Have you ever wanted to own a piece of Guernsey history? Well now’s your chance.
Les Jouppes is a stylish detached bungalow on the south west corner of the island. But there’s so much more to this property then meets the eye.
What can’t be seen is the World War II Flak Command Bunker that sits beneath the surface.
The 8-room underground structure is extremely well-preserved and could be used for a range of different activities – only limited by your imagination.
The L403 fire control Flak Command Bunker is built to fortress standard with a minimum 2-metre-thick reinforced concrete walls and a roof almost 3 metres thick. More than 1,400 cubic meters of concrete was used in its construction – equating to around 3,360 tonnes.
This anti-aircraft command bunker was part of the heavy Flak battery called Rabenstein which was made up of 88mm Flak guns, 20mm Flak guns, machine gun posts, personnel shelters, radar, search lights and a generator bunker.
Only between 13 and 16 L403 bunkers are recorded as having been built throughout the whole ‘Atlantic Wall’ and four of these are in the Channel Islands – two in Jersey and two in Guernsey.
The bunker was manned by the Luftwaffe Flak Regiment 292 and housed up to 25 personnel operating on an eight-hour shift basis with accommodation for the duty crew. By contemporary standards, the bunker was very sophisticated, with central heating, showers, hot and cold running water and modern sanitation.
Whoever buys this unique property will certainly have fun deciding what to do with all this additional space. How about a cinema room, wine cellar or bar and party room? Part of the bunker would make a great teenager’s den or gaming room. Or perhaps a library, home office, gym, or music studio?
Whatever the new owner decides, this really is a once in a lifetime opportunity to purchase a unique property. And one where storage space certainly won’t be an issue.
Please contact the Local Market sales team if you would like to view Les Jouppes, which can be seen here: https://www.swoffers.co.uk/property/les-jouppes-de-haut-route-des-laurens-torteval/
Congratulations to Jen and Rob Chalker – the winners of this year’s ‘List it to Win a Holiday’ prize draw.
The couple win a £3,000 voucher from World Travel to spend on a holiday of their choice. And they’ve got plenty of time to decide where they want to go as World Travel has kindly extended the voucher to be used by the end of 2021.
‘We were very surprised to have won the competition and really look forward to our holiday,’ said Jen.
The property they listed has now been sold by Swoffers and as the couple co-owned it with Jen’s parents, they are hoping to use the voucher for a family break in the future.
‘We’ve really appreciated all the help and advice from the team at Swoffers throughout the whole process,’ said Jen.
‘Selling our home ended up being a bit more complicated than originally expected but having a holiday to look forward to has made things a bit easier.’
Swoffers director Andre Austin said there had been a great response to this year’s competition.
‘We delayed announcing our winner with all the uncertainty about future travel but thought now was a good time to share the good news,’ he said.
‘It is important to have something to look forward to and we are delighted for Jen, Rob and their family and hope they thoroughly enjoy their chosen holiday.
‘We know that buying or selling your home can be a stressful experience, but the team at Swoffers is always ready to answer any questions or help in any way to make the whole process as stress free as possible. Just pick up the phone or send us an email and we will help you find your perfect home.’
Swoffers is pleased to support a new initiative aimed at encouraging landlords to consider allowing tenants to accommodate pets in rented properties.
The Pancake Project, named after pet rabbit Pancake, has been launched by Bea Smith, who wants to create more pet friendly rental homes but also educate tenants in pet-proofing properties to reassure landlords that their rental is safe and protected.
Pancake is a registered emotional support animal, but Bea found it very difficult to find a rental property that would allow such a companion pet.
‘We always have a large number of tenants looking for properties that will accept pets,’ said Swoffers lettings negotiator, Annie Le Prevost.
‘We understand why landlords may not want to have certain pets in their properties, and some homes are just not suitable for animals. But by introducing, for example, higher pet-related deposits or ensuring tenants pet-proof a property, perhaps landlords might consider it.’
Bea recommends that landlords could agree to make tenants responsible for installing measures such as skirting board barriers, cable protectors or baby gates/room dividers to guard against any possible damage by pets.
‘This could be controlled by visits after proofing, or an inspection from the GSPCA which could include a pet reference,’ said Bea.
The GSPCA is supportive of Bea’s efforts and willing to help any landlords who are unsure how to accommodate pets.
‘There is rarely a week that goes by when we aren’t made aware of the challenges pet owners find in looking for accommodation,’ said GSPCA manager Steve Byrne, in a recent article published in Bailiwick Express.
‘Every year we have a variety of pets given up into our care as owners cannot find accommodation. There are ways and means landlords could easily make adjustments in their tenancy agreement to allow pets and this could even help benefit the owner of the property,’ said Steve.
