Greene & Co - Family Fun Day raising money for Grief Encounter
Greene & Co. have gone through a lot of planning and organisation but it is finally here. Our Fun Day is this Sunday 4th July at the Hornsey Cricket Club Crouch End and it is going to be a fantastic family fun day out. The thing about this fun day is that it is raising money and awareness about a great London charity Grief Encounter, who dedicate their time to helping bereaved children and their families. We are really looking forward to the day, there will be loads of family entertainment and a special performance from the Shalon Monks from Britain’s Got Talent which is going to be incredible. Now all we have to do is cross our fingers for good weather.
Are property prices coming down?
Since the abolishment of HIP’s some interesting things have been happening in the property market. According to Rightmove “the market is starting to turn due to increased competition among sellers and fewer potential buyers”. This could be a great time to buy, as each day more properties are coming on the market and prices are also dropping. Our Managing Director, David Pollock had this to say about the current market situation.
“The London market is a different market place to the whole of England. London is in a bubble and therefore it is always a little dangerous to base house buying and selling strategies on whole of UK indexes. Having said that the abolishment of HIPS in the long run will be great for the London and UK market but without doubt there is going to be a period of adjustment. Will prices in London go up, go down or stay the same. Is now a great, average or poor time to buy or sell? The experts don’t and cant seem to agree. My advise is see property firstly as a home and secondly as an investment, its when you do it the other way round that things start to go wrong.”
We will have to wait until the emergency budget is announced to see the true effect on the market as many fear that capital gains tax could be increased but we wont find out until everything is revealed tomorrow.
HIPS - going going gone
Today HIP’s have been suspended which means that people who wish to sell their property no longer need to provide these. This comes as a great relief to many agents, our Managing Director, David Pollock has given us his opinion on this change
“Like most agents, we are delighted to see HIP’s get abolished. In our opinion, they have been an absolute disaster on two fronts. Firstly, they took away any spontaneity in the market, if someone was thinking about selling and just wanted to test out the reaction that putting their property on the market would get, to see if there are buyers out there for it, etc, it would cost them £300 to get the HIP done first.
Secondly, no one ever truly bought into using them, ranging from solicitors to buyers to sellers to agents. There will be no tears shed here about their demise”
House Prices Rising
The housing market seems to be going from strength to strength at the moment. Asking prices have risen for 11 consecutive months with and increase last month of 0.7%. The average entry level price for a house is approximately £155,242. If you are looking to buy a house for the first time now could be a good time to get hunting as prices are going to continue to increase, and although stamp duty does not apply on purchases under £250,000 for first time buyers they still need to have a significant deposit to get into the market.
An article from find a property ““The building blocks are present for a sustained recovery, but we do need lenders to step up to the plate and free the purse strings for first-time buyers. That will not only help the buyers themselves, but also the market overall and the wider economy.””
It could also be good to look into a property for investment purposes as there is currently a huge demand for rental properties in many areas of London, which means there are people out there looking right now! But this is not something you should enter into lightly. A huge amount of research is required to find the right investment property however there are many avenues which can help you along the way. Getting your finances in shape is also one of the keys to getting started with property investments, as depending on how long you keep the property expenses will vary.
To read more about the topics above click on the link below
http://www.findaproperty.com/displaystory.aspx?edid=00&salerent=0&storyid=23504
Open Days – having great success!
One of the best ways to check out a property you are interested in is at an open day. This is also a great way to speak to the agents and find out what you need to know about the property. Greene and Co West Hampstead has had lots of success with their open days and believe they are one the best ways to show off a property on the market.
Stephen Matthews Director of our West Hampstead shop said “It is a very good way of generating multiple offers and interest”
An article from the ezinearticles.com/Do-Open-Houses says “The biggest beneficiary of a public open house is often the agent holding the house open. Open houses give agents an opportunity to meet prospective home buyers and sellers face-to-face in a relatively non-threatening environment. An open house can be a source of future business leads for the agent.”
