Parry House, Birchwood Boulevard, Birchwood, WA3 7QU

Mon-Fri 8.30am -6pm
Sat: 9am - 4pm

We are constantly learning and enjoy sharing our expertise and insights. Here is where we will talk about hot topics, give ideas and advice on marketing, and tackle customers common questions and challenges.

We enjoy helping our sellers to secure the maximum selling price for their biggest tax-free asset! After all, that is one of the main reasons you need an estate agent for, right?

The difference between a good estate agent and a great estate agent, is often down to the proven results they religiously achieve for their customers.

Since launching as a business, we are very proud to have consistently achieved on average 3% over our sellers’ asking prices, which based on our average house price has meant £6,750 more equity secured for our sellers, and that is after our fees are paid!

This year alone, we are consistently achieving on average 5% over our sellers’ asking prices, which based on our average house price has meant £11,250 more equity secured for our sellers, after covering our fees. Impressive!

We would love to work with you and make sure you are one of our next success stories!

Being customer facing daily, we speak to lots of different people at various different stages of their moving journey, all trying to accomplish their individual moving goals.

Over the last couple of years, it has been extremely difficult for buyers to try and secure a property even when they have been in fantastic buying positions, namely due to the huge gap between supply and demand, which has been massively in favour of demand.

Competing with lots of buyers, multiple viewings, multiple offers, getting out bid and having viewings cancelled due to properties being sold beforehand became the norm. 

Luckily the market has moved on from this, as we have started to experience a market correction taking shape over the last quarter and have entered a more balanced market as of 2023. 

That said, the market is still encouraging and properties are still selling well and for good prices, and there are still have more buyers looking than there is properties coming to the market. 

So, with this in mind, Tommy wanted to share his top six tips for prospective buyers to put you in the best possible buying position in readiness for hopefully securing your ideal home. 

Love is certainly in the air this Valentine’s Day as the publics love affair with their bricks and mortar remains hot topic! 

Forget the doom and gloom picture that the media are trying to paint, as this couldn’t be any further from the truth. 

The local market has witnessed an encouraging start to the year and there is still being a big appetite for people wishing to move.  However, there is a big BUT…. which is that most sellers wishing to move house for whatever reason are wanting to find their next home before they feel they are ready to commit to selling theirs.  This is a risky game, and usually one you will end up losing.  

Trying to secure your dream home before you have sold yours, is like trying to find the man or woman of your dreams while staying in an unhappy marriage….it is never going to end happily ever after. 

In terms of the open property market, I am sure you will agree that there is only ever a handful of properties available at any one time. This creates a supply versus demand imbalance, hugely in favour of demand. 

So, for those of you wishing to find your ideal home first and then sell yours later, and you need to sell financially in order to buy your next one, I can guarantee that almost every time the perfect home comes available, you will be competing with buyers who are in a much stronger buying position than yourselves.  Buyers who do have carry the baggage of a house sale, making them a miles more attractive buyer and giving them more bargaining power. 

We have just surpassed a significant milestone.  Our 5-year business trading milestone. 

Although we feel like our feet haven’t touched the floor in this time with life and business being one big rollercoaster, with a few challenges thrown in along the way, what an incredible journey it has been so far. 

We have not only survived but thrived in our first five years as a business.

Lots of blood, sweat and tears, early mornings, late nights, and generally working extremely hard to build a credible business. 

Well, I am delighted to say, we have done just that thanks to our amazing team and loyal customers. 

For those of you who we haven’t had the pleasure of meeting yet, let me fill in some gaps and tell our story. 

In our experience, downsizing is one of the hardest, if not the hardest move!

It is the one people often dread the most, and understandably so. 

The good news is, we’ve been fortunate enough to help hundreds of clients to downsize their homes over the years, whatever the reason is for moving onto their next chapters. 

As the thought of downsizing can be extremely daunting, we prefer to think of it more of a lifestyle move, because it’s all about finding the suitable location and home to move to, to accommodate whichever stage of life you’re in and whatever your motivation is behind the move. 

There are lots of reason people wish to downsize, such as the children being all grown up and having flown the nest, the death of a spouse, moving to be closer to family to enjoy precious grandchildren, divorce, release some equity/ financial reasons, to enjoy more holidays in your holiday home, or simply the property becoming unmanageable due to the size or for health reason to name just a few. 

We find while some people are excited about the idea of downsizing, others are anxious and find the process much more daunting.  After all, it is such a significant change and let’s face it, most people fear change!

Although it will always be one of the most rewarding jobs in the world, being a working mum is tough!

From battling with mum-guilt, to rushing to get out of the house on time, to constantly thinking about your never-ending to-do list and generally just trying to juggle work and family life, is a daily battle in itself.

Having always been a professed workaholic and genuinely married to my job (luckily my husband is laid back and an avid sports fan!), getting back to working life after having my first baby was nothing short of an emotional rollercoaster. When you do what you love and love what you do, I am a firm believer that a happy mum is a good mum. So if your work makes you hum, then your whole family will sing along!

The biggest challenge for most new parents once you’ve decided on the timing of going back to work whether it be within a couple of months, six months, or twelve months, is sorting a childcare routine that works for you all.  

Whether getting ready to buy the dream home for your family or preparing to get ready for yours and your baby’s next chapter, both house hunting and nursery hunting have the same stomach churning feeling of mixed emotions with waves of complete nervousness, sadness, and excitement as you start the pursuit!

