Welcome to Eastwood Property Consulting

When I started my career as an estate agent in central London in 1992, I never envisaged sitting here nearly 30 years later at the helm of a new property business during a global pandemic. So much has happened during the last 30 years, including huge population growth and an astounding technological advance driven by the world wide web. The internet has many benefits, but it has taken much of the face to face human contact out of our daily lives. This especially applies to property, with online platforms charging fees of a few hundred pounds to sell a house. Whilst low costs may seem appealing, sadly it is usually at the expense of sound advice and, ultimately, can prove to be a false economy.

Over the past 15 years, whilst working as a country house agent in East Anglia, I noticed a significant change sweeping through the industry. More and more the emphasis was being placed on volume of sales and growing revenue, resulting in less focus on providing specialist advice. After all, an estate agent only has one agenda – to sell your house! I am a property specialist who will be at your side every step of the way through complex transactions always available to provide impartial and carefully thought out advice.

So how does being an independent property consultant differentiate me from estate agents? My business is all about providing advice. I don’t sell houses for a commission, but I can advise on the options your property presents, whether you are selling or not. You may be simply looking at how to improve and add value to your property assets or considering moving but not sure which agent is the right choice for you. For buyers I provide expert knowledge of the East Anglian property market. I know the region like the back of my hand, having worked as a country house agent in Norfolk Suffolk and Essex. This includes what is selling and perhaps more importantly what is not selling, where are the property hotspots, best performing schools, most convenient commuting routes and local amenities.

An example of how my advice can be invaluable occurred a few years ago. I was invited to appraise a beautiful period house by an elderly lady’s family. The garden was getting on top of her and the family felt that the time had come for her to move. When I met her it was very apparent that she loved the house and wasn’t keen to move. The only real issue was maintaining the garden. Rather than push for a sale, I pointed out that appointing a gardener for a few days a week would solve the problem and be much cheaper than the cost of moving (approx. £30,000 all told). Both she and her family were delighted that some sympathetic advice solved all their immediate problems. Whilst I may have done myself out of a job on that occasion it was the right thing to do. I gave that family the same advice I would have given my own parents, that is what being a property consultant is all about.

If you have any property matters that you would like to discuss please do get in touch. I look forward to hearing from you.