‘It always saddens the team at the GSPCA when we speak to those keen to help give an animal a loving home but are unable to do so due to their tenancy agreement.’
To try to assist, Swoffers plans to introduce some simple icons on rental property details to indicate what sort of animals may be considered by the landlord, and, where possible, to encourage landlords to consider tenants who have pets in equal merit to those who don’t.
‘Rather than stating ‘no pets’ it may be that a landlord would be happy to consider smaller animals such as rabbits or guinea pigs or even pet fish. If they agree to consider certain animals then we will include the relevant icons,’ said Annie.
‘Obviously, this may need to be on a case by case basis, but we will try to help where we can.’
If landlords or tenants have any questions about allowing pets in rental properties then please contact our experienced team on 01481 721757 or email rentals@swoffers.co.uk
For further information on the Pancake Project see http://www.thepancakeproject.info/
Picture caption: Bea Smith from the Pancake Project is pictured with pet rabbit Pancake and lettings negotiator Annie Le Prevost
Swoffers is delighted that people from outside of the island can now view properties in Guernsey without the need to quarantine, under the States of Guernsey’s business tunnel arrangement.
From next Tuesday (28 July) people will be able to come to the island on a day trip from Southampton, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, on board planes operated by Aurigny.
Swoffers’ Managing Director, Craig Whitman, welcomed the move, which he said could only be good for Guernsey.
‘The island has been covid-free now since 27th May and as we don’t need to social distance anymore or wear masks, the island is an extremely attractive proposition for those looking to relocate their families, or to retire. Coupled with the quality of life we enjoy here, the low-tax regime and minimal crime, there has rarely been a better time to attract people looking to relocate,’ he said.
Under the business tunnel arrangement, travel to and from the airport hangars or terminal building must not be on public transport. Social distancing of one metre must be maintained at all times and contacts must be recorded for tracing purposes and should be minimised. Passengers must wear face masks as they pass through the airport and in the transport to their viewing or meeting. Business tunnel travel must be applied for.
People looking to benefit from the business tunnels initiative will need to contact Swoffers, who will then notify the States of Guernsey providing the relevant information for review to ensure that all legal requirements for use of the business tunnels are met against a set of criteria. Further information can be found here: https://www.swoffers.co.uk/guernsey-properties-are-open-for-viewings/
For information on relocating to Guernsey click here: https://www.swoffers.co.uk/relocating-to-guernsey/
The team at Swoffers is aware there have been some concerns expressed about gazumping in Guernsey.
Gazumping is when a vendor accepts a higher offer on the house you are purchasing before you have exchanged contracts.
As Guernsey’s leading estate agency, we are not aware of gazumping happening here but we thought it would be useful to explain a bit more about the process of buying and selling a house in Guernsey and how gazumping can be prevented.
When you find the perfect home that you want to buy, and your offer has been accepted by the vendor, then the property is marked ‘under offer’ on agents’ websites, and no further viewings may take place.
Once the property is under offer, we prepare draft conditions of sale which will include an operative date (when we aim to get your contract signed) and a completion date (when you take possession of your new home).
The accepted offer is not legally binding until contracts are signed and exchanged.
The buying process requires various legal checks and surveys depending on the requirements of your mortgage provider. We recommend you appoint an advocate as soon as your offer is accepted and also advise your mortgage provider of your intention to buy the property so that they are able to confirm your funding by way of an official offer letter. They will also appoint a surveyor.
The team at Swoffers will keep you updated on the progress of the buying process. We will also keep the vendor informed of how things are progressing. We believe this communication is essential to avoid any surprises or difficulties along the way.
Once all these checks have been satisfactorily completed and the purchase price reconfirmed, the conditions of sale can be signed by both purchaser and vendor, your deposit paid (usually 10% of the purchase price) and the contract becomes legally binding.
If you decide to pull out of the purchase after the conditions of sale have been signed, then you will forfeit the deposit and will still have to pay your legal and survey costs. If the vendor decides to pull out of the sale after signing, then you get your deposit back and they are liable to pay you 10% of the purchase price in damages.
Although not gazumping, one consequence of the current busy local market is that many properties are going under offer at full asking price, or in some cases above the asking price. In the case of multiple offers being received on a property, it is always the vendor’s decision to accept whichever offer works best for them. This is not necessarily the highest offer and may depend on the financial position of the purchaser, for example whether they are a cash buyer, chain free or their property is already under offer.
Swoffers will always collate details of all offers, including the position of the potential buyers, and present them to the vendors who will make a decision based on this information.
If in doubt about any situation, whether you are buying or selling, don’t hesitate to contact your estate agent to talk through your options. The experienced team at Swoffers strives to make the whole process of buying or selling your home as stress-free as possible, so make sure you give us a call.
