leon starts his journey at Swansea Pride

Dawsons Estate Agents Support Pride 2019

February 24, 2019 Editor

When approached by Jermin productions, the hosts of this years Swansea Pride 2019, Dawsons were delighted to support the event.

Chris Hope (senior partner) commented:

“Being a locally owned business in Swansea we can see the benefits such large events bring to our city, and as a vibrant coastal city of culture, we should be embracing equality and diversity at all times. The event will bring joy, colour and celebs aplenty to the city in May and we will most certainly be promoting, supporting and attending the events ourselves.”

Dawsons will be sponsoring the glitterball trophy in the dance competition at the Brangwyn Hall which will kick off the week-long event on 2^nd May 2019. Dawsons even have a member of staff competing in the competition, their very own Leon Atolagbe of the Marina Lettings team, eagerly volunteered himself for the competition when Mark Jermin out a plea for further entrants. Leon is a DJ by night and Letting agent by day. The competition will be full of glitz and glamour and will see famous Swansea faces competing against Leon and his co-dance partner Lee Heaven, also DJ. Leon and Lee will be choreographed by Olivia of Olivia’s Rhythmic Gymnastics club.

Leon Atolagbe of our Marina Lettings Team will be taking part in this year’s glitterball event at the Brangwyn Hall

“Deciding to take part in this great activity was an easy decision. I believe strongly in diversity and equality. Coming from a mixed-race background myself, I know understand the importance of highlighting differences. I keen to get working on perfecting our routine and music, along with getting into the spirit of all that pride has to offer.”

LEON STARTS HIS DANCDE JOURNEY FOR SWANSEA PRIDE 2019 — Lee (left) Leon (right) and their choreographer for the dance competition, Olivia Davies

Other Dawsons staff will also be seen taking part in the week-long event, some with their own dance classes, some in the colour run.

You will hopefully see the new Dawsons brightly coloured car in and around Swansea promoting Pride 2019 in the weeks leading up to the event, which has been kindly wrapped by Hansign designs in Llansamlet, who produce all of Dawson’s current colourful fleet of cars.

Dawsons sponsor the Glitter Ball at Swansea Pride 2019 Dance Competition

For more information on events taking place during Swansea Pride click here and for tickets click below:

Swansea Pride Hits the Dance Floor

Thursday, 2 May 2019 from 18:45-23:00

Tickets · £18-£25

Watch out for our Dawsons Car in the Pride Parade!

Competition

Celebrate St David’s Day with our Welsh Competition

February 19, 2019 Editor

COMPETITION WINNER 1ST MARCH,

ST DAVID’S DAY

Competition now closed

All answers at the bottom of the page!

Congratulations to

AMANDA MORGANS

Each day you will see a Welsh Question on our Facebook Page

If you want to enter the competition and be in for a chance to win this signed Welsh 7’s Rugby Jersey you can answer one question or all of the questions, or any amount in-between. You will be entered into our competition draw for each of the questions you answer correctly, so you could have 7 chances to win… SO LONG AS…

1. YOU HAVE LIKED & FOLLOWED OUR PAGE

(To clarify, because often people get this part wrong, you need to like the PAGE not the POST but you do have to share the POST.)

2. YOU HAVE SHARED ALL OF THE POSTS THAT YOU ANSWER

(If you only share one but answer more, you will only be entered into the hat once.)

SPOILERS AHEAD

ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ

DAY ONE: GAVIN HENSON

DAY TWO: MOUNTAIN ASH

DAY THREE: RICHIE PUGH

DAY FOUR: MAE HEN WLAD FY NHADAU FYN ANNWYL I MI

DAY FIVE: 21%

DAY SIX: DAVID NASH

DAY SEVEN: BANKSY

If you have any questions please send us a direct message on Facebook. The terms and conditions of our Facebook competitions can be read here.

CLICK THE FACEBOOK LOGO TO GO DIRECT TO OUR PAGE TO PLAY!

Can a crystal ball help us to forecast the affect of Brexit on the UK property market

Mortgages

A deeper look into the crystal ball of mortgages

February 13, 2019 Editor

At present, the 5-year fixed rate mortgage is much lower than this time in 2018, not only in the residential market but also in the buy to let arena too. In contrast to this, there has been a ‘creeping rise’ in 2-year and tracker products.

