Swoffers has today unveiled a brand-new image.
Incorporating a key into our logo and the tagline ‘the key to Guernsey property’ better reflects who we are and what we do.
‘The quality of our people, our local knowledge and our passion has never been questioned. Nor has our ability to listen and react to the ever-changing property market in the Channel Islands,’ said director Andre Austin.
‘But, as we approach our 50th birthday next year it was definitely time that Swoffers had a brand and logo that reflected the fact that we are responsive, proactive and, above all, passionate about what we do. We are the island’s leading property experts and the new brand reflects this.’
Over the next few days you’ll begin to see the new brand across our cars, HQ and marketing assets.
It’s business as usual for the Bailiwick of Guernsey from today.
After almost exactly two months of restrictions, following the imposition of an islandwide lockdown on 23 January, the islands are now in a strong position of recovery. The housing market is buoyant and local businesses are able to carry on where they left off, with optimism for the resumption of a summer season akin to those seen before the pandemic.
During lockdown Swoffers achieved an extraordinary number of sales, including 13 on the open market. So far this year on the local market, there have been 10 sales over £1m, of which Swoffers sold nine.
‘It really is wonderful news and the island has done remarkably well, again managing to suppress and control the outbreak. Our Public Health team and the States of Guernsey responded swiftly and effectively, keeping islanders safe and businesses going during this second lockdown,’ said open market director Sophie Ephgrave.
‘Technology has been a god-send during the pandemic; during this second lockdown alone Swoffers agreed 13 open market sales, with a number using virtual tours. This is quite remarkable for any climate, let alone during a pandemic! We have to thank our buyers and sellers for not only their patience, but also their compliance with the varying stages of restrictions. It has allowed us to ensure the safety of everyone involved, whilst keeping going.’
A common concern currently is the shortage of available housing stock in the island. With a number of islanders agreeing the sale of their properties just before lockdown, many are now looking for somewhere to buy. Local market director Andre Austin moved to reassure those considering putting their house on the market.
‘It’s a little bit chicken and egg, but if more people considering a move were to take that leap of faith and put their property on the market it will help relieve that bottleneck and get the market moving again,’ he said.
‘We completely understand that people are worried that they will be left without a new home to move into, but please, have a chat with us, we are here to help. Our staff here at Swoffers are very experienced and have lots of contacts. There are solutions to be found and we are the people to find them.’
With a team effort under the guidance of Public Health, the island has just one active case of Covid-19 and our vaccination programme is on track for allowing the opening of borders on 1 July.
From today people no longer need to apply for an essential travel permit prior to arrival in the Bailiwick. Anyone wishing to travel between today and 30 April 2021 will be subject to a mandatory 14 days of self-isolation on arrival in the Bailiwick.
Non-essential travel on or after 30 April 2021 will be subject to border controls based on country/region categorisations. These will determine the self-isolation requirements.
If you are travelling from an areas with very low prevalence rates of COVID-19 this could mean that you are required to provide a test on or before arrival and be subject to passive follow up restrictions until you get another negative test result after a test on day 7.
For the latest advice from the States of Guernsey on stage 3 of the exit from lockdown, click here: https://covid19.gov.gg/guidance/stagethree
As the island moves into stage 2 of the exit from lockdown on Monday 8th March, we would like to update all of our clients on what this means if you are buying and selling property.
The easing of restrictions means that more than one person is now allowed to view a property (so a couple, for example) so long as they are part of the same stage 2 bubble group.
Everyone must wear their own face masks at all times. Our negotiators will provide new disposable gloves on site for those who don’t have any.
The property owners / occupiers will be asked to leave the property well-ventilated and with all internal doors open to minimise the need to touch door handles. If there are animals within the property, they will either need to be taken out by the occupier or left in a room with the door shut and a note advising whether or not entry to that room is permissible.
No one must attend a viewing if they have Covid-19 symptoms and we will ensure that our property owners confirm that there is no person symptomatic or has had symptoms in the last 48 hours, or is under a compulsory isolation order, or awaiting results of testing for Covid-19; and that no member of the household is considered medically vulnerable.
Post-appointment discussions will take place remotely by use of video-conferencing, telephone or through physical barriers.
We will have a skeleton staff in the office with half working from home at any one time. We will not be encouraging visits to the office, but those who do will need to have their full details recorded and adhere to strict social distancing and mask wearing.
Don’t hesitate to give us a call on 711766 for Local and Open Market sales enquiries, and 721757 for our rentals and property management teams. Or, email sales@swoffers.co.uk and leave your name, number and any message.
We will be monitoring all messages and will return your call or email as quickly as we can.
When we decided to invest in the very latest technology to photograph properties, we didn’t realise just how timely and important that decision would be.
At Swoffers we are constantly thinking of new and innovative ways to market your property, and the Giraffe360 seemed like the perfect next step. It uses a robotic camera to produce high resolution images, floor plans and virtual tours.
The Giraffe360 became invaluable when showing properties to our international clients who were prevented from coming to the island because of covid-19 travel restrictions.
