Listed below is a draft that will hopefully come out in the local papers of Kent News courtesy of Tom
It is of course awaiting Toms journalistic brush up!
What do you think?!
How did your business come about and what does it do?
My business first started out by providing the Energy Performance Certificate directly to the home owner, but it soon became apparent that what they wanted; sorry needed! was the Home Information Pack, hence the name Thanet HIPs. I then decided to list properties for sale in conjunction with their Home Information Pack on my website. The government have since abolished the Home Information Pack leaving me with my business name, which for now will stay.
What is your role?
As the owner of a local independent online estate agent, all listings are managed by my self, which includes arranging viewings and all negotiations on behalf of the vendor until there is a satisfactory completion.
Where are you based?
My office is based at home in Shakespeare Road, Birchington, Kent.
What are your long term goals for the project/site
It is my aim to establish the business as an alternative online version of your local independent estate agent, providing everything a high street agent provides, but with one extra provision: value for money! I hope to develop the site not just as a property listing site, but to also provide useful local information that is recommended by my self.
How has the internet influenced the way you work?
The internet has made it possible to develop an estate agent business that is solely based online because people now turn to it when they first look for properties. When you consider that you can list your property for free with Sarah Beenys’ site “Tepilo” which in turn automatically lists your property onto Google Maps and Globrix which is backed by a major news organization which is also free to list properties to “property professionals” then you realise that marketing your property is no longer a cost issue. Therefore by basing the business online and working within the local area, huge savings can be made without detriment to the vendor or the buyer. The hardest part will be to gain the confidence of the local market, but then I like challenges.
Do you think people are more interested in property and development than they used to be? If so what has fuelled this?
Let’s face it: It all comes down to money and a natural desire to make a home, and; linked into that, most world economies are intrinsically linked to the property market, a toxic mix in the best of times. It has of course been left to run wild, causing the mess that we now find ourselves in.
What do you think of the property market in Thanet in general - in a good or bad state currently?
The market in Thanet, as in the rest of the country is in a transitional period, the best word I can come up with is “uncertain” up, down or stagnate? If you were to push me for a more definitive answer, I would have to say down, when you look at the affordability of homes linked to wages, the massive debt burden we are under, and future cuts to come from the government, it can only mean one thing: “Down”. In recent times we have been living under the myth that money is easy to come by; the tide has turned.
What drives you?
I have lived in Thanet for 32 years and worked in Thanet for 28 years, and in that time I have developed many properties. Each time that I have moved, the question that keeps on arising is: Where is the value for money that I have paid to the estate agent? It is not until now with the help of the internet and the OFT Chief Executive, John Fingleton referring to estate agents, saying: ’In the present economic climate it is more important than ever that people get a good deal when buying or selling a home.” that I truly believe now is the time for a more efficient way of selling properties.
What other interests do you have?
Internet browsing is certainly up there as an interest for obvious business reasons, but I also enjoy social networking on Twitter. Café culture is also a passionate past time that I enjoy, could it be the people watching, the cakes, the conversation or the caffeine?, probably all four. After indulging at the café I like to enjoy the outdoors, and what an outdoors we have right here on our door step.
What do you think of Thanet as a place to live in?
Having lived here now for 32 years, I have experienced the good and bad that Thanet has to offer. Starting with the good; at the top of the list is of course, the geographic position which Thanet benefits from. Sitting on the extreme South East coast, and surrounded by a north and south coastline that brings with it a natural light that Turner himself was once drawn to, it is easy to see why the people of Thanet tend to stay. With dual carriageway from Thanet to London, the high speed rail link to London, and Flybe now operating from Manston airport to Endinburgh, Manchester and Jersey, transportation links are great, and continuously being added to.
There are of course run down areas of Thanet which have lost their way in reinventing themselves, of which Margate and Cliftonville are having trouble. I and others in Thanet hope that the Turner centre being built next to the Margate harbour, is a start to the rejuvenation of Margate and the surrounding areas.
So come on, help us rebuild and enjoy it with us.
