Property in Virginia Water | Wentworth | Sunningdale | Surrey Properties

Premier Property Lettings

2012-01-27T20:09:00.000Z

Barton Wyatt Residential Lettings department offers a premier service that is tailored to the individual client and their properties. The rental team enjoy the long term relationships which are built with clients in the Lettings environment together with the continuing need to keep up to date with the legalities of the business.

The team have spent decades covering in the Virginia Water, the Wentworth Estate and Englefield Green areas of Surrey as well as Ascot and Sunningdale areas of Berkshire. This local expertise enables them to provide the best advice to our landlords and tenants on properties for rent in Virginia Water and Surrey.

Our individually tailored services include:

High profile marketing
Accompanied viewings
Tenant vetting
Full property management
Full inspections

Whether you are looking to rent or let a house or a flat in Virginia Water, the Wentworth Estate, Sunningdale or Ascot, the Barton Wyatt lettings team is here to help you.

Please visit our premier properties for rent Sunningdale .

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select Property in Sunningdale. James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

Wentworth course chief Kennedy retiring

2012-01-08T22:43:00.000Z

Article provided by Barton Wyatt Estate Agents Virginia Water

Wentworth Club has announced that Chris Kennedy, Golf Courses Manager, will be retiring from his position after 22 years exemplary service. Kennedy, who joined the Club back in February 1990, will continue to work until 29th June 2012 and be responsible for his final BMW PGA Championship in May.

When Kennedy retires he will have managed the course presentation at Wentworth for a staggering 52 European Tour events.

Julian Small, Chief Executive of Wentworth Club commented: “We wish Chris the very best in his retirement. He has been an exceptional member of the team here and overseen significant development of all our golf courses. I don’t think there is a Golf Course Manager in the world that can match Chris’s record in preparing golf courses for professional tournaments.”

Kennedy’s successor, Kenny Mackay will join Wentworth on 30th April 2012. Currently Director of Golf Courses and Grounds at The Belfry since 2005, Kenny has gained a wealth of experience in golf course management and professional golf tournament preparation over the last 18 years, forging an enviable Curriculum Vitae including previous roles at The London Golf Club, Hanbury Manor and The Forest of Arden. He is also a Past Chairman of BIGGA (British and International Golf Greenkeepers’ Association) and a Category One golfer.

Mackay said: “I am very excited about this new challenge and realise that I am joining a world class venue with a superb tournament history. I look forward to the professional challenges that come with the events along with meeting and getting to know the members.
“Chris Kennedy has achieved much here over the years; and now looking forward, I feel excited for all that lies ahead for me at Wentworth Club.”
Chris Kennedy said of his time at the Club: “It has been a privilege and a pleasure to have been Golf Courses Manager for the last 22 years at Wentworth Club.

“I would like to thank both Elliott Bernerd and Richard Caring, the two owners of the Club during my time here, for giving myself and the team the chance to be involved in all the course changes over the years.
“Wentworth is a special golfing venue with three wonderful courses, all different. Working with the Tour for the BMW PGA Championship is always the highlight of the year and all the boys have worked very hard over the years to help make the event so great.

“I would like to welcome Kenny Mackay to the Club as my replacement and working with him during our handover period. I know he will do a great job. Finally after fifty years in the golf industry, Jill and I are going home to Scotland to play some golf and spend time with our families.”

Barton Wyatt provides properties in Virginia Water and Wentworth Estate, Surrey.

Non-UK buyers drive up prime London house prices

2011-12-28T21:17:00.000Z

Non-UK buyers drive up prime London house prices

Article by Barton Wyatt Virginia Water Estate Agents

Prime central London homes have gained about 1,200 pounds a day in value over the past year, taking their average price to 3.2 million pounds ($5 million) at end-November and underscoring their role as a safe haven for rich non-UK buyers.

Property agent Knight Frank said prime London residential property prices rose 1 percent in November, contributing to an annual growth rate of 12.6 percent. Prices have risen 39.5 percent since their post-recession low in March 2009.

“Our forecast for the prime central London market in 2012 is for positive price growth, but at a slower pace than we have seen over the past two years,” said Liam Bailey, Knight Frank’s head of residential research.
“We are expecting a rise of 5 percent across the whole of next year,” he said in a statement.
Prime central London property has been in vogue in 2011, with the Arab Spring and euro zone debt crisis serving as catalysts for rich buyers — particularly from Europe’s southern periphery — to snap up blue-chip properties to protect their wealth.

Prime London house prices had gained 1,202 pounds a day in value over the past year, Bailey said.
On Nov. 16, Bailey said London had performed better than any other European capital city, with its well-heeled Chelsea, South Kensington, Mayfair and Belgravia areas in demand, a trend he expected to continue.

On Monday, mortgage lender Halifax said it expected Britain’s housing market would likely stagnate in 2012, with low interest rates offset by a squeeze on household budgets.

Halifax said it expected house prices to be strongest in prosperous parts of Britain, such as London and the south-east, Surrey and weaker in areas dependent on public sector employment.

Estate Agents Sunningdale

2011-11-22T19:45:00.001Z

Sunningdale is a little village in Berkshire near Ascot, Virginia Water, Windlesham, Chobham, Englefield Green, Winkfield, Warfield and Bagshot. It is best known for its golf course that is accepted to be one of the best in the world. It is also a stone's throw away from another world-renowned golf course at Wentworth in Surrey.

The Sunningdale village's claim to fame doesn't stop with its close association with golf. It is also very close to the Ascot as well as the Windsor racecourses.

The Sunningdale area is well positioned for the commuters with easy access to the M3, M4 and M25 as well as the railway network. Sunningdale is also close to the 2 of the biggest airports in the country; Heathrow and Gatwick.

The are surrounding Sunningdale is also privileged with a range of private and state schools; from nursery schools to secondary schools, such as Charters School. Other well known schools include the Eton College, ACS, TASIS and Papplewick.

All these factors coupled with the natural beauty of the area have made it a prime location for residential properties; ranging from small cottages to modern luxury apartments; from mid-range town houses to multi-million mansions in addition to the estates within Berkshire and Surrey.

Even though there are a number of national estate agency chains covering the area, there are a couple of independent, family owned estate agents, such as Barton Wyatt, providing exceptional local knowledge and world class customer service as well.

Barton Wyatt Letting and Estate Agents Sunningdale as well as Virgina Water, Surrey;cover many areas of property, including - property sales, corporate lettings, property management, new homes, land appraisal, and planning matters.

Barton Wyatt named ‘Best Surrey Estate Agent’ for the 6th time in 2011 UK Property Awards

2011-11-14T23:02:00.000Z

For the 6^th time family run estate agent Barton Wyatt took home the ‘Best Surrey Estate Agent’ title at the prestigious 2011 UK Property Awards late last month. In association with Bloomberg TV and Google, the UK Property Awards is open to residential and commercial property professionals working throughout the UK, celebrating the very best in the industry.

Now in its 17^th year, the awards ceremony has become recognised as the highest standard of excellence throughout the property world and receiving one of these coveted awards is proof that Barton Wyatt are capable of outshining some very tough players within the highly competitive UK property arena.
James Wyatt, Partner of the multi award-winning estate agent located in leafy Surrey comments,
“We are overjoyed to have once again won this fabulous award. It is wonderful for the firm and everyone that works so hard at Barton Wyatt to be recognised in this way for what we do. We feel very fortunate to have been given this acknowledgment from such a respected event and we will look forward to adding it to the already growing list of accolades we’ve been given.”

Having been awarded overall UK Best Estate Agent, Best International Estate Agent and World Top 5 Real Estate Agent in the past, Barton Wyatt who has experience an impressive 116% increase in sales this year affords the very best estate agency experience, offering an exceptional first class service and jaw-droppingly beautiful properties.

For those looking to buy a slice of Surrey heaven from the award winning Barton Wyatt Estate Agents Sunningdale and Surrey why not take a look at how you can splash your cash:

The Generation Game

2011-10-31T22:19:00.002Z

They know all about the Generation Game in Virginia Water - Sir Bruce Forsyth has owned property for much of his working career. For a keen golfer looking for some privacy such as Brucie, the Wentworth Estate in Virginia Water is the obvious choice.

Two other local gents playing the Generation Game are James and Rupert Wyatt, joint co-owners of award-winning estate agent Barton Wyatt. Born and bred in this discreet and extremely tasteful Surrey village, the boys first home was the top floor flat over the family estate agency and they have early memories of helping out with some of the more menial daily tasks.

Barton Wyatt Estate agency started life in 1927, with the first offices opened in Teddington and Twickenham by Rupert and James' grandfather Stanley Wyatt and his Partner Clifford Barton. In 1964 Barton retired but the agency maintained the name for what had become a strong local brand. It was during the late 70's that Wyatt senior retired making way for his sons Paul and Hugh Wyatt, father of James and Rupert who in turn has left his sons to it for the past 12 years. These charming and forward thinking Brothers continue to take this stand alone agency from strength to strength.

With this type of early breeding it is hardly surprising that this independent agency is bucking the trend of the big chains with year to date sales figures up by 116% there is much to be pleased about at Barton Wyatt.

Younger brother Rupert Wyatt comments on why he feels there is confidence returning to the market and in particular to his family run business.

"Surrey and the Home Counties have benefited from the ongoing property boom in London more recently led by overseas buyers and a weak pound. In relation to our own success at Barton Wyatt we are confident that this is driven by being an independent agency."

"In larger agencies there is almost always a long chain of command so very often the actual person selling the property will not know what their peers are doing or saying and getting answers can be a long process. That is not the case at Barton Wyatt. We have a complete open door policy and any of our staff are normally only seconds away from having a decision or able to chat ideas through in a very open forum.

"Both James and I are dedicated 100% to our agency and to our staff. This feeling rubs off on the staff and they feel empowered being part of such a close team. We are confident that they are proud of who they work for and keen to support the team around them."

Messrs James and Rupert Wyatt are extremely well known in the area, both living on the Wentworth Estate and being members of the Club. Both have their ear to the ground when it comes to property. This local knowledge has proved to be extremely useful for prospective buyers. The Wyatt brothers are often able to pull another property out the woodwork when a local owner might have just mentioned they 'might' be thinking of selling. Before they know it another sale is made and more happy customers are moving house.

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select Property in Sunningdale. James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Estate Agents Sunningdale. Tel: 01344 843000

Estate Agents Sunningdale

2011-10-14T22:33:00.000+01:00

The Dorchester Collection’s move to Sunningdale last year to open their five star Coworth Park Hotel confirmed the village at the heart of an area that’s a playground for the rich, royal and famous. Its golf club is legendary, polo fields pristine and the nearby racecourse at Ascot, world-renowned. No wonder house prices reflect the area’s popularity as a great place to work and play.

The newest big development in Sunningdale comes from Bellway Homes. Boxwood Grange comprises 15 apartments that range from £395,000 to £795,000. Over the past three years apartment blocks have been built along the A30 to cater for the growing number of commuters, attracted by good road and rail links.
Prestige properties in spacious grounds are dotted around the village or near Sunningdale Golf Course. Homes on Fireball Hill, around Larch Avenue and Shrubbs Hill Lane all carry price tags in the small millions.
Sunningdale’s old village has remained virtually unchanged for years. You’ll find larger Edwardian properties, Victorian semis and a few modern family homes. Nearby Sunninghill also has period cottages, as well as a large family oriented development, Cavendish Meads. At the village’s heart are independent shops, including a café and deli.
While the area has not been totally immune to downward market trends, it hasn’t been affected as badly as most. Demand for good family houses remains strong, especially from those moving out of London.

Dan Burstow, Head of Savills Sunningdale says: “Activity is up, and May was the busiest month of the year to date in terms of instructions taken on and sales agreed.” He does, however, sound a note of caution when he says: “Purchaser levels remain relatively low and pricing remains key to a successful sale.”
Martin Burrow of Knight Frank agrees. He says: “Buyers are more educated and know more or less what a house is worth. If you have a decent house in a decent location and ask a realistic price, you will find a buyer.”
For more information on properties in the area for sale and to rent, please contact Barton Wyatt Estate Agents Sunnindgale.

2011-08-17T22:35:00.000+01:00

According to a recent survey by home.co.uk website, over a third of the rental properties in Virginia Water are 4-bedroom properties, and just over a quater of the total are 5-bedroom properties. Here's a breakdown of the survey:

Two bedrooms	15	£1,444 pcm
Three bedrooms	18	£2,451 pcm
Four bedrooms	39	£4,509 pcm
Five bedrooms	25	£6,587 pcm

It is also interesting that the average 2-bed property rental is almost twice as much as some other rental properties in Surrey.

In case you haven't already seen - Award Winning Surrey Estate Agent, Barton Wyatt has gone social!

2011-08-15T22:56:00.001+01:00

For all the very latest Surrey property news, local 'what's on' information and company updates then join the Barton Wyatt community on Facebook, read their informative blog or view their properties on YouTube. You can also follow the team on Twitter for up-to-date snippets and sound bites of news.

Selling beautiful homes in the north of Surrey and southern Berkshire, Barton Wyatt is an award-winning, family owned estate agency established in 1869 and owned by the Wyatt family since 1927.

Specialists in both sales and rentals within an international market place, no other agent knows the prestigious Wentworth Estate and surrounding Virginia Water the way that Barton Wyatt does and their passion for delivering the very best service to vendors and clients is the foundation of the business.

If you are avid about property then keep up to date with the very latest news and get connected to Barton Wyatt's social networking sites! You might like to Link In with them.

Or connect with Barton Wyatt's slick lifestyle App on your iPhone, ipad or android; soon to be joined by the app for blackberry.

Plus don't miss their new look website which is even easier to navigate to view an exciting range of properties for sale and rent.

The Wentworth Estate: Surrey’s smartest ghetto

2011-07-08T20:29:00.000+01:00

Virginia Water
Barton Wyatt
Living in a ghetto might not sound overly appealing to many given the stereotype of an overcrowded, deprived urban area dominated by a single ethnic or racial group; however in one corner of leafy Surrey, competition to live on the Wentworth Estate, the county’s smartest ghetto, is fierce.

Embracing the official definition of a ghetto (a minority group actively choosing to segregate itself physically and socially from the majority) the Wentworth Estate, located in the heart of Virginia Water, can be thought of a socio-economic ghetto attracting a certain type of resident.

Property prices on the 700 hectare 1920’s W.G Tarrant designed estate give an indication of the wealth of the residents. According to latest figures from Zoopla.co.uk, the average property price in Virginia Water stands at £861,825, over double the average price for property in Surrey (£376,009). Virginia Water also topped the 2011 Zoopla Property Rich List, ranking not only the highest value town in Surrey but across England also.

James Wyatt, Partner of award-winning family estate agency, Barton Wyatt, which specialises on the Wentworth Estate, comments,

“Living and working on the Wentworth Estate I have first-hand knowledge of the community. Residents come from all over the world not only from nearby Virginia Water but Russia, Malaysia, USA, Ukraine and even Kazakhstan; their nationalities may differ but the one commonality is affluence and a great deal of it!

“There are a number of wealthy enclaves within Surrey such as Cobham, Esher or Oxshott but people actively choose to reside on the Wentworth Estate due to the available green space, the luxurious properties, first-class amenities on hand at the Wentworth Club, easy access to London, low crime rate and most importantly the privacy and security for which they are prepared to pay a high price.”

Indeed the Wentworth Estate has become somewhat of a global brand in its own right with estate agents such as Barton Wyatt seeing a significant increase in overseas buyers keen to associate themselves with the prestigious location and rub shoulders with other celebrity residents such as Sir Bruce Forsyth, Sam Torrents, Eddie Jordan and F1 mogul Ron Dennis, numerous captains of industry and a smattering of foreign royalty.

As James Wyatt comments,

“Whilst other markets suffered during the recession, the Wentworth Estate remained in a somewhat of a bubble with demand for existing homes remaining high, new mega mansions being constructed and very few price corrections seen. We have in fact seen prices rise over the last year, following the trend in London with property prices on the Estate now averaging £2.5 million.”

One example of a luxurious mansion which was commissioned and constructed during the recession and is now on the market is Sena. Comprising a stunning contemporary layout internally, Sena is situated in one of the most prestigious roads on the Wentworth Estate. On the market for £6,500,000 Sena offers seven bedrooms, seven bathrooms, four reception rooms, staff flat, gardens of just over one acre and three car garage. Not bad for a ghetto!

For more information on buying on the exclusive rental property Surrey, contact Barton Wyatt on 0134 484 3000.

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select Property in Sunningdale. James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt. Tel: 01344 843000

James Wyatt

2011-07-04T21:12:00.001+01:00

James Wyatt is the chairman of Surrey branch NAEA (National Association of Estate Agents), and partner at Barton Wyatt, which is a Broad based Estate Agency based in Virignia Water.

James Wyatt

2011-06-21T22:12:00.002+01:00

James Wyatt is the chairman of Chairman at Surrey NAEA and Partner at Barton Wyatt.

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select Property in Sunningdale. James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

Surrey is a winner for Sports and Property

2011-03-06T22:27:00.000Z

Buying a property - your private home - is an important and complex task.
Beyond falling in love with the property, the key considetation is the property's proximity to schools, transport hyperlinks, storage, parking, and all of your private preferences for contented living.

Other than the bricks and mortar, this choice is certainly always influenced by the nearby amenities. Surprisingly, often one of these elements is the opportunity of watching high quality sport without having to drive miles.

The Surrey and nearby Bershire are, in all probability, the best locatiosn in the whole of the UK for the number of sporting events within a 30 mile radius. This pushes up the price for properties to let in Surrey.
So let's look at the highest 10 sporting venues inside a 30 miles radius of Barton Wyatt. Be careful for the next large occasion which is the Oxbridge Boat race on the 26th March!

Right at the heart of Surrey, in Virginia Waters, there is the word renowned Wentworth Golf Course. Undoubtedly it is one of the premier golf courses in England. Annually this course attracts the biggest names in golf to the superbly manicured greens. May twenty sixth is the start of the European Tour BMW PGA championship and attracts big crowds to the area.
Just within 3.5 Miles, you can reach the Guards Polo at Smiths Lawn. It provides a great deal to watch even in case you are not a eager 'horsey' person. Watching polo may be an especially up market affair in a champagne tent dressed in your finery or equally you may even turn up with a picnic rug and the children. It's not unusual to spot the odd Royal at Guards (Prince Philip is the Club's President). Evidently taking part in polo is a recreation for the rich and does attract a very stylish crowd. The massive annual event is Cartier Worldwide Day, 24th of July this year, when two of the perfect teams in the World play for the Coronation Cup.
Of course within 4 Miles, you can easily get to another world famous venue as Sunningdale Golf. Used as one of many programs for the International Final Qualifying rounds for Europe. There is also the Sunningdale Foursome which is a singular competitors open to skilled and amateur players. These events have a tendency to attract smaller crowds than Wentworth which has the benefit of getting closer to the action and the players.

Hopefully this epic checklist of sporting occasions has wetted your appetite for events to come back this year - and that is without touching on the excitement that 2012 will bring with the Olympics.
All these sporting events is one of the reasons why the properties for sale in surrey and properties for rent in Surrey are exclusive.

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select Property in Sunningdale. James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

Surrey estate agent propels business with iPhone app launch

2011-02-15T21:15:00.001Z

Surrey based estate agency Barton Wyatt has joined the pioneering agencies in the property and overseas property sector in launching their free lifestyle Barton Wyatt App for the iPhone and iPod Touch. This will be the first mobile application of several which will be developed for the Blackberry, iPad and Androids.

Barton Wyatt offers clients a wide range of services from property sales to corporate lettings and property lettings in Suningdale. They also have a specialist new homes department covering all aspects of purchasing, planning, building and extending homes. Their international team specializes in selling new homes on golf resorts across the world and is the UK's largest Agent in this field. The App will provide quick and easy access to the property database allowing for speedy detailed searches, map locations and company information.

James Wyatt, Partner of Barton Wyatt comments: "According to Google research more than 50% of buyers will use mobile devices either to start their search or as part of their search by the end of 2012. As it is we have an increasingly sophisticated clientele with hectic lives and schedules and to ensure we are offering them the very best service at all times, our Barton Wyatt iPhone App will allow clients to keep in touch more efficiently and at their convenience."

"So far the feedback has been 100% positive - the App is slick and incredibly fast so accessing property information on the move is now easier than ever."

James Wyatt is also the Surrey National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) Chairman and in his next networking event he has invited App specialists EPR Media as his guest speakers to further spread the word about the changing face of property.

To download the Barton Wyatt App visit the iphone app store online or call Barton Wyatt for further information and for letting agents in Sunningdale and Virginia Water Surrey area call on 01344 843000.

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select Property in Sunningdale. James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

Properties to rent in Sunninghill

2010-12-19T15:55:00.001Z

In today's complicated world of property lettings, you will need a trusted and dependable letting agency on your side.

Whether you are a landlord or a prospective tenant looking for a property to rent in Surrey, especially in the exclusive areas of Virginia Water, Sunningdale and Sunninghill, you will require a letting agency that can customise their service inline with your requirements.

Here is an exclusive Sunninghill property for rent:

A substantial family house situated between Ascot and Sunningdale on a 4 acre plot which is beautifully landscaped and provides total privacy.Comprising marble entrance hall * drawing room * dining room * study * family/tv room * conservatory * kitchen/breakfast room * utility and boot room * master bedroom with dressing area, en-suite bathroom and balcony * 4 further double bedrooms each with an en-suite bathroom * the top floor has a bedroom / living area / study area and bathroom. An indoor swimming pool complex is complemented by a sauna, whirl pool, kitchen area and shower room * Outdoor tennis court * Large terraces * Garaging for 4 cars * Staff annexe including sitting area, bedroom, bathroom and kitchen.

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select Property in Sunningdale. James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

Relocating to surrey? - Listed here are some useful ideas

2010-11-04T20:31:00.000Z

If you are considering of moving to Surrey then take a look at Barton Wyatt as they have an wide choice of Surrey houses out there in the marketplace today in exclusive areas of Surrey and Berkshire ranging from Virginia Water, the Wentworth Estate, Runnymead or Sunningdale.

There is a huge selection of properties accessible for anybody in search of a home on the market in Surrey whether you want a nineteen thirties semi, a refurbished Victorian terrace, or something a bit extra up market. When you're house looking there are a selection of factors that you simply need to remember, together with the local colleges (in case you have kids) and the procuring and leisure facilities. Whereas public transport is sort of good in many elements of Surrey, in case you choose a property that is extra off the beaten observe you might properly want your own transport. Some components of Surrey are very pretty, great to walk around or to go for an afternoon drive, which is why many people are on the look out of homes for sale in Surrey.

When you begin your seek for homes for sale in Surrey, you will discover that most of them will have the kind of curb appeal that you will be after. Surrey residents typically maintain their gardens and the appearance of their properties if they are not already in well-looked-after gated communities.

Before your search, you will probably have a set budget, especially under the present financial circumstances. So it is sensible to find your self an estate agent who will do their greatest to get you a great price for the type of luxury you are after.

Barton Wyatt estate agents have an exclusive selection of houses for sale in Surrey, whether or not you are in search of a seven bed room mansion or three bedroom semi-detached house.

Some elements of Surrey are more well-liked than others because of the transport hyperlinks into central London, you could be in Waterloo in half an hour or so. Proximity to shops and transport may not be a precedence for you, however for many individuals getting into work easily is preferable than all the messing about with cars in central London.