Having been through both experiences myself recently, I have managed to summarise the eight similarities between the two for you in our latest blog.

Anyone who has built a business from the ground up will know it takes blood, sweat and tears to get it off the ground.

And then lots of drive, grit, determination, and ambition to keep the momentum going!!! 

Ninety-hour weeks, early morning rises, burning the midnight oil, missing the occasional lunch, and eating lots of late-night teas becomes the norm. 

But when you have got that fire in your belly (burning away like a roaring bonfire), the passion takes over and you simply run off your adrenalin. 

This has been the story of my life for the last few years, getting my business off to a flying start. 

 

Harper Williams Estate Agents has been recognised for delivering outstanding customer service to its clients, making the shortlist of The ESTAS for the second year running - the biggest award scheme in the UK residential property industry within their regional category, but also within the most prestigious award open to all categories ‘The People’ award.  

My estate agency journey started almost sixteen years ago now.  I worked weekends for a small independent agency while I was at college and then increased my hours on the days off from my studies. 

Being quite a bookworm (I still am!), the path I am sure back then that my parents would have wanted for me, would have been to go University, get a degree and become a solicitor or a journalist.  

But it was sixteen years ago that I fell in love with this wonderful industry and my passion to help people at such a tricky time of their lives grew from there. 

With years of hard work in between, countless sacrifices and lots of blood, sweat and tears (a blog for another day), there still is not a day goes by that I regret my decision to pursue a career as an estate agent and have dedicated the time in between to constantly learning and improving my craft to serve my customers and my teams as best I can.  And will continue to do so!

Harper Williams was born two and a half years ago with the sole mission to keep our customers happy, by making a positive difference to people’s home buying and selling experience within our local markets.  When you’re happy, we’re happy!

I think it is fair to say that within this short space of time, we have done just that by simply living and breathing our core values daily. 

The curve ball that COVID-19 has thrown most businesses along with families worldwide is likely to be testing most people’s/ company values right now.

However, I am firm believer that tough times do not create character, they simply reveal it.  

There is something exciting about the lighter nights and brighter mornings, the warmer change in the weather and the array of colours with the blooming of daffodils and tulips that naturally puts a spring in our steps!

This is traditionally why it is a great time for house buyers and sellers alike, who are eager to move before the end of summer and early autumn sets in.

Although this spring is very different with the COVID-19 cloud still lurking over us, I thought it was worth sharing our top ten tips, for those of you still thinking of moving this year after the lockdown period to accommodate your need to move, whatever the reason.

Time is our most valuable asset that usually we pray we had more of, so while we are in the lockdown period for another three weeks, here’s our top ten tips on what you can be doing to get yourself and your property market ready as soon as the restrictions are lifted, to ensure you use the extra time wisely. 

As we all continue to smile through the confusion of the COVID-19 pandemic and adjust to lockdown lifestyle, I wanted to shed some light for transparency on how this affects the housing market, the adjustments estate agents and property professionals involved in the moving process have had to make and what this means for homebuyers and sellers, that are still keen to move this year!

Firstly, let’s cut through some of white noise from the ‘negative nellies’ out there on the government’s latest guidelines for estate agents and house movers. 

The Government guidelines regarding the outbreak of coronavirus, basically advise all those involved in moving home to adapt and be flexible in order to alter their usual processes.  But rest assured, it is still business as usual with an agile twist, to accommodate our customers where possible. 

They specifically state that there is no need to pull out of transactions, but everyone needs to ensure we are following guidance to stay at home and away from others at all times, including the specific measures for those who are presenting symptoms, self-isolating or shielding. Prioritising the health of individuals and the public must be the priority.

During this challenging time, we wanted to wish everyone good health and to let you all know we are here to help where we can.   

We have assessed what we can do to reassure you that we are taking the current coronavirus issue seriously to minimise the risk to our customers, the general public and our team. 

As a business, we have two key priorities:

1.      The safety and wellbeing of our team and clients.

2.      To ensure our clients’ moves are not affected more than necessary (without conflicting the above point). 

Whilst we are maintaining a calm and common-sense approach to this ongoing issue, as a team we are operating ‘business as usual’ although adhering to the best practice guidelines provided by the Government and Public Health England.

Should the government increase control that impacts our ability to perform as normal for a period, we have the following measures in place. 

And just like that 2019 is almost over!

Christmas is the perfect time to enjoy the festivities celebrating with family and friends, reflect on the highs and lows of the year just gone and start looking forward to 2020 and what the New Year will bring!

Although I feel like my feet haven’t touched the floor again this year, what an amazing second year in business we’ve had. 

We have grown our turnover by just shy of 500%, and therefore have helped so many more sellers and buyers on their moving journeys.  Making even more friends for life and repeat customers in the process, (which will always be the main reason I personally love estate agency as much as I do), for the many relationships we get to make and cherish along the way!

So, the big question you are probably wondering…. how the hell have we done it?!?

Harper Williams has been recognised for its outstanding customer service to its clients by the biggest award scheme in the UK residential property industry – The ESTAS Customer Service Awards.

Not only have they been shortlisted within their own category, which is a massive achievement in itself during their first year since launching, but the Sales Director Leanne, has also been shortlisted for the 'People Award' in which the top 25 agents have been selected out of over 4,000 brilliant agents! Wow!

The Property Ombudsman TSI NAEA Zoopla Primelocation