Swoffers is delighted to welcome experienced negotiator Olivia Phillips to the local market sales team.
Olivia will be helping out over the busy summer period.
‘With local market sales booming we were looking to boost our experienced team and were lucky to discover that Olivia was available,’ said Andre Austin, Swoffers director.
‘She knows Guernsey and her experience of working in the busy London property market means she has been able to hit the ground running and work with our clients from day one.’
Olivia was born in Guernsey and has spent the last ten years working in the UK, first for an agency in Exeter followed by two years as part of leading estate agent Chestertons’ team in Fulham.
‘I love a fast-paced environment and being out and about all day, so estate agency is the best job for me,’ said Olivia.
‘It’s great to be back in Guernsey and I’m enjoying being part of such a busy property market right now.’
If you are looking to buy or sell, give Olivia or another member of the Swoffers team a call on 711766 or email sales@swoffers.co.uk and let us help find your perfect home.
82 local market property sales went through court in June – the highest number in a month since August last year.
‘We’ve had an amazing month,’ said Swoffers director Andre Austin.
‘There has been a massive bounce back since lockdown with a number of properties selling within 24 hours of being listed.
‘We’ve seen activity at all levels of the market from first time buyers to multi-million-pound properties. It’s been great to help find so many people their perfect homes.
‘There seem to be any number of reasons why people are deciding to make the move now. Lockdown has given people the time to reflect on what they have and perhaps what they really want. This might be a bigger garden or home office or another bedroom or bathroom. Others have perhaps decided to downsize or make the move out of rented accommodation. Whatever their reasons, we are here to help.’
Total sales in 2020 remain down on the same time last year but signs are positive that the current level of activity will continue.
‘We haven’t seen any indication of things slowing down with new instructions coming to the market on a daily basis,’ said Andre.
‘There is still a lack of supply so if you are thinking of selling, now might be the ideal time to list your property.’
Open market sales have yet to reach the positive number achieved pre-lockdown, largely because the island’s borders are still heavily restricted. The experienced team at Swoffers is confident that sales will recover once potential buyers are able to travel here.
‘We are really optimistic and were surprised at the level of activity as soon as we were allowed to start viewings,’ said Shauna Clapham, Swoffers director and open market sales negotiator.
‘We were pleased to have managed to agree and sign a number of open market sales since lockdown and believe that when the borders open, those people we have been talking to over the past few months will visit.
‘I think that Guernsey’s resilience and its ability to be nimble puts the island in a great place to welcome potential relocators,’ said Shauna.
‘Our strong community spirit, underpinned by a stable and secure economy, are a real attraction for people looking for a new place to base their business or buy a family home. We are looking forward to helping people make that move and find their perfect home here in Guernsey.’
So, life in Guernsey has returned to normal – pubs and shops are open, all sports have resumed, children are back at school, people are back to work and looking forward to a summer staycation.
The island’s successful response to the Covid-19 pandemic has kept Guernsey in the spotlight in recent weeks with other jurisdictions looking on jealously as the island bounces back.
Under the banner of ‘Revive and Thrive’, the States of Guernsey is developing ambitious plans to not only recover economically, but also improve on where the island would have been without the virus.
The team at Swoffers are keen to contribute, with booming house sales and a buoyant rentals market already playing a big part in boosting the post-lockdown economy.
Read our latest Open Market newsletter to find out more about how Guernsey really is as safe as houses.
https://swoffers-v4.onyx-sites.io/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Swoffers-Open-Market-Phase-5-v2.pdf
As Guernsey enters phase 5 of its lockdown exit strategy at midnight tonight, we would like to thank you for your patience and loyalty.
In recent weeks, as lockdown restrictions were gradually eased, we have seen an upturn in enquiries for local market properties for sale and rental. We would strongly recommend registering on our website to ensure you get to see new properties as soon as they come onto the market. Click here to register now: https://www.swoffers.co.uk/register-with-swoffers/
From tomorrow there will be no restrictions in place when viewing a property. But Swoffers remains committed to the wellbeing of its staff and clients. Please do not attend a viewing, or allow your property to be viewed, if you have any symptoms of Covid-19.
Read the States’ exit strategy here: https://covid19.gov.gg/guidance/exit
As Guernsey enjoys its first week of being Covid-free, we take a look at why the island has so many reasons to be cheerful.
Against a seemingly endless stream of global doom and gloom Guernsey has been a shining light by dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic with decisive and efficient action from the very start. The local economy is showing signs of a strong recovery and with the general public now able to move in relative freedom around the Bailiwick, it looks set to be a glorious summer.
Read the full open market review here