One factor that you will not need to fret about too much if you find yourself on the lookout for a home on the market in Surrey is crime. Most of Surrey is quite secure and because the vast majority of homes are occupied by the owners that there is much less vandalism than there could be in inner city areas.

In the event you live in or near London and are fascinated by moving within the near future, then it's worth looking at homes for sale in Surrey.

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select Property in Sunningdale. James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

2010-09-23T14:57:00.001+01:00

The trend for basement rooms.

Traditionally, the British have been a fiercely proud home-owning nation and since the Queen came to her throne in 1953, the proportion of owner occupiers in England has steadily increased from 32% up to a peak of about 75% in 1981 (70% today).Homeowners have always found ways of showing their property off whether it be thousands of gaudy Christmas lights, an overabundance of colourful hanging baskets in Spring or simply by building a very large property. Some even think that stone cladding one side of a semi detached house is classy. Showing off by building tall buildings has been in vogue for centuries – in the picture postcard village of San Gimignano in Italy, the local wealthy merchants built taller and taller towers to signify their wealth and importance, and that was back in the 11th to 13th Century. Even today, designers and architects cannot help themselves but build higher and higher skyscrapers all over the world to impress.However, I wonder if we are becoming a nation of moles. The latest craze in many of the golden commuter belt areas to the west of London is to build enormous basements. This is usually due to the swingeing Greenbelt policies which allow an owner of a modest sized house on a good sized garden plot to add to or rebuild his house with just 30% extra floor space. The obvious way to obtain more habitable space is to simply burrow downwards.The problem with dungeons, sorry basements, is that it is usually quite difficult to design good natural light to these subterranean rooms, and whilst it might seem attractive to extend your house by 5,000 square feet or even a lot more, what on earth do you do with all that space?The answer is that you become creative in the type of rooms you install. Let me give you a brief insight as to what I have seen in recent years. There are a few fairly obvious rooms which are suitable for basements, the first of which is the plant room, and by plant, I mean the machinery which provides hot water and heating and air conditioning to the house. More recently very elaborate lighting systems have become more standard – ones that you can set to different moods for different times of the day, and which come on and off by timers or by remote control from anywhere in the world. This electronic wizardry takes up quite a bit of space although a very large walk in cupboard will probably suffice. Then there is the communication cupboard containing racks and racks of audio-visual machinery and patch panels with wiring that makes spaghetti junction look a bit of an amateur affair. In a large house this might contain numerous satellite boxes, a number of huge hard drives for your new music and video collection and so the list goes on.The next obvious room to bury is the laundry room. Full of washing machines, tumble dryers, maybe fridges and freezers with plenty of space for the staff to do the folding and ironing or to simply catch the dirty washing as it falls from one of the above laundry chutes! Cinemas come high on people’s lists for very clear reasons and with improvements in technology; these have become incredibly grand affairs. I recently visited a house gaudily designed, decorated and furnished throughout by Gianni Versace, which had a full-on professional cinema. As you entered, there was the ticket booth; next to it was the popcorn machine and drinks dispenser, over the door was the illuminated exit sign. The 12 foot screen itself was hidden behind curtains which parted moments before the film started. All this whilst watching from individual (and enormous) reclining leather seats. This doesn’t come cheap – a cinema set up like this with top video and sound equipment might cost you £250,000.Wine cellars – every multi millionaire fancies a wine cellar if only to show off his excellent taste in wine (usually instilled on him by his vintner), but more recently we have seen a plethora of enormous temperature-controlled rooms with enough space for a wine tasting table too. Swimming pools – well this is the big space user (or space waster, depending on how you look on it). A reasonable size indoor pool with seating areas, changing rooms, jacuzzi, sauna, steam room can easily take up 2,500 square feet and plenty more depending on your taste/vulgarity.Everyone with large houses has to have a full professional gym these days and whilst it might never be used, it gives the impression of supreme fitness and a ‘go ahead’ attitude.Garaging – well that speaks for itself.But some of the more unusual rooms I have seen recently defy belief – how’s about a hair dressing salon - and this is no ordinary hair dressing salon, quite apart from all the usual chairs, tables and mirrors, there were not one but three of those basins that you lean back into for your hair wash! Massage room – becoming increasingly popular, with mood lighting, piped music and a professional massage table with a hole to put your face through.Perhaps the funniest one I have heard of recently is a room containing a fake tan spraying booth. No doubt for those needing the ‘David Dickinson orange’ look on a regular basis.But lastly one that really defies belief – gift wrapping rooms are surprisingly relatively common (as are flower arranging rooms), but I learnt of one house in California that has not one but three gift wrapping rooms! When I described this to a colleague of mine he reminded me that in some parts of the world, not only are gift wrapping rooms common amongst the wealthy but they also have gift rooms containing hundreds of items for the owners to choose from before they are wrapped and presented to the recipient.It seems to me that for the very wealthy, underground space can provide a wonderful array of rooms but one wonders that having decided to burrow down one level on a frequent basis during the last 10 years of construction of new homes, will we start to dig further and have two, three or more stories underground in the future?

James Wyatt
James Wyatt is not a mole, but a Partner of Barton Wyatt in Virginia Water, Surrey. www.bartonwyatt.co.uk

It is the time for selling a property in Sunningdale

2010-07-22T12:05:00.000+01:00

Time On The Market Survey indicates that the property promoting durations have been reduced by 20% and three and four room houses are widespread in the market. Also, James Wyatt from Barton Wyatt has said that the demand out there is in an increase and it is a good time for both promoting and shopping for a property in Sunningdale. James Wyatt added, as an property agent in Sunningdale, that they had lack of inventory of property in Sunningdale, so that they were pressed for assembly the demands of the customers.

Based on James Wyatt, the properties in Sunningdale are in prime places, properly shaped and good trying homes that are in a pure nature. Consequently, these options of the properties in Sunningdale trigger receiving extra demands available in the market, they usually promote fast. İn accordance with the identical knowledge for the property in Sunningdale, terraced sort properties promote in 111 days, semi-detached sort properties promote in 115 days and detached sort properties promote in 121 days.

Additionally, for the reason that Sunningdale is closer to international enterprise centres, and has renown golf programs that host international tournaments, it has an ideal potential as a significant business area in real estate sector. Besides that, with its international schools and facilities, the world is getting a extra attractive place for the international business people and golfers for residing with their households in a property in Sunningdale.

The sellers who watch for some correct time as a end result of economical expectations reminiscent of political events, financial enhancements and rules, ought to hurry for promoting their properties in Sunningdale. The rising calls for should be considered a very good opportunity and exact time for promoting the property.

Barton Wyatt will be in your service for you to sell or buy a property in Sunningdale. For extra info on property in Sunningdale contact Barton Wyatt on 0134 484 3000 or visit www.bartonwyatt.co.uk

For more reading please comply with the links below:
real estate in Sunningdale - property in Sunningdale

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select Property in Sunningdale. James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

Buy-to-let investors not unhappy with the proposed Capital Gains Tax

2010-07-01T17:09:00.000+01:00

A lot of second homeowners and buy-to-let landlordsare breathing a sigh of relief after the much-feared increase in (CGT) Capital Gains Tax turned out a lot more reasonable than initially thought.

The Capital Gains Tax has increased to 28% from from 18% for higher earners. It had been feared that the rate would increase to 40% or even 50%.

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select Property in Sunningdale. James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

Living in a Property in Sunningdale

2010-06-21T20:55:00.000+01:00

By Adil AKKUS

Sunningdale is a good-looking town in the Royal district of Berkshire within the bounds of Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. You may perhaps have many choices by possessing a property in Sunningdale for living in this petite paradise.

History of Sunningdale:

Sunna’s Valley; the meaning of the expression makes its roots from Sunninghill Dale. Sunna was the chief of the Saxons, and the Saxons who stationed at Sonning was using the locale as an station location. They established a village to live in out of the Windsor Forest. The region was open to different risks such as bandits until the early 1800s. This historical place presents the maximum safety measures at the present for persons who are letting or buying a property in Sunningdale.

Places to see in Sunningdale:

At the south of Sunningdale, the Bromhall Priory that is a nunnery belongs to medieval era took its place. It was founded in 1100s and carried its mission out until 1535. The old town church was stationed at Old Windsor. The church is renown with the statue of King Alfred. The sculptor was Count Gleicher, aka Prince Victor of Hohenlohe who was a German Prince and joined the Royal Navy lately and became an admiral for his service in Her Majesty’s Navy. That’s a further opportunity for peace and belief for folks seeking to let a property in Sunningdale or a property for sale in Sunningdale.

Journey to Sunningdale:

It’s possible to reach Sunningdale via airway, railway and highway. Arrivals via airway utilize bus to Feltam and train from Feltam to Sunningdale; arrivals via train make use of train from Waterloo to Sunningdale station and then taxi or shuttle from the station to Sunningdale; arrivals from the highway make use of M3, M4, M25, A30, A322, A329, A332, A355 and B383 highways relating to the raly point. There are loads of transportation options that make Sunningdale comfortable to reach to and from the areas around Sunningdale for those searching for to let a property in Sunningdale or to buy a property in Sunningdale.

Barton Wyatt will consult you the best on the letting and sale inquiries for property in Sunningdale. For property in Sunningdale, property to let in Sunningdale and property for sale in Sunningdale please make contact with BW via the phones below:

In the UK 01344 843000
From the US 011 44 1344 843000
From elsewhere +44 1344 843000

For more further reading

Property in Sunningdale | Property for sale in Sunningdale | Property to let in Sunningdale | Estate Agents

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select golf villas in Spain. James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

Property in Sunningdale, for Rent or for Sale

2010-06-18T16:58:00.003+01:00

By Adil AKKUS

Sunningdale is a beautiful village in the Royal region of Berkshire within the bounds of Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. You may perhaps grasp many options through having a property in Sunningdale for living in this small paradise.

History of Sunningdale:
Sunningdale' s long history dates back to the Saxons. The meaning of the name is Sunna's Valley, from Sunninghill Dale. The today's civil community of Sunningdale was born around 1894. This historical place presents the preserved era as a result of letting or buying a property in Sunningdale.

Services in Sunningdale:
Virginia Water is an additional attractive place to see at the north of Sunningdale. It's surrounded by the limits of Windsor Great Park. Sunningdale has other worldwide prominent sportive amenities for example Ascot racecourse, Wentworth Golf Club and the Sunningdale Golf Club. Within this perspective, possessing a property in Sunningdale means having the worldwide renowned options with a actual clever purchase that has a prospective ROI for the future.

The CMI (Coronation Memorial Institute) and Sunningdale Village Hall are the two venues in Sunningdale. Both act for the collective, leisure and recreational activities of Sunningdale population.

The CMI is the place where the population gather for having some coffee and home-made pastry or light foods for lunch and even classes and activities through the day and leisure events for instance parties and dance or for social events both for children and adults in weekends.

The Village Hall, is an alternative venue for the people. It permits the public for getting together for the social and leisure events like classes, parties, concerts, theatre, evening gatherings and yet badminton due to the wooden floor. The architecture of the building that allows kitchen service convenience ensures eat and dance type gatherings. The Sunningdale Pre-School is located in the Village Hall as well. A pleasant living environment is the extra gain for the possessor of the property in Sunningdale.

Voyage to Sunningdale:

From Waterloo to the Sunningdale station it'll take 50 minutes by train. The National School transport meets the passengers at the station in busy hours. The complimentary taxi service is used for meeting the arrivals on Sunday in case of pre-booking with the Reception via the phone - 01344 634 000. In week days, the shuttle service that is planned for 15-minute periods is used for meeting the passengers at 08:00-10:45 and 16:00-18:15 hours. For having complimentary transportation in 08:00-22:00 hours, not including the shuttle service, it is suggested to make contact with the Reception via the phone - 01344 634 000. Out of the regular transportation hours - 22.00-08:00, you should make a reservation through the Reception, but it'll be against a taxi fare.

In week days, the arrivals have to organize their transportations from Heathrow to Sunnigdale. The selections are; by Railair bus to Feltam, by train from Feltam to Sunningdale or by Railair bus to Reading, by train from Reading to Sunningdale. Or you could use taxi against the taxi fare. You may well also pre-arrange the transportation while reserving the journey. There are several transportation selections to and from the areas around Sunningdale for whom want to have a property in Sunningdale.

Barton Wyatt will have the pleasure of leading you on the letting and sale inquiries for property in Sunningdale. For property in Sunningdale, property to let in Sunningdale and property for sale in Sunningdale please contact BW via the phones below:

In the UK 01344 843000
From the US 011 44 1344 843000
From elsewhere +44 1344 843000

For more further reading

Property in Sunningdale | Property for sale in Sunningdale | Property to let in Sunningdale | Estate Agents

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select golf villas in Spain. James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

Property in Sunningdale, Guide Price £410,000 Leasehold

2010-06-04T17:24:00.002+01:00

Property in Sunningdale - Guide Price £410,000 Leasehold

The property in Sunningdale has master bedroom with built in wardrobes and en-suite bathroom with patio doors onto private patio, second bedroom with built in wardrobes, Private entrance porch, entrance hall, shower room, sitting room, kitchen/breakfast room, integral garage with electric up and over door, eaves storage space. The apartment has been hard wired for an in-house sound system.

Clareways is a select development set behind electric gates and within walking distance of Sunningdale Village Centre with its array of shops and the mainline railway station.

Number 1 Clareways is an unusual self contained ground floor apartment with its own covered entrance porch and front door in this executive development of 10 apartments. Finished to a high standard, the property in Sunningdale includes a master bedroom with a wide range of built in wardrobes and a luxury fitted bathroom. The second bedroom has fitted wardrobes, second bathroom with fully tiled shower cubicle.

The kitchen/breakfast room of the property in Sunningdale has a wide range of fitted base and eye level units with built in appliances behind matching fascia panels including fridge freezer and dishwasher, there is a five ring gas hob inset into granite work surfaces with designer extractor fan over and further wall units including a back lit glass fronted display cabinet. There is also a waste disposal and fresh water dispenser within the kitchen of the property in Sunningdale. The breakfast area has ample space for a large kitchen breakfast table and door leading to the integral garage. The lounge is a well proportioned room with a feature gas coal effect fire with a stone mantle and hearth.

Outside the property in Sunningdale there is a private patio with outside lighting and power with further access door to the garage which is adjacent to the property in Sunningdale. Inside the garage which has power and an electric up and over door, there is also a useful boarded loft space with a loft ladder.

Fixtures and Fittings	Fitted carpets, curtains and light fittings negotiable.
Services	The property has mains water, gas and electricity
Local Authority	Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead. Telephone: 01628 798888
Directions	From our office, proceed along Christchurch Road to the A30 turning left towards Sunningdale. Once in to the middle of Sunningdale, turn right into Charters Road and then first left into Lady Margaret Road. Clareways will be found a short distance on the left hand side.

NOTE: These particulars are intended only as a guide to prospective Purchasers to enable them to decide whether to make further enquiries with a view to taking up negotiations but they are otherwise not intended to be relied upon in any way for any purpose whatsoever and accordingly neither their accuracy nor the continued availability of the property is in any way guaranteed and they are furnished on the express understanding that neither the Agents nor the Vendors are to be or become under any liability or claim in respect of their contents. Any prospective Purchaser must satisfy himself by inspection or otherwise as to the correctness of the particulars contained.

Barton Wyatt provides property in Surrey, property in Sunningdale and property in Wentworth. James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

Virginia Water - Guide Price £925,000 Freehold

2010-05-25T20:18:00.006+01:00

Property in Surrey - Guide Price £925,000 Freehold

Three bedrooms, bathroom, sitting/dining room with fireplace, cloakroom, gas central heating, garage, 0.262 of an acre of garden, much potential for redevelopment.

6 Abbey Road is an interesting family house with the advantage of being very close to the shops and mainline railway station, yet having a lightly wooded aspect and pleasant garden.

The property in Surrey is ideally situated for commuting with the M25, M3 and M4 all close at hand. For recreational pursuits, there is Windsor Great Park nearby, Savill Gardens and horse riding at Ascot.

The property in Surrey is in need of modernisation and redecoration yet creates a perfect purchase for redevelopment or rebuild as the neighbouring house has done recently. There is a good sized garden which is on two tiers at the rear with a pleasant east facing aspect.

Internally, there are three bedrooms, a bathroom and an open plan sitting room/dining room arrangement with fireplace. This property in Surrey has much potential and an early viewing is recommended.

Fixtures and Fittings	Fitted carpets, curtains and light fittings negotiable
Services	The property has mains gas, water and electricity.
Local Authority	Runnymede Borough Council – 01932 838383
Directions	Abbey Road is the road adjoining Barclays bank and our office. Number 6 can be found a short distance down Abbey Road on the left hand side.

Sunningdale, Guide Price £495,000 Freehold

2010-05-22T19:37:00.006+01:00

Property in Sunningdale - Guide Price £495,000 Freehold

The property in Sunningdale has master bedroom with en-suite bathroom, two further double bedrooms, family bathroom, entrance hall, double aspect lounge, cloakroom, kitchen, dining room, garage in nearby block.

4 The Ridge is a surprisingly spacious and very bright and airy ground floor duplex apartment in this private development of only 8 units. Situated at the rear of the property in Sunningdale, all bedrooms and reception rooms, including the kitchen have views over the communal gardens which are primarily laid to lawn and bounded by mature shrubs and hedgerow giving virtual total seclusion.

The kitchen of the property in Sunningdale has a good range of base and eye level units including an under counter oven with inset gas hob and dishwasher. There is a door leading from the kitchen to the dining room which also is accessed from the hallway and has a further door leading into the lounge.

The property in Sunningdale has a lounge that is a very well proportioned bright and spacious double aspect room with French doors opening onto the rear gardens. There is a gas coal effect fire with a stone mantle and hearth. From the lounge, is a rear lobby which houses the boiler and is currently used as a utility room with a downstairs cloakroom housing a low level WC and pedestal wash hand basin off.

The property in Sunningdale has open banister stairs lead to the first floor landing where the three bedrooms are located, the master bedroom having a full size en-suite bathroom and built in double wardrobes. Bedroom two also has built in wardrobes, bedroom three is a pleasant double aspect room. Also on this floor is the family bathroom.

The property in Sunningdale also has the benefit of a private garage in the nearby block and there is ample visitor parking.

Fixtures and Fittings	Carpets, curtains and light fittings negotiable.
Services	The property has mains gas, water and electricity
Local Authority	Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead
Directions	From our office in Virginia Water, proceed along Christchurch Road turning left on the A30 towards Sunningdale. Once through Sunningdale over the level crossing, take the first left into Ridgemount Road and The Ridge can be found a short distance on the right hand side.

Wentworth Estate, Guide Price £500,000 Leasehold

2010-05-22T18:51:00.013+01:00

Property in Wentworth - Guide Price £500,000 Leasehold

Entrance hall, cloakroom, sitting room, conservatory, kitchen, Two bedrooms, bathroom, private south facing garden, gas central heating, garage.

The Dormy House is a unique property in Wentworth consisting of 15 private apartments converted from what was the original Wentworth Clubhouse and now offering a tranquil and exclusive environment for residents.

Flat O is a ground floor apartment located at the rear of the property in Wentworth with a south facing and truly enchanting views from all rooms. Re-plastered throughout and presented in excellent decorative order, the apartment has been systematically improved by the current owners including new wiring and gas central heating.

The entrance hall of the property in Wentworth gives access to all rooms, the kitchen is fully fitted with all built in appliances and granite work surfaces over, plus a granite breakfast bar.

Both of the bedrooms of the property in Wentworth have a good range of built in wardrobes, the family bathroom includes a luxury suite with marble surrounds to the oversized bath and basin and is fully tiled. The good sized sitting room has French doors opening onto the conservatory which has custom built blinds all around and electric blinds in the roof. From the conservatory steps lead down into the well tended and stocked rose garden.

Outside of the property in Wentworth, the private garden has a good size patio area and lawn and is stocked with a wealth of mature and manicured rose bushes creating a riot of colour in the Summer months. From the patio, one has uninterrupted views down the second fairway.

Wentworth Estate - Guide Price £5,950,000 Freehold

2010-05-20T17:02:00.006+01:00

Property in Wentworth - Guide Price £5,950,000 Freehold

The property in Wentworth is a stunning family home recently completed by renowned developers Octagon. The luxurious accommodation is on just two floors with a staff flat and a magnificent outdoor pool in the south facing rear gardens. The property in Wentworth is superbly situated within the Wentworth Estate, a delightful and tranquil environment just half a mile from both the Wentworth Club and the picturesque shopping parades of Virginia Water.

Robin Hood rented a property in Surrey

2010-04-14T20:03:00.000+01:00

Surrey is hosting Russel Crowe and his team for shooting the new generation Robin Hood film. The movie that is due for releasing not later than May 2010 is being shot in Virginia Water of Surrey within its woodland.

The party consisting of world wide stars for example Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Vanessa Redgrave and William Hurt gives us the good success story by now.

Ridley Scott- the director of the film, claims that, yet the legend of Robin Hood- talented archer loyal to King Richard the Lionheart, is widely known, moreover various films were shot on the legend, this version of the story by pushing the limits of the art due to the talent of the cast, will be the most challenging one.

Russel Crowe moved to Surrey, and rented a huge house in the vicinity of Windlesham, and had registered his child in Hall Grove Prep School in Bagshot. The Crowes participated in the Surrey life and began to be accustomed to Surrey and surroundings.

According to James Wyatt- local estate agent from Barton Wyatt - Estate Agents Surrey, having a star famed new on the sight is every time interesting, albeit Wentworth and Virginia Water is always familiar with rich and famed people. His sales and rental personnels are handling demands from the famous natives each day. They are all set to furnish the similar committed services to individuals as well as they carry out during every day normal services with taking superfluous exceptional precision.

James Wyatt added that the launch of the film excited them and an hope on spotting for some of the local pathways of Surrey in the film came into existence. The rumours tell that the woods in Virginia Park regarded terrifying and made the inhabitants to stay away in those days. But at present, the lake in Virginia Water provides a very nice time for the local people of Surrey.

For the time being, there is not any property in Surrey that goes back to the ages of Robin Hood, but according to the Runnnymede Historical Society, there is a building that belongs to Jacobean period. The building consists of wooden beams that is worth to see. The house also hosted famed families and was possibly surrounded by the Windsor Great Park in those days.

Goose Green House is on the market for £1,450,000. It has 3 wonderful reception rooms, 5 totally beamed bedrooms and 3 bathrooms - one with a beautiful roll topped bath. For more information please get in touch with Estate Agents Surrey or call 0134 484 3000 for more information.

Barton Wyatt provides luxury golf villas in Florida and select golf villas in Spain.

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

The Park Cottage, BroomfieldPark, Sunningdale, SL5 0JT

2010-02-24T23:43:00.010Z

The Park Cottage, Broomfield Park, Sunningdale, SL5 0JT, £3,250 PCM

A charming cottage located in the gated Broomfield Park just a few moments walk from the village of Sunningdale. Set in private gardens this house has well proportioned rooms giving a spacious feel. Property in Sunningdale includes entrance hall * cloakroom * drawing room * family room * study * conservatory * kitchen/breakfast room * master bedroom with en-suite shower room * three further bedrooms * family bathroom * double garage * gardens.

