David Baker & Company and Foxy's Deli have joined forces to give new homeowners a true local welcome. Customers who buy a house from the Penarth Estate Agent will receive a welcome hamper from Foxy's Deli containing a selection of locally sourced treats. The first recipient was Sharon Vye-Parminter, and Sian Fox, owner of Foxy’s Deli hopes that many more will follow. ‘It’s such a perfect way to introduce people, who have moved to Penarth for the first time, to the great local suppliers the area has to offer, and it’s always worth reminding those who have lived in the area for years. We include a range of produce that we have available at the deli, along with a copy of the Penarth Times and a Shop In Penarth loyalty card.’ David Baker agrees, adding ‘as someone who feels strongly about supporting local suppliers, I was very keen to form this link between ourselves and Foxy’s and I think this is a lovely way to start people off in their new home.

David Baker & Company are reporting a busy festive period, reporting fifteen agreed sales in the last nine weeks to 2nd February, more than any other Penarth agent.

The results reflect a busy period in general for Penarth in a time that would traditionally be seen as quiet, with seventy registered sales agreed across all agents. As suggested by David Baker last week 'This is a good time to buy whether you are a first time buyer or wanting to buy a bigger property as the family grow up. Buying a property is still one of the best investments you can make'.

Confidence in the business remains high for a stable local property market in 2012.

Cheaper mortgages provide window of opportunity

Says Guild Agent David Baker & Company

Local estate agent David Baker & Company has reported a strong start to 2012 in terms of enquiries, which they believe is at least partly due to the fact that homeowners are enjoying the cheapest mortgages on record, thanks to historically low interest rates. The public, it seems, are realising that this current mortgage opportunity is just too good to let pass.

For potential buyers, this represents a valuable window of opportunity to secure highly favourable mortgage deals which may look very cheap in the years ahead. A number of lenders actually cut their interest rates in 2011 as they battled for share in an increasingly competitive market, but this will not last forever. Now might just be the best time to take a small risk and for home seekers to get on with their life – which is surely the biggest reward of all.

The average mortgage payment is currently £494 per month, which compares to £601 at the height of the credit crunch some 4 years ago. In terms of affordability, the current figure represents 15.4% of average take home pay compared to 20.5% in 2008.

The number of first time buyers also increased markedly last year compared to 2010 as banks relaxed some of their lending restrictions; there were 57,301 loans of 85% or more, up from 43,379 in the previous 12 months.

It is expected that interest rates will remain at 0.5% (now 34 consecutive months) for some time to come, as the Government attempts to help support the economy via quantitative easing and other financial instruments.

David Baker, from David Baker & Company comments; “Mortgage rationing, a significant minimum deposit, and a good personal credit history remain key to securing the best deals. But for those that can pass these hurdles, the offers are extremely attractive by any financial measure.

If you wait for the perfect house, at the ideal price, with the lowest possible financing costs and when the economic outlook is favourable – then you may just never make the move. The children grow up and personal circumstances and requirements change.

In Penarth at present, house prices seem to be holding steady as they have done for the last 18 months. This is a good time to buy whether you are a first time buyer or wanting to buy a bigger property as the family grow up. Buying a property is still one of the best investments you can make.”

The recognisable David Baker & Company sale boards are about to undergo a change to bring them into line with the new company branding. The change is part of a long line of rebranding that began in December 2011 and will give us a fresh new look. The boards and branding have been designed by local design agency Celf Creative and we believe they reflect the professional and honest service we offer in every aspect of the property business in Penarth, Sully, Llandough and Dinas Powys.

Look out for them when you are out and about in the area!

David Baker & Company are in the latest edition of Cardiff Life Magazine. We appear on page 81 alongside a Property Focus feature on 20 Clinton Road. Our new branding is displayed excellently here and this is a good example of what advertising we can offer properties that are listing for sale with us.

To view the magazine online, click here.

Links

20 Clinton Road

Marketing your property with David Baker & Company

Cardiff Life online magazine

We featured twice in local publications this week, with a news story in the Penarth Times and a double page spread in the Penarth View. Thanks to both publications for supporting local businesses, and if you havn't seen the story yet, here it is....

Richard Baker joins David Baker & Company

Penarth Estate Agent David Baker & Company has welcomed a new member of the team with the appointment of Richard Baker, son of company founder David Baker. Richard joins from his previous Marketing position at Brains, Wales’ leading independent brewer and hospitality retailer. He will be combining his new role at David Baker & Company with completing a Post Graduate Diploma in Surveying from the College of Estate Management over the next year and a half.