For the residential mortgage market, the often-mooted comparison is between the 2-year or 5-year deals. Historically a 5-year deal would cost a certain percentage more and whilst this remains true for some lenders, many have adjusted their medium-term plans for lending, bringing their 5-year products far closer to parity with the 2-year fixed.

Property Master, a digital platform that uses algorithms to match the requirements of individual private landlords against the entire BTL mortgage market, says that it is 5-year fixed rate mortgages where the price falls can be seen most clearly.

The platform’s monthly ‘Mortgage Tracker’, which follows the costs of a range of BTL mortgage products for an interest-only loan of £150,000 shows 5-year fixed rate offers for 50, 65 and 75 per cent of the value of a property are all down year-on-year.

Savings for each of these mortgages for individual landlord borrowers respectively are £8, £29 and £21 per month.

The cost of many 2-year fixed rates was up year on year. Tracker deals, historically lower than fixed-rate deals are generally up (year on year) too.

But why?

Lenders seem to be speculating about the short-term future of interest rates, paying close attention to the ongoing ‘Punch and Judy’ show between the UK and the EU, imaginatively titled: Brexit.

While the official economic forecast predicts a period of slowing growth, it is also difficult to predict what could happen with interest rates. Some believe that a spike in the cost of goods could trigger an increase in the bank of England base rate to curb spending. Others believe that ‘false inflation’ could be softened by a reduction in the base rate. Quantitative easing is another action which could be employed to aid the economy in times of need. Any of these outcomes could mean a change in the cost of wholesale lending for banks.

The lending strategy is often underpinned by speculation in the market, and with the next 12-24 months being hard to predict, my guess is that banks would prefer their mortgage holders to have medium to long term deals. This provides the bank with the security of a medium-term contract, allowing them to make medium-term plans, set to be reviewed following the turbulence of Brexit if the Brexit process ever ends…

There has also been a rise in popularity for longer-term fixed rates such as 7- and 10-year deals, with popularity leading to competitive rates, many are opting for the ‘longer, longer’ fixed rate.

If you would like to review your current mortgage or are thinking of purchasing a new home for yourself or to invest in property, interest rates are currently quite attractive and there are many options. Speak to one of our advisors.

James Boland

Managing Director

Morgans McGrath, in partnership with Dawsons financial services.

Rent Smart Wales

LANDLORD TRAINING WALES

February 3, 2019 Editor

It is a legal requirement for anyone who owns a rented property in Wales, to register with the Government regulator, Rent Smart Wales.

All landlords and letting agents who deal with management duties and tenants must also be licensed under the Rent Smart Wales regulation which became enforceable in October 2016.

To obtain a license you will need to undergo training by an approved training provider. Which is where we can assist.

We offer both landlord and agent training courses at affordable rates. Landlord Training Wales is the most convenient and painless way to complete your Rent Smart Wales training. We want to make sure that your experience is as smooth as possible.

Visit our website and start your training today!

Continue reading →

Commercial property

Dawsons Commercial and the Matrix Deal

February 3, 2019 Editor

Employed on a joint-agency basis with Savills, Dawsons have recently acted in the commercial letting of the well known Matrix One building, in Swansea Enterprise Park.

The Grade A office space offered Tenants c. 30,000 sqft of useable space with the Enterprise Park attracting national and international companies alike. Over two lettings, deals were agreed for a combined 25,000 sqft and this indicates that demand for high-quality office space within Swansea is present. Both lettings were agreed with well-known businesses and further interest still presented itself even after the deals were agreed. The Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust and the New Zealand Manuka Group have agreed new 10 year leases at the property. The ambulance trust will occupy the ground and part first floor with the New Zealand Manuka Group taking the second floor.

Gary Carver, director in the business space team at Savills Cardiff, comments: “We are delighted to have secured two new tenants at Matrix One. The building provides high-quality space with excellent parking. As a result of the lettings the property now only has one suite left on the first floor.”
Matthew Mason, associate with Dawsons in Swansea, comments. “These are significant and high profile lettings within the Swansea office market and it goes to show there is demand for high-quality space such as that at Matrix One. We now hope this will be the stimulus to attract a further high profile tenant to occupy the only remaining suite within the building”.

With the Swansea Bay City Region deal of £500 million aiming to transform the region into a digital super-hub, building on the strengths of the local universities, there is no better time to relocate your tech business to Swansea.

