Surrey Homes | SH112 | May 2024 | Love Your Home Supplement inside
The lifestyle magazine for Surrey - Inspirational Interiors, Fabulous Fashion, Delicious Dishes
The lifestyle magazine for Surrey - Inspirational Interiors, Fabulous Fashion, Delicious Dishes
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Top & above left: Claire and Jonny decided to keep the bead-laden chandelier in the formal drawing room that was inherited from<br />
Sole Street’s previous owner. It’s complemented by voluminous gold curtains which add a regal glow to this beautifully proportioned<br />
room Above right: Over the other side of the house lies a smaller, snug sitting room which is bathed in afternoon light<br />
there is no one to represent the interests<br />
of the buyer. If we’d had an agent with a<br />
direct line to the other agent we would<br />
have saved so much time and money.”<br />
Claire and Jonny’s situation was also<br />
compounded by post contract issues<br />
which, if they’d known about, may<br />
have stopped the purchase. “It was an<br />
absolute minefield. We’d taken on a<br />
period property, with all of the issues<br />
this typically comes with, including old<br />
wiring, a septic tank, a roof greatly in need<br />
of repair, as well as a large parcel of land<br />
(the property sits in almost 30 acres) and<br />
a sitting tenant. We probably shouldn’t<br />
have bought it, but we just didn’t know<br />
what we were letting ourselves in for.”<br />
With time they worked through the<br />
issues and formed a great relationship<br />
with the existing tenant, who lives with<br />
her family in a characterful flat above<br />
one of the stable blocks, and continues<br />
to run a successful livery there.<br />
In 2023, the couple used their<br />
experience to create First in the Door,<br />
a property advisory platform aimed at<br />
helping other buyers, ensuring they don’t<br />
have the same negative experience as<br />
they did. Claire explains, “We connect<br />
homebuyers with buying agents who<br />
represent and assist them through the<br />
whole buying process, from providing<br />
access to private and off-market sales, to<br />
negotiating purchase terms, liaising with<br />
all third parties and helping manage the<br />
entire process through to completion. <br />
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