Its not only beneficial to the seller to have most of the viewings on one day but it is also takes the hassle away from the buyer have to schedule after work viewings – really the days are a win win for everyone!
Greene & Co. raising funds for Grief Encounter
One of the best things a company can do is give back to the community that helped to create it. Greene and Co. have supported the local community through various projects over several years, this year we are supporting a truly special and deserving charity, Grief Encounter.
Grief Encounter support children and their families during the loss of one or both parents. The loss of someone you love is difficult for anyone but it can be extremely taxing on a young child who can’t quite grasp what is happening around them. This is where Grief Encounter becomes an invaluable organisation. They have many avenues which help support, care and guide children and families through the most difficult time they will face.
We are aiming to raise in excess of £10,000 for this wonderful charity. If you would like to find out more about them please click here. If you would like to help us with our mission please click here to donate.
Beckford School, West Hampstead are having a winter fair
Greene & Co. are proud to sponsor the fun lantern making work shop for this winter fair at a school in West Hampstead. The Greene & Co., West Hamsptead staff are sure to pop down and recapture their youth for a few hours and get the Christmas feeling…we’re not just about buying and selling houses in West Hampstead, we’re Estate Agents that like to have a bit of fun too! Keep your eye out for some photos of the day.
The lowdown on Mansion Blocks
These striking, red brick apartment blocks have a sense of granduer about them, making them an appealing place to live. Often found in well connected areas, such as Maida Vale and West Hampstead, which offer a welcome, but nearby retreat from the hustle and bustle of central London.
Primelocation.com takes a look at the pros and cons of mansion block living, a little bit of history and some advise on buying one for yourself. Read the article on Mansion blocks here.
West Hampstead sports day and car wash
Greene & Co, West Hampstead pulled in a few more pounds for our fundraising event, edging us even closer to hitting our £10,000 target.
On August 22nd the West Hampstead office and helpers, hose and sponge in hand, headed for St Mary’s school in Kilburn to scrub a few cars and recapture their youth with some fun sports day activities.
Everyone had a great day, especially the kids battling out for first place in the egg and spoon race, sack race or hula hoop competitions. Lot’s of people bought down their dirty cars and revelled in the local Estate Agents getting their hands dirty. Over £600 was raised on the day for the charity fundraising pot.
West Hampstead sports day and car wash
Here, at Greene & Co, we’re still doing all we can to raise big bucks for our designated charity - Fight for Life. Following on from the success of the Crouch End fun day we are hosting our next big event in West Hampstead.
Family sports day and car wash
Sunday 23rd August 2009
St Mary’s Primary School, Quex Road,
Kilburn NW6 4PG
12pm - 4pm
There will be lots to do to keep the whole family entertained:
Adults v. Kids
Egg & Spoon Races
Sack races
Skipping Races
Relay Races
Three Legged Races
Tug Of War
Hula Hoop competitions
Basketball
Penalty shoot out
Whilst your off having a jolly old time, you can book your car in for wash too…
£1 entry for adults and £5 for a car wash.
Follow us on twitter for updates on the event twitter.com/greeneandco
All proceeds on the day will go to the Fight for Life charity and Greene & Co will match every penny made.
A fun place to have dinner
I’ve been a bit quiet on my eating habits of late, so I thought I’d share a hidden little gem with you that I discovered in West Hampstead not long ago…The Little Bay on Belsize Road. This place is amazing; if you get there before 7pm they do a 2 course meal for £7…but don’t wory too much about rushing because even without that lovely little discount its still incredibly great value for money. All starters are £2.95 each - ranging from moules marienierre to garlic mushrooms. Then the mains all come in at £6.85 each. Considering the price, the food is lovely and the service is great.
Now here comes the good bit. What I really love about this place is the decor. There are tables tucked in little nooks 
or up a ladder and onto a balcony. It makes the whole dining experience just that little bit more fun.