Brief on Sunningdale and some of the amenities in your area

As a part of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Sunningdale is in demand and located in the Berkshire County. Sunningdale is very close to Surrey, Ascot,Sunninghill and Virginia Water. With its unique location, the Waterloo to Reading line that passes through Sunningdale by intersecting the A30 makes Sunningdale close to major motorways and airports and so to the world.

A best education chance for your children and an estate that will make money all the time convert your investment on the Sunningdale properties to a wise investment.

DENTIST
JB Burt
Station Chambers
London Road
Sunningdale
Berkshire
SL5 0EP
Tel: 01344 621420

GOLF CLUB

Sunningdale Ladies
Cross Road
Sunningdale
Berkshire
SL5 9RX
Tel: 01344 620507

HEALTH AND FITNESS CLUB

Fitness League
6 Station Parade
London Road
Sunningdale
Berkshire
SL5 0EP
Tel: 01344 874 787

PUB AND BAR
Bluebell’s Restaurant & Bar
London Road
Sunningdale
Berkshire
SL5 0LE
Tel: 01344 622 722

RESTAURANTS
Bluebell’s Restaurant & Bar
London Road
Sunningdale
Berkshire
SL5 0LE
Tel: 01344 622 722

SCHOOLS
Holy Trinity C of E Aided Primary School
Church Road
Sunningdale
Berkshire
SL5 0NJ
Tel: 01344 620 716

SOLICITOR

Campbell Hooper & Co Ltd
Apex House
London Road
Sunningdale
Berkshire
SL5 0DJ
Tel: 01344 628525

SHOPS

Majestic Wine
Sunningdale
Berkshire
SL5 0DQ
Tel: Head office 0871 716 2538

For the property in Sunningdale Please contact us using the following telephone numbers:
We are at The Estate Office, 2 Station Approach, Virginia Water, Surrey. GU25 4DL.

In the UK 01344 843000
From the US 011 44 1344 843000
From elsewhere +44 1344 843000
For those with sat-nav, our office co-ordinates are
000 deg 33' 57.3 W 051 deg 24' 12.2 N

Prime Virginia Water Properties Top of Polls

2010-01-21T20:39:00.001Z

Mortgage lender Halifax has recently released a report listing the twenty wealthiest streets to live on in England and Wales; the findings are a breath of fresh air to the property market after such a negative 2009, it would seem properties on these streets have maintained their price tags throughout the recession, however, serious interest will only come from those with deep pockets...

Overall the findings revealed that prices in the south east of England still outrank those in the north and Wales by some margin. Properties in the most expensive street in southern England cost more than four times as much as their equivalents in the most expensive street in the north. In Wales, properties on the most expensive street are on average £600,000 pounds compared to over £5 million in London.

Unsurprisingly more than half of the most expensive residential streets can be found in London's Chelsea and Kensington, with the report showing many of these streets tightly clustered together. Moving away from the capital however the south-east glitters in golden properties. Surrey's Virginia Water, Cobham and Weybridge are being targeted by foreign investors who are reportedly snatching up multi million pound properties in order to make the most of the weakened sterling.

Barton Wyatt, exclusive Virginia Water based estate agency is pleased but not amazed to see Woodlands Road West featuring in the top 20 wealthiest streets list. Here the average property will set you back £2.3 million based on property sales between 2005 and 2009. James Wyatt, Senior Partner at the agency comments, "In 2009 alone we have seen much higher property prices in the area than the stated £2.3 million average and in the future we would expect more roads to be cited in the wealthiest streets list based on the properties and estates on the market, how well they sell and the demand from wealthy buyers.

"Virginia Water exemplifies the best of high-end English living, many of the properties have been custom built to suit the owners' requirements including leisure facilities and staff quarters and are set in private grounds providing a slice of English countryside whilst only being a short commuter distance from the centre of London as well as London Heathrow airport and London Gatwick, the M25, M4 and M3 motorways. Wealthy families are drawn to the area with its excellent schools."

Properties in Wentworth, sometimes referred to as 'the stockbroker belt', are roughly £400,000 higher than the national average and the area has also been listed in the Halifax report as the location for overall highest property values outside of London, something that Forbes agrees with specifically giving the GU25 postcode this rich status. This could be why it attracts celebrity residents such as ex-Formula 1 boss Eddie Jordan, Ernie Els, Bruce Forsyth and a number of foreign Royal families.

James Wyatt continues, "Woodlands Road West on the prestigious Wentworth Estate boasts properties such as Woodlands Brae which is currently on the market for £5,950,000. It is an example of a newly built mansion with approximately 11,000 square feet including an indoor swimming pool complex. The property has very generous room sizes including an enormous kitchen/breakfast/family room with a Smallbone Walnut and Silver kitchen, it offers a master bedroom with dressing room and en-suite bathroom, guest bedroom with dressing room and en-suite bathroom, four further bedrooms, three further bathrooms, staff flat with living room and bedroom, second floor games room, drawing room, dining room, sitting room, study, kitchen/breakfast room, utility room, sauna, swimming pool, gardens."

With quality properties such as Woodlands Brae nestled on the likes of Woodlands Road West, it is no wonder that these streets command such high price tags for the post code status.

Barton Wyatt provide luxury Property in Wentworth. Tel: 01344 843000

Estates in Wentworth

2010-01-08T21:09:00.003Z

In the piece of writing below, Wentworth Estate is presented for the purpose of giving you some information on Wentworth and property in Wentworth.

The Wentworth village goes back at least to 1066 and its history is linked to the Wentworths, Watsons and Fitzwilliams, who are aristocratic families. The families ruled the village for generations until 1979. Following the Fitzwilliam family line ended in 1979, the village had its independent continuation. At present a trust is managing the estate in the village.

Wentworth has been kept in its natural form for hundreds of years. This provides a natural territory for the animals and plants with distinctive characteristics. In addition to its natural attractiveness, Wentworth also has nicer facilities like world wide recognized golf courses and Wentworth Park.

Some people of Wentworth are also extraordinarily well-known people that makes Wentworth an appealing place to live in. Before King Edward VIII, Russ Abbott - entertainer, Diana Dors - actress, Sarah Ferguson, Elton John - musician, Late Dr. K.T.B Menon lived in Wentworth. Today, Peter Aven - Russian banker (formerly Vijay Mallya's residence), Boris Berezovsky - Oligarch, Thomas Bjørn - golfer, Sultan of Brunei, Ernie Els - golfer, Bruce Forsyth - entertainer, Gary Numan - musician, Cliff Richard - singer, Andriy Shevchenko - Striker For Chelsea FC, Bryan Forbes - Actor and film director are the people of Wentworth that may give you an attractive neighbourhood experience.

In addition to its natural and social characteristics, Wentworth is getting the high class neighborhood region in prices as well. Rupert Wyatt, managing partner of Barton Wyatt, explains more;

"The Wentworth Estate is synonymous with highly attractive property and this has always been reflected in the asking prices. Our latest trade, however, smashed the earlier record price of just under £1000 per square foot recorded in July 2008 for a property on the Estate, setting a new level of £1,291 per square foot. Interestingly, the property was a reasonable house} of four bedrooms but its excellent position within a highly sought-after area meant that even in these times a new record was achieved."

The sale price of this specific home is not the only one that has been ranked high, also neighbouring roads Waverley Drive and Portnall Drive on the Wentworth Estate have also upset the nationwide trends by ranking second and third respectively in the Mouseprice Street Rankings in 2008 for the South East region. Therefore, now they are the leading three most costly roads in the region. The records indicate that “falling within the remit of Runnymede Council, figures from the Land Registry for October to December 2008 also demonstrate that the borough's general fall in residence prices was less than the Surrey average, a decline of 8.34% compared to Surrey's average of 9.2%.”

Its most recent condition with empty lands that are perfect for new housing development and old properties available, for whom are the enthusiasts of Golf and seekers of a new life style, Wentworth is the new attraction point.

We hope that the information above helps you for informing on a new privileged life style in Wentworth. Helping you to lead to a new life style will be an exciting experience for us.

Barton Wyatt provides luxury golf villas and Property in Wentworth. For more information on Wentworth Estates, please contact Barton Wyatt on the phones below:
In the UK 01344 843000
From the US 011 44 1344 843000
From elsewhere +44 1344 843000

A Place for Living

2009-12-17T01:52:00.003Z

This information below contains several aspects of investment property in Sunningdale and a short introduction to Sunnigdale that we expect you to find practical for your convenience.

Sunningdale is a large village and civil community of that is the part of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead and placed in the English province of Berkshire. It is very close to the existing perimeter with Surrey, and is near to Ascot, Sunninghill and Virginia Water. It is located 24 miles (38 km) away from the west of London and 7 miles (11 km) away from the east of Camberley via the A30 old trunk road. Sunningdale has a railway station on the Waterloo to Reading line which intersects the A30.

Establishment of the civil town of Sunningdale goes to 1894. It was previously a part of Old Windsor under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1894. At present authoritatively, Sunningdale is the part of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead as well, in Royal Berkshire District.

Sunningdale is a exceptionally good breathing space in South East England with its 1,000 years of history and breathtaking beauty, together with the chances of shopping, dining, sports activities with vacation activities and events.Windsor has two major attractions of the UK’s Top 20 of visitor's preferences. They're Windsor Castle and Legoland Windsor. Also, Eton College, the Changing of the Guard, the Savill Garden, Ascot Racecourse, Royal Windsor Racecourse and a lot of other places are worth to stopover and enjoy throughout a great borough visit.

The Royal Windsor Information Centre is the place where you can get the tickets for attractions and events.
When taken into account of the other aspect, later than the land allotment in 19th century, Sunningdale has happened to be a trendy place for building settlement areas. In our day, with its distinctive geographical and communal features it's the most popular region to move in.

Sunningdale attracts many people for settling in, for the reason that it has international schools, international airports, safety and the kind of newly or recently built large houses in a wide green beauty.The international schools in Sunningdale are the most attracting point for lots of native and international individuals who live and work in the neighboring area. The best two international schools are TASIS-The American School in England and ACS International Schools.

Various latest searches show us that the prices of the estates near to the respectable schools or in trustworthy school catchment areas are higher than the other regions of the country up to 4.6%. The main reason for a great attention on those schools is their SAT realization rates between 90% and 100%. In short, some parents wish to achieve a place at a high-quality school environment for their kids.

Also, it contains many golf courses that are well-known all around the world. Hill and Wentworth are the marvelous examples to those golf courses that are recognized all around the world. This is the distinctive chance for experiencing events like international golf championships, and even, being a neighbour to a worldwide famous golf player or a Hollywood star.

All of these features are the nice indicators of a smart investment on property that will make you to win two times in the future. The first one is the best education opportunity nationwide for your children and the second one is the home that will make money for every time.

You and your family deserve a high class and quality life, and Sunnigdale is the finest place for you and for your family to move in and live in.

Estate Agents Surrey will be happy to see you and serve you in Sunningdale.

We expect you have found this piece of writing useful. Thanks for your time.

For more information on Property in Sunningdale, please contact Barton Wyatt on the phones below:

In the UK 01344 843000
From US 011 44 1344 843000
From elsewhere +44 1344 843000

Letting Agents Sunningdale, Letting Agents Surrey, BW Virginia Water, Premier Golf Resorts, Overseas Golf Properties, Spanish Golf Property

Local Estate Agency Barton Wyatt updates us on the Surrey property market

2009-10-20T12:12:00.000+01:00

Senior Partner of Barton Wyatt Estate Agents Surrey, Rupert Wyatt, keeps us up-to-date on how the property market in Virginia Water is performing today and what we can expect leading into 2010:

“The market on Wentworth has been stable through the last 6 months and demand for good quality houses in good quality locations has been consistent. Prices have taken a dip from the peak of late 2007 although it is difficult to gauge exactly by how much as the houses we are dealing with are generally unique and individual on the Wentworth Estate and there is still demand for family homes and lets in the Virginia Water area.

Looking forward I expect the market to return with some gusto in the Autumn, we’ve already seen a number of foreign purchasers coming to invest in the Surrey market largely because of the devaluation of the pound and the fall in property prices, the combination of which makes UK property look cheap.

As always we have a steady flow of young families migrating from London for the better quality of life, choice of schools and golf courses! Wentworth has always been a natural choice in Surrey for business people looking to leave London for the family but continue to work in the city taking advantage our vicinity to central London and Heathrow etc.

We are pleased to say that there’s no question we’re over the worst; the bottom of the market would appear to have been at the end of 2008, beginning of 2009. And as the market stabilises we may see a 10% price increase across 2010 and 2011.

We have a very healthy lettings market in the Virginia Water area largely because of the schools Tasis and ACS providing us with a lot of blue chip corporate lets, however, with some withdrawals from US companies, demand is slightly down which is reflected in the achievable rents being down by 15 – 20%. Once again quality and location rules the roost in property always letting first and avoiding voids.”

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select golf villas in Spain.

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

Let Me Entertain You’

2009-10-20T12:10:00.000+01:00

What is it that makes these some of the most desirable properties on the market?

Despite the fact that we are now amidst the feared recession, there still remains high-end properties on the market which are shining bright as property prospects. With a significant proportion of properties around the £1 million plus mark still selling even during the credit crunch, especially in sought-after locations, it is those with added unusual extras that are truly placing themselves ahead of the game.

From the functional to the fantastic, high-end properties with added wow-factors are on the market and interest is looking hot. Quite apart from the traditional swimming pools and tennis courts of old, it is now the more unusual features that are catching the shrewd buyer’s eye – and it is the current owners selling them who are prospering. Oliver Clarke, Sales Manager of award-winning Surrey estate agency Barton Wyatt, says that for them it is those properties that offer something extra that are selling fastest,

“We have found that, although the credit crunch has taken hold, high end properties are still selling and we have noticed a growing trend that the properties securing buyers the quickest are those that have added extras. With people working longer and longer hours, many more are looking for a property that is both a functional home but can also fulfil some of their leisure-time pursuits.”

Whether it is to indulge hobbies or to enjoy home entertainment, the fashion is for added extras to make your property really stand out. If entertaining is your thing and your priority is to use your home for socialising, there are a number of additional features that could help. You may like to consider a property with a wine store, such as York Gate in Ascot on the market at £1,500,000. Here, you will never run dry for both planned and those unexpected guests! Or you may wish to buy a home with an extended kitchen, large enough to host sizeable dinner parties should you choose and 8 Pinecote Drive, Sunningdale’s 40-foot kitchen is an example of a property with just that. Not only is it of enormous proportions but everything has been thought of – with a near-industrial sized oven and fridge, a microwave that both grills and roasts and a tap through which comes instant boiling water, making a kettle obsolete. Current owner Jane Bicker recognises the benefits of having such a large kitchen that she personally helped design,

“I entertain a lot... I am currently arranging a party for 160 with a marquee on the terrace but with this kitchen that just isn’t a problem... It is the most incredible kitchen I have ever had.” 8 Pinecote Drive is on the market for £1,550,000.

However, if entertaining isn’t for you and you are more keen on exercise and active pursuits – as a stress reliever, to improve your fitness or simply just to stay healthy – then perhaps a property with added fitness features is more for you. With expensive gyms, warm with the perfume of perspiration often a real turn-off, why not invest in a property with an at-home gymnasium. With the ability to select equipment that will best suit your needs but also the chance to choose a property with a room most suitable for exercise, a home with a good aspect is a firm choice. Barton Wyatt has a property on Gerrards Cross’ exclusive Top Park Estate for sale that perfectly fits the bill. Not only is the property set within large attractive gardens, but it backs onto the 300 acre Bulstrode Park to the rear and the top floor gym with wall mirrors takes full advantage of the stunning views. The property is available at £3,795,000.

If the great outdoors is more of a draw when it comes to exercising, Rutherwyck House can truly indulge your dreams of riding off into the sunset on a trusty steed. The property, located in Lyne and on the market for £1,395,000, boasts loose box stables with a hayloft above – and with the ability to convert the block into a habitable dwelling (subject to planning permission), this feature certainly adds extra value to the five bedroom house.

The added extras that a property offers can however be more subtle and according to Forbes’ latest report on ‘How the luxury consumer will spend in 2009’ the trend is more about ‘discerning consumption’, with consumers more aware of “craftsmanship than ever before, with the ability to discern between the cheap and not-so-cheap, looking for quality materials, handwork and on-trend styling”.
With the move therefore towards a more distinct choice, the added extras one looks for in a property are becoming more subtle – for example technology within the home that makes the owner’s life easier and more comfortable. Copperings House on the famous Wentworth Estate (£3,250,000), for example, not only reputably has a £100,000 Mowlem kitchen by specialist designers, but also has an inbuilt entertainment system that includes wiring by ‘High-End’ for in-house sound and a television in the kitchen that emerges from the wall via a remote control and angles towards the breakfast bar so that cornflakes can be eaten with morning television for easy company.

Taking the appeal of technology in the home further still, cinema rooms are becoming more and more popular, with a dedicated space to watch the latest blockbusters and avant garde cinematic classics. Falling just below the million pound mark at £995,000 but with impressive features that would suit even the most discerning buyer, Barton Wyatt has a property in St Ann’s Park, Virginia Water that not only has access to more traditional shared facilities of a swimming pool, hot tub and tennis court but also has a fifth bedroom on the top floor set up as a cinema room, complete with waterbed and projector and screen included in the sale – adding a whole new dimension to the unusual!

With such an array of exciting and unusual properties available, now is perhaps the time to act on Forbes’ notions and to be more discerning about what it is you want from your property, as Oliver Clarke concludes,

“With the credit crunch biting and negative feeling abounding, there is a sense in the market that now is an opportunity to choose a property that really does go that extra mile and offers something on top of what you would normally expect from a house. I think people are beginning to realise that it is these added touches that can really make the house of your dreams the home of your dreams.”

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select golf villas in Spain.

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

Surrey Spring Garden Collection

2009-10-20T12:06:00.002+01:00

Whether you are green fingered, simply enjoy relaxing outdoors or have a particular passion for water, woods or more, there are homes on the market with gardens to suit you. Award winning Surrey estate agent, Barton Wyatt, presents their Spring 2009 garden collection.
For elegance, charm and that touch of history the formal walled garden is a stunning garden feature.

The walled garden has a large expanse of lawn, a gravel walkway and well stocked beds. In all the grounds of this property, Rutherwyck House in Lyne, are extensive amounting to 2.5 acres; contrasting with the walled garden there are large lawns surrounded by mature trees and hedges plus a stable block, tennis court and hayloft in the grounds. The house itself is a substantial 5 bedroom detached residence displaying original design features. The high-ceilinged, double aspect lounge takes in views of the main gardens for the owners to admire and enjoy. Rutherwyck House is for sale at £1,395,000.
For more modest accommodation without compromising on outside space this apartment in Sunningdale allows for the convenience of apartment living coupled with managed and maintained grounds.

On the market for £400,000 the Knole Wood apartment building is nestled in quiet, private grounds only a short drive from Sunningdale village. The 2 bedroom south facing apartment has an ample balcony to enjoy the landscaped gardens with mature trees, shrubs and borders and an immaculately mowed lawn. Owners are able to enjoy the perfectly pruned garden without having to lift a green finger themselves!
If sitting out and enjoying your garden is a must then this new home in Virginia Water has an extensive and well proportioned decking area for entertaining, al fresco dining and simply sitting out to enjoy the garden.

For this south-facing property in Callow Hill, Virginia Water, the expertly laid decking provides a practical and attractive space for enjoying the best of the British summer. With an acre of landscaped gardens to enjoy the decking is an extension to the new property itself and a perfect area for a lounger and BBQ. The 9,000 square foot new build detached property itself boasts 7 bedrooms with the master bedroom also having access to a balcony to further enjoy the green space. But don’t have any concerns about maintaining the garden, the property also offers a one-bedroom staff flat so you could indulge in a live-in gardener! The property lives up to its £3,800,000 price tag with the latest in modern comforts including programmable mood lighting, under-floor heating in all rooms and gated entry.
The final garden on display is a water lover’s dream; this converted Mill House dating back to 1483 is complete with the original mill pond.

This unique former Mill is said to be the oldest property in Virginia Water once belonging to Edward Moseley. Its character cottage-style architecture perfectly compliments its surroundings with the grounds extending beyond the pond into informal gardens and woodland. A further 11 acres of woodland is available (by separate negotiation). The interior of the property continues the ‘chocolate box’ style, it has been thoughtfully updated and includes a free standing Victorian bath in the master bedroom's en-suite bathroom and the quintessential Aga in the cottage kitchen. There are a total of 4 bedrooms and one of the guest bedrooms opens on to a private roof terrace with view over the gardens. For £2,000,000 this historic mill house could be yours.

Move over magnolia and leave the interior design to the experts… for free!

2009-10-20T11:24:00.001+01:00

Receive £10,000 of interior design vouchers when you reserve an apartment at The Cascades, Virginia Water, Surrey.

A good interior designer can blend functionality and innovation with beautiful and stylish design creating an appealing home and interior space to live and entertain in. Interior design goes beyond picking a pretty colour to paint the walls, it’s time to move over magnolia… all the features of the property need to compliment each other to achieve a successful look. This includes combining finishes, colour schemes, furniture, flooring, lighting, textiles, doors, artwork, surfaces, rugs and accessories all without cluttering a property therefore maximising space, and even in the most spacious of apartments this is essential.

The Cascades development in Virginia Water, Surrey has been designed and built to perfecting standards. The two bedroom apartments available are spacious and well planned with the added benefit of a balcony off the living room. The master bedroom boasts an en-suite shower room, there is a further bedroom, a second bathroom; the lounge/dining room is semi open plan to the kitchen and each property comes with a carport. Although finished by Charles Church with high specification fittings and fixtures, the properties are essentially a blank canvas on which individuals can put their personal, homely touch. And with the interior design voucher your ideal Surrey home can be achieved without lifting a finger!

This offer not only allows you to purchase your high quality and thoughtfully designed apartment by Charles Church, on reserving a property you receive £10,000 of interior design vouchers to be spent on your home. With this benefit of interior design expertise applied to your property you will help to maintain if not improve its value in today’s property market. So included in the price you are automatically adding value to your home before you’ve even stepped through the door.

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select golf villas in Spain.

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

2009-10-20T11:18:00.001+01:00

You’re game, we're set and have the match!

Ace properties with on-site tennis courts from award winning Surrey estate agents, Barton Wyatt

With just over a month to go until the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world returns to south west London, the Wimbledon Championships (22nd June – 5th July 2009), interest in properties on the market with on-site tennis courts is hotting up.

Whether you are an Andy Murray wannabe or believe that your child could be a tennis champion at the 2012 Olympic Games owning a property with a tennis court on-site is the ultimate luxury amenity but you don’t have to be a Centre Court winner to take advantage.

James Wyatt, managing partner of award winning letting agents Surrey, Barton Wyatt located in Surrey, says,

"Buyers today are looking for those all important extras when selecting properties to purchase. They are looking for added value and on-site leisure facilities such as tennis courts swimming pools or gymnasiums are in particularly high demand as summer approaches."

