PROPERTY NEWS Everyone wants to move to Devon, and other stories

PROPERTY PLACES TO LIVE, WORK AND PLAY NEW! PROPERTY SECTION

above: Roger Wilkinson is celebrating a big birthday right: Walking for Hospicare are these two smiley chaps WHAT A GIFT! Exeter property company Wilkinson Grant & Co is celebrating its 25th birthday.

And to commemorate the occasion, it is giving support to a number of local charities.

“Since we first opened for business in 1995 we have been committed to helping local charities and community groups,” says owner Roger Wilkinson.

“Over the years, we have been proud to support and promote many fundraising events for a vast number of them – helping raise much needed monies for the valuable work they do in our local community. “Those charities include Exeter

AGE UK; Hospiscare; Exeter City Community Trust; Exeter YMCA: Exeter Leukemia Fund; FORCE; Balloons; Dreamaway; Headway Devon; Estuary League of Friends and Exeter Dementia Action Alliance and a number of other smaller local charities and community groups.”

Wilkinson Grant & Co is inviting all of the above named charities to apply for a discretionary grant from their Wilkinson Granted Anniversary Fund. Each will receive a minimum of £250 and the maximum will be determined by sharing whatever monies are raised through their Just Giving page.

For lesser-known local charities and community groups, there are fourteen more separate grants available of £50 each, available via separate application to the same fund.

“Now is a particularly challenging time for such organisations and we are keen to help, calling on our clients, customers business associates and friends to join us in lending your support,” adds Roger. For more: www.wilkinsongrant.co.uk

OPEN DOORS

After work halted earlier in the year, Exmouth’s newest school, the Deaf Academy, has opened its doors to students. The £10.5million Deaf Academy features cutting edge Deafspace architecture and technology designed to enhance and improve the learning for its students, who are aged from five to 25; many of whom have additional special needs.

The Academy, which moved from its former home on Topsham Road in Exeter, where it has been based for almost 200 years, had been due to open earlier this year and the new build was in the final stages of completion when work was halted due to the impact of Coronavirus, and the students’ learning was taken online.

Staff at the academy worked with architects, south west-based Stride Treglown in the development of the new Academy.

“We undertook a lot of research, looking at other deaf schools across Europe and the United States of America, and particularly the work of the Gallaudet University in the US to understand the unique challenges and opportunities that this exciting project posed,” says Carl Harding, architect at Stride Treglown. “Everything possible has been done to create an environment which improves and enhances communication.” For more: thedeafacademy.ac.uk PROPERTY NEWS Market commentary from Sarah-Jane Bingham-Chic, head of residential for Savills Exeter

“Prime property sales in Exeter and the wider South West intensified over the summer with new buyer registrations up 125 per cent between June and August, when compared to last year, as people activated decisions made during lockdown. Particularly sought-after, coastal properties have seen a considerable increase in demand.

“Many predicted that the immediate shift in priorities seen in April was just a response to lockdown, and would be short-lived. This latest survey highlights greater commitment from people to make real changes and from June to August deals agreed by the Exeter office were up 15 per cent when compared to the same time last year.

“Buyer determination to avoid compromise on lifestyle factors has boosted the appeal for a more rural lifestyle. Garden and outside space has become more important and there is a greater desire for separate home working space.

“The buoyant market conditions are giving owners confidence to bring their homes to the market while buyers retain a degree of price sensitivity. Keeping buyer and seller expectations on pricing aligned will be key to maintaining the summer momentum through the autumn and beyond.” For more: www.savills.co.uk

Home-grown success

TMQ is one of Exeter’s recent business success stories

Buying a house and securing a mortgage, is no easy feat at the best of times, let alone during Brexit, a global pandemic and huge economic recession. Despite this, Exeter based Mortgage brokers, The Mortgage Quarter (TMQ) have continued to push through in what has certainly been an unexpected and challenging fi rst few years of business. Strong in the face of adversity, it has taught the team to always expect the unexpected and regardless of the challenges, to keep pushing on, and that is exactly what they have done.

BACK TO THE BEGINNING When James Miles and Michael Tilston launched TMQ in June 2018, they never anticipated the growth and success they would achieve in such a short time. As the team quickly outgrew the first office, new premises were acquired in March to accommodate the now team of nine.

Located on Richmond Road in a stunning three-storey town house, just a 5-minute walk from the city centre, the team is proud to offer a warm, welcoming and down to earth, customer-centric approach. Evidence of this lies within their 100 plus (and growing) 5* customer reviews.

STRONGER TOGETHER Supporting local businesses and the community has been high on TMQ’s priority list from the very start. Having built a strong network of connections and partnerships with local estate agents and solicitors, they aim to take the pressure and stress away from what can often feel like a difficult task.

In the last year, the team also has a plethora of exceptional community focused achievements under their belt, to include: ● Fundraising almost £1000 for Exeter Leukemia Fund during lockdown by running a marathon over 10 days. ● Celebrating two hugely successful Christmas Toy Collections for the children’s Bramble Ward for the Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust. ● Offered a fee free service to all Key workers during lockdown.

With countless good news and success stories, even lockdown hasn’t dampened the team’s spirits. James from TMQ says, “We would like to say a huge thank you to our loyal clients who kept us extremely busy during these trying times. It’s a credit to the Exeter business community pulling together to ensure the City and its people continue to thrive.”

“ THE PROPERTY MARKET, ESPECIALLY IN EXETER, IS FLYING AND MORE LENDERS ARE MAKING MORE MONEY AVAILABLE FOR MORE PEOPLE ”

THE PROPERTY MARKET Despite the uncertainty this year has brought, a post-lockdown surge in the property market and a widespread reflection of what people now want from their homes, has led to a whirlwind of activity for TMQ.

Richard Grigg, TMQ Mortgage Advisor says, “The property market, especially in Exeter,

is flying and more lenders are making more money available for more people. The Stamp duty holiday has without a doubt been a huge factor in the recovery of the housing market with Rishi Sunak waiving the standard rate of stamp duty on all purchases up to £500,000 until March 31, 2021.”

For you as a house-buyer, this means potential savings of up to £15,000. In addition to this, the Help To Buy scheme has been extended further to match. With a fast moving local property market and significant savings to be made in stamp duty, getting the extra space from a new home could be more affordable than you think. Rates are still low, houses are selling, and the professional team at TMQ are using their knowledge with lenders to get the very best for their clients. So whether you are a home mover, a first time buyer, investor or you’re simply looking to remortgage, there really is no time like the present. ■

The Mortgage Quarter, 23 Richmond Road, Exeter, EX4 4JF; 01392 660219; info@tmq.org.uk; www.themortgagequarter.co.uk