I went there for dinner with my friends a few weeks ago, being very much in touch with my inner child, I couldn’t contain my excitement when we scored a balcony table. It was great! So, along with good food, good service and unusual seating arrangements - that makes for a winning combination in my book.
New development in Queens Park, NW6 - fab apartments, great location, reasonable price
Yes, another swanky development under our belts, this time in sought after Queens Park. I was in Queens Park this weekend actually, topping up my tan in the local park. Not only does Queens Park have a quiet suburban feel to it, with lots of families and leafy roads, it’s not that far from West Hampstead, Maida Vale and Notting Hill. This part of town is ridiculously well connected to the rest of London, so if you need to travel a bit further for work or just to do a bit of cheeky clothes shopping, you can pretty much get all over the place.
All that aside, I actually found a fish and chip shop in Queens Park this weekend. Now, I know it’s a bit naughty but there is a serious lack of proper fish and chips shops in London!
Ahem, back to the apartments….they’re simply stunning with integrated kitchens, en-suite bathrooms and balconies.
Have a closer look at one of the apartments here. (The prices and number of bedrooms range from a studio @ 250,000 upwards)
Good food, good drink, good times in Hampstead
Okay, you’re probably thinking I’m the Ambassador for Hampstead…but seriously I’ve only just moved here and I’m still very much embroiled in a frenzied and passionate love affair – let’s call it the honeymoon period.
It’s not just my love for this cosy and picturesque pocket of North West London that’s got me spouting off again. No, I’m very excited indeed, whilst resting my weary legs from an afternoon stroll, in a local Hampstead boozer I spot not one, not two, but three celebs! Being an avid follower of the gossip pages (sshh don’t tell anyone), I could hardly control my trembling hands as Esther Ransen calmly wanders down the road.
Where can I find such a place to mingle with the rich and famous I hear you wistfully declare? Well, it’s the Freemasons Arms on Downshire Hill right next to Hampstead Heath. It’s a homely gastro pub with a great atmosphere, comfy sofas, open fires and they do a cracking burger to boot. The baked camembert with toast and onion marmalade is to die for – unless you’re like my lovely friend who ate nearly a whole box to herself! Top all that off with some gorgeous views over Hampstead Heath, what more can you ask for when catching up with friends on a lazy Saturday afternoon for a few jars and some tasty grub…oh and a little bit of celebrity gossip.
Want to find out more? Visit their website And this is their address 32 Downshire Hill, Hampstead Heath, London NW3 1NT.
A lovely place to have dinner in West Hampstead
I discovered a lovely little restaurant the other day, just off the beaten track in West Hampstead. It’s not too far away to walk to, but it’s just tucked away off West End Lane. About a 5-10 minute walk from the Greene and Co office.
I went there one evening with my boyfriend, after being recommended…there happened to be an England football game on that night, so he seemed somewhat reluctant and preoccupied. (I promise I didn’t engineer it to get out of watching said football match). Anyway, thank heavens for forward thinking restaurants! Up on the wall, there it was – the football match. The volume was turned off, so luckily I didn’t have to listen to it and he could gaze adoringly into the TV, rather than my eyes.
I digress…we had a thoroughly lovely evening, despite England losing. The food was absolutely gorgeous. I had lamb dish with green beans and bubble and squeak – yum yum yum! My boyfriend chose a pizza from the wide selection they have to offer…which I had a sneaky nibble of and it was delicious. We washed our scrummy food down with an even scrummier bottle of wine. We chose the house red and it was probably one of the best house wines I’ve had in a long time. On top of all that the service was very friendly and attentive and the atmosphere relaxing and homely. Top marks all round – I’m a very happy lady.
I’ve recently just moved to West Hampstead, so have been checking out the local area and so far, this is my favourite place to eat. I’ll definitely be going back there
Have a look at what they say on top table and book yourself in.
From what I can gather, they have some mid week offers which might tickle your fancy. You can call them on 020 7431 9277 / 020 7794 5577 or manager@cinis.co.uk” target=”_blank”>email or visit their website.
