WITH house prices soaring in Crewe and changes in the stamp duty holiday it could be the right time to let established local estate agents Stephenson Browne guide you through the buying and selling maze.

The waving of duty on all but homes over £500,000 has stoked up the market for sellers and buyers; according to property web site Right Move more than 700,000 home sales are nearing completion across Britain.

But you can get one step ahead in the conveyancing logjam by putting yourself in the capable hands of a local independent property firm that has an intimate knowledge of the Crewe market with two decades of experience serving the locality.

Even with a staggered rate of tax, there are big savings to be made on properties valued below £250,000 [from July 1] before we return to the pre-pandemic threshold for stamp duty of £125,000 in October.

Branch Manager in the Crewe office, Megan Carlin, doesn't anticipate demand will be falling for the properties on the agents' varied portfolio.

She and her colleagues at Stephenson Browne know what sells in Crewe and how to best market properties to get maximum value for its customers.

"The market at the moment is crazy to say the least. We have seen an increase in house prices and the demand is certainly there for all types of properties," says Megan.

"The stamp duty holiday helped at the beginning of the first lockdown and it has encouraged people to list their properties. Crewe has a huge range of properties, and we sell them all."

By reacting quickly when homes become available and with their determination to offer a personal touch, staff at Stephenson Browne have built up an excellent reputation in the Crewe housing market.

Their offices may be busy dealing with the surge in demand for properties, but that doesn't stop them from putting the customer first.

"We listen to each and everyone one of our buyers and sellers, so we can quickly identify when a property comes on the market who will buy it," adds Megan.

"Stephenson Browne offers a personal experience to each of our customers. We do this as we have a dedicated member of staff to guide you through each part of the process whether you are buying or selling.

"Last month we contributed to £14.9 million of exchanged contracts in this office. It takes a lot for someone to entrust you with their biggest asset so the first point of contact is doing right by the seller, we have to service that client right and look after them.

"The buyer needs to also believe in what we say too - we want to be a trusted agent. What we try to do is make sure everybody is open and knowledgeable about what is going on during the process from start to finish."

Megan is one of Stephenson Browne's newest recruits, having started her estate agency career in 2015, progressing into sales after a year's experience in lettings.

She says the variety of her job as well as the opportunity it provides to build on her sales background means it is the dream role for her.

"I worked in sales at Peugeot so I knew property sales and valuing was where I wanted to go. I am thoroughly enjoying the step up into one of Crewe's biggest agents. Every day is different which is why I love this job so much," she adds.

Stephenson Browne sells a range of properties in Crewe from two-bedroom terraces to large four-bedroom homes, apartments as well as homes on new developments.

Recently, the agents sold the last remaining new builds at the Clovers on Manor Way, a range of sought-after three-bedroom homes handy for Crewe Railway Station.

Megan's advice to anyone considering selling their house at the moment is clear.

"Just go for it and make the most of this fantastic market," she says. "Many sellers ask what to do if they can't find a property – the simple answer is that you will. But you must be in it to win it and properties are selling too quickly to look before listing."

Stephenson Browne's professional credentials are attested for by its membership of the National Association of Estate Agents and Ombudsman Scheme.

And the agents' high standards extend beyond the service offered to buyers and sellers and include those negotiating the busy Crewe rental market.

Stephenson Browne has built a reputation for looking after tenants and landlords alike.

"It's all about trying to marry them up and realising they have a responsibility to each other," says Lettings Manager Jenny Williams.

"We're happy to represent the whole market and it is about providing clean, good quality properties."

Jenny says the lettings market is also booming at the moment.

"It's so quick and the minute a new property is launched everyone is set up with notifications.

"It's probably the most buoyant I've known it considering we've come out of the pandemic. As soon as a property comes on in Crewe there is interest – the demand is outstripping the supply.

"That's even with the effects of the stamp duty holiday - just because sales are up doesn't mean lettings are down."

The growth of industry in and around Crewe, particularly in the Basford/A500 employment zone and the future prospects of HS2 as well as the housing needs of temporary workers at the town's biggest employers, Bentley Motors and Leighton Hospital, means there are always tenants looking for homes in the area.

"We get a nice mix of long-term tenants who are not in a position to buy and we have lots of staff at Leighton Hospital and Bentley," adds Jenny.

Jenny has been looking after lettings for the past four years, but can count on 16 years of experience in the property business in the Crewe area, where she has lived for 20 years.

"Word of mouth is what brings people to us. We've got so many landlords who will vouch for us," she says.

"We also work closely with Duchy of Lancaster on the lettings on their rural estate properties."

For those looking to invest in buy-to-let there are still opportunities too and Jenny says Stephenson Browne are here to help anyone considering taking the leap.

"It's still a lucrative thing to do and people shouldn't be put off by the bad things they hear. We do some advisory work on where people should look to buy to rent and the state of the market."

Stephenson Browne Managing Director Stephen Bird and Sales Director Craig Whitney said: "We are extremely thankful to be in the position we find ourselves in following the Covid-19 pandemic. The sales and lettings market has grown far beyond anyone's expectations, stamp duty holiday aside.

"Clients we regularly speak to now appear to be making different lifestyle choices as a result of Covid. While it hasn't been easy, we couldn't be prouder of our employees across the company for their continued hard work through unprecedented times.

"On behalf of everyone at Stephenson Browne we would like to thank all our clients for their custom but more importantly their understanding and frequent kind words."

As part of their commitment to the community, Stephenson Browne is now proud sponsors of the property section at Crewe Nub News. Our exciting partnership will showcase great properties in and around the town, plus news and features relating to the local property market and how it might affect people in Crewe.

Speaking on the partnership, Nub News chief executive Karl Hancock said: "Estate agents are such an integral part of any community so it's great to have Stephenson Browne on board as the property sponsor for Crewe.

"I look forward to reading Property of the Week features and regular articles on the local market."

About Stephenson Browne

The offices are situated on Nantich Road with separate adjacent premises for lettings and sales.

See more from Stephenson Browne here.

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