Speak to one of our Surveyors in our Commercial Department today for tailored advice on your next property acquisition.

Commercial Department

Address:
11 Walter Road,
Swansea,
SA1 5NF

Telephone: 01792 478908

eMail: sw@dawsonsproperty.co.uk

DAWSONS WIN A FEEFO GOLD SERVICE AWARD FOR 2018

Reviews

Dawsons Received ‘FEEFO GOLD’ Trusted Service Award 2019

February 3, 2019 Editor

We are so delighted to hear that we have just won the Feefo Gold Service award, an independent seal of excellence that recognises businesses for delivering exceptional experiences, as rated by real customers.

Created by Feefo, Trusted Service is awarded only to those businesses who use Feefo to collect genuine reviews and insights. Those who meet the high standard, based on the number of reviews they have collected, and their average rating, receive the award.

The Feefo Award is a badge of honour, and this accreditation remains unique, as it is based purely on the interactions with real customers. As all reviews are verified as genuine, the accreditation is a true reflection of a business’ commitment to outstanding service.

Dawsons have met the criteria of collecting at least 50 reviews between January 1^st 2018 and December 31^st 2018, with a Feefo service rating of between 4.5 and 5.0.

Chris Hope, our Senior Partner commented: “We’re thrilled to receive this award from Feefo. It recognises how hard we’ve been working to give great experiences to all our customers, who are the most important judges of what we do. We’re committed to delivering the highest quality of service, so it’s important for us to listen, understand and respond to all our customers. Feefo enabled us to consistently improve throughout 2018 and now we’re looking forward to another successful year ahead.”

Matt West, CEO at Feefo, congratulated Dawsons, saying: “The Trusted Service award has always been about recognising those companies that excel beyond the norm. This year we’ve seen many remarkable businesses leveraging the full potential of Feefo to provide outstanding levels of experience for their customers – and rightly being awarded our most prestigious accreditation. I’m looking forward to the continued success of the businesses that work in partnership with us throughout 2019.”

Feefo is a reviews and customer insights technology company that provides businesses with the tools to collect real, purchase-verified reviews and insights. Working with over 3,500 clients, Feefo ensures that all feedback is authentic, by matching it to a legitimate transaction, in order to increase consumer confidence and enable businesses to make smarter business decisions.

READ OUR REVIEWS HERE

Continue reading →

Competition

Valentines Day Competition

February 3, 2019 Editor

The team at Dawsons are offering 2 FREE meals for 2 people, just in time for this year’s Valentines Day!

Two MEALS at two VENUES in The Uplands, Swansea are on offer and to enter you just need to LIKE & FOLLOW our

Dawsons Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/DawsonsPropertySwansea/

AND / OR

FINE & COUNTRY, SWANSEA FACEBOOK PAGE

https://www.facebook.com/fineandcountryswansea/

(If you like & follow both pages, you will get 2 entries)

and

please SHARE the Valentine’s Day Competition Post, pinned to the top of our newsfeed on both pages.

So PRIZE ONE:

2 MAIN COURSES (to the cost of £35) plus gin and tonic for 2 with the meal at

Maisies Gin Bar & Restaurant, 39 Uplands Crescent, Swansea SA2 0NP

T&C’s for Maisie’s Voucher

Voucher must be used within one month of purchase.
If the meal exceeds the price of £35, the additional spend must be settled.
If less than £35 is spent there is no change given.
The voucher can only be redeemed against the cost of 2 main meals plus 2 gin & tonics.
Reservations are subject to availability. Please call the
restaurant as per the contact details. Purchase of the voucher is
not a guarantee of a reservation at the time of your choice.
Vouchers are not transferable, refundable in cash or
replaceable if lost, destroyed or stolen.
Voucher queries relating to the menus, restaurants or bookings
please call 01792 518768 or contact Maisies Gin Bar & Restaurant, 39 Uplands Crescent, Swansea, SA2 0NP

So PRIZE TWO:

