar’s Teesside Cast Products, in the North-East, Carver Financial has seen a significant increase in demand for the service.
Kevin Jefferson, independent financial advisor at the Carver Group, said: “The recession and general state of the economy has made people nervous in every aspect of their life.
Even people who may have considered themselves as having jobs for life are taking the option to protect their mortgage.
“The property industry has, in particular, felt the brunt of a weak economy and, even though interest rates are still low, making mortgage payments easier for some, firsttime buyers are continuing to struggle to get on the ladder.
“Unemployment levels remain high and this – combined with other sensitive factors – mean more people are protecting themselves.”
If you require an further guidance on this issue you can contact Carver Financial Services on 01325 380 088/01325 320 676 or email financial@carvergroup.co.uk.
HIPs Suspended
As of tomorrow 21st May 2010 the government will be suspending the use of Home Information Packs (HIPs) with immediate effect. Homes sold on or after tomorrow will no longer need a HIP pack.
What does this mean for you? If you are putting your home up for sale on or after 21 May 2010 you will no longer require a Home Information Pack (HIP). However Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) are to be retained. Sellers will still be required to commission an EPC, but they will no longer need to have received an EPC before they place their property on the market.
If you require an further guidance on this issue you can contact Carver Residential on 01325 466 945 or email enquiries@carvercommercial.com.
Separated Couples Forced to Cohabit.
A quarter of couples who have split up are being forced to continue living together because of the high cost of housing, research has showed.
Around 28% of people who have separated from their partner are continuing to share a home with them, according to website Easyroommate.co.uk.
Two-thirds of people who carried on living with their former partner said they did so because they could not afford to live on their own, while one in 40 couples said they could not sell their home because they were in negative equity.
Three-quarters of separated couples who continued to live together said they found the experience stressful, and 65% would have preferred it if they or their partner had been able to move out sooner.
Research by housing charity Shelter also found that one in four people were either part of a couple that had separated but continued to share the same home because they could not afford a place of their own, or they knew someone in this situation.
It said the current high cost of housing and the shortage of affordable homes was forcing increasing numbers of people to continue to share a property after they had separated.
Kay Boycott, director of policy and campaigns at Shelter, said: “Unfortunately relationships do break down which is painful enough, but being forced to carry on living with an ex-partner, even for a short time, must add real pressure to the situation.
“The fact one in four of us either has experienced or knows someone that has experienced this situation means this may be more widespread a problem than we realised.”
The charity also found that one in six people had argued with their partner or other members of their family because of worries about housing costs.
Ms Boycott said: “We can no longer ignore the massive repercussions our housing crisis is having on individual lives. Tackling the problem must be a priority for all political parties and a key election issue for us all.”
Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2010, All Rights Reserved.
Stamp Duty cut more beneficial for the South
The recent change in the stamp duty land tax limit for first-time buyers from £125,000 to £250,000 was brought in to boost the housing market.
However Gordon Carver (director of the Carver Group) has recently commented in an article “It would be more beneficial to first-time buyers in the more expensive South, since the average house price for first-time buyers in the North-East is £120,000″*.
Stamp duty land tax replaced stamp duty in 2003. SDLT is a tax you pay on the purchase price of a property or land in the UK. SDLT limit normally starts at £125,000, but if you’re buying your first home after the 25th March 2010 the threshold rises to purchase prices over £250,000.
This new threshold for first-time buyers does come with some strict conditions. You must never have owned a house or flat within the UK or anywhere in the world. If you are purchasing a property with someone else they must not have owned a property either.
For more information on Stamp Duty Land Tax you can contact Carver Residential on 01325 466 945 or email enquiries@carvercommercial.com.
*Original article appeared in the Northern Echo on 25th March 2010, which you can read here.
