House-hunting seaside style

 Photo credit: www.Brighton-Net.com

It's Tuesday and after a ridiculously glorious weekend Brighton is STILL as balmy and beautiful as ever. After what seemed like decades of murky weather, the sun has finally come out and along with it brought the daytripper-turned-househunting brigade. They are easily to recognise, all wistful looks and fat deposits, noses pressed against estate agent windows all with the hope of living the dream. And it's no wonder, who wouldn't want to move down here in the summer, streets crammed with stunning Georgian architecture, a cool and surprisingly clean ocean and everyone, literally everyone has a smile on their face. Okay, okay, I know I'm banging on again. I will stop soon, honest. After this last strawberry Mivvi...
While statistically the stretch between June and October is the prime time for making the big move to the coast, it's not always the right move. Prices often increase, they certainly hold their value and there is much more competition often resulting in bidding wars during the summer months. So the happiest people you'll see in Brighton on a sunny day are estate agents, rubbing their hands with glee at all that lovely London commission.

This recent report in the Independent showed that Brighton is the most expensive place to buy in Britain, followed by Oxford and then Guildford. But probably even more surprisingly, London came 7th after Chelmsford of all places. So there really is no accounting for taste (sorry Chelmsford).
My husband, a London estate agent, was insistent that we must not fall into the trap of buying a house in the summer when even the ropiest looking dog-pit looks attractive. So my advice is to buy in winter when the grey skies and cruel winds will put even the hardiest of buyers off.

If you're serious about moving down, meet and make friends with ALL the estate agents, call them every week without fail, read Latest Homes, the Brighton property pages religiously and remember that good properties do not hang around for long. Be prepared to view at the drop of a hat, I used to drop the kids off at school and bomb down the M23 to look at places within a couple of hours of being notified. Although not everyone has this privilege, it's often is a case of you snooze, you lose when it comes to good Brighton properties.
Anyway, the beach beckons so I'll put up a few good agents who specialise in the different areas of Brighton in my next post.