We have agreed six open market sales during the current lockdown, and prior to that we agreed a number of sales remotely.
‘The feedback from people who were able to eventually move into their property who bought virtually has been fantastic. There’s obviously no substitute for seeing a house in person but this is next best thing,’ said open market director Sophie Ephgrave.
‘It really has been a game changer,’ added photographer Matt Le Page.
‘It can be used to take HD photos with normal, wide and ultra wide views, it does this by stitching several photos together. It can also create 360 virtual tours, where the viewer can walk themselves through the house and gardens. This gives them a much better view and feel for the property over just photos alone. It also has inbuilt laser radar technology to create millimetre accurate floor plans and measurements.
‘The neat tricks it can do are amazing, but the real benefit has been getting it for the current pandemic. Obviously Guernsey’s closed border policy has done wonders for keeping everyone safe and well. This makes it tough for people to pop over and view houses for a weekend. Thankfully, with the virtual tours it is almost as if they were here.’
Along with the tours there is software that enables us to host a tour, inviting in applicants to view at the same time as a negotiator. This is great because our team can be walking potential purchasers through the property as if they were face-to-face. You can also hand over the controls to the viewer so they can go where they please and the negotiator can just chat along the way.
Matt added: ‘We’ve had clients buy from photos alone and requested a virtual tour so they could get a better feel of the house for decorating and furnishing purposes. It really is a versatile and incredibly useful piece of kit.’
To find out how our 3D technology can help sell your home, contact our open market team.
Here is one you can see as an example of it on our website, Click the links below:
https://www.swoffers.co.uk/property/the-penthouse-infinity-lofts-uphams-yard-les-amballes/
https://premium.giraffe360.com/swoffers/tara/
https://premium.giraffe360.com/swoffers/hermeshouse/
https://premium.giraffe360.com/swoffers/magnoliahouse/
FaceTime viewings of empty properties can also be done on request, in line with strict conditions outlined by the States of Guernsey in its ‘exit from lockdown’ strategy.
Drum roll please…
After much deliberation we have narrowed down all of the wonderful entries we had in our Design Your Dream Home competition, and here are the winners:
Under 7
1st place: Benjamin Mogg
2nd place: Amelie and Ella Mae Thoumine
3rd place: Cooper Smedley
Benjamin Mogg (winner of under-7s)
8 to 11 years
1st place: Zara Smart
2nd place: Isabella Richmond
3rd place: Lilly-Belle Smedley
Zara Smart (winner of 8 to 11 years)
12 to 15 years
1st place: Megan Richmond
2nd place: Ava Smedley
Megan Richmond (winner of 12 to 15 years)
Each of the first place winners will receive a £25 Iris & Dora voucher, with second places receiving a £15 voucher and £10 vouchers going to all of those in third.
We had some truly wonderful entries and enjoyed looking at each and every one, thank you.
#GuernseyTogether
Following an update from the States regarding the move to stage 1 of the exit from lockdown on Monday 22 February, Swoffers would like to update you on how this affects the property sale/ rentals industry.
Limited activities to enable viewings, taking property particulars to enable listing, surveys and sales of properties will be allowed in stage 1, as long as they are conducted under certain strict conditions, which prevent contact with householders and only with the householder’s agreement.
Swoffers will be encouraging the use of FaceTime and video facilities to reduce the need for in-person visits, but necessary visits to properties can be conducted by no more than one agent and one potential purchaser.
Under the rules of stage 1:
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If you are due to move to a Rental Property speak to our our Rentals Team regarding any queries.
As and when the situation changes we will update everyone. In the meantime please stay at home, stay safe and follow Public Health advice.
In line with the latest www.gov.gg Public Health advice our office remains closed until further notice.
We are all now working from home (Monday to Friday 09.00 to 17.30 and Saturday 09.00 to 12.30) and will continue to provide as many of our services as possible and will continue to support all our clients to the best of our ability.
Don’t hesitate to give us a call on 711766 for Local and Open Market sales enquiries, and 721757 for our rentals and property management teams. Or, email sales@swoffers.co.uk and leave your name, number and any message.
We will be monitoring all messages and will return your call or email as quickly as we can.
2020 saw the highest annual rise in house prices since records began.
Figures released today show that in the fourth quarter of 2020 the average purchase price for Local Market properties was £493,174.
This average was 5.9% higher than the previous quarter and 11.8% higher than the fourth quarter of 2019. This annual change in mix adjusted prices of 11.8% was the highest since this measure was first calculated, in 2008. The Swoffers Local Market Team were responsible for one in four Local sales in 2020.
‘The start of this year has been incredibly busy once again, with no sign of things slowing down. Our main challenge is a shortage of stock, but what’s become clear during lockdown is that there are lots of people looking to move,’ said local market negotiator, Scott Ingrouille.
‘We have had an extensive number of enquiries from people wishing to view properties when we are allowed.’
There were 345 Local Market transactions during the fourth quarter of 2020, 68 more than the previous quarter and 154 more than the same quarter of 2019.