‘I’m delighted to be on board, I’m new to the industry and having been at Brains for 10 years I’m going to have to find my feet pretty quickly. We’ve had a good couple of months and I’m looking to build on that, and the excellent reputation David Baker & Company has for honesty and professionalism. There is a great team in place here and there are a few initiatives I’ll be looking to implement in the business over the next few months. We are now operating on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin, have enhanced our packages on Rightmove and the Guild of Professional Estate Agents and are also refreshing our copy and photography for houses we have on the market. I’m excited for what the future has to offer and look forward to working with Liz, Claire, Craig and my father.’ Richard Baker

David Baker, founded in 1969, offers over forty years of experience and maintains a personal but professional service for anyone looking to buy or sell a property, in all parts of the property market.
‘It’s good to have Richard on board to compliment our young and efficient team. He is well versed with new technologies and advertising opportunities and having been brought up in Penarth he has a good knowledge of the area. I’m looking forward to him adding some fresh ideas to our growing business.’  David Baker

Independent Expertise

As Independent Estate Agents, we are experts in your local area and are an integral part of the communities we serve. We are best placed to advise you about the local environment, provide you with accurate valuations and notify you of specific market trends affecting local property prices and sales. Our businesses really do succeed or fail by the quality of the service we provide, and be our ability to successfully deliver sales at the best possible price.

We understand that choosing the right Estate Agent, pricing your home correctly and ensuring your home is presented in the best possible light can really help to sell your home quickly and effectively.

London & International Market

Not all of your buyers will be from the local area! Many London and International buyers are interested in second homes or investment properties around the country and you may have just the property they are looking for!

Guild Members are able to provide you with access to the lucrative National and International market through our prestigious showrooms on London's Park Lane using state of the art technology to display your properties professionally.

High Quality Marketing

Guild Members are committed to regular, widespread, high-quality marketing, that enhances the location and character of your home, whilst providing a wide selection of property for sale to the National market place. Giving you the best chance of achieving the result you want in the shortest possible time.

Code of Conduct

Members of the Guild are ethical, professional and adhering to a Code of Conduct - providing you with quality assurance of their service, a valuable reassurance.

Penarth Estate Agent David Baker & Company has welcomed a new member of the team with the appointment of Richard Baker, son of company founder David Baker. Richard joins from his previous Marketing position at Brains, Wales’ leading independent brewer and hospitality retailer. He will be combining his new role at David Baker & Company with completing a Post Graduate Diploma in Surveying from the College of Estate Management over the next year and a half.

‘I’m delighted to be on board, I’m new to the industry and having been at Brains for 10 years I’m going to have to find my feet pretty quickly. We’ve had a good couple of months and I’m looking to build on that, and the excellent reputation David Baker & Company has for honesty and professionalism. There is a great team in place here and there are a few initiatives I’ll be looking to implement in the business over the next few months. I’m excited for what the future has to offer and look forward to working with Liz, Claire, Craig and my father.’ Richard Baker

David Baker, founded in 1969, offers over forty years of experience and maintains a personal but professional service for anyone looking to buy or sell a property, in all parts of the property market.

‘It’s good to have Richard on board to compliment our young and efficient team. He is well versed with new technologies and advertising opportunities and having been brought up in Penarth he has a good knowledge of the area. I’m looking forward to him adding some fresh ideas to our growing business.’  David Baker

Penarth Estate Agent David Baker & Co. are providing their customers and prospective buyers with a new way to view property information on the go through the use of QR codes.

In partnership with Penarth based marketing consultancy – bluesky mobile marketing, David Baker & Co. sale boards will be adorned with QR codes. These are small black and white scanable bar codes increasingly seen on adverts and consumable items. People passing David Baker & Co. properties will be able to scan these codes with their 3G mobile phones and access full property details and photographs at the touch of a button, and information about how they can request a viewing. An example of this technology can be seen by scanning the bar code below.

‘Although the technology is reasonably new in the UK, we feel that the time is right to give it a try. People use smart phones every day and this product will allow more people to view our property details, which is good news for buyers and sellers alike.’ David Baker.

The QR codes will be appearing on selected property boards this month.

‘People are looking for more and more information, whether it’s for news, shopping, sport or buying and selling houses and this allows us to provide it for them in a format they are comfortable with using.’ David Baker.

‘We’re very pleased to have David Baker on board during the initial test phase.’ Anthony Milston, bluesky mobile marketing.