2 MAIN COURSES (to the cost of £30) at

The Bookshop Cocktail Bar, 27 Uplands Crescent, Swansea SA2 0NX

T&C’s for The Bookshop Voucher

The BookShop voucher is valid for two people to order off the
main menu – 2 guests will dine from 1 course each for a total
of £30. Starters and Desserts not included.
The validity period of The BookShop voucher cannot, under any
circumstances, be extended or altered to a different period.
Must be used within 3 months after purchase.
Please note that The BookShop vouchers are not valid on any
Bank Holidays or any evenings where events are being held.
To redeem your BookShop voucher, a booking must be made in
advance, directly with the restaurant.
Reservations are subject to availability. Please call the
restaurant as per the contact details. Purchase of the voucher is
not a guarantee of a reservation at the time of your choice.
The voucher must be presented (printed or smartphone) by the
bearer on arrival.
Vouchers can be used as full or part payment on goods and
services The BookShop Bar.
Vouchers are not transferable, refundable in cash or
replaceable if lost, destroyed or stolen.
Vouchers can only be used for a single transaction; any
of the remaining amount is not exchangeable for cash or another
voucher and will be automatically forfeited.
Vouchers cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers.
The company reserves the right to amend these terms and
conditions without prior notice.
Voucher queries relating to the menus, restaurants or bookings
please call 01792 463445 or email; info@bookshopbar.com

Dawsons

February Newsletter 2019

January 28, 2019 Editor

Dawsons supporting local communities

We pride ourselves in not just having local offices, but our staff within those branches being part of the community in which they are placed. As a company, we support many different charities, both local and national, local schools, social and sports clubs, as well as local businesses and events.

Our community contributions in 2018 were by far one of our busiest years to date. To name but a few, we were involved in: sponsoring the Wales Airshow, Burry Port raft race, DJM Charitable trust, Macmillan, Save the Children, Swansea City DSA, Mr X, Trussell Trust, Cariad defib, friends of Mumbles parks, alongside many local primary school fetes, local litter picks, and many more.

We proudly raised a grand total of £14,106.00 in 2018 alone, for which we are extremely thankful to all our staff who got involved. Whilst day to day we are an award-winning estate agent, we are also team Dawsons supporting in any which way we can.

Industry News:

Dawsons placed in top 0.1% of agents in the UK after winning gold and silver. Our Sales & Lettings teams are celebrating their achievements after winning both gold and silver in the Estate Agents Awards (EA Masters) in October 2018 placing us within the top 0.1% of estate agents throughout the UK.

Ricky Purdy, our lettings director commented: “The judging of this prestigious accolade takes place over a 12 month period, involves in-depth research, many statistics and mystery shops”

Jo Summerfield Talbot, our sales director commented: “These awards are attributed to the sheer hard work and outstanding customer service all our team members display by always going that extra mile helping and supporting our clients through their journey”

Take a look as you drive by our local offices this month and see all our windows which are now splashed with awards and celebration.

Top Tips: Declutter

Declutter those cupboards and drawers, tidy up and remove excess items that might give the impression of cluttering. You may want to remove any large bits of furniture (such as a clunky wardrobe) in order to make a room look bigger. Check out our ‘declutter blog’ here.

Auction News

“2018 was an amazing year for Dawsons Auction Department! Selling 90% of everything that we took to the room. Proving that buying and selling via auction is the most secure method of sale, the national average of selling via private treaty is only 65%.

A misconception is that auction properties are in disrepair or requires work, last year we found that its the vendors circumstances that determine whether a property is to be sold at auction not the finish of the property e.g. shorter timescales, security of sale, speed of sale and ability to sell with discretion in certain situations debt, separation, emigration, death.

Going into the first auction of 2019 we have very diverse stock located all across Swansea (which includes the property pictured in Alltiago Road, Pontarddulais). Come down to the Swansea Marriott Hotel on the 27th of February and start your investment with us. If you want a free valuation on any property/land that you want to sell please give Dawsons Auction a call 01792 478904.”

F & C Property Focus:

Ryelands, Bishopston. Offers Over £800,000

A prestigious & recognisable home which has marked the entrance to the village of Bishopston since 1905. With it’s prominent stature & handsome exterior, Ryelands is a striking and property. Offering an array of beautiful original features & magnificent size rooms made up of 5 receptions, 5 beds & 3 baths. Fantastic size south facing gardens & ample parking.

Business Link:

Would you like to work out for just 20 mins a week? Through efficient electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) training you can with Body Street.

Dawsons would like to introduce our local branch of Body Street, visit their website for introductory offers.

www.bodystreet.co.uk

Careers @ Dawsons

WE ARE HIRING