10 miles west of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, on the Wentworth Estate home to Wimbledon regular and Vice President of the Tennis Foundation Sir Cliff Richard, there are a number of premier properties for sale today with full sized tennis courts set within the grounds. Hanover House for example is a newly constructed property affording every conceivable luxury including a principal bedroom suite with en-suite dressing room, bathroom and private balcony, four further bedroom suites and impressive second floor penthouse bedroom suite with its own dining room, sitting room, kitchen, study and cinema room. The detached property also boasts a magnificent reception hall, drawing room, dining room, morning room, large open plan kitchen and breakfast room, family room, full air conditioning throughout, under floor heating to ground and first floors and staff flat, an indoor swimming pool complex with spa bath, pool terrace, steam shower and sauna, a hard surface tennis court and beautiful gardens. Hanover House is available at a guide price of £17,500,000

If you are seeking a more secluded environment in which to don your best Wimbledon whites then Rutherwyck House in the idyllic village of Lyne near Chertsey could be for you. A substantial detached residence set within a private plot amounting to approximately 2.5 acres, Rutherwyck House comprises of a double aspect lounge overlooking the main gardens, a dining room with open fireplace, a further large reception room, kitchen/breakfast room, open gallery landing, master bedroom with fully fitted dressing room and en suite bathroom with whirl pool bath, four further bedrooms and family bathroom. In its substantial grounds, the property features a hard surface tennis court and detached stable block incorporating a double garage. Rutherwyck House is available for £1,395,000.

For those with budgets more in line with table tennis than Grand Slam championships then purchasing a property with shared tennis facilities might be the order of play. Also located in the desirable village of Lyne, Lyne Place Manor offers a spacious two storey apartment set in a fine country house within 8 acres featuring landscaped gardens and a tennis court. Just two miles from Virginia Water and close to the Wentworth Club, Sunningdale, Virginia Water Lake and Savill Garden, the property boasts three bedrooms, family bathroom, attractive sitting room with open fireplace, cloakroom, kitchen, roof garden and parking. The property is now available for £335,000.

Alternatively The Grange located in the Virginia Park development, Virginia Water could be the ace for those seeking additional leisure facilities. The development benefits from superb communal amenities including a fabulous vaulted ceiling indoor swimming pool, hot tub, gym and sauna, grand entertaining hall, tennis court and has the advantage of a 24-hour manned security entrance. Bright and airy two bedroom apartments within this development with allocated parking spaces are available from £335,000.

James Wyatt concludes,

"For many people owning a home with a tennis court on-site is perceived as likely to happen as winning Wimbledon itself however as properties on the market today illustrate even buyers with modest budgets can afford such a luxury. It is important to consider however the costs of maintaining an on-site amenity such as a tennis court."

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select golf villas in Spain.

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

Propertylive.co.uk is alive in Surrey but is the property market?

2009-10-20T10:36:00.002+01:00

Finally, a property website has been launched which is fully regulated and under the protective wing of an established and reputable property association! Propertylive.co.uk is the new consumer property search site founded by the National Federation of Property Professionals (NFOPP) and its associated organisations and it has been welcomed by all in the industry, potential buyers and sellers alike.

Each and every one of the 13,000 agents with properties and services listed on the site are accredited by one of the NFOPP bodies including the NAEA - National Association of Estate Agents; ARLA - Association of Residential Letting Agents; NAVA - National Association of Valuers and Auctioneers and the ICBA - Institution of Commercial & Business Agents.

Despite politicians and traffic wardens achieving poll position for professions we love to loathe, it seems all estate agents have been tarred by the brush of the minority of unscrupulous agents operating in the industry. This is a reputation that the NFOPP is working hard to improve with each association enforcing strict rules of conduct and codes of practice for all member agents. As a minimum entry requirement, members must achieve relevant qualifications and commit to ongoing professional training. It goes without saying that professional indemnity insurances and client protection schemes must also be in place.

One such member agent who adheres to these regulations in order to maintain their NAEA membership is Barton Wyatt, based in the heart of Surrey. James Wyatt, a Senior Partner of the agency and also an appointed member of the national advisory forum, comments on the new site and the state of the market in Surrey today,

“Propertylive.co.uk is a break through for consumers looking to buy or sell property in the UK and abroad. Not only does it offer a comprehensive up-to-date database of properties on the market in Surrey and nationally, it provides a platform for consumers to contact accredited local agents and facilitates free professional advice from qualified agents.

“Regulation and accreditation is important to our clients both on the residential sales side and lettings in Surrey. Only recently we have seen reports of rogue lettings agencies in the media, which again highlights the need for propertylive.co.uk. It also offers a fair and reputable place for agents to present their properties without the threat of negative behaviour amongst their fellow agents.

“After a disappointing end to 2008, 2009 has seen a strong revival in the market with plenty of properties in the lower price ranges being sold and several houses over £5m also being sold through Barton Wyatt in the Surrey area. In fact, Barton Wyatt is so dominant locally, we boasted a 75% market share in the first four months of 2009. Supply of properties has been an issue in recent months but now there seems to be a relatively stable market which encourages confidence in both buyers and sellers, and this is leading to increasing numbers of properties coming on to the market.

“There is certainly a feeling of confidence in the market in Surrey, buyers and renters should have confidence in their agents too. At Barton Wyatt we feel it is important to set the standards for the next generation of the property market, post recession, maintaining the highest standards for our clients.”

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select golf villas in Spain.

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

Surrey a safe haven for international buyers

2009-10-19T13:26:00.000+01:00

The combination of a weak pound and the prediction of the UK property market bottoming out have been drawing international buyers from all corners of the world, however it isn’t just London city lights appealing to overseas buyers. A niche location in Surrey has been carved out as a safe haven for foreign nationals, seeking the best of all worlds.

The Wentworth Estate, in the heart of Surrey has long been synonymous with wealth and exclusivity and today it is this distinctive living which has drawn international buyers mainly from Russia, Kazakhstan and South Africa. Bricks and mortar in the UK is deemed to be a safe investment compared to fluctuating oil shares for example, in Russia, on which their economy is dependent.

According to James Wyatt, Senior Partner of Surrey estate agency Barton Wyatt, “Wentworth is a secure and safe environment for high profile, wealthy overseas investors which is one of its greatest appeals. For the last 3 years or so, we can count on international buyers making up at least 10% of all sales and predominantly they buy on the Wentworth Estate.
“For the wealthy families, there are exceptional schooling opportunities nearby with many renowned private schools such as Eton College, St George’s Ascot and St John’s Beaumont only a short distance from Wentworth. In addition, there are two international schools, ACS in Egham and TASIS in Thorpe.”
International buyers certainly haven’t been put off by the lack of credit from our troubled banks, nearly all the buyers pay with cash for their luxurious UK pads; properties with asking prices ranging from £3m to £10m or more. The likes of Highgate House currently on the market on the Wentworth Estate with its imposing formal pillars framing the Georgian exterior, 6 bedrooms with walk in dressing rooms and en-suites set in Wentworth’s roomy 1,750 acres will appeal to international buyers and with a price tag of £4,750,000 is an affordable cash purchase.
James continues, “Property features we regularly have requests for, include home security, staff quarters, high ceilings and general high tech gadgets. If their chosen home doesn’t have the immaculate finish they are looking for then there will be no qualms in completely refitting to their standards, despite many of the houses being newly built, complete with £100,000 kitchens”.
Due to supply and demand for this level of house, it seems that despite many of the majority buyers today seeking property bargains and negotiating hard on the asking prices, on the big ticket houses negotiations are frugal with 10% reductions on the prices being achieved at very best.
The Wentworth Estate has it all for international buyers, first of all an international community, the security, close proximity to London, private and international airports, and importantly it offers the size and specification of property that only a £10m cash buyer would expect!

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select golf villas in Spain.

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

Worldwide comparison of eco housing

2009-10-19T13:21:00.000+01:00

Thursday, July 16, 2009
Catherine Deshayes

The NHBC Foundation, Zero Carbon Hub and PRP Architects are today publishing the first ever global snapshot of individual countries' progress towards achieving lower energy emissions and zero carbon targets in housing...

The Zero Carbon Compendium: a record of who's doing what in housing worldwide is a unique report comparing the progress and aspirations of 15 major countries in improving the sustainability and carbon efficiency of their new homes. Including energy consumption and climatic data, as well as analysis of national policy targets and achievements, the report shows that the rate and nature of reform in each territory varies hugely, but overall progress on low carbon housing has been significant.

For the UK, the report shows that the target for England and Wales to reach zero carbon by 2016 is one of the most ambitious internationally, but that these countries are well-placed to achieve this. The UK is also unique in using carbon emissions (tonnes of CO2) instead of energy (kilowatt-hours) as its key measurement metric.

Further, the UK is one of the only countries to propose including both regulated energy (primarily heating and hot water) and unregulated energy (including appliances used within the home) in the criteria for zero carbon measurement.
Commenting on the report Imtiaz Farookhi, chief executive of NHBC, said: "This compendium provides a comprehensive and invaluable overview of how other countries are approaching and meeting the challenge of reducing carbon emissions in housing. Inevitably, every country has its own unique domestic circumstances and approach, but it is reassuring to see the collective advancements being made and on such a scale.

"The UK, in particular, is setting the bar extremely high with aspirations that look beyond those of many other countries - indeed, we are the only country to propose including carbon emissions from appliances in our targets. We have also started from a different point of development from many other countries, which already have clear, long-term policies in place."
Neil Jefferson, chief executive of the Zero Carbon Hub, added: "We know the UK target of net zero carbon for each new home from 2016 is ambitious. The compendium clearly shows just how stretching this target is in comparison with the ambitions of other countries, but it also provides valuable insight into how we can achieve our goal. "Over the past year the Hub has been working closely with industry and Government on a revised definition of zero carbon for new homes. We hope to have an announcement from Government shortly regarding their consultation and this report is a valuable set of learnings to help move the definition forward to a practical and workable stage."

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select golf villas in Spain.

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

Sell back energy

2009-10-19T13:14:00.000+01:00

Thursday, July 16, 2009
Catherine Deshayes

Homeowners who generate their own energy will find it easier to sell back excess supplies to the National Grid under Government 'green' plans expected to be announced today...

The scheme is part of the Government's 'renewable energy strategy' to be announced by Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Ed Miliband, who is expected to propose spending more than £100 billion on renewable sources by 2020.
At the moment householders need to buy an export meter for around £75 and then register to sell supplies to the grid.

The rate is negotiated with their electricity supplier and is usually for less money per unit than the supplier charges households.

The 'green' strategy will also confirm plans for householders to face higher council tax and stamp duty if they refuse to make their homes greener.

The plans are also expected top include 'feed-in' tariffs that will allow people to sell energy from domestic solar panels and wind turbines to the National Grid.
The renewable energy strategy is said to estimate that bills will have rise by 20 per cent, putting £230 on a year to the current household levy of £1,150 per year for electricity and gas.

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select golf villas in Spain.

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

What the butler saw… 5% added to the value of your home?

2009-10-19T13:11:00.000+01:00

In 1969 when ‘What the Butler Saw’ was first staged at the Queen’s Theatre, London, the comings and goings of owners in a managed home was at the height of comedy, but household staff are far from a joke, today, hosting your helpers can add value to your home.

Barton Wyatt, Estate Agents Surrey, for the prestigious Wentworth Estate and the surrounding Virginia Water area in Surrey are well acquainted with the extra staffing needs of home buyers. James Wyatt, Senior Partner, insists, “10% of all our customers have specific household staff requirements, the most popular being nannies or au pairs to assist with the children. Housekeepers’ accommodation is also regularly requested especially for foreign owners who aren’t in residence for much of the year, their housekeepers would then in turn managed cleaners and gardeners etc to keep the house immaculate all year round.”

Staff quarters or household accommodation ranges from in-house set ups with bedrooms usually at the top of the house, over garage annexes, basement conversions, stand alone cottages in the grounds or off-site accommodation where owners rent a nearby property or indeed own a second home nearby.

Wyatt continues, “the over-garage annex is most popular with owners, it tends to be more private for the family whilst being conveniently on-site and there are many cultures that insist on separate quarters. Arabs for example choose annexes or stand alone properties as culturally it isn’t acceptable to have staff above you in a home. In the home, an in-house set up will add the least value to the property too because it isn’t as popular a choice with buyers, without doubt a separate stand alone annex will add the most value, at least 5% to the value of the property. In properties say worth £2 million this equates to an additional £100,000 to the asking price.”

“Of course affording extra staff in your home is a costly arrangement with an au pair couple adding £15,000 a year to your household bills including salary, car usage, utilities, heating and water etc. Nanny’s will demand a salary at least £30,000 a year and housekeepers’ salaries can reach £40-50,000.”

Employing household help often occurs when families are expatriated overseas, the same applies when people come to live in the UK. Today people tend to spend more hours in the office and so to maximize their time spent at home with the family, staff are taken on to maintain the smooth running of the home and cover the more menial but essential aspects of home ownership.

The British are amongst those who choose household assistance, along with Kazakhstanis, Arabs and Russians and their homes tend to demand an asking price of at least £2 million such as Caspian House in Sunningdale. This 5 bedroom, 4 bathroom family home has a triple garage with accommodation over and is set in landscaped gardens of 0.6 acres. It is ideally located close to the Sunningdale golf course as well as village shops and amenities. Caspian House is on the market for £2,595,000.

For more information and to discuss your home requirements large or small contact Barton Wyatt on 0134 484 3000 or visit www.bartonwyatt.co.uk

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select golf villas in Spain.

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

A guide to New Homes in Surrey

2009-10-19T13:05:00.002+01:00

With ‘New Homes Week’ for 2009 at an end, Barton Wyatt updates us on the new homes available in Surrey and why buyers should seriously consider investing in a brand new property.

James Wyatt, Senior Partner, comments, “As an agency situated in the heart of Virginia Water, we are lucky to find ourselves with a range of new homes on our books, from the developer new builds situated in Virginia Water itself and surrounding towns to the Wentworth Estate where new homes can be found on a somewhat grander scale.

It has often been the trend in Wentworth, for example, for buyers to seek out older homes on excellent plots in order to knock down and re-build to their own specification and design. In some respect these owners as doing just as developers are these days but on a smaller scale. New home developers today, provide properties, often on brown-field sites, with homes that suit our current lifestyles. This includes the apartments for young professionals, starter homes for families and the larger detached properties and town houses for families close to schools and amenities with the benefit of ‘all the work being done for them’. Even so new homes offer the budding DIY-enthusiast a blank canvas on which to stamp their own mark should they wish to. It is a myth that home renovations of older style properties is the only way to achieve this.

Just as a new bespoke Wentworth Estate home will include all the latest in modern home technologies from surround sound systems, integrated security systems, to ultra modern kitchen and bathroom furnishings and accessories, so can your new home from quality developers. It is also possible for buyers to have a say in the property design internally and externally. At Charles Church’s Cascades development in Virginia Water, for example, buyers are able to decide on the layout of non-load bearing internal walls allowing you to tailor your home to suit your particular lifestyle.

A new home today must adhere to strict government compliance rules on build specification resulting in far more environmentally-friendly properties with an excellent standard of finish. Most developers also offer buyers the peace of mind of build warranties such as the NHBC warranty.

Just as we thought we were all safe in our property purchases, gazumping has made a return to the market. There have been reports of recent and sustained house price rises in certain markets resulting in owners dropping buyers to get the best possible price for their homes. Equally, with interest rates at their lowest mark since the Second World War, those who have been sitting out the recession are now finding themselves financially in a position to move. With house values overall having also dropped buyers looking to move up the ladder are finding that they can afford a lot more for their money and so in some cases are out bidding their rival buyers to secure their homes. Of course with new homes complicated property chains are avoided as you are buying homes without a chain direct from the developer. For many this is a huge appeal to reduce the ‘stress’ of moving home.

Barton Wyatt’s reasons to buy ‘new’:

More environmentally friendly than older properties
Can include the latest in technology and bespoke additions
No long chains to be caught up in
Developer incentives and buyer rewards
Most come with 10 year warranty protection
Homes built to suit peoples’ lives today
You don’t need to renovate to put your ‘stamp’ on a property, new homes come as a blank canvas

For more information on buying your new home, large or small, contact Barton Wyatt on 0134 484 3000 or visit www.bartonwyatt.co.uk. Information on New Homes Week can be found at nhw2009.co.uk.

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select golf villas in Spain.

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

On the market today

2009-10-19T13:02:00.002+01:00

The Cascades, Virginia Water, From £509,950 (reduced from £569,950)

The Cascades is a prestigious new development by Charles Church, boasting a range of well-planned accommodation built to the highest of specifications in Virginia Water, Surrey.

Within The Cascades, a stunning four bedroom, three storey townhouse can be purchased with flexible accommodation that allows buyers to design their own layout by deciding upon where any internal walls that do not bear a load are built. The result is a bespoke property that perfectly fits personal requirements and the needs of day-to-day life.

The spacious property comprises of a master bedroom with en-suite bathroom, guest bedroom with en-suite shower room, two further bedrooms, family bathroom, drawing room, kitchen/breakfast room, utility room and ground floor cloakroom. It also includes a single integral garage and its own private garden.

Shamwari, Wentworth Estate, Guide Price £3,750,000 Freehold
An exceptional family home built to exacting standards and completed in 2009 with spacious accommodation set over 3 floors with interesting design features such as the use of balconies and a stunning split level kitchen/breakfast/family room. The property is superbly situated on the Wentworth Estate, a delightful and tranquil environment yet just half a mile from the picturesque shopping parades of Virginia Water.
Shamwari was built for the Managing Director of Bridgewater Estates for his own occupation and completed in early 2009. The house has been built to exacting standards using the finest materials throughout. The property follows a contemporary theme with modern bathroom suites and kitchen and is well suited to a contemporary family lifestyle and entertaining on a grand scale with a magnificent kitchen/breakfast/family room with a split level and unique semi circular family room area.

Over the triple garage is a staff/Au-Pair annexe accessed via an independent staircase. All the principal rooms face due south across the rear of the property with doors opening onto the patio and onto three balconies across the rear on the first floor making the very bet of the sunny southerly rear aspect.

Shamwari enjoys an enviable location in up Gorse Hill Road, a safe and tranquil no through road. The house sits well in it’s plot which amounts to approximately half an acre in all. Gorse Hill Road is located just opposite the picturesque shopping Tudor parade in Virginia Water with its excellent shops, restaurants and mainline railway station. The property is approached through electronically operated gates on brick piers over a shingle driveway providing ample parking for many cars, a path leads to the side of the property onto an expansive split level terrace across the rear with steps onto the lawn bordered by well stocked shrubbery beds. The garden is totally private from adjoining properties and enjoys sun throughout the day.
For more information contact Barton Wyatt on 0134 484 3000 or visit www.bartonwyatt.co.uk.

Property for sale in Berkshire snapped up within an hour

2009-10-15T09:47:00.000+01:00

While the media may be painting a gloomy picture of the UK housing market, for the owners of a four bedroom penthouse apartment for sale in Berkshire, it was good news as their home was snapped up by an eager buyer in just 60 minutes.

The luxury apartment, overlooking Sunningdale Golf Course, defied the national trend, with the exchange being finalised in just 24 hours, proving that the right properties are still selling fast.
Barton Wyatt, who sell exclusive properties in Berkshire and Surrey, was the estate agent behind the sale which took place last month. As the company's sales manager, Oliver Clarke explains; this was an unprecedented move which took the owner by surprise:
"I showed the prospective buyer around the penthouse on a beautiful winter's day in February when the country was covered in a blanket of thick snow. We spent a good hour looking over the luxury property which was on the market for £1,650,000 before heading outside where we met the owners returning from a walk. The purchaser asked to see the garage in which we sheltered from the snow.
"The prospective purchaser then made the owner an offer there and then in the garage to exchange by the close of play that day telling them that he had bought his last house in just three hours and that if his offer was acceptable, he would instruct his solicitor to do the same this time.
"Due to the snow we had to wait until 1pm the following day to exchange, but exactly 24 hours after the prospective buyer had seen the property for the very first time, we exchanged contracts. After three months of raising enquiries, it just goes to show that with the right property and the right buyer, a home can sell very quickly indeed - leaving the owner slightly bemused but very pleasantly surprised by what could take place in just 24 hours!"
Barton Wyatt - who recently also broke a record by selling the most expensive property per square foot on Surrey's famous Wentworth Estate - market prestigious properties in areas which include Virginia Water, Sunningdale, Englefield Green, Ascot and the Wentworth Estate.

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select golf villas in Spain.

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

A guide to new homes in Surrey

2009-10-14T10:41:00.000+01:00

With 'New Homes Week' for 2009 at an end, Barton Wyatt updates us on the new homes available in Surrey and why buyers should seriously consider investing in a brand new property.

James Wyatt, Senior Partner, comments, "As an agency situated in the heart of Virginia Water, we are lucky to find ourselves with a range of new homes on our books, from the developer new builds situated in Virginia Water itself and surrounding towns to the Wentworth Estate where new homes can be found on a somewhat grander scale.

It has often been the trend in Wentworth, for example, for buyers to seek out older homes on excellent plots in order to knock down and re-build to their own specification and design. In some respect these owners as doing just as developers are these days but on a smaller scale. New home developers today, provide properties, often on brown-field sites, with homes that suit our current lifestyles. This includes the apartments for young professionals, starter homes for families and the larger detached properties and town houses for families close to schools and amenities with the benefit of 'all the work being done for them'. Even so new homes offer the budding DIY-enthusiast a blank canvas on which to stamp their own mark should they wish to. It is a myth that home renovations of older style properties is the only way to achieve this.

Just as a new bespoke Wentworth Estate home will include all the latest in modern home technologies from surround sound systems, integrated security systems, to ultra modern kitchen and bathroom furnishings and accessories, so can your new home from quality developers. It is also possible for buyers to have a say in the property design internally and externally. At Charles Church's Cascades development in Virginia Water, for example, buyers are able to decide on the layout of non-load bearing internal walls allowing you to tailor your home to suit your particular lifestyle.

A new home today must adhere to strict government compliance rules on build specification resulting in far more environmentally-friendly properties with an excellent standard of finish. Most developers also offer buyers the peace of mind of build warranties such as the NHBC warranty.

Just as we thought we were all safe in our property purchases, gazumping has made a return to the market. There have been reports of recent and sustained house price rises in certain markets resulting in owners dropping buyers to get the best possible price for their homes. Equally, with interest rates at their lowest mark since the Second World War, those who have been sitting out the recession are now finding themselves financially in a position to move. With house values overall having also dropped buyers looking to move up the ladder are finding that they can afford a lot more for their money and so in some cases are out bidding their rival buyers to secure their homes. Of course with new homes complicated property chains are avoided as you are buying homes without a chain direct from the developer. For many this is a huge appeal to reduce the 'stress' of moving home.

Barton Wyatt's reasons to buy 'new':

• More environmentally friendly than older properties
• Can include the latest in technology and bespoke additions
• No long chains to be caught up in
• Developer incentives and buyer rewards
• Most come with 10 year warranty protection
• Homes built to suit peoples' lives today
• You don't need to renovate to put your 'stamp' on a property, new homes come as a blank canvas

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select golf villas in Spain.

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

Surrey a safe haven for international buyers

2009-10-14T10:38:00.002+01:00

The Wentworth Estate, in the heart of Surrey has long been synonymous with wealth and exclusivity and today it is this distinctive living which has drawn international buyers mainly from Russia, Kazakhstan and South Africa. Bricks and mortar in the UK is deemed to be a safe investment compared to fluctuating oil shares for example, in Russia, on which their economy is dependent. According to James Wyatt, Senior Partner of Surrey estate agency Barton Wyatt, “Wentworth is a secure and safe environment for high profile, wealthy overseas investors which is one of its greatest appeals. For the last 3 years or so, we can count on international buyers making up at least 10% of all sales and predominantly they buy on the Wentworth Estate.

