Dear Future Homeowners, and Property Enthusiasts,

Welcome to the first edition of the Samuel Makepeace Newsletter.

Whether you’re buying, selling, or just here for the sheer joy of neighbourhood gossip (we see you), we’ve got something for everyone. In this issue, you’ll find tips that’ll make your next property transaction smoother than your last attempt at assembling IKEA furniture. Plus, a few market trends that will keep you ahead of the game, like a true property connoisseur. So grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and get ready to dive into the latest market news. Remember, whether it’s your first home or your 10th, we’re here to make the process as fun as we can.

In this month’s edition:

-Check out our new listing of the month!

-Get to know our resident marketing expert, Natalya Green

-Learn all the Samuel Makepeace latest news

-Check out our key completion of the month

-Main feature: a showcase of our incredible new listing, The Villas

Happy reading!

Give us a run down of your day to day duties. "On a typical day I’d come in and check my diary for appointments first thing, grabbing keys or the camera depending on what I’m doing that day. I will the look through the take on workload (what us agents call marketing) and me and my Milton counterpart Sophie will debrief on what properties need to be worked on that day. I will then go about my viewings and take on appointments and end the day on some marketing, whether that be TikTok or Facebook!”

What is your favourite part of your job? “My favourite part is probably how different every day is. No one day is the same and I love seeing so many very different properties we have on the market. I also love using my creativity to work out how I can best showcase the homes to a buyer, and get them sold ASAP!”

What do you find most challenging? “Spelling! I’m rubbish!”

How do you unwind outside of the office? “I unwind either shopping for many clothes or bits and bobs for my first house. I love going on long dog walks with my partner.”

What’s your all time favourite film and why? “It’s hard to go with just one so I’d have to say either Twilight or Harry Potter! Each are an escape from reality and make me feel like a child again… when everything magical is possible!”

What would be your go to karaoke song? “Karaoke?? My song would be Silent Night because I’ll be at the bar!”

If you were stranded on a desert island and had to pick one of your work colleagues to rescue you, who would you pick? “Well erm, probably Steph. As I believe Steph could be a fantastic swimmer and swim me out or build me a raft and I could row out.” Terrible choice Tal!

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? “To never care what anyone thinks, just do what makes you happy and do it with a smile.”

Stunning 6-Bedroom Grade II Listed Home in The Villas, Penkhull

Step into timeless elegance with this exceptional six-bedroom, four-storey semi-detached residence in the prestigious conservation area of The Villas, Penkhull. Brimming with original features including Minton tiled floors, stained glass windows, soaring ceilings, and cast iron fireplaces, this Grade II listed home offers a rare blend of historic charm and modern comfort.

Highlights include a magnificent 21ft formal lounge, a grand dining room perfect for entertaining, a versatile playroom, and a character-filled kitchen split into two beautifully designed spaces. Upstairs, discover four large bedrooms (two with ensuites), a luxurious master suite with private study and designer bathroom, plus two additional double bedrooms on the top floor.

Additional features: spacious cellar/home gym, landscaped rear garden with patios and play area, separate laundry/utility outhouse, and off-road gated entrance with lawned frontage.

A truly unique and elegant family home – a lifestyle opportunity not to be missed.
Contact Samuel Makepeace today to arrange your private viewing, or take a further look at the property here https://www.samuelmakepeace.co.uk/property/494-6bedroom-for-sale

First time buyer? Let us help...

Congratulations on taking this exciting step towards owning your first home!

Buying a house is a major decision, and it is important to take the time to find the right property for you.

First, it is important to have a clear idea of what your budget is and what type of property you can realistically afford. Make sure to factor in the additional costs associated with buying a home, such as solicitor fees, survey costs and mortgage rates. We do offer free assistance with your mortgage, all you need to do is email hello@samuelmakepeace.co.uk, or call us on 01782 914444.

Our ultimate goal is always going to be to assist our sellers and buyers in reaching a successful completion. But it is always important to recognise the journey that takes to get there! And a journey is most definitely what we went on with our seller! It is so important as an estate agent to work as a team with your sellers, and always keep in mind that when you are a unit, with a common goal, you are far more likely to achieve what you set out to. There will always be hurdles to jump, and in this case, our main hurdle to overcome, was managing the expectations of a new build company at the top of the chain, versus a slow-paced, unresponsive solicitor at the bottom. This was a situation that caused a lot of stress, but we made it our mission to alleviate this as much as we could, and to keep everyone as up-to-date as we could! 

We are pleased to report that our seller, is now settling in beautifully into her forever home. We asked her for her comments:

"What a relief that's all over! I cannot tell you what a massive support Steph and the team at Samuel Makepeace have been to get this over the line. Considering how it's a very small chain, the last 6 weeks especially have been utterly ridiculous and stressful. But that chapter can now end to begin the beautiful new story of a forever home. Top tip: if your buyer's choose solicitors that are 150 miles away, please steer them to use a local firm. As well as ignore date deadlines with new builds at the top of the chain too. They probably will extend dates.

16:31 confirmation of exchange of contracts to handing in keys at 12:45 the very next day and picking up keys at 14:30. What you can do in 24 hours... yet to still have time for last minute cleaning for the soon to be first time buyers. Welcome to your new home and enjoy the fizz!"

And we agree! Choosing a local, reputable solicitor can make an ENORMOUS DIFFERENCE to not only YOUR home-buying experience, but the experience of all parties in your chain. At Samuel Makepeace, we like to align ourselves with the very best local solicitors in the industry, so if you've never done this before, or if you've done it 10 times, we will always be more than happy to give you our recommendations. We are so grateful to our seller of Greenfield Road for entrusting the sale of her property to Samuel Makepeace, and over the moon that we reached that final threshold! Cheers to many happy memories in your new home!

Key Industry News this month

-Stamp Duty Land Tax changes from 1st April 2025 – for more information, see our article here… https://www.samuelmakepeace.co.uk/blog/understanding-stamp-duty-land-tax

-Sales agreed continue to rise, up 5% year-on-year, indicating sustained buyer interest despite recent stamp duty threshold reductions.

-The average asking price for UK homes has hit a historic high of £377,182. How did we get here? Blame it on stable mortgage rates, sky-high demand, and an influx of fresh listings hitting the market.

Join us next month for our next edition!!

by Stephanie George, Head of Operations