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NEWS The best ‘good news’ stories
Tourism’s £142m benefit post-Covid
STAYCATIONS WILL BOOST RUTLAND AND STAMFORD’S ECONOMY POST-COVID...
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RUTLAND & STAMFORD The area’s tourism service, Discover Rutland, says that with tourism providing a £142m income and employing 1,800 people – together with the likelihood that ‘staycations’ will be popular in 2021 – will help to benefit Stamford and Rutland’s economy, post-Covid. Chairman of the group, Jason Allen, who owns The Fox pub in North Luffenham and The Paddock campsite overlooking Rutland Water said: “There have been quite a few mixed messages from the Government over the last couple of weeks as to whether or not tourism businesses will be allowed to reopen in the spring and summer.” “In 2019, the county attracted just shy of 2,000,000 tourists, which many of the shops, pubs and attractions rely on throughout the year. As a rural county, Rutland is the ideal spot for a socially distanced staycation. We’ve got some exciting plans for the season ahead, including wider promotion of a new Rutland Food & Drink Map.” “The lower cases in Rutland are testament to the hard work and measures businesses in the county have put in place to protect residents in the last year.” Tourism businesses are likely to benefit from public reluctance to venture abroad this summer, and as a result, it’s likely that many will instead want to visit the UK’s tourist hotspots like Devon & Cornwall, The Lakes, Cotswolds and of course, Rutland & Stamford. n
Transforming behaviour...
SUPPORT SERVICES OFFERED BY WOOD GREEN HAVE HELPED 1,000s OF PET OWNERS
CAMBRIDGESHIRE Going beyond the rehabilitation and rehoming of dogs, cats and small animals, Wood Green, The Animals Charity, is also able to help people resolve any pet-related queries or concerns. These come in many different shapes and sizes, like one distressed dog owner who called Wood Green’s Pet Support team after her puppy, a Border Collie called Mabel, had bitten her vet through fear.
As a first step to address the situation, Mabel joined one of Wood Green’s puppy training courses and the owner was given tailored advice to continue the training at home. Sue Ketland, an experienced Dog Behaviour & Training Specialist at Wood Green, arranged a series of free one-to-one sessions with Mabel and her owner at a local nature reserve. Over this 10-week period, Mabel slowly learned to meet people and other dogs – including Sue’s dog, Reef (pictured). If you are struggling with any pet-related issue, contact Wood Green, for advice, behavioural support or even financial support. n Call 0300 303 9333 or visit www.woodgreen.org.uk.
Barnsdale Hall’s Back
BARNSDALE Rutland’s Barnsdale Hall Hotel is due to reopen again after its new owners have completed a successful refurbishment of the building and its estate. Dineshbhai and Savitaben Patel purchased the hotel, which was on the market for £10m, and set about investing in its refurbishment, including new beds, carpets, bathrooms and decor, only for lockdown to give trade a false start and only to find their first Christmas fell flat with parties banned by restrictions on hosting gatherings. But now, with restrictions due to be lifted, and with the UK’s staycation and tourism trade expected to enjoy a successful year, it’s expected that Barnsdale Hall – which will be managed by John Higham – will welcome new visitors to marvel at the new-look hotel. Employing 100 people, and with a spa and hair salon open to all, locals and visitors alike are sure to enjoy new look hotel. n
Musicians are in fine voice
TWO YOUNG MUSICIANS FROM THE AREA RELEASE SONGS TALKING ABOUT THE IMPACT OF LOCKDOWN
Roger That filmed December 2020 at Cats Hill, Rutland.
New gym in Ketton will look after body and mind...
KETTON If lockdown has left you lacking in energy or you’re keen to look after your mind, body and feel healthier this summer, good news... Equilibrium Gym & Fitness Club will open in Ketton this season, offering world-class cardio and strength equipment, three multi-purpose group fitness studios for classes like yoga, plus personal training, treatment rooms and premium amenities including rainfall showers and saunas. n www.equilibrium.fit
RUTLAND Jay Naylor, a 22-year old medical student from the University of Nottingham has released the song Roger That, written and recorded during Covid and expressing his frustration at having to put his studies on hold during lockdown. Jay lives in Ketton and was educated at Stamford School. He was just about to begin his first work placement prior to lockdown. Meanwhile, 15-year old Casterton College pupil Chloe Lorentzen has released her own collection of songs, Love, Life & Lies, and has enlisted dad Lee to film them. Her track Sorry has been viewed 1,200 times. n MP Alicia Kearns has welcomed an additional £880,000 of funding for Leicestershire and Rutland’s Police service to boost Violence Reduction Units aimed at preventing young people engaging in organised crime by tackling its root causes.