In total there were 937 sales during 2020 – the highest since around 2007.
There were 15 sales over £1m in Q4, which undoubtedly pushed the average purchase price up (the previous three quarters in 2020 had seen 4,4 and 6 sales respectively). There were also 76 sales between £600,000 and £999,999 – again previous quarters were 38, 29 and 46 sales respectively.
The raw median price (realty only) of the 39 Open Market transactions in the fourth quarter of 2020 was £858,000. Previous quarters this year had seen the price averaging between £1.22m and £1.52m.
There were 92 Open Market transactions in total for 2020, the highest annual total since 2006. It was another excellent year for the Swoffers Open Market Team who sold 53% of all Open Market Properties.
‘Virtual viewings using our latest Giraffe360 technology have become incredibly popular for open market properties, given the current travel restrictions,’ said open market director Sophie Ephgrave.
‘We have secured a number of sales in the last couple of weeks via virtual viewings and we are still receiving lots of new enquiries on a daily basis.’
In line with the latest www.gov.gg Public Health advice our office remains closed until further notice.
We are all now working from home (Monday to Friday 09.00 to 17.30 and Saturday 09.00 to 12.30) and will continue to provide as many of our services as possible and will continue to support all our clients to the best of our ability.
Don’t hesitate to give us a call on 711766 for Local and Open Market sales enquiries, and 721757 for our rentals and property management teams. Or, email sales@swoffers.co.uk and leave your name, number and any message.
We will be monitoring all messages and will return your call or email as quickly as we can.
Swoffers’ Design your Dream Home competition is back!
As we are back to spending almost every waking hour within the same four walls, we thought it was a good opportunity to get the little ones using their artistic streaks. This time we want you to get even more creative! You can draw, paint or even build your design.
We would like as many children as possible to design their dream home. You might want to go hi-tech and futuristic, whatever you want it to be, we want to see it. For example, if you want a theme park, race track or golf course in your back garden, show us how it would look.
We will have three age categories, with vouchers for Iris & Dora for the winners and runners up in each category.
Age groups:
Under 7
8 – 11
12 -15
Prizes:
1st place in each category: £25
2nd place in each category: £15
3rd place in each category: £10
To enter the competition, simply scan or photograph your masterpiece and send it to: melissa@swoffers.co.uk with your name, age and contact telephone number.
We will post a selection of designs on our Facebook page, so keep an eye on it.
The winners will be chosen on Wednesday 24th February. Get creative and good luck!
Last year during the first lockdown, the Swoffers team offered up our time and our company vehicles to help Guernsey Welfare as volunteers for an essential food delivery service across the Island.
Guernsey Welfare was founded in 1896 and is non-judgemental service that helps many islanders on low incomes by providing them resources to stay fed and warm when they most need it. Pre-lockdown, they offered many other services, ranging from a scope of vouchers for baby nappies to household necessities, money coaching and life skills courses amongst numerous other free services available.
‘We were delighted to offer our support again this time round’ said director Andre Austin. ‘Guernsey Welfare is working around the clock to provide vital support for those who need it. Tough times have really brought the Guernsey community together and we wanted to offer our support again in any way possible to ensure these necessary services continue’.
For many, these services are a lifeline. Over half of the Swoffers team have been running welfare deliveries for food and essentials every weekday since lockdown began. We deliver approximately 60 bags of food each day between our volunteers, a small portion of the offering provided by Guernsey Welfare, reflecting the demand for these services island wide.
‘These are often more than just a food delivery. Some people who access this service have had little to no social interaction since lockdown was reenforced so often it’s a chance to have a small social interaction, (socially distanced of course and within recommended Public Health guidelines), with our friendly team. You can see how much it’s appreciated’ said Andre.
We will remain operating within government advice and continue to offer these services until our support is no longer needed. Stay safe #GuernseyTogether
If you would more information on the Guernsey Welfare Service and how to donate you can visit their website www.Guernseywelfare.com
For many islanders, some of the best memories of 2020 were made during lockdown.
Families laughed together, cooked and ate together, walked, had kick arounds and took the dog out together. We did weekly virtual pub quizzes, FaceTimed parents and grandparents and stood on the doorstep clapping together. After all, home is where the heart is.
Just over a week into lockdown number two, we have quickly fallen back into the routine of online food deliveries, home schooling and finding ways to entertain ourselves in the comfort of our own four walls. And we want to hear about it.
Swoffers has today launched its Home is Where the Heart is photo competition, for your chance to win a £250 voucher for a local hospitality establishment of your choice. So once lockdown is over, you can treat the family to a meal out, or perhaps a night in a local hotel.
We want a snapshot of your lockdown highlights. Things that have made you laugh or cheered you up, outings that have made you smile, views that have reminded you how lucky you are to be in Guernsey, messy activities at home with the children, mischievous pets, anything and everything that brightened your day.
Upload your photo here and vote for the ones that make you smile. The winner will be notified on 15 February – good luck!