“For the wealthy families, there are exceptional schooling opportunities nearby with many renowned private schools such as Eton College, St George’s Ascot and St John’s Beaumont only a short distance from Wentworth. In addition, there are two international schools, ACS in Egham and TASIS in Thorpe.”

International buyers certainly haven’t been put off by the lack of credit from our troubled banks, nearly all the buyers pay with cash for their luxurious UK pads; properties with asking prices ranging from £3m to £10m or more. The likes of Highgate House currently on the market on the Wentworth Estate with its imposing formal pillars framing the Georgian exterior, 6 bedrooms with walk in dressing rooms and en-suites set in Wentworth’s roomy 1,750 acres will appeal to international buyers and with a price tag of £4,750,000 is an affordable cash purchase.

James continues, “Property features we regularly have requests for, include home security, staff quarters, high ceilings and general high tech gadgets. If their chosen home doesn’t have the immaculate finish they are looking for then there will be no qualms in completely refitting to their standards, despite many of the houses being newly built, complete with £100,000 kitchens”.

Due to supply and demand for this level of house, it seems that despite many of the majority buyers today seeking property bargains and negotiating hard on the asking prices, on the big ticket houses negotiations are frugal with 10% reductions on the prices being achieved at very best.

The Wentworth Estate has it all for international buyers, first of all an international community, the security, close proximity to London, private and international airports, and importantly it offers the size and specification of property that only a £10m cash buyer would expect!

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select golf villas in Spain.

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

Riffa Views draws interest to Bahrain

2009-10-14T10:37:00.002+01:00

The 13th to 15th November 2008 will see top golfing stars descend on the Middle East - as they head to Bahrain for the Riffa Views Invitational. Colin Montgomerie (winner of eight order of merit titles and 31 European Tour wins), Retief Goosen (twice US Open Champion), Michael Campbell (US Open Champion) and Camilo Villegas (twice victorious on the PGA Tour this year) will visit Riffa Views for this exciting Skins competition.

Riffa Views, known as 'the most distinguished residential address in Bahrain' and the first residential golf resort in the island Kingdom, features a Montgomerie-designed 18-hole championship golf course and it is the completion of this that the Invitational celebrates. Playing for a prize of $250,000 for their given charity, the golfers will go head to head to truly test the new course. Montgomerie is quietly confident, having said, "Although I will have some very stiff competition, I will be hoping that my 'local' knowledge of the course will give me a slight edge on the day!" Not only this, but the Invitational will also feature a pro-am with celebrities such as Boris Becker (who has a tennis academy on the site) and Sir Steve Redgrave taking part, adding to the anticipation of this three day event.

The Riffa Views Invitational is just another sign of Bahrain's growth as a desirable market of interest with one of the world's largest real estate advisors, DTZ, recently releasing findings that also adhere to this fact. Their 'Middle East Market Update: Bahrain' highlighted an increase in the number of real estate transactions taking place in the country, with 2008 turnover figures at BD 2,150 million, up 58% on the previous year. Quoted as saying that this is "being fuelled by strong indigenous demand, a relaxation of foreign ownership regulations in certain areas of the country, strong levels of liquidity in the regional market and improving financing options", Bahrain appears to be one Middle Eastern country where interest is still growing and this is being actively encouraged, with this reflected in the property market, unlike some neighbouring Emirates.

With the spotlight firmly on Bahrain, and foreign interest not abating, more and more people are looking to invest in the property market in this politically mild country, and Riffa Views itself offers an excellent opportunity for this. As James Wyatt, partner of Barton Wyatt, explains why a golf property of this kind can be a good investment,

"When looking to buy a second home or an investment property abroad, golf properties are always a secure investment choice. Not only is golf a growing sport with more and more people now looking to play at courses overseas, golf courses also often come with additional facilities that increase their appeal as excellent long term investments choices. Riffa Views, Bahrain's first development of this kind, is proving to be an exciting option for those looking to invest in the growing golf market and with events like the Riffa Views Invitational now taking place and a Colin Montgomerie-designed championship course, interest in the development is set to increase further still".

This exclusive residential development comprises of 870 luxury villas set around Colin Montgomerie's championship golf course, and a choice of 2 to 5 bedroom townhouses and villas are available. To play on the same course as the stars, Riffa Views property prices start at £260,000/ €342,200 through to £1,800,000/ €2,300,100.

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select golf villas in Spain.

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

F1 could see investor interest in Bahrain property surge

2009-10-14T10:35:00.000+01:00

Article from propertyindex.com:

The level of buyer interest in investment property in Bahrain could increase as the nation's economy looks set to benefit when FIA Formula 1 heads to the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir for the fourth race of the season.

FIA Formula 1 is big business and despite the current global economic situation, this year's season is no exception. On 26th April, as one of the host nations, the Middle Eastern Kingdom of Bahrain will enjoy its turn in the global spotlight when the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix is held at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC). The organisers of the Bahrain Grand Prix are striving to ensure that this year's race meets the high level of expectation.
"Over the years fans of Formula One have come to expect so much more from the Bahrain International Circuit and this year we promise to make it the most entertaining, biggest and best yet," recently commented the BIC chief operating officer, Sheikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa.
Authorities are expecting high numbers of visitors to attend the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix this year – even more than last year's spectatorship which exceeded 100,000.
The Kingdom of Bahrain is set to reap the rewards of staging the event in terms of tourism generated revenue. An independent study commissioned by Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company has reported that Bahrain has benefited by nearly $2 billion from five years of Formula 1, with $600 million entering the economy during last year's event alone.
According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, an estimated $4.6 billion is generated annually for Bahrain by tourism; therefore it's clear that events such as the Formula 1 Grand Prix are of real economic importance.
Bahrain also views itself as a regional business hub with many international companies including Microsoft, Kraft, Ernst & Young and Standard Chartered Bank already calling it home.
"Our position as the most established financial centre in the Gulf makes us better placed than many others to weather the current economic climate. We have adopted a very sound fiscal and monetary approach which will help to maintain our platform for growth," recently commented Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa, the chief executive of the Kingdom's Economic Development Board (EDB).
"The Bahrain F1 Grand Prix will once again showcase the Kingdom's attractive business environment for companies looking to access the MENA region. Its strategic location as the gateway to the Gulf, low cost of doing business, strong and highly regarded regulation and minimal red-tape allowing 100% ownership of business assets and real estate - with no corporate or personal income taxes - will continue to attract investment."
Positive economic and tourism indicators are key factors for a successful domestic property market and the Kingdom of Bahrain is bucking the global trend somewhat with a Bahrain Stock Exchange report recently revealing that local property trade last year increased by 18% compared to 2007.
Prospects for this year look similarly encouraging, with government-backed projects such as the $370 million expansion of the Bahrain International Airport approved in order to further boost tourism and leisure-based developments.
One such leisure-based development available for investment is the first residential golf resort in Bahrain, Riffa Views.
Set around a Colin Montgomerie designed 18-hole championship golf course, Riffa Views comprises 870 two to five bedroom luxury villas with custom finishes and upgrades available.
Resort facilities available include a Boris Becker tennis academy, international school, health centre, a country club, community centres, comprehensive sports and outdoor leisure activities for families and children, including hiking and bike trails, water sports, as well as a shopping mall and fun land for children.
This development is proving a popular permanent residence with expatriate workers based in Bahrain but also other GCC and Western holidaymakers as well as golf enthusiasts.
"I have visited Bahrain a number of times and the appeals are clear to me. A stable economy, global society, superb climate and forward thinking nation, Bahrain really is a leader within the Middle East. Resorts such as Riffa Views are setting a new standard in residential golf developments and the lifestyle on offer is second to none," says James Wyatt, the managing partner of international golf property specialists, Barton Wyatt International.
"Indicators show that expatriates in Bahrain and the UAE for that matter are still interested in purchasing property with excess income and therefore the local market is looking robust. Purchasing in Bahrain as a pure investment or indeed as a vacation or buy to let property (ideal in meeting the demand for accommodation around the Bahrain Grand Prix) still has merit and in my opinion Riffa Views is one of the best choices available."

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select golf villas in Spain.

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

New directory

2009-10-11T22:14:00.000+01:00

NM Real Estates - International Property Listings, Classified Directory - NM Real Estates is a human-edited Property listing website featuring real estate web directory. NM Real Estates is easily searchable, user friendly, listing properties and spam-free web sites, organized in categories.

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select golf villas in Spain.

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000

Lean, Mean and Green

2009-09-29T14:03:00.001+01:00

Even in an economic downturn, golf property tends to hold its value – and its rental potential. Roderick Easdale finds out why...

“Golf properties are always a good investment,” believes Ian Cunningham of escapes2.com. “In difficult times they hold their value better than other properties and in the longer term will always see a good return because a golf course ensures open views and low-density construction.” For this reason golf properties are also popular with non-golfers - James Wyatt of Barton Wyatt International says that 70% of the buyers of its golf properties aren’t golfers.

The non-golfer resident is also attracted by the ready-made sense of community a golf development brings, with focal points such as bars, restaurants and other leisure activities on site; and to the non-playing investor the allure is the rental opportunities - the golf season is normally longer than the holiday one. “We have examples where 40 weeks’ occupation and more, year in year out are possible. Portugal in particular is exceptionally strong in this respect,” says James Wyatt. Indeed many new-build golf properties now come with rental guarantees for the early years.

Key to renting your golf property is the attractiveness of the golf offering. For those who don’t play this can be tricky to gauge. One simple solution is to pick places where golfers are expected to go. Last November KPMG Golf Advisory Practice’s Golf Travel Insight Report declared that Portugal and Spain followed by Turkey and Dubai are golf tourism’s future hotspots.

Because of a change in Spanish law that stops residential property being built on new golf courses, Adam Gale, MD of Duchy Estates on the Costa del Sol, reckons that “when the market picks up again, Spanish golf property will ultimately be an endangered species. With the deals to be had on properties below one million euros, this really is the target area for the serious long-term investor.”

James Wyatt says this situation does not just apply to Spain: “In most markets, non golf property is very widely available and the second-hand market over saturated, so any exit strategy is likely to be difficult. Golf property is in more limited supply so it can offer a very good investment in terms of capital appreciation and rental returns.”

Barton Wyatt estate agents Surrey provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select golf villas in Spain.

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt International based in Wentworth, Virginia Water. Tel: 01344 843000

Test

2009-03-10T21:32:00.001Z

Letting Agents in Surrey

Riffa Views draws interest to Bahrain

2009-02-19T22:23:00.001Z

The 13th to 15th November 2008 will see top golfing stars descend on the Middle East - as they head to Bahrain for the Riffa Views Invitational. Colin Montgomerie (winner of eight order of merit titles and 31 European Tour wins), Retief Goosen (twice US Open Champion), Michael Campbell (US Open Champion) and Camilo Villegas (twice victorious on the PGA Tour this year) will visit Riffa Views for this exciting Skins competition.

Riffa Views, known as 'the most distinguished residential address in Bahrain' and the first residential golf resort in the island Kingdom, features a Montgomerie-designed 18-hole championship golf course and it is the completion of this that the Invitational celebrates. Playing for a prize of $250,000 for their given charity, the golfers will go head to head to truly test the new course. Montgomerie is quietly confident, having said, "Although I will have some very stiff competition, I will be hoping that my 'local' knowledge of the course will give me a slight edge on the day!" Not only this, but the Invitational will also feature a pro-am with celebrities such as Boris Becker (who has a tennis academy on the site) and Sir Steve Redgrave taking part, adding to the anticipation of this three day event.

The Riffa Views Invitational is just another sign of Bahrain's growth as a desirable market of interest with one of the world's largest real estate advisors, DTZ, recently releasing findings that also adhere to this fact. Their 'Middle East Market Update: Bahrain' highlighted an increase in the number of real estate transactions taking place in the country, with 2008 turnover figures at BD 2,150 million, up 58% on the previous year. Quoted as saying that this is "being fuelled by strong indigenous demand, a relaxation of foreign ownership regulations in certain areas of the country, strong levels of liquidity in the regional market and improving financing options", Bahrain appears to be one Middle Eastern country where interest is still growing and this is being actively encouraged, with this reflected in the property market, unlike some neighbouring Emirates.

With the spotlight firmly on Bahrain, and foreign interest not abating, more and more people are looking to invest in the property market in this politically mild country, and Riffa Views itself offers an excellent opportunity for this. As James Wyatt, partner of Barton Wyatt, explains why a golf property of this kind can be a good investment,

"When looking to buy a second home or an investment property abroad, golf properties are always a secure investment choice. Not only is golf a growing sport with more and more people now looking to play at courses overseas, golf courses also often come with additional facilities that increase their appeal as excellent long term investments choices. Riffa Views, Bahrain's first development of this kind, is proving to be an exciting option for those looking to invest in the growing golf market and with events like the Riffa Views Invitational now taking place and a Colin Montgomerie-designed championship course, interest in the development is set to increase further still".

This exclusive residential development comprises of 870 luxury villas set around Colin Montgomerie's championship golf course, and a choice of 2 to 5 bedroom townhouses and villas are available. To play on the same course as the stars, Riffa Views property prices start at £260,000/ €342,200 through to £1,800,000/ €2,300,100.

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Bahrain and select Overseas Property For Sale.

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt International based in Wentworth, Virginia Water. Tel: 01344 843000

Barton Wyatt Win Awards again!

2008-11-06T10:51:00.002Z

It was the turn of the best players in the UK property market to shine as the results of the world’s biggest property competition were announced on Friday night (October 31st).

It’s imperative that, to succeed in such a highly competitive industry, estate agents, developers and others involved in the property business are naturally competitive. This desire to be the best has been channelled by a large number of professionals entering the Daily Mail UK Property Awards in association with Yamaha.

As with all competitions there are only a select number of winners and these were revealed at a gala presentation dinner at The Royal Lancaster Hotel in London. The turn out was tremendous with 400 guests who had travelled from as far a field as Scotland and Northern Ireland and, indeed, from all corners of the UK. Presenter for the evening was the former BBC Royal Correspondent Jennie Bond.

Barton Wyatt – the renown Virginia Water Estate Agents won the title of Best Surrey Estate Agent for an unprecedented third year in a row. They also scooped the award for Best UK Estate Agents website.

James Wyatt commented “every team member at Barton Wyatt works so hard to service our clients in a way that none of our competitors could hope to emulate. This award is for my team really. We constantly innovate, we improve and we succeed. But at the end of the day, it all down to wonderful staff doing a truly great job and I am delighted that Barton Wyatt have again been recognised as one of the UK’s best Estate Agents”.

The Daily Mail UK Property Awards are part of the globally respected International Property Awards, which have been running for 14 years. Due to their continual growth in size and standing, a series of other programmes for specific countries have also been launched. The Daily Mail UK Awards were introduced four years ago and these were joined more recently by individual programmes for the Arabian, Asia Pacific, European, African and Americas Property Awards. The result is that a staggering 95 different countries are represented within this year’s entries – almost twice as many as in 2007.

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select golf villas in Spain.

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt International based in Wentworth, Virginia Water. Tel: 01344 843000

James Wyatt at the NAEA International Forum 2008

2008-11-04T14:56:00.003Z

DRAGON BREATHES FIRE INTO THIS YEARS INTERNATIONAL FORUM
30 / Oct / 2008

James Caan, Sue Hayward and Michael Saunders were just some of the key speakers to attend this year’s highly acclaimed International Forum ‘Staying Profitable in a Challenging Market’ held by the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA), which was a show stopping success this year.
The main attraction of this exciting event was celebrity guest speaker James Caan, from BBC’s Dragon’s Den who discussed the ways to stay profitable in a challenging market.
James explained ways to make the most of a difficult market place using his personal experience as a successful businessman. He proved very popular with attendees as he provided an excellent insight into ways to improve their business in the current market.
The fifth in a series of international forums was held at the luxurious 5 star Renaissance Chancery Hotel in London. The event, which was sponsored solely by Foreign Currency Direct had over 100 leaders in international property attend, providing them with the opportunity to listen to a number of property experts give an insight on ‘Staying Profitable in a Challenging Market’.
Other guest speakers included; Sue Hayward, TV presenter and journalist, who discussed marketing properties within the media; Peter Bolton King, Chief Executive of the NAEA, gave a preview talk on the much anticipated Property Portal ‘Property Live’ and Michael Saunders, Top US property expert, flew especially from America to discuss how to expand ones horizons through effective networking. Other topics included staying on the right side of the law and the current Spanish initiative from the government to underpin the building industry. The day was split up with a buffet lunch and the forum was rounded off with a cocktail party, which provided opportunities for delegates and speakers to meet. Delegates received an action packed day allowing then to obtain useful information.

Delegate, James Wyatt of Barton Wyatt International, comments: “This was by far the best NAEA conference I have ever been to. There was a fantastic range of speakers, from different counties, who shared a lot of knowledge on the current market. With the present situation of the market, a number of property professionals are feeling the pinch, however this day was insightful and many left feeling positive.”

Peter Bolton King, Chief Executive of the NAEA, says: “The International Forum was an astounding success, with a great turn out and a well-informed picture of the international property market from a mix of property experts. The event provided the perfect opportunity for the NAEA to unveil its plans for Property Live, the Associations new Property Portal.”Stephan Hughes, Associate Director at Foreign Currency Direct, concludes: “It was a pleasure for us to be the sole sponsors this year. The day was a major success and everyone left content with the set up of the day and information provided. In this difficult market, it is useful to gain insider knowledge as this helps maintain sales and opens doors to other opportunities presented in the overseas market.”

Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select golf villas in Spain.

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt International based in Wentworth, Virginia Water. Tel: 01344 843000

James Wyatt is the property millionaire in this interview with globaledge.com

2008-10-22T15:39:00.004+01:00

This week we talk to James Wyatt, a partner at Barton Wyatt, an award-winning estate agent in Virginia Water, the UK’s most expensive postcode outside of London.
To help our readers come up with ideas for future projects, we gave James £25k, £100k and £1 million to invest anywhere in the world with the objective of maximizing return over a five-year period.
Ashley Rigg: Hi James, thanks for talking to me today. How’s business at the moment?
James Wyatt: It was good until the stock market fallout a few weeks ago. It’s like someone has turned the lights out. Having said that, we’ve still got clients on our books actively looking for £20-million to £40-million properties. Property stock is very tightly controlled around here so turnover is low.
AR: Well I’m afraid that the money I have to offer you today pales in comparison, and to make matters worse it’s fictional! Let’s start things off with £25k. Where would you invest it to maximize my return?
JW: I’m going to go for Portugal. We have lots of clients interested in buying there because of our golf connections (the Barton Wyatt office is near Wentworth).
AR: Why Portugal in particular?
JW: It’s convenient, there are lots of flights to Faro from the UK, it’s not had the same kind of boom-and-bust and over-construction issues as Spain and I think there are areas that still offer value. For £25k I’d buy something in the hills behind the Algarve, about 30 to 45 minutes’ drive from the golf courses towards the coast.
AR: What can you get for your money?
JW: I think you could get a dilapidated farm building for that price with maybe up to half an acre of land. You’d have to spend that again to re-furbish it, more if you want a pool. You could sell it for £100k-125k after a year or two. A very tidy profit.
AR: Thanks James. Let’s add another £75k into the mix. Where would you invest £100k?
JW: The Middle East looks very attractive at the moment, relative to the rest of the world. It’s somewhat out of the loop from the current financial troubles due to its natural wealth and resources.
AR: Would you invest the money in Dubai?
JW: Probably not. I think there is better value in the neighbouring Emirates of Sharjah and Ras Al-Khaimah. The traffic in Dubai is a nightmare and you can often get from Dubai airport to Sharjah and Ras Al-Khaimah quicker than you can to Jebel Ali or even Jumeirah. Both are on the coast and are a lot quieter. The shopping is not as good, but they are playing catch-up and the great thing is they are learning from Dubai’s mistakes.
AR: Is there a risk of over-supply in the UAE?
JW: I used to think that, but there is just so much demand. In Dubai over the last couple of years, rents have more than doubled and the government has had to cap rent increases. There seems to be more and more international companies relocating there all the time. I think the boom still has a few years to run yet.
AR: What would you get for your money?
JW: You’d be looking at a one-bed flat for £100k. A two-bed would cost around £140k if you wanted to gear your investment.
AR: Anywhere else you’d consider investing?
JW: I’d also put money into Bahrain. Dubai is the commercial centre of the Middle East for most industries but Bahrain is the financial centre. It’s managed to capture that niche and it’s a pretty good one to capture. It’s also stable politically and I believe it offers good long-term investment prospects.
AR: Right, let’s make it interesting. Let’s put £1 million in the pot.
JW: Ooh, with that amount of money, I’d be tempted to put it in the bank and wait for some good deals in the UK market. There are some good developers in financial trouble and there will be some great deals to be had if you have the money.
AR: Cash is king, isn’t it? What if you had to invest right now?
JW: I’d put the money into Florida. I think the market is at or around the bottom. I bought there recently when you could get two dollars to the pound but there are still some great deals to be done.
AR: Anywhere in particular take your fancy?
JW: It’s all about location. I know people that have been burnt in Florida, buying at the peak of the boom in less sought-after locations. Personally, I like West Palm Beach, just north of Miami. It’s a retirement market but it’s smart Florida. You can get some real bargains at the moment. For example, you can get a 5,000-square-foot apartment with a pool for US$700,000 (£406,000). In Virginia Water, it would cost you £2.5 million for something similar.
AR: What would you do with the rest of the money?
JW: I’d go for Florida again but probably invest in Sarasota. It’s very much the capital of culture, with great opera and theatre. Some developers there will sell at up to 50% discounts. Many of them just need the money coming through the door. For US$1 million (£580,000) you could you get a 3,500- to 4,000-square-foot house in a smart location such as the Founders Club which will appreciate significantly in the coming years. Alternatively, there are more central locations where key-ready homes are available for around $200,000 (£116,000). In both West Palm Beach and Sarasota there is good rental demand and over five years I believe that you can make a significant return on investment and, of course, enjoy the lifestyle of the Sunshine state.
AR: Thanks James. Great talking to you.
JW: You’re welcome. Hopefully speak to you again soon.
About Barton Wyatt. Barton Wyatt is a third generation business in Virginia Water, Surrey selling and letting property in the UK and selling new homes on golf resorts around the World.Awards in 2007 included CNBC World top 5 Real Estate Agent, Daily Mail UK’s Best Estate Agent and Best UK International Estate Agent.In 2008 Barton Wyatt are again a Daily Mail award winner.

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt International based in Wentworth, Virginia Water. Tel: 01344 843000

2008-10-22T15:31:00.001+01:00

Agent particulars: James Wyatt, Virginia Water, Surrey
Last Updated: 12:01am GMT 22/02/2003 - Daily Telegraph.
'I have had two new houses in the past five years, both built by the same developer, but this is the first I've had built for myself. It's the big move if you like: we're jumping up into a large, family house, although, by Virginia Water's standards, I'd say it's actually quite modest.