LEICESTERSHIRE n
£880,000 for Police
LOCAL NEWS
In Brief
STAMFORD x
WELL DONE TO HEROES OF THE BIG CLEAN IN STAMFORD
When locals can venture out and about in Stamford, and in the Deepings once more this spring, the district will be spick and span thanks to South Kesteven District Council’s Big Clean work. Two teams of five people toured the district’s 365 square miles with pressure washers, a weed ripper, leaf blower, strimmers and a large sweeper vehicle shared between two teams, tacking weeds, litter and graffiti. We’d like to say a very well done and thank you to you all for your hard work ensuring our towns and villages look good! n
STAMFORD, LINCOLNSHIRE OIEO £600,000
A superb, five bedroomed, family home sits on the outskirts of the glorious town of
Stamford. The modern property has been completely refurbished over the last few years and now presents as an immaculate, light, airy and spacious home with huge open plan kitchen diner, and a sitting room which links to a new garden room with bi-fold doors onto the private, south facing garden. The current owners have lived here for just over five years and have carried out a considerable amount of work so that it is almost like a brand new home. The garage is a new addition as the original was incorporated into the impressive kitchen diner. Outside, the mainly lawn garden is completely enclosed with timber fencing and evergreen trees that form attractive screening above, creating a completely private and intimate space. The Indian sandstone slabs which lead directly from the back of the house adjoining the composite decking, provide an ideal area for alfresco dining.
CARLBY, LINCOLNSHIRE Guide Price £850,000
In the heart of the village of Carlby, only 6 miles from Stamford is a charming yellow stone property dating back to before the 1700s. Its footprint has been enlarged over time and recently, stables have been converted into offices and a barn is now an adjoining annex, along with two more outbuildings providing further scope for development. Original features such as overhead beams, inglenook fireplaces reflect the age of the property. The main house has three rooms, two sets of stairs, a single storey section running along the back and the first floor accommodates three bedrooms and a family bathroom. The annex is a conversion with a kitchen, living area, linked by a light and spacious entrance hall, featuring a unique modern staircase in local oak and steel, and a bedroom. Outside has an expansive garden and yard area. The old barn opposite the house already has planning permission to be made into a two bedroom cottage. The garage building also has an outline planning for a house.
SSTC
MARKET OVERTON £620,000
Delightful stone-built period cottage offering well-proportioned and beautifully presented accommodation with an array of character features in a sought-after village location with views over the cricket field to the rear. Reception Hall, Cloakroom/WC, Sitting Room , Conservatory, Dining Room, Kitchen/Breakfast Room, Utility, 4 Bedrooms, Bathroom, Large Gardens, Double Garage, Off-road Parking. Energy Rating: E.
NEW PRICE BELTON IN RUTLAND £520,000
A beautifully extended and sympathetically refurbished character property providing spacious, contemporary family accommodation situated in a desirable Rutland village. Family Room, Dining Room, Snug, Kitchen, Utility, Cloakroom, 4 Bedrooms, En-suite Shower Room, Family Bathroom; dbl Garage, ample Parking, low-maintenance private Garden. Energy Rating: TBC.
NEW
OAKHAM £595,000
An individually designed, substantial detached property which is appointed to a high standard throughout, with good sized mature gardens located in a much sought after, non- estate location, close to the town centre with its associated amenities and also close to Oakham School. The property offers spacious, beautifully presented family accommodation with 3 Reception Rooms, luxury Kitchen/Diner, 4 well-proportioned Bedrooms and 3 Bath/Shower Rooms. NO UPWARD CHAIN. Energy Rating: C.
NEW
UPPINGHAM £730,000
Elegant period five-bedroom townhouse with double bay frontage, garage and private garden set in a sought-after area of Uppingham. The property offers spacious character accommodation and has been comprehensively refurbished by the present owners to an exacting specification throughout. Lounge, new Dining Kitchen, Utility, WC, Playroom, new Conservatory, 5 Dbl Bedrooms, refitted En-suite & Family Bathroom. Energy Rating: E Viewing highly recommended.
NEW
OAKHAM £440,000
An executive detached property offering spacious, immaculately presented family accommodation. The elegant interior features good quality fixtures and fittings including marble tiled floors and oak internal doors to the ground floor, oak staircase, superb high gloss units in the kitchen and contemporary sanitary ware. Sitting Room, large Games Room, Conservatory, open-plan Kitchen/Diner, WC, Utility, 4 Bedrooms, 2 Bath/Shower Rooms. Parking, enclosed Garden. Energy Rating: C.
STAMFORD From £280,000
A brand new exclusive development of luxury living apartments for over 55’s located in close proximity to the Stamford town centre and its amenities. The three-storey complex features a mixture of one- and two-bedroom contemporary apartments offering well laid-out accommodation finished to a high specification throughout and serviced by a lift to provide ease of access. Each apartment has an allocated parking space. Available to view now.
Guide Price £800,000 Guide Price £600,000
Pinfold Lane, South Luffenham
An immaculately presented village home offering wonderful living spaces, an open plan kitchen and a fully functioning, independent two-bedroom annex.
A charming and deceptively spacious four bed-room character cottage, sitting in the heart of the sought-after village of Knossington.
