Pring's Blog

Dec 2008 Would YOU buy that garden?

I was looking back through some early marketing that I had done and found an old advert that I ran back in the early 1990’s when I was the Nailsea Manager of much loved CJ Hole. The title was:

“Who will sell your house in this area?” and underneath was my photograph and the words - “I will”! Well, I found the photo that was used for the article! I was rather younger then than I am now with fewer wrinkles or grey hairs; that’s for sure!

I had already been selling property for over a decade when that photo was taken and we were in the middle of another very difficult time in the property market. It reminded me of something quite profound that a buyer said to me at that time that has stuck with me but now takes on a new meaning and I’d like to share it with you.

I was selling a very run down house at auction that needed complete renovation and updating but it had a fabulous garden…not particularly large but beautifully laid out, well stocked with lots of colour and interest and different areas of lawn and planting and the previous owners of the house had obviously cultivated this garden over decades and quite possibly generations. There were many bidders and those who were builders were focused on the renovations that could take place. The property sold at way, way over the expected price and when I spoke to the successful bidder afterwards and commented that the price was much higher than expected he replied… “I just wanted that garden Steve. I can change the house but no amount of money that I spend will create that garden again. That’s taken years of work and care and you just can’t buy that.” Well, of course, he HAD bought it, but you knew what he meant.

There’s a saying that “You can’t buy experience” but actually you can – MINE! And on a no sale: no charge basis! When it comes to steering a path through any property market, relevant experience really comes into its own. Since starting my career in 1982 at 19, estate agency is all I have ever done.

I learnt my craft at Chappell & Matthews in Bristol throughout the 1980’s (the towns and villages to the south west centred on Nailsea were my patch) and from 1991 until 2008 when I launched Pring & Co, I worked directly in Nailsea and Backwell at CJ Hole. I have seen and valued tens of thousands of properties and helped literally thousands of people move home (I have sold over 4000 properties to date!) and I love doing what I do.

Times come and go. The property market moves in cycles. By looking afresh at how things can be done for the best advantage of my clients and having adapted and used the best that modern technology can offer whilst combining it with all that relevant experience, I really seem to have found a niche that buyers and sellers relate to.

So if you want to talk about property please telephone me, fax me, email me, checkout my website or simply stop me around town to have a chat. It’s taken 30 years worth of experience to get these greying hairs and I’m more than pleased to share them!