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
Colin Fallaize is a name synonymous with Guernsey football. ‘Big Fal’ has been a stalwart of the local game, and in recent years has worked as Head Coach of GFC who are currently sitting in the top third of the Bostik Football League Division South East.
Swoffers is committed to supporting a range of Guernsey sporting stars and individual sports including cricket, hockey and basketball and we have been proud sponsors of Big Fal for a number of years.
‘As a company we are keen to give something back to our community and it’s a real honour to be supporting someone of Colin’s stature and profile,’ says Director, Andre Austin.
‘He’s a legend of the game and hugely experienced and respected as both a player and coach. He’s taken a lead role in the development of Guernsey football and is an inspiration to local sportspeople young and old.
‘The establishment of GFC has been great for local football and important for spreading awareness of Guernsey and its excellent sporting heritage more widely across the UK. We are keen that our association with GFC and Guernsey sport continues,’ says Andre.
For more information about GFC visit https://www.guernseyfc.com/
Congratulations to the Swoffers team who took part in the Canaccord Inter-Firm relay earlier this week.
The team of Kim Le Lacheur, Sarah Gaudion, Chris Markham and Nena Copperwaite each completed a lap of the 1-mile course around St Peter Port. Each lap finished with a brutal sprint up Smith Street.
Winners were once again the team from Guernsey Post but the Swoffers team ran well and finished mid-way down the order.
The annual event attracts teams from a wide variety of local companies and is organised by Guernsey Athletics to help raise money for the 2021 Island Games.
It’s been an exciting month for Swoffers clients Michael and Sally Parks.
Not only did they agree the sale of their house just a matter of days after it went on the market, but they have also just been announced as winners of the Swoffers ‘List to Win a Holiday’ prize draw. The couple wins a £3,000 voucher from World Travel to spend on a holiday of their choice.
‘We were amazed, shocked and delighted when we found out we had won,’ says Mrs Parks.
‘We haven’t decided yet where we are going to go as we want to get the house sale agreed, but we are hoping to have some autumn sunshine; maybe Barcelona or Croatia – somewhere with some history and culture as well as sunshine.’
Mr & Mrs Parks praised the work of the Swoffers team in managing their house sale. They were particularly surprised at the immediate impact posting the property on social media had with their property receiving lots of interest.
‘We have been very impressed with the professionalism, friendliness, approachability and most of all the enthusiasm of the Swoffers team,’ says Mrs Parks.
‘More than 500 people were eligible to win our competition and Mr & Mrs Parks were the first names out of the hat,’ says Swoffers Director Andre Austin.
‘We are delighted for them 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.’
Pictured above Swoffers Local Market Negotiator Scott Ingrouille hands over the prize holiday to winners Michael and Sally Parks.
The last year has seen an upsurge in interest in Open Market properties in Guernsey and Swoffers has had one of its busiest periods for many years with a significant increase in sales in the last quarter of 2018 and early part of 2019. A substantial number of sales involve people relocating to the island for the first time.
‘There are many reasons why people are choosing to come and live in Guernsey,’ says Craig Whitman, Managing Director of Swoffers.
‘In general terms, it tends to be a combination of things. Some clients have told us that the uncertainty in the UK over Brexit is what is driving them, whereas others are attracted by the Island’s quality of life and security.
‘Guernsey’s position on the doorstep of Europe with good connections to the UK makes us particularly attractive, as does the island’s reputation as a well-regulated, stable jurisdiction,’ says Craig.
‘It’s also easy to make the move to Guernsey; we have simple entry requirements for new residents and offer a number of incentives for those relocating.
‘It is impossible to say whether Brexit will be good for Guernsey in the long run but right now our message to anyone thinking of relocating, for whatever reason, is take a close look at what Guernsey offers. The experienced team at Swoffers is ready to help you find your perfect island home.’
A report published in the UK today states that ‘gazundering’- where a buyer lowers their offer for a home at the last minute – is becoming a growing problem.
Gazundering can happen just before a sale is set to go through, with sellers sometimes feeling under pressure to accept the lower price to stop the deal collapsing.
So, should we be concerned about gazundering here in Guernsey? The simple answer is ‘no’.
Swoffers Director Spencer Noyon explains.
‘The team at Swoffers always has the best interests of our clients at heart and will do everything to make sure that the selling or buying process is as smooth and simple as possible.
‘The market is busy at the moment with lots of sales progressing quickly and so very little reason for anyone to pull out at the last minute,’ says Spencer.
‘Also, the Guernsey system of buying and selling a house is different from the UK. When you make an offer on a property and it is accepted an ‘operative date’ is set, usually for around three to four weeks after your offer is accepted. This is when conditions of sale are signed or become unconditional. Once conditions of sale are signed unconditionally, both the buyer and seller are locked into the deal and if either one withdraws, the 10% deposit must still be paid. The completion date, which is when the buyer goes to court to complete the sale, is agreed between all parties and is often a number of weeks after the operational date.
‘It is possible that the agreed offer may be renegotiated following the completion of a professional survey on the property if it highlights any necessary works. This is not gazundering and usually happens before conditions of sale are signed,’ says Spencer.
‘Both buyers and sellers should feel reassured that the team at Swoffers will be with you through every step of the process and that our aim is to make buying and selling your home as simple and as stress-free as possible. If you have any questions about the process or would like some advice and guidance please don’t hesitate to give one of our experienced negotiators a call on 711766.’
It was a very merry Christmas for the team at Swoffers as we celebrated a bumper last quarter for sales – especially of high value and Open Market properties.
In December alone Swoffers completed 14 of the 15 Open Market sales and 17 of the 20 property transactions over £1million for that month.
‘We pride ourselves on finding our clients their perfect home and are delighted we were able to complete so many sales during the last few weeks of 2018,’ says Andre Austin, Swoffers Director.
The Guernsey Press recently highlighted that these sales would have attracted lower document duty as the rate increased on January 1st.
‘I’m sure that the majority of buyers are more motivated by finding themselves the right home rather than saving money on document duty, however the savings probably came as a nice Christmas present,’ says Andre.
‘We’re looking forward to another busy year and the signs so far are good with both our local and open market teams with full diaries and new instructions coming to the market.’