James Wyatt: he is building a large, family house
"We've one daughter, Victoria, who is two and Jane, my wife, is pregnant again, so it's the right time to do this. I knew exactly what sort of property I wanted. It's what is referred to as a railway carriage house, long and thin. The living-room, dining-room, kitchen, breakfast room and family room are all along the back with the view of the garden, and the other two reception rooms, which aren't quite so important - the study and the telly room - are on the front.
"The chap who developed Virginia Water from its humble beginnings was called W G Tarrant, a very brave developer, who was continually going bust. He started building houses in West Byfleet. Then he bought St George's Hill in Weybridge and developed that and then, in 1921, he developed the Wentworth Estate.
"As it happens, his office is where mine is now. His drawings are on the wall here and his typical Surrey vernacular, tile-hung house was often the railway-carriage design. These days people don't build weedy, thin houses, they prefer bigger houses on smaller plots, but I like them.
"I've never thought of any of the places we've lived in would be a home for very long. But I've a feeling this new house is going to be different because it's been a product of love and enormous involvement. From when we married, in 1994, we've kept moving, up until now, every two years. After we moved the first time I thought: well, this is a good way to get up the property ladder, buying the right thing and then fairly quickly moving on. And that's what we've done, though the actual business of moving is ghastly.
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"Put a price on this property? Let's say that to buy the plot and build the house was getting on for one and a half million. And I suppose you could now say it's worth one and three quarter million so, yes, I'm going to make a little bit out of it.
"Estate agency is not a game where you make lots of money. All we do is take a commission and at the end of the year there's a profit. But one of the ways you can build up your capital is through building your own house and it's tax free, and that's the angle."
James Wyatt is a partner with brother Rupert in Barton Wyatt, Station Approach, Virginia Water, Surrey.

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt International based in Wentworth, Virginia Water. Tel: 01344 843000

Ultimate Golf Directory

2008-08-18T19:59:00.000+01:00

Golf Course Homes at Ultimate Golf Directory.

James Wyatt explores the hidden Costa in Spain

2008-08-04T20:44:00.001+01:00

The Spanish coast runs perfectly from North to South, and I usually get stuck in Barcelona, not really very far from the French border. Gaudi’s heady mix of architechure combined with stunnning people watching makes for a city that takes your breathe away – and eyes, ears, head. The lot. You absolutely have to see it to believe it.

Little known though is Barcelona’s southern airport Reus, which rather like Londons Stansted airport, is actually a long way from its supposed ‘local’ city. This is a bonus in Reus’s case. Not only is Reus a nice little place to pick up some last minute typical Spanish food and nick-nacs to take home, it is truly the best gateway to the unknown Costa Azahar – some miles south.

Many years ago, the Spanish equivilant of our airport authority, started opening military airport bases for civilian activities. In time, these have become passenger airports. The Costas are neatly covered with an airport at neat intervals. Except in Castellon. This spot between Barcelona and Valencia has no airport at all. Reus, some way south of Barcelona has bought the distance down a bit, but there is still a yawning gap on the map. Hence this is an area that has very few Brits buying property, as it is a good hour from the airport (Reus one way, and a bit longer to Valencia). If you want the real Spain, this can be a great bonus. Known as the ‘Orange Blossom Coast’, this 70 mile stretch of coast will be shaken up in 2010 by the opening of the new airport at Vilnova. Given approval recently by the Madrid Government, the airport will initially open with a modest 2,700 metre runway which is long enough for some EasyJet and Ryanair type jets, but there is permission for a huge extension of a further 4,000 metres which will allow intercontinental planes to use the airport. And yet the whole areas is easily accessed top to bottom by the marvellous AP7 motorway which will take you north to France in a couple of hours or south to the booming City of Valencia in just over an hour. Valencia has held the Americas Cup recently and will repeat that extravaganza shortly. It will also host a round the roads Formula 1 race on the 24^th August.

For now, this remains one of the few coastal strips in Spain where buying property – even in a rotten market – can only be good in the long run. The area is rich in history, has a low cost of living, and is wonderful for fabulous beaches whether you want to keep your clothes on or take then off!

A recent visit had me in film land. Peniscola is where El Cid was filmed. It is a pretty headland and surrounded by orange and olive groves and endless fig trees – which makes it about as Spanish as you can get in surroundings. The backdrop of the dramatic mountains gives the perfect frame to encapsulate the whole picture. Not far away is the picture postcard hilltop town of Morella, clearly a Virginia Water honeymoon destination as I know of at least houses of the same name. The castle at the top of the hill has dramatic views which at over 1000m high, I suppose it should.

I should also mention Benicarlo and Vinaros in passing. Both have something for everyone and in particular have a great Spanish feel.

In Sant Jordi, the enormous Aldea Golf at Nova Panoramica resort has one of the best local golf courses. The approach is dramatic, with the road widing up and crossing an ancient gorge. The course is designed by Berhard Langer (his only course in Spain) and run by the posh Sotogrande group. This is a 600 acre facility used for training by professionals, and yet is friendly enough for golfing fools like me. This is where Bancaja Habitat are constructing 1, 2, and 3 bed homes which are ideal as holiday homes or for an investment. Prices are incredibly reasonable – from £92,500 to £145,000. I was very impressed with the lifestyle too – an great clubhouse where you can buy the latest gear and then have a wonderful meal of the highest quality whilst overlooking the golf course with its dramatic mountainous backdrop. The shopping mall will provide everything for day to day needs although the local towns are well worth visiting. The professional golf players on site are brilliant – they should be, having had all sorts of well known pro’s visit to use the top class practise facilities – it isn’t often that you get to practise off grass rather than mats.

I could have quite happily stayed at Aldea Golf resort, but it’s always good to try other local courses, and there are a couple. Club de Golf Costa Azahar and Club Campo del Mediterraneo nearby will give a good work-out.

This is a great spot for the kids too with miles of empty and stunning beaches and if you need a theme park fix, Port Aventura up the road is a Spanish attempt at Disneyland.

This is an area beloved by the Spanish – and for good reasons too – there aren’t many Brits! Take a look before it changes too much.

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt International based in Wentworth, Virginia Water. Tel: 01344 843000

Florida Golf Property

2008-07-07T22:01:00.003+01:00

Florida Golf Property

With over 60 million people visiting Florida each year, it is not surprising that the ‘Sunshine State’ is the world’s favourite holiday destination. Florida’s centre has the highest concentration of amusement parks anywhere in the world, but with its large number of golf courses and more than 100 natural lakes, it is easy for residents and visitors to distract themselves from the hustle and bustle of Disney World et al.

All year around year, the keen golfers will find the golf courses in South Florida open and challenging. Usually half the year (May to October) the golf courses are hardly ever crowded. So you can pick your tee time and be assured of a leisurely round.

Also, many of the private courses are open to the public during these months. Throughout Florida there are more than 1,000 courses available catering to every level of player.

Barton Wyatt offers luxury golf property in Florida; especially at Reunion Resort:

Located on 2,300 acres of rolling terrain, 25 minutes southwest of Orlando, Reunion Resort & Club of Orlando is often described as "a new breed of family Resort". You will enjoy an unprecedented complete lifestyle, with engaging activities and luxury for the entire family. The epic vision begins with three signature golf courses from renowned designers Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus. Reunion owners and members can also choose from an array of amenities including two grand resort clubhouses, tennis courts and a superb spa and fitness centre. The Villas Condominiums are located within walking distance to Reunion’s Water Park, the shops and restaurants at Reunion Square. As it continues to grow, this area of Reunion will truly be the HUB of activity. All Villa units are 3-bedroom 3-bath condominiums. With the exchange rate at 2.02 (the highest since July 1981) this is an amazing time to get involved! For a limited time only, if you purchase a condo in The Villas at Reunion Square, Ginn Reunion will lease back the unit for two years at $5,000 a month! This is guaranteed income for two whole years while the property continues to mature - with virtually no money out of pocket!!! Contact us for more details.

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt International based in Wentworth, Virginia Water. Tel: 01344 843000

Diary of an International Estate Agent - Viva Las Vegas

2008-06-27T18:35:00.002+01:00

Dreaming of huge wins on the roulette tables and life changing poker hands, about 50 UK agents were delegates at the American National Association of Realtors (NAR) annual convention – this year in Las Vegas, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the NAR.

‘Sin City’ and ‘Estate Agents’ don’t make very good bedfellows, but with some 30,000 delegates from all over the World, the NAR has to use towns with gazillions of hotel beds and very large convention centres. Las Vegas fits the bill perfectly. A convention of this size is considered quite small in the US. Welcome to American where bigger very definitely means better (to them anyway).

A day on the plane, 4,500 miles and 8 time zones later, Las Vegas hits you like an over-excited teenager. Everything is in your face – constantly, coaxing you to play 24 hours a day. Sleep seems an irrelevant nuisance.

It’s been 10 years since I last visited, and the City has changed out of all recognition. Not much remains as I remember it. The New York New York hotel which I saw being constructed is billed as being reopened, after remodeling, refitted and updating – in just 10 years. Las Vegas comes to life at night with all the incredible lights and displays of erupting volcanoes, dancing fountains and so on. During the day, it looks tired and a bit miserable, like most of the people walking the streets after a long night getting smashed and losing their shirt on the roulette tables or mesmeric fruit machines.

There was great excitement within hours of arriving. The Stardust hotel was to be blown up that night, (to make way for another new 5,000 room hotel). Not something you see every day, so we struggled through to 2am to see and hear the quite incredibly loud firework display – clearly noise isn’t a problem given that everyone is still awake! – followed by a dramatic countdown and the explosion itself.

The building collapsed like the proverbial pack of cards just 200 metres away from us and we were soon engulfed by the cloud dust that raced towards us rather like the TV footage of 9/11, fortunately without the tragedy.

Gondolas in Vegas!
The Sands convention centre adjoins the Venetian Hotel, which, as the name suggests, take its cue from the watery Italian City. I’ve never seen roulette tables in Venice, but this hotel has genuine Venetian gondolas with real Italian gondoliers who, with a wistful sigh, will sing ‘O sole mio’ or “the Cornetto song” as you might know it!

My hotel is next to the convention centre but it still takes a 15 minute walk to get to the conference. The UK attendees who made the trip this year were given an endless list of lectures and talks to attend. Whilst the American way of selling property differs from ours, there are many common factors.

We speak the same language which helps, and we want to make money too, as well as sharing business tips, leadership skills amongst other matters.

Building international relations
On Tuesday evening, the NAEA, together with our friends from similar associations in New Zealand and Australia, held a drinks party as they had done last year in New Orleans. Last year’s success had clearly filtered back amongst other associations as there were infiltrators from Holland, France, South Africa, Spain and even a chap from Argentina. National flags adorned the walls, with top marks going to Peter Bolton King for noticing that the Union Jack was upside down. He must have paid attention in cub scouts.

Another early start the next morning. My cheap hotel corridor is strewn with hundreds of calling cards offering all manner of pastimes all for the same curious price of sixty nine dollars. The discount beer bar is still doing a roaring trade in the casino, and the tables are full of glazed-eyed punters. It is 7.30am.

One of the great attractions of NAR is the well organised networking opportunities with specific countries. There is particularly good representation from South America and the Caribbean in the International 2nd Home and Resort Pavilion and they are overly keen to do business without realising that the UK market for high rise apartments in the kidnapping quarter of Bogota is limited.

The Expo is vast. Row after row of stands offering everything from cheesy business cards with your photo on to supposedly high-tech ‘for sale’ boards illuminated by a couple of torches.

There are plenty of competitions to enter with prizes including holidays, Cadillac cars and Las Vegas sized piles of cash. Celebrities too. Sugar Ray Leonard, the ex world Champion and Olympic champion boxer made an appearance, although what for, and what the connection was with NAR remains a mystery.

Peter Knight of Phoenix plc has become something of a regular speaker at the NAR conventions, and this year his talk on ‘Profiting from International Sales’ had him on stage belting out an enthralling talk like a well rehearsed Elvis stage show for an hour and a half.

NAEA Chief Executive honoured
Later that day, old timer Bill Cosby took the stage in front of 6,000 delegates to keep us all amused before the International evening black tie dinner. Attended by several hundred, including our President Stewart Lilly and NAEA International chairman Ian Tonge, the highlight of the evening was a special award as an Honorary CIPS Designee presented to Peter Bolton King by the NAR for his fantastic efforts in promoting business links between our associations.

John Mike (a long term friend of the NAEA) who as the NAR’s presidential liaison officer to the UK was similarly recognised. The dancing to a great live band went on late into the night.The next NAR convention is in Orlando in November this year. Details from www.realtor.org Tickets go on sale first week in May.

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt International based in Wentworth, Virginia Water. Tel: 01344 843000

The Diary of a Global Estate Agent - Air travel, guilt free

2008-06-27T18:22:00.002+01:00

Chapter 8
Carbon emissions are big news at the moment. There seems to be a story in the papers every other day about some royal flying off here or there to pick up an eco award. Recently there have been threats to increase the tax paid by frequent flyers, as if last years hike in ‘departure’ tax wasn’t bad enough.

It is a growing irritation for the likes of me and thousands of Brits who choose to live or holiday abroad. Now there is no way I will stop flying either on business or for pleasure, so I’m getting into carbon offset payments. It’s guilt money I suppose. I fly, I pay, and someone plants a few
trees or something. So everything’s OK then! The Government approved Pure Trust helps me travel completely guilt free. So off I went to Pisa.

Wednesday
This is a day trip, but with business out of the way, I make time to skip up to the top of the leaning tower. A uniquely disastrous Italian building job. Quite why it hasn’t fallen over is anyone’s guess, but British engineers have in recent years managed to tilt it back a bit, and it supposedly has another 300 years left in it.

There’s not much else in Pisa, so I drive over to nearby Lucca for lunch. It’s a lovely little Roman walled city with lots of oddities such as the 150 foot tall Torre dei Guinigi with fully grown oak trees at the top.

Thursday and Friday
In Brussels for a meeting of Agents selling Pueblo Don Thomas (PDT) in La Gomera, Canary Islands. PDT is headed up by the lovely Brigitte Gypen. Agents from Holland, Belgium, Spain, Germany as well as Dominik Haendly from Chestertons in London (and me!) meet up at the Airport Crown Plaza hotel to collaborate on ideas to boost sales.

La Gomera is a volcanic speck of an island next to Tenerife in the Canary Islands. It is a wonderful scenic place. Small, no traffic, few tourists, a simple way of life. It’s even got a rain forest. Problem is that it takes a while to get there. 4 hour flight, then ferry, then taxi, or flight and private plane hop, or of course private plane all the way! There is also the small issue of price. These properties start at €400,000 and head on up to over €1m.

The resort overlooks a picture postcard pretty golf course sloping down to the cliffs with a view of the ocean from every hole. It is owned by Norwegian shipping tycoon Fred Olsen who has significant shipping interests in the Canary Islands.

Personally, I can rave about La Gomera as an Island – but it gets tainted with the Tenerife ‘fish & chips & 10 pints of lager’ brush. We share ideas with each other and discuss different marketing methods. It is amazingly useful and very interesting to hear of the variety of marketing methods used around Europe (ours are far superior!). Tongues and ideas loosen during lunch as the wine does its trick. All too soon the call of the evening dinner party I have to get to makes me run for the airport.

Monday
The totally awful rain and hurricane type gusting wind on the drive to Gatwick remind me of one of the few perks in the job – it will soon undoubtedly be sunny and warm where I am headed to. Get to Almeria in Spain. Bummer, it’s cloudy and windy.

The lunar landscape of the Parque Natural Cabo de Gata in this area has a stark beauty about it with smooth wavy rock forms have silver green hues and pale copper bands. Good enough for John Wayne to have used it for some of his dreadful cowboy films. In contrast the craggy coastline has a wildness about it that belies the fact that this is a tourist area. Johnny Depp and his Pirates of the Caribbean filmed here.

45 minutes up the coast and I’m at Playa Macenas, a new golf, hotel, beachfront resort near Mojacar. New beachfront golf is unusual which makes this development special. It’s well under way and the first occupiers will be in later next year. There is also a large beachfront hotel being built and a smart Clubhouse. The beach itself is shortly to undergo a bit of Michael Jackson type surgery. The sand is too dark apparently, so the local council is importing white sand from Saudi Arabia! After a stomach churning ride around the hilly building site with Sally Tallant of developer MedGroup, we go back to their beachfront offices and take a look at the DVD of the project and to discuss the exhibition we are holding for them.

Back to my hotel which is a reincarnation of Stalag Luft and appears to have been built in the 1960s. Then I spot the foundation stone: built 2001. Terrifyingly awful all round.

Tuesday
I head off to see Desert Springs golf resort. On the way I pass hundreds of disused cave houses which are part of the scenery in this area from the silver mining days. Staggeringly I also passed a brand new cave house in the middle of construction. Yours, Mr Fred Flintstone for just £60,000. No heating required as your cave will naturally maintain 18 degrees all year round.

Further up the road near Cuevas del Almanzora is a stark reminder of the water issues Spain has. The local dam was finished in 1991 and was the backdrop for the rowing events at the Barcelona Olympics a year later. It is huge – hundreds of metres high. But it is also empty.

Desert Springs is a bit like Disneyland – the buildings don’t quite look real and are painted in incredibly garish colours. Lots of cacti supposedly give the desert feel to this grown-up theme park, and yet the golf course grass is such a vivid colour, they must come out at night to spray it green. With villas in the€500,000 to €1.5m range, this is a resort for the rich. With the airport over an hour away, I’m left wondering about the priceless mantra of ‘location, location, location’.

On my way back to the airport, I stop for a bite to eat in a beach town, only to find that it is a large naturist town – the whole lot! A whole town of people walking around starkers, doing their shopping, sitting at the bar, sunning themselves on the beach. This is suddenly an attractive proposition. Maybe a sandwich and a drink next to a blonde page 3 image of heaven only wearing a pair of high-heels?

Sadly not. It’s too cold, and anyway all the locals are knackered old retired Germans who clothes are very much in evidence today. Might have to revisit though…

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt International based in Wentworth, Virginia Water. Tel: 01344 843000

The Diary of a Global Estate Agent (and a brush with the law)

2008-06-19T22:15:00.000+01:00

Chapter 7
I’ve had a large number of calls and messages from a number of (clearly bored pre-Christmas) Agents wanting to know if they can have my job. On occasions, you are welcome to my alarm clock at 4am. On the other hand, I don’t fancy swapping a nice Caribbean beach (whilst working
naturally) for Preston or Middlesborough. Even though I’m sure they are jolly nice places! I’ve also been asked countless times where I go on holiday what with spending a fair amount of time traveling. Well, you nosey lot, generally anywhere I haven’t been before. I like visiting European cities for short breaks with lots of culture – particularly the unusual Eastern European destinations. Longer holidays are spent with a good book by a pool, and the children in kids club…

2006 was left behind with a crazy trail of 87 flights and over 100,000 miles of travel. Friends
frequently gasp – “you’ll be able to use all those airmiles to take the kids on holiday”. Sadly not, low cost airlines like to reward your patronage with ever less legroom (or am I still growing?) and ever tighter schedules to stick to. Easy winner of last years travel low point was a Stansted to Birmingham diversion at 1am, with my car not very conveniently still at Stansted.

So, New Years Resolution – travel a bit less. Like most New Years resolutions, I found it hard. I became irritable and developed a nervous twitch. 9 days in, I got on a plane to Portugal.

Monday
I’m staying in the pretty fishing town of Tavira in a carbuncle hotel – modern, functional, 4 stars and mine for a laughable £10.19 a night (and that included the taxes!). Breakfast is included too, so after filling up and taking a few bits and bobs for a lunch on the go, I head off down the Algarve coast. A worrying warning light on my titchy little hire car goes on and off all the way to Vilamoura. I meet up with Alan Ellis who is marketing a fab new apartment complex at the Victoria Clube de Golfe where the Portugal Masters will be held on the Arnold Palmer course for the next three years. Posh flats from 500,000 upwards seem good value. A quick dash half an hour down the motorway, and that pesky warning light is now on all the time. It’s red and exactly like the one in my Mercedes which warns you of the imminent death of the engine. Sod it, it’s a hire car and I have a tight schedule. I arrive at Amendoeira Resort being built by Oceanico to see progress. I hadn’t seen this since last August and the golf courses are formed and
building underway. Not much time, so on to a meeting at Parque de Floresta located towards the Eastern end of the Algarve. This established resort is still building new properties after 10 years of gradual development, and there’s plenty to come. A good meeting with Ewa Petersson from their marketing department.

The red warning light gets to me, so I stop at a garage, open the bonnet and stare incomprehensively into the space in front of me. I check the lawn mower engines oil and water, and look for the inevitably missing manual. All seems fine, but it is quite clear that this car is going to expire. It a long way back to the hotel, so top speed all the way. I stop at the airport to moan to Europcar about my pile of trash and the red ‘death’ light. “That car always does that mate! Don’t worry about it”. Quite bizarrely, the red light disappears soon after and never comes back on…

Tuesday
He shouted something Portuguese at me. Clearly the policeman wanted me to step out of the car for a chat. Then he shouted something at me again. What to say? I only know the Portuguese
for “can I have a beer please” which, in my current predicament, wasn’t likely to go down very well. Mobile phone use in the car is a serious offence in Portugal as I was finding out. After an immense amount of paperwork by three police officers and a trip to the cash machine, I’m set free by Mr Grumpy Cop.

The delightful Agnieszka Lutz greets me at the Monte Rei resort. She thinks my 120 fine is good value – it can be up to 600. We drive round the emerging resort and look over the fantastic new Clubhouse which opens soon. Lunch is outside near the beach in the sunshine, which is a contrast
to the weather a home. The Missus calls me to say the hurricane type winds have ripped the roof off our new garden shed. Hey ho – what can I do!

Just over the border into Spain is the Fadesa resort of Costa Esuri. I nip into the vast aircraft hanger sized showroom and then take a look over the resort to check on progress. The Spanish really know how to speed build, no doubt about it.

Wednesday
A night at home, before a morning flight to Murcia in Spain. Originally the land of Oranges, lemons, almonds, artichokes, broccoli, and now the land of cranes, new holiday homes and new golf courses. This is Spain’s latest version of the Wild West.

Our client puts us up at a brand new 5 star Intercontinental Hotel. It is a marked improvement on Monday’s hotel! The bathroom goodies are so good, they’re worth pinching to take home.

Thursday
Our driver for the day is Pepe, who treats his great big people wagon like a racing car. We survive 250 km of macho loony driving and squeeze in seeing 5 Polaris resorts. The price point is incredibly attractive at these resorts. 120,000 buys a 2 bedroom apartment within a golf and
leisure community. I didn’t meet any owners who could moan about any aspect of the development.

Then on to La Manga, now owned by the Spanish company Med Group. This former British owned golf resort has been a favourite winter training destination for years with football clubs, tennis players and cricket teams. Now it is having a spruce up. There’s some interesting investment property for about 400,000 which will interest some of our buyers. Half an hour inland, and we are at Hacienda del Alamo, heavily promoted in the press, and a great spot to end a busy day.

Friday
A beautiful cloudless day, but it’s suddenly turned bitterly freezing cold, and we shiver for an hour on a golf buggy seeing over the resort. The distant mountains provide a wonderful backdrop.

Then on to Lorca resort high in the hills near the town of Lorca. I gather Lorca town worth seeing, but as usual we are chasing the clock. The resort has just started construction, and has a couple of interesting oddities including a miniature bullring and an iron ore mine. Somehow, we have a buyer who specifically wants to buy in this very location so our Agency agreement is quickly concluded!

