Property

A house for Christmas!

ONE of the first things that visitors to my house often say is: “What a wonderful house for Christmas!” which, let’s face it, is really quite a compliment.

Most of us like to think of our home as being welcoming and comfortable for visitors. No more so than at Christmastime, when people up and down the land, including some who are perhaps not necessarily known for being sociable are forced to run that formidable gauntlet of “Christmas hosting”.

Having a house that really “works” for hosting duties is an absolute godsend when the pressure is on. A really well-specced kitchen, good-size dining room, comfortable spare bedroom, an extra bathroom and perhaps somewhere to escape from your guests really takes the pressure off. The added bonus is of course that these things also make the house a pleasure to be in year-round.

It’s also fair to say that even if you are having a quiet festive period, simply having a home that lends itself well to being “decked up” can give much enjoyment. Having a potential buyer seeing that “perfect spot”’ for a Christmas tree when viewing a new property for the first time is a surprisingly regular occurrence!

In our house it’s the hallway that really comes alive at Christmastime, the lovely old flagstone floor being something of a “double-edged sword” when the tree decides to fell itself as it did last year!

It turns out that a real 7ft tree festooned with lights and glass baubles is really rather heavy! Too heavy in fact to be held aloft by a little plastic bucket with my “strategically” placed cardboard wedges on the uneven flagstones… water, gravel and smashed glass baubles everywhere. 2020 really was the year that just kept on giving!

If you are thinking about finding your perfect home in the New Year, then we would love to hear from you. Until then, from all of us here at Manor & Hall. We wish you Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year!

Ryan Stott, Partner

Killens open in Somerton

INDEPENDENT,family-run Killens has expanded its network of estate agency offices with the opening of a new estate agency in Somerton.

The new office opened on November 1st and will provide a suite of property services including, sales, lettings and professional services. The team from the Killens Auction Rooms will also be holding valuation days at the offices which are based in West Street close to the Post Office.

The team will be led by Tayo Harrington and Tom Drew, both of whom live locally. Tayo is the branch manager and has over 15 years’ experience.

Tom Killen, born and bred in Somerset and who established the business in 2008, says: “When we first launched, we promised to offer a new and fresh approach to property sales and lettings and it is this approach combined with investment in technology that we are continuing.

“Our focus is on customer service and delivering a range of services with honesty and integrity.”

He adds: “We are delighted to be opening in Somerton under the leadership of Tayo. This is an ideal location to expand into and we are grateful for the positive feedback from the local community who have complemented us on our modern office, which sees good levels of passing footfall each day, along with our local knowledge and enthusiasm.”