Offers in Excess of £400,000
Meadow Lane, Thornaugh
A beautifully finished and spacious brand new stone village home offering flexible living accommodation and open views over the neighbouring countryside. Dovecote Cottage, Wakerley
A charming two-bedroom character cottage renovated to a high standard throughout, sitting on a generous plot with glorious countryside views.
Looking for your forever home? Look no further!
VALLEY VIEW, CASTLE BYTHAM, NEAR GRANTHAM £POA - CALL FOR AVAILABILITY
A DEVELOPMENT OF 4 & 5 BEDROOM EXECUTIVE FAMILY HOMES PLOTS 3 & 6 ALREADY SOLD STC
Drawing upon the expert knowledge of our in-house designers and architects, Valley View offers six 4 and 5 bedroom executive family homes on an exclusive gated development, finished to the highest of standards and specification: an exceptional build quality that has been designed to stand the test of time. A large luxurious kitchen to accommodate the whole family designed to make the most of the exceptional valley views; plenty of spacious bedrooms and bathrooms big enough to survive the chaos on those busy weekday mornings. Not forgetting the large gardens for those gorgeous summer days.
HIGH SPECIFICATION TO INCLUDE:
Oak stairs with oak newel, handrail & spindles or glass balustrades. Quartz, granite or Corian worktops and upstands. Air source heat pump system... Plus: the reassurance of an NHBC backed 10 year warranty.
NOTHING FOR SALE
Professional property finder Kate Vincent explains that despite an apparent lack of property for sale, there is a vibrant ‘hidden market’ active in and around Stamford and Rutland
Kate Vincent Garrington
After the frenzied rush amongst homebuyers to secure a new home before the anticipated end of the Stamp Duty holiday, most estate agents’ windows and property portals look depressingly short of exciting properties for sale. Whilst the first quarter of the year is typically a time for homeowners to contemplate and plan the sale of their property with many waiting for spring to leap into life to enhance their gardens, the pandemic is clearly playing its part. Anecdotally, we hear that some homeowners are reluctant to invite buyers into their homes and others are holding off launching their property whilst the uncertainty remains. However, there is a significant few who are willing to discreetly offer their home to buyers on an ‘off-market’ basis.
Whilst some buyers are vaguely aware of this method of sale, many hold the false assumption that only high value homes are sold this way. This ‘hidden’ element of the local property market has a wide range of opportunities for all budgets.
Why do sellers choose off-market?
There are no hard and fast rules as to why homes are sold off-market as this is usually influenced by market conditions and a seller’s personal circumstances. However, over recent years delicate and private sales as a result of death, divorce, debt or being well known locally, are frequently cited as motives for keeping a property sale off-market. Equally, with so little prime property openly available for sale at the moment, some sellers have become wary about selling too quickly and then not having anything to move to. Selling quietly to a patient buyer offers both certainty of sale and confidence to look in earnest for a new home without the usual pressures.
Good news for buyers?
On the face of it being able to purchase a property off-market sounds appealing for a buyer as the property will usually be fresh to the market and there is normally less or no competition from other buyers. However, buying off-market usually means that the sellers will expect more flexibility with timescales, as they most likely will not have found a property themselves yet.
The sellers are also likely to be expecting to achieve a full price, to prevent the property from being formally marketed and made available to other buyers. The art is to negotiate a deal where both buyers and sellers are both happy and neither feel outdone by the price agreed.
What types of homes are being sold?
There is a surprisingly wide spectrum of ‘off- market’ properties both changing hands and being made available in the area. Recent examples range from a Stamford townhouse available at £850,000 to a period manor house with 5 acres that sold for £2.2m last year.
At the time of writing, there are several large country properties being offered on an off-market basis to a limited group of buyers. None of these can be found via the internet or property portals.
How do property finders find off-market homes?
The key to a property finder’s success, and more importantly the value they offer to a client, is their contacts and involvement in their local community and surrounding areas. Contrary to popular belief it is not just the local estate agents that contribute to the supply of off- market options provided to property finders. Discrete information regarding properties available to purchase away from the open market can come from all manner of sources including solicitors, tax advisors, gardeners, interior designers and architects for example. Having been offered off-market opportunities, clients of a property finding firm can enjoy ‘preferred buyer’ status. This is due to a seller or their agent taking comfort from the fact that the buyer has chosen to be represented in their search, which further underlines their commitment to a transaction. In situations where a seller only wants to reveal their intention to sell to a select number of people, property finders are usually towards the top of the list to be notified. Whilst finding the right property to purchase in Stamford and Rutland is likely to remain challenging, it is by no means an insurmountable challenge, with the right experience, contacts and access to all options in the market.
If you would like further information regarding off-market properties and how Garrington can save you time and money finding the right home, contact Kate Vincent at Garrington’s Stamford office on: Tel: 01780 408377 Email: info@garrington.co.uk www.garringtoneastmidlands.co.uk