Cutting it fine, we head back to the airport – my New Years Resolution in tatters…

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt International based in Wentworth, Virginia Water. Tel: 01344 843000

The Diary of a Global Estate Agent

2008-06-19T21:59:00.003+01:00

Most of you don’t know me from Adam, so I’ll put you in the picture very briefly. I started out as an Estate Agent in 1984 working for Mann & Co. in Walton-on-Thames before a short foray into London with Chestertons (to see how the posh lot sold houses). Joining the family firm in 1987, I thought I would sell houses until the cows came home and ate the grass off my grave. How wrong I was – my brother joined the firm and left no space for me as he was a much better salesman. So I became a lettings ‘lady’ and expanded that side of the business. Always wanting a challenge, I restarted the overseas department we had before the UK property crash of 1990.

Monday
I’m on a Gulf Air plane that I boarded yesterday evening, heading for Muscat in Oman. My eyeballs have trouble focusing at 2.30 GMT when breakfast is served. It is 5.30am Oman time,
and we land 90 minutes later. It is exactly 100 degrees already. A blast of hot air as we get off the plane is rather nice – a real reminder that I am somewhere totally different to the rain and coolish weather I left in London.

I’m picked up by my host for the day and she takes me back to their sumptuous house nearby. They are one of our clients and have impeccable royal connections in Oman. Breakfast is served by a servant and I keep quiet about this being the second breakie of the day….well, there was four hours in between the two!

I am in Oman for the day to get a brief overview of the increasingly busy International sales market which is hotting up and likely to boom any minute. Some would say it already is. A business meeting with local experts is followed by several hours touring the amazingly beautiful craggy coastline to see future developments sites in and around Muscat. Then it’s back to the
airport for the quick hop to Dubai where I find my luggage has been lost……

Tuesday
Having driven an hour across the desert to the Sultanate of Ras Al Khaimah last night, I then had to go shopping for a change of clothes for tomorrow and toiletries. I now realise that I should have tried the shirt on. It doesn’t fit and I resemble the Michelin man. Good news is that my bag has been found. First I have a meeting at Al Hamra Village which we are marketing. It is impressive and several showhouses are already completed on the 600 acre resort. The 18 hole golf course is taking shape and the first green shoots of grass are appearing – and this is the desert! After looking over the properties we stop off at the development’s 5* hotel for a drink and giggle at the strangely coloured holiday makers sitting in 110 degree of sun.

Back across the desert and pick up luggage from the airport before dashing to the other site of Dubai for a meeting with Nakheel – you might not know the name but you’ve probably seen The Palm development which they are building.

The site visit was an interesting experience in how to remain looking interested when looking at several miles of sand and nothing else. A painful two hour car trip back to the airport (the traffic in Dubai is dreadful) and a flight on to Bahrain.

Wednesday
I’m staying with friends here and having not seen them for a year, we have a lot of catching up to do. Inevitably, property comes into the conversation. Bahrain, like the rest of the Middle East is going through a manic building race, with it’s eye on the Financial Services Office market. After going through the 200 emails I have, it’s off to the Property Arabia Exhibition. The stands are impressive and I chat to existing clients about their products and reassure them of BW International’s efforts. Bahrain is not a major market for UK buyers and I have to be in my best ‘schmoozing’ mode. It’s not a big exhibition, so I’m finished by mid afternoon and go for a swim. At 5pm we go to a local hotel for a property wine and cheese reception which goes on all evening. Interesting to see that those from other nearby countries where alcohol is banned, seem to be getting a bit giggly!

Thursday
Oh dear, I shouldn’t have had those last 4 glasses. The searing heat makes the situation twice as bad. I travel down to see Riffa Views Golf Resort. This is an unusual development as there is an existing golf course and the development is being built around that. In their wisdom, the planners are actually rebuilding half of the golf course which has hugely upset existing members. Then on to a huge 20 square km land reclamation development called Durrat Al Bahrain which has 12 Islands and 12 miles of beaches. Formula 1 whiz Jenson Button has bought a home there.
Hopefully BW International can work with the developer.

Friday
Spend the day on the plane back to London writing reports and planning next weeks work schedule. I catch a movie and a few zzzz’s. My wife is at Heathrow which is lovely, and we get home half an hour before our four weekend guests arrive. Thank goodness there is a bank holiday on Monday!

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt International based in Wentworth, Virginia Water. Tel: 01344 843000

The Diary of a Global Estate Agent - Florida

2008-06-18T22:36:00.003+01:00

Chapter 6

To take the wife, or not. Take her, or not. Take, not, take, not. It’s a tricky one when you’re going on a business trip which on the face of it looks an attractive proposition to the missus.

I’m off to Florida on the grandly titled ‘NAEA Trade Mission’ which will take us away for a week meeting American Real Estate Agents and developers. Problem is that I’ve never taken the missus away on business. I mean, you don’t take your partner to the office – for a bit of comfort
or whatever – do you? On the other hand the benefits seem attractive. There’s a bird in your bed. The hotel room might stay tidy for once, and I’m unlikely to remain stuck in the bar until they throw me out at 2am.

Downsides are that I won’t be allowed to enjoy myself in the bar until 2am and there’ll certainly be no TV channel flicking fest every morning and evening. Bird in bed and clean hotel room win the day and she comes with me – for a week away from the kids, a week to shop, swim and sunbathe.

Wednesday
Mr Virgin transports us to Orlando during the day and before long we’re at the Hilton Garden Inn. It’s being renovated, so no swimming as the pool’s closed. Sorry love – still, there’s shopping to do. Our (very pleasant) room overlooks something resembling a nuclear research plant – no windows, and all a bit spooky. In the distance, a ride at SeaWorld soars upwards like a modern day church spire – willing us to prayer, except this one just wants you to pay.

The other delegates arrive during the day – our Commander in Chief, Chris Hall, via Amsterdam and somewhere in the North of the US. We all meet up with John Mike who is the NAR’s Presidential Liaison to the UK, who will marshal us around with great authority for the week. The overview of the week ahead doesn’t really take account of wives who might not have come along to work – they’ve got to join in – by order. Sorry love, no shopping either.

Thursday
Early bus to a resort by Pulte Homes. Bucks Fizz welcome – nice touch, before a lengthy talk by the developer. I sell homes on golf resorts, and this isn’t one of those, so I take only a vague interest in the apartments and townhouses. They provide a great lunch though. Then off to picturesque and historic Winter Park, North of Orlando. It must be one of the oldest parts of Florida dating back over a 100 years (gasp). Huge multi million dollar winter holiday homes overlook a number of connected lakes. After bumping into Jim Atkins (ex President of the NAEA) we take a boat ride around a couple of lakes. It rains hard for a while and in the absence of any roof, we all hold aloft a blue plastic sheet to cover us.

Time to speed on, and next stop is the Orlando Regional Realtors Association for a reception. This local Association has more members than the NAEA! Another wonderful spread of nosh and wine. 7 or 8 different nationalities explain how they celebrate Christmas – the Panamanians go totally over the top with ‘courting dancers’ (who looked as though they had just divorced) in traditional costume and a TV crew filming them. For the Brits, Laura Dickinson from UK company Moneycorp (who generously sponsored our coach) handed out mince pies and party
crackers. Cue, for everyone to put a silly hat on for the rest of the proceedings. We finished with
the first of many networking events.

Friday
Boarded coach and were whisked off to a very strange development near Disneyland. So strange that I kept no details for fear of catching something. The polystyrene ceiling tiles were a bad sign – the developer was from Slough, which probably had something to do with it. The cast of salesmen, advisors etc obviously had second jobs with The Addams Family across the road. A very odd bunch. Not interested, Bye-bye.

We escaped and drove to our first star resort of the trip, Reunion, being developed by Ginn who are a huge NYSE 100 company. We were due to see a number of their golf resorts during the week. After a slick introduction, a delicious lunch was served in their clubhouse and we then toured the impressive facility. Beautiful manicured golf course, and a smart selection of homes in all shapes and sizes.

And then on to Bella Collina – a Tuscan inspired development. Another Ginn resort where our home grown Nick Faldo is the course designer. The resort is very much in its infancy – the roads are in and woodland is being cleared, and that’s about it. Apart from a row of eight multi-million dollar showhomes – “Street of Dreams”, all of about 10,000 square feet, overlooking a lake. We are treated to a ‘reception’ (aka – flowing drinks and great nosh) in two of the houses, and carefully watch a large alligator crawling around the rear lawn!

Saturday
Up at 5.30am for our 6.20am coach to get us up to Flagler Beach airport. Ginn are flying us to their Ginn sur Mer resort in Grand Bahama. Their private terminal wouldn’t be out of place of a large house in Golders Green – fireplace and all!

A hop down to West Palm Beach to pick up some others and then just 20 minutes to the development’s private airstrip where they have their own customs house. This multibillion dollar resort is just underway and early investors should make a killing. For now, the deserted beaches covered in conch shells are dreamy. After lunch we all wander down to a nearby beach where a reggae band is playing which gets to the Commander, and he takes off his trousers for a paddle in the sea.

Sunday
Goodbye Orlando. We head South past endless orange groves towards The Palm Beaches and stop off at another Ginn resort – Tesoro, where we meet up with NAEA CEO Peter Bolton-King and his wife Laura. After last night, the ‘welcome’ drink of a Bloody Mary is, well… welcome. More golf to see, more lunch, more houses. It’s a big resort, so they have a helicopter (naturellement) to hand so we can see it more clearly from the air. Our pilot takes us for a spin down to the coast for a bit of dolphin chasing.

After arriving at our Marriot hotel, we are welcomed formally by John Mike and others from the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches, as well as meeting a nice little old lady who turns out to be the local Mayor. Then a networking event where we are outnumbered about 5 to 1. The pace of the ‘networking’ is bewildering – ‘Hi, my name is Randy Yank, here’s my card, can I have yours. Good to meet you. Goodbye’ …Next! A delicious gala dinner follows.

Monday
The Missus is ‘worn out’ and skives off for the day to do some shopping at the giant City Place centre next to the hotel. We’re not seeing any golfing resorts today so I drift along accepting the hospitality and making corny Agent comments –‘very spacious’ and ‘nice high ceilings’ etc etc.

Mid afternoon we stop at the offices of the Realtors Association of the Palm Beach for an excellent lecture on the American multiple listing system, and then move on for the essential late afternoon cocktail party at the Casa Bella development in Boca Raton. Four months ago these 4,500 sq ft houses were selling for $1.2m, but the US market has recently suffered a horrendous crash (they like to say ‘correction’). Some developers are desperate for cash, and we were offered the same house for $750,000 – about £380,000. Five beds, five baths, swimming
pool – amazing value. Fortified by a couple of gin and tonics, our CEO started rounding us up suggesting we all put £25,000 in each to buy one. The cocktails had done their job, and it seemed a jolly good idea. Fortunately, we were herded on to the coach before contracts were agreed.

Tuesday
Big slap-up breakfast at Emerald Dunes where we get transported from one apartment block to another by buggy – it is all of 100 metres. Two hours later at Toll Brothers offices, a huge lunch is on offer….Toll Brothers are a huge US builder and they have some products I could be interested in.

The girls then get their dearest wish, and are granted 2 hours shopping time, whilst the rest of us get to play a bit of golf at the fantastically swish Old Palm Golf Club. Their multi-video computerized training bay shows us all just how bad we really are. The pro spends his time with a look of complete bewilderment on his face. After a quick look at an $8m home (his and hers loos in the ensuite!), we meet up with the shoppers at the clubhouse for a very smart champagne and canapés party.

Back to the hotel before dressing up for the farewell dinner at the Governor’s Club in West Palm Beach. Speeches from both sides and lots of laughter and a great meal.

Wednesday
Time to go home. Spend the morning trying to pack. We’ve picked up an unbelievable amount of gifts, brochures – you name it. Books, dressing gowns, bottle openers, frisbees, pens and pads by the ton. After chucking out what I don’t need, there’s still the small issue of an extra 50kg of luggage…

We have lunch at the incredibly swish Breakers Hotel with Laura from Moneycorp and her boyfriend. Fish and chips and a coke for $50 a head! Over the three hour drive back to Orlando we agree that the trip has been an enormous success. It has been a very full programme, brilliant organised, and we’ve had a lot of fun too. The serious side of the trip is that we have to convert our visit into earning commissions. The hard work will start when we get home.

And I’m pleased I took the Missus. She enjoyed the ‘work’ side of the trip and got to go shopping…

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt International based in Wentworth, Virginia Water. Tel: 01344 843000

The Diary of a Global Estate Agent - New Orleans

2008-06-18T22:19:00.002+01:00

Chapter 5

James Wyatt hits New Orleans – joining 30,000 realtors for NARdi Gras!

There are three gatherings during the year that are well worth attending if you are (or are looking to be) in the overseas sales market. SIMA in Madrid is the world’s biggest property
exhibition covering an area 50% bigger than London’s ExCel Halls. With 800 exhibitors and 160,000 visitors from 60 countries, it is busy! Hugely worth visiting to see the staggering size and variety of stands which are quite often on two levels (display downstairs, bar upstairs), and usually built specifically for the show and then demolished! I’ve heard of developers spending €500,000 on a stand.

OPPLive! held it’s first B2B show last December and it is being repeated next month at Alexandra Palace on a grander scale. This was a brilliantly run two day event giving developers, agents, foreign exchange specialists etc the opportunity to network without the ‘complication’ of
‘Joe public’.

Lastly, The National Association of Realtors (NAR) in America hold their annual convention each year in a different city. This year, nearly 30,000 of us headed out to New Orleans – devastated in August 2005 by Hurricane Katrina and flooding – and NARdi Gras.

Thursday
Not a good start at Gatwick. I’ve got an iPod earbud firmly wedged in my ear, and a supervisor thinks I should go to hospital – “the ambulance will get you there in no time”. Slight panic on my part as the plane leaves in 40 minutes. Fortunately, common sense prevails. A paramedic turns up and extracts the offending thing with a pop.

Someone kindly takes pity on me and my pathetic earbud story, and moves me up to a giant seat at the front of the plane for the day trip to Philadelphia and then on to New Orleans.

Friday
Wide awake at 4am. I eventually decide to head into town on the tram for an early breakfast. First sign of Hurricane Katrina – there are no trams as the power lines were blown away.

Eventually find the Ernest Morial Convention Center which is a colossal 3 million square foot building beside the River Mississippi (and they’re about to add another 500,000 sq ft). One
end to the other is nearly three quarters of a mile long. That’s fine, but most of the meetings/lectures I have are at one end of the building, and the exhibition stands and food court are at the other end. Note for tomorrow – bring more comfortable shoes!

The day is spent at various meetings with gripping titles including “Top money making strategies in Online Marketing”, “Increase your Profits with Global Referrals!” and “Partnering
with Developers in the Second Homes Market”.

Later in the day, the exhibition is ‘officially’ opened by Tom Stevens, President of the NAR with lots of American hoo-ha. 800 exhibitors enthusiastically hand out thimble full sized drinks – not enough for any effect whatsoever. Fortunately the NAEA cocktail reception at the Sheraton lures us for proper sized drinks. Joint hosts are the Real Estate Institutes of New Zealand and Australia. Big-wigs from the UK include NAEA Chief Executive Peter Bolton King, President Charles Smailes and NAEA International supremo Ian Tonge. Other notables included Aussie
Marketing guru Ian Grace who talked at the NAEA Congress in London last year as well as brilliant motivational speaker Julie Ryan who I hope the NAEA will get over to the UK soon.

Saturday
Another lovely sunny day – absolutely perfect for being couped up in windowless meeting rooms. Today is mainly spent at the International Networking Center discussing opportunities with developers from Brazil, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Bahamas, Panama, USA and Nicaragua
for some reason (apparently it’s really safe there now...). I bump into an old friend Kirkor Ajderhanyan who runs a hugely successful agency on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice. Being
from France he embraces me and plants a kiss on each cheek, which freaks out the Americans standing around us. Immediate discussion about “my wife and kids at home…” to ensure they
knew what was what.

Peter Knight who runs Phoenix plc (PR firm for the NAEA) is one of the speakers at a session entitled “Innovative Marketing Strategies from around the World”. His 25 minutes go down very well, and part of his presentation mentions me. He also points me out to the other delegates. At the end of the session there is a long queue (I’m not joking!) of people want to meet me. 45 minutes later, I have a load of cards, of which two or three may well be profitable. Thank-you Peter!

Later, 6000 of us jam into a hall with a massive stage for various award ceremonies, followed by a talk by ex-Presidents Bush and Clinton about their Bush/Clinton Katrina Fund which has raised $130m to ease the suffering of those caught by the devastating hurricane and flooding. George Bush was very funny (“let me tell you about the time I threw-up on the President of
Japan” etc), whilst Clinton played the straight man.

The evening is spent in Bourbon Street in the NAR ‘NARdi Gras’ parade passing by all the pubs, bars, music halls, strip joints etc. This attractive part of town has buildings in the French Colonial style – decorative wrought ironwork supporting balconies from which hundreds of ‘merry’ well-wishers hurl string beads at us. Ouch.

Sunday
Business starts a bit later today, so I head off for a walk into town. The old town was built above sea level and whilst Katrina did a lot of damage – windows blown in, trees blown away – it missed out on the flooding. This tourist area is largely back to normal. But I didn’t have to go far to find shopping Malls where half the shops were still empty, collecting dust. The Malls’ food hall had three of 15 counters open. Once you get into the badly flooded areas, it becomes a lot, lot worse. Street after street virtually abandoned. House after house still uninhabitable. This was a city of over 800,000 people before the August 2005 storm, and 15 months later, less than 200,000 are living here full time. It is a city which is slowly dragging itself off it’s knees, but these are still early days.

30,000 Estate Agents will have dropped $40m into the local economy over a few days – it is the biggest convention since Katrina. We followed the 2006 Librarians convention, which one shopkeeper described to me as being ‘a little quiet’!! Everywhere you went, bar tenders, shopkeepers, restaurateurs, bell-boys – everyone thanked us for coming to New Orleans.

Back to work and the rest of the day spent talking to exhibitors and developers. Anyone know of anyone interested in investing in El Salvador?! The convention was rounded off by a wonderful concert by Harry Connick JR, who is a New Orleans boy – remember his music from “When Harry met Sally”?

Monday
Time to head home. Bump into NAEA President Charles Smailes in the bar at the airport and we chat about the last few days. 44 Brits made it to New Orleans. 250 South Africans came, a similar number from Australia and 150 from New Zealand. Lets have more Brits in Las Vegas
next year! There are a huge number of opportunities and ideas to be had from the NAR convention. I’ve brought back plenty to keep me busy for some time and eventually good fees will pay back the cost of the trip many times over.

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt International based in Wentworth, Virginia Water. Tel: 01344 843000

The Diary of a Global Estate Agent - Ireland

2008-06-12T20:48:00.002+01:00

Chapter 4
It’s all very well swanning around the world on business, but there always comes a point when you have to get your hands dirty and get on the with grubby business of selling overseas property.

With the summer holidays over, it’s exhibition time. I’ve had a new stand produced by our new best friends Nimlok who have a vast production facility somewhere up in darkest Cambridgeshire. They have come up with a versatile and visually stunning stand. It’s small and cute, like a puppy and it will hopefully grow larger in the coming years. Irritatingly, also like a puppy, it has a ferocious bite. Putting the frame thing together is a full on war zone job. During the first erection, I was wearing a suit. Bad mistake – said suit was left in a right mess and needed dry cleaning.

We had a dry run at a property show in Dublin last week which was disastrous in terms of
numbers of punters through the door, but reasonably high on quality of leads. The organizers held a drinks party for stand holders – presumably to apologize for the lack of visitors - but that was a disaster too with the bar running dry after 15 minutes.

On to ExCel where the turnout of over 14,000 produces good business.

Monday
Anyway it's a long drive from Surrey in my wife’s Estate car loaded to the hilt with our stand, brochures and so on, to Fishgard in South Wales. The ferry to Rosslare is a leisurely 3 hours and then a wonderfully scenic drive through the countryside to Kilkenny. 11 hours door to door – thank goodness for mobiles and blackberry to keep in touch with business.

Tuesday
Having arrived in the dark yesterday, I’m pleasantly surprised that my outlook is over the River Nore with the beautiful Kilkenny Castle opposite. Full cholesterol breakfast and we’re off to set up our stand at the World Ploughing Championships. Hmmm, you read it correctly – this is the Irish farmers’ idea of heaven. They, and most of Ireland it seems, pop this date into
their diary at least a year in advance. In their eyes, the excitement factor is tractor droppingly
high. This is the country’s’ biggest event – four days, 50,000 visitors a day. A total of 260 acres of which the exhibitors have a mere 60 acres (the rest is, of course, for ploughing). It’s massive, and so are the queues and traffic jams.

And this is set-up day! I notice that wellies are de rigueur.

Kilkenny is as close to a film set town as you can get. The River wanders through it with the medieval Castle on one side, crossed by an ancient stone bridge with my pleasant but out of place, modern hotel on the other side. This was once the capital of Ireland, and Parliament Street
has a row of traditional painted shops. I counted five butchers (as well as three churches and one
cathedral) – and not a single supermarket or McDonalds – all in a place with 5000 people. How refreshing is that. Of particular note was the local Estate Agent whose window card details are still hand written – he was closed at 4pm!

Wednesday
Someone said “Whatever you do, don’t leave your wellies behind” – well, I’m glad I took heed. The sky resembles a miserable grey school blazer, the rain is horizontal due to the 75 mph gale. The locals seem unperturbed as they are perfectly dressed. Yours sincerely has a lightweight beige summer suit, nice Jermyn St shirt, silk tie etc. I do have the required boots though. I’m told that with 200,000 visitors, mud will literally flow down the streets at some point.

In the afternoon I get a call from Tony Smurfit (from the ultra rich Smurfit family who own the
K club which hosted the golfing Ryder Cup). We share a mutual friend, and he kindly sets up a
meeting for me at the K Club to discuss some new homes being built there.Unsurprisingly,
we are inundated with people in the property exhibition. None remotely interested in property
- they all want to get out of the rain! Still a good handful of A grade leads by the end of the day.

Thursday
The traffic to get to the World Championship is unreal – an hour and a quarter from just down
the road. We’re still looking for the needle in the haystack as far folk walking past our stand. I
take a break to look around the other exhibitors.

Listening to the PA system, it persuades me to visit a local school’s stand to buy a charity ticket.
The winning prize is a pair of “good quality heifers”. Elsewhere, macho men chop huge logs against the clock with axes, saws and chainsaws – and I find it curiously good fun. Sky Sports are
recording it. This is followed by an Austrian troupe in leiderhosen, dancing and smacking
their thighs. They finish with a cow bell rendition of something from “the sound of music”.

The local farmers are great fun, a joy to chat with if you can understand them – and that is the
main problem here. We cannot understand a word of what most of them are saying. I saw two
chaps trying to have a chat, and they couldn’t understand one another. Lord help us.

Friday
Pretty good weather today and I venture an hour north to the glitzy K Club where the Ryder Cup is still very much in evidence. An unbelievable number of corporate marquees and spectator stands remain. So many that it will be December before they all go. The limited number of houses and apartments built here back on to the golf course and range from €1.2m up to €3.5m. A clear sign that the Irish market has been in overdrive. So far they’ve been bought by Irish and Americans – not a single Brit. My job is to change that statistic.

Back to the ploughing and I’ve joined the locals at last – Laura from my office has bought me a cattle prodder. A long wooden stick rather like a driver (as in golf) without the head. Just about everyone here has one, and despite my out-of-place summer suit, I feel more a part of the locals. I could now prod if need be. Mind you, most of the locals use the prodders to remain upstanding after a touch too much time in the Guinness temples – most of which are busy from 9am.
The farming stands are varied – all the political parties are here and the Irish Taoiseach Bertie
Ahern and President Mary McAleese visit causing almost no interest from the locals. They are
more interested in deep fried beefburgers, the local radio station tent, slurry agitators, tractors
and the EU subsidies, (The EU has the biggest marquee of the lot – appearing to shout “free something for you all!”).

Saturday
The last day and I venture out to see more ploughing action. Ireland, England, New Zealand, Spain – the whole lot are here. More than 50 countries in total, and all to prove to us viewing public that they are the best plougher in the world. It’s riveting – can Italy get over a little wobble half way down their ploughing thingy (what do you call it?!). I’m getting a bit keener
on this and notice with a certain knowledgeable frown that the Lithuanian had clearly been on
the vodka, as his ploughing line was all over the place. Apparently the Austrian wins. Good on
you mate!

The property exhibition has gone well. It’s been hard finding the real buyers amongst such a
vast crowd. But many have sought us out and to our surprise, most enquiries are for South Africa and Portugal with a good average budget of 350,000 euros.

After three weeks working without a break, I’m off to Spain for a brief holiday. 1p each way
courtesy of Mr Ryanair. Back to the sun, but still dreaming of ploughing.

James Wyatt is a partner at Barton Wyatt International based in Wentworth, Virginia Water.
Tel: 01344 843000

The Diary of a Global Estate Agent - Morocco

2008-06-12T20:36:00.002+01:00

As a kid, I once thought it would be fun to become a collector of something. I chose train numbers. Don’t ask me why – it makes me wince to this day. Off I trooped to Virginia Water station one Saturday with my notebook and pen and stood on the platform noting down the carriage numbers of trains that passed through. After two hours, I realised that train number collecting was an absurd pastime better left to much older men with thick glasses, beards and dodgy anoraks.

First day covers appealed much more, so I took that up and still collect them. Ridiculous really – they arrive through the letter box, I take a cursory glance at the new postage stamps and them chuck the envelope in the first day cover drawer. This has been going on for over 30 years. So long, that I know I won’t be able to stop.

But more recently I’ve found a new item to collect – visits to airline lounges – it’s close to collecting car number plates (or train numbers). As a frequent traveller, one has to make the travel bit as enjoyable as possible. I know most business travellers complain and whinge “god it’s so awful” – but they are missing a trick. Travelling is a privilege. It gives you wonderful time on your own to read, write, speak to whom YOU want to speak to on the phone and best of all, relax if you fancy it.

Luckily, I have various bits of plastic in my wallet that gains me entry into the Father Christmas grottoes of airports – the lounges. And I like to visit them all – sometimes several in one airport in one visit. Airline lounges are havens of peace and quiet, but they vary enormously. It depends too if you are slumming it in first class where special dedicated lounges resemble mini five star hotels, or using the normal airport lounges which are open to a number of airlines, charge card holders and oneoff paying visitors (they drink as much booze as possible, nick all the newspapers and magazines - particularly the retired folk).

Some lounges are totally brilliant. Bahrain is modern, comfortable, has a great view over the runway, free wifi, pristine showers, delicious food selection and decent wine/champagne to while away the hours. Dubai has the best food – you can get a full-on curry if you feel the need. Then there are the disasters. Top of my list is Faro in Portugal, closely followed by Malaga. Dark dingy
holes with no natural light whatsoever. Unfit for any animal except homo sapiens viator (apologies for my schoolboy Latin). Often dirty with miserable staff who refuse to call flights. The UK seems to be in between the two extremes, although Virgin’s lounge is perhaps the most fun anywhere.

I digress; this is supposed to be a diary.

Monday
So I find myself in Melilla, a Spain enclave in Morocco. NOT like Gibraltar the Spanish tell me – what a load of twaddle! The airport is miniscule, with a runway to match, where the same Fokker F50 that I arrive in, crash landed in 2003 (everyone survived). Not an airline lounge in sight here – in fact not a lot here at all. The only baggage carousel is 20 feet long, the car hire centre has no cars to hire, the one shop is shut, but the bar is open and the local taxi drivers are enjoying coffee, beer and brandies – at 10.30am…

I am here to visit the massive new development of Saïdia close to the Algerian border about an hour from where I am. My taxi driver Salah takes me in his rusting heap of a Mercedes. Various bit of it are held together by string! The border between ‘Spain’ and Morocco is like something from19th century subcontinent – a mass of screaming Moroccans on one side separated by a significant dual fence and no-mans land from the first world, relative calm of Melilla. The crossing, all of 100 metres takes an hour and a few Euros to smooth my path. Then we’re on our way, at 150kph in this wreck which was surely removed from the knacker’s yard not long ago. Terrified, but after an hour we arrive in dozy Saïdia, with me shaking the sweat off my palms.

This is a mega resort – build on virtually deserted land with miles and miles of talcum powder sand beaches to enjoy. Three 18 holes golf courses and a large town centre, as well as any number of hotels are under construction. My host Fadoua spends the whole day showing me over site – with something like 15 square kilometers to look at, it takes a while. The master developers are Spanish company Fadesa who came to an agreement with the forward looking King of Morocco, Mohammed VI. The monarch’s vision is based on foreign investment to improve unemployment - which in this area is high.

At the end of the day I stay in the nearest town at the Hotel Atlal. Pretty dreadful rooms but it has a very good restaurant, although I choose to wander down the high street to see what the
local nosh is all about. Well, not a lot of choice really, but a promising cave type restaurant seems to lure me in. There’s no menu – I’m told that the menu is on display outside. It’s a goat, in bits, the head, the liver, the tongue, the heart, minced other bits and god only knows what else was on display from the same animal. I had liver and chips, salad and a beer. And do you know what, it was one of the most honest and delicious meals I’ve ever had for £3.

Tuesday
The day is spent getting to know the area. It will be a major draw to the French and Spanish, but the British and Irish markets will invest here for the long term. A walk along the beach brings me to the Algerian border. More barbed wire and no-mans land. The border has been closed for some years.

Wednesday
Time to go back home, I have the same lunatic taxi driver, who picks me up at 4am. There is no
moon, no road lights and only sidelights on his car, and still he has to do 150kph. He manages to miss numerous goats, sheep herds, a couple of donkeys and a horse with Schumacher style chicane maneuvering, along with missing dozens of other cars doing less than 40kph (no headlights required at this speed I’m told!). More sweaty palms and a relief to be safely back in ‘Spain’

Thursday
I’m in the office for the usual email catch up and meeting to decide which of the autumn exhibitions BW Intl will be at. No peace for the wicked though and I have to fly out to Portugal. Back to a European destination, easy travel and westwards along the motorway in the Algarve which has improved this area for everyone so much – one end of the Algarve to Spain in a couple of hours.

I’m off to see Oceanico’s flagship new Amendoeira resort in the Western Algarve. The company is run by the super clever Brit Simon Burgess and brilliant Irishman Gerry Fagan. Rather cleverly, they have employed the super clever Nick Faldo and brilliant Irish player Christy O’Connor jnr to design their two golf courses. Clever eh? It’s an easy call for me, the location is top notch and the lie of the land will produce a couple of excellent golf courses.

We’ll sell here.

Their sales guy Peter takes me off to see some of their other projects nearby, punctuated by lunch at the marina in picturesque Lagos, at a restaurant full of British estate agents all speaking rather too loudly. Chaps; that is how you lose purchasers! Another abysmal hotel somewhere I’d rather forget about – think fish and chips, lager and a disco until 3am directly below your room.

Friday
I’m seeing clients either side of the Spanish border today. A meeting in Ayemonte is followed by a bite to eat on the pretty beach at Isla Canela and then a meeting in the little port of Tavira. A relatively quiet day. The sun is shining, and all too soon I’m back to the airport to face Faro’s revolting lounge.

More next month!
James Wyatt is a partner at Barton Wyatt International based in Wentworth, Virginia Water.
Tel: 01344 843000

SIMA: the greatest property show on earth.

2008-06-12T20:26:00.002+01:00

Every year I witter on to anyone who will listen about this amazing exhibition. The size of it, the
stupendous stands, the parties, the weather, and, er the work aspect. SIMA – short for Salon Inmobiliario de Madrid ( Madrid Property Exhibition to you and me) is held in Madrid each
year around Easter/Spring time at the immense Feria de Madrid, located near the airport and not far from the bustling city centre. This year the dates are 29th May to 2nd June.

So why go? Well, if you are involved in overseas sales, this should be your annual pilgrimage to Spain. It’s not just Spanish property that is being shown either. Over 50 countries are represented at SIMA including Portugal, Morocco, Brazil, Bulgaria, Egypt, Hungary, Panama, Greece, Argentina, USA and so on. Last year 160,000 visitors came through the door. That’s
almost eight times the number of the UK’s largest property show. 20,000 of the SIMA attendees were property professionals from a range of 60 different countries.

If you’re not involved in overseas sales, I can recommend SIMA ’07 to you simply to gawp at the stands themselves. If you’ve led a sheltered life in the UK, visiting the occasional property exhibition, then you have seen NOTHING like SIMA. The stands here are purpose built for the show – some at a cost of up to euros 500,000 – and then chucked in the bin after 5 days. Many of the stands cover 5 000 square feet, and to make the most of this expensive space, some build their stands over two levels. Product displays on the ground floor, and entertainment (ie bar) on the upper floor. Many are truly astonishing with live music, traditionally dressed locals and every stunning Madrileno model (the pretty sort) must be employed for this exhibition – they
are everywhere. Entry to SIMA for professionals is FREE. It takes some time to see all 800 exhibitors who cover a staggering 1,000,000 square feet of space. If you’d like to get a bit more from the event, there is a vast choice of lectures, seminars, networking opportunities, meetings and cocktail parties to attend for those who pay for the International Professional Program (IPP). This normally costs euros 400, but the NAEA’s International Head Ian Tonge has negotiated a reduced rate of just euros 350 for all NAEA members. Tickets are available from
http://ipp.simaexpo.com/naea. The main theme behind the IPP is the
worldwide growth in the second homes
market – either as holiday homes or
investment property.

For those who want to go the whole 9 yards, the first night opening party is a fun filled evening with live entertainment and about 2.000 fun seekers! As an extra, there is the last night ‘International Night out’ for those who aren’t completely worn out.

Tempted? Flights to Madrid are plentiful and cheap – under £70 at the time of writing. There is a vast array of hotels in every price bracket. I like to stay near to the exhibition halls as you can end up weighed down with gargantuan amounts of brochures, which can then be dropped of in your room. The nearby Novotel is £65 a night. Alternatively the SIMA website, www.simaexpo.com has plenty of alternatives.

The Diary of a Global Estate

2008-06-12T19:59:00.003+01:00

Chapter 2

Friday
I’ve had 8 whole days in the office, but it’s time to go traveling again. I’m on standby for an already full flight to Miami – I have to get there this evening for the launch party of Punta Perla Resort in the Dominican Republic. Fortunately I get the flight. Unfortunately I’m in seat 43J – the last row with a loo right behind my head. Oh joy. Bash back a couple of beers and sleep most of the way.

In Miami we check into the super swish Ritz Carlton on South Beach. I pop downstairs for a swim and find the pool has disco music to accompany your drinks – lots of sad bronzed old
blokes drinking Veuve Cliquot at $95 a go trying to impress the (staggering number of) nubile young girls. Settle for a diet coke at $5!

Italian designer Gianni Versace was shot outside his Villa on South Beach in Miami. ‘Casa Casuarina’ is now an astronomically expensive private members club, and it has been rented for this evening’s launch party for a cool £250,000. Security is very tight with armed police keeping
an eye on the entrance. Amazing party for 500 property movers and shakers, including the President of the Dominican Republic Leonel Fernández. Anna Kournikova looks stunning, but
no-one’s quite sure if it’s her!! The evening’s give-away is a charity raffle which is won by an unbelievably lucky chap who gets a $400,000 property on Punta Perla.

Saturday
Arrive in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. The only privately owned international airport in the world is a rather jolly thatched affair. We get a bumpy bus ride to the resort for a thorough and interesting Q and A session with the architects who have flown in from Madrid especially to see us. It’s on a deserted beach, fringed by bending palm trees overlooking a ridiculously pale azure sea, and the meeting is held under a large open sided tent. I have to say, the setting is amazing – the hacks from various National UK papers ask their questions and then we are whizzed back to our cricketer Phil Tufnell is with us. Not quite sure why, but he is very nice.

Sunday
I’m strolling through the azure waters of the Caribbean and I’m approached by a well known property reporter with smart beachside hotel. her notepad in hand – in the sea! “Can we have a chat”, so we talk. She tells me later she thinks all conversations should be held in the Caribbean, and I couldn’t help but agree! Anyway, off we go to the heliport, and they’ve got all the helicopters that exist on the Island, and we take off together like a load of buzzy bees. A few minutes later, we’re putting the skids on to the same virgin white sand beach we had the meeting at last night. Coconuts have their ‘heads’ chopped off by machete and we all enjoy the refreshing drink standing in the incredibly clear waters which disappear for several hundred metres towards the protective reef.

Time to move on, and we fly over the area surrounding the new Punta Perla resort. It is a brilliant way to get a quick overview of the surrounding area. Moments later all the helicopters are flying down a dramatic ravine – and someone mentions that the scene in rather like the film ‘Apocalypse Now’. Coolly, the pilot tells us that this is the location used for the ‘helicopters down the ravine’ scene in the film.

Everyone transfers to a huge catamaran boat which takes us down the coast until we reach a quiet spot where we all swim and have lunch.

Back on land and we get back to the hotel on a private plane, the helicopters have taken an hour, but the return just 8 minutes.

Monday
I’ve got to get to Spain. So up to New York and overnight back to London. I think about the massively fun three days I’ve had with 20 people I’d never met before – we all had a great time.
Wonder if I should buy something on Punta Perla for a bit of fun….

Tuesday
A few hours at home sleeping off the jetlag - and then an afternoon flight down to Malaga. It’s painful. The previous night has been non-existent and to add insult to injury, Laura (from my office) and I find ourselves hopelessly lost at midnight, rapidly running out of fuel. Still, we eventually make it to the swanky 5* Guadalpin Hotel near Puerto Banus where our clients have
put us up for a couple of nights.

Wednesday
Excellent breakfast overlooking the beach (why is breakfast SO important in hotels and forgotten at home?!). We spend the morning with “Rod” from Aifos Developers looking at new properties they are building on the existing resorts of Costa Golf Alcaldesa and Altos de la Alqueria and some apartments they are constructing on the massive Dona Julia resort. Lunch is back at the hotel - “Rod” suggests a light lunch. A massive sea-food platter appears – lobster, crab, langoustine, everything! Along with a bit of Moet & Chandon. A sandwich would have done. The afternoon is spent with Taylor Woodrow who take us over their Arqueros golf resort, and then to Lar Estepona at Dona Julia (again) being developed by Lar Sol. We round the day off seeing what progress is being made at Benehavis Hills. A friend of mine has bought a large villa here and we have a number of interested buyers. It has a dramatic hillside location with great views down towards Marbella, and is just a few minutes stroll down the hill to the areas undisputed gastronomic capital of Benehavis.

Thursday
We headed back towards Malaga, stopping off to see our friends at La Condesa de Mijas resort– and then on to SIMed. This is the Costa del Sol’s biggest property exhibition held at the weird wavy-formed El Palacio de Ferias y Congresos. These shows are a great place to meet old friends and to introduce yourself to developers to gain new business. We wander from meeting to meeting and a few glasses of bubbly lead to a doze in front of the mega screen showing England playing World Cup footie. Before long, it’s late and it’s time to fly home.

What a week……..

James Wyatt

2008-06-10T22:06:00.003+01:00

The following is an article that was published in the Telegraph about James Wyatt:

'I have had two new houses in the past five years, both built by the same developer, but this is the first I've had built for myself. It's the big move if you like: we're jumping up into a large, family house, although, by Virginia Water's standards, I'd say it's actually quite modest.

"We've one daughter, Victoria, who is two and Jane, my wife, is pregnant again, so it's the right time to do this. I knew exactly what sort of property I wanted. It's what is referred to as a railway carriage house, long and thin. The living-room, dining-room, kitchen, breakfast room and family room are all along the back with the view of the garden, and the other two reception rooms, which aren't quite so important - the study and the telly room - are on the front.

"The chap who developed Virginia Water from its humble beginnings was called W G Tarrant, a very brave developer, who was continually going bust. He started building houses in West Byfleet. Then he bought St George's Hill in Weybridge and developed that and then, in 1921, he developed the Wentworth Estate.

"As it happens, his office is where mine is now. His drawings are on the wall here and his typical Surrey vernacular, tile-hung house was often the railway-carriage design. These days people don't build weedy, thin houses, they prefer bigger houses on smaller plots, but I like them.

"I've never thought of any of the places we've lived in would be a home for very long. But I've a feeling this new house is going to be different because it's been a product of love and enormous involvement. From when we married, in 1994, we've kept moving, up until now, every two years. After we moved the first time I thought: well, this is a good way to get up the property ladder, buying the right thing and then fairly quickly moving on. And that's what we've done, though the actual business of moving is ghastly.

"Put a price on this property? Let's say that to buy the plot and build the house was getting on for one and a half million. And I suppose you could now say it's worth one and three quarter million so, yes, I'm going to make a little bit out of it.

"Estate agency is not a game where you make lots of money. All we do is take a commission and at the end of the year there's a profit. But one of the ways you can build up your capital is through building your own house and it's tax free, and that's the angle."

James Wyatt is a partner with brother Rupert in Barton Wyatt, Station Approach, Virginia Water, Surrey.

Where is the real Spain

2008-06-10T22:00:00.001+01:00

Where is 'the' real Spain? For some it is Gaudi's Barcelona with its stunning Sagrada Familia cathedral. For others it might be the capital Madrid for its sheer size, inspiring art of Velazquez at the Prado museum and endless tapas bars. For wine lovers, maybe the Rioja region with the pretty Cantabrian Mountain range nearby. Or it is the bustling boulevards and gin-palace excesses of Marbella and its surrounding moneyed towns full of royalty, aristocrats and decidedly less salubrious types.

Spain is a nation of wildly contrasting vistas, traditions, people, architecture and history. One of the few places in Spain where all of these ingredients come together is in Jerez de la Frontera in the heat of Andalucia. With 200,000 inhabitants, this is a modest sized city, but it packs a punch way above its weight while some of the best of ‘real’ Spain there is.

Take sherry for example. You can buy sherry just about anywhere in the World these days. Bahrain? Sri Lanka? Costa Rica? All of them important sherry. Brits are still the biggest drinkers of this unusual wine – more so than the Spanish even. Jerez is the worldwide centre of sherry. It all comes from Jerez. Today there are still some very British sounding companies including Harveys (everyone’s favourite Auntie has a bottle of Harvey’s Bristol Cream don’t they?) and Sandman’s. But the giant of them all is the colossal bodega of Gonzales Byass who amongst other brands, produces Tio Pepe. A tour of this fascinating place on their little tourist train is educating and ends with a welcome tasting. I came home with quite a taste for it.

Jerez is the cradle of flamenco. You can’t really get much more Spanish than the somewhat gypsy-esque sight of traditional flamenco dancing and the unmistakable music which accompanies it. There are more than a dozen flamenco penas in Jerez although surprisingly noen of them are much over 40 years old. Try CENTRO CULTURAL FLAMENCO DON ANTONIO CHACON in c/salas 2. They don’t charge to get in, but they do expect you to drink!

Little known to many English visitors, and visited by even fewer, this City nevertheless has direct air links with UK airports and is gradually putting itself on the UK tourist trail.

The new golf resort of Arcos Gardens in nearby Arcos de la Frontera has been a great influence in promoting Jerez and the surrounding area to the UK market. And, with good reason too as I recently found out.

Arcos Gardens is being created from 440 acres of former olive farm on gently sloping land, with wonderful views towards the whitewashed hilltop town of Arcos de la Frontera.

At the heart of the development is a World class 18 hole golf course designed by Landmark (who designed amongst others, the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island). With wide and fairly forgiving fairways, the greens are well protected with accuracy a must. But with 5 tees on each hole, the course is fun for higher handicappers from the forward tees, and a challenge for top players from the back tees.

The course has been in play for two years now and you’d be forgiven for thinking it had been there for many more years. The fairways are as green as green could be, fringed by mature olive trees. The greens are fast and as good as you’ll find in the US. The views towards Arcos de la Frontera and the surrounding Andalucian countryside make this a memorable course to play.

Around the gold course 470 new home of Andalucian style are under construction –a very low density which mean more open spaces and good sized gardens for many of the homes. Of the 80 two bedroom townhouses, just four are still available at about £275,000. There is a very well organised rental programme for these houses and already there are repeat corporate bookings which is testament to the quality of service and facilities this resort has to offer.

There and four bedroom detached villas in good sized plots range in price from £520,000 to £765,000 and will be ready for early 2009.

The final phase will be finished in 2012.

Despite this resort having a real Spanish feel about it, the sales director Regan Berger is very definitely English although he and his family have lived in Spain for many years now. Ashley Northridge is the golf pro who originally came from Wentworth. Also on site is Simon Holmes golf academy. Simon is well known on Sky TV as a golf pundit, and has coached Nick Faldo, Ernie Els, Darren Clarke and many others. Simon has decided to move to Arcos Gardens permanently with wife Melanie and young family when his house on the 10^th fairway has been completed. He is also a consultant to the Swedish Golf Federation who base themselves at Arcos Gardens over the winter months.

The centrepiece of Arcos Gardens may be the golf course, but there is so much more to do. The gorgeous 300 year old Cortijo Fain is currently a boutique nine bedroom hotel with a competent restaurant and atmospheric bar where residents can enjoy tapas and drink the excellent local wine late into the evening.

Future plans include the new Clubhouse which will be finished early next year and which will provide superb facilities including a very smart Spa. Tennis, equestrian facilities, mountain biking and plenty for the kids to do are all coming soon.

Outside Arcos Gardens there is almost too much to do – from Motor Racing at the F1 circuit outside Jerez to rock climbing, fishing and all manner of water sports on the local lakes. Some of the prettiest and most unspoilt coastline is about 45 minutes away.

Right on the Arcos Gardens doorstep though is Arcos de la Frontera. In my search for the ‘real Spain’, this is as good as it gets. It has been described as the ‘romantic queen’ of the white cities (the other favourites of mine being Ronda, Zahara, Grazalem and Estepa). Arcos is set stop a spectacular sheer cliff and is a delightful mish-mash of steep narrow streets – a strong reminder of its Arab inheritance. About 30,000 people call this home. It is a town for walking and there is plenty to keep you walking for a long time. He many churches were nearly all started in the 16^th century and there is also a closed convent. The 8 nuns sell home made biscuits which you can buy from there through a blind spinning cupboard and a one way mirror. Look closely enough and you can see the nuns behind.

Just around the corner is the main town square, the Plaza del Cabildo where the views down the river and the surrounding countryside are majestic. The unbalanced local man use this as their preferred suicide point (the ladies strangely use the other side of town!).

The market, shops, bars, restaurants and so on make this a genuinely ‘A’ grade real Spanish town.

The mix of Arcos Gardens with its new locally influenced architecture and World class golf course and the traditional towns of Arcos de la Frontera and Jerez de la Frontera is a delightful combination. It is the ‘real Spain’ at its best.

Test

2008-06-10T07:19:00.001+01:00

First blog post for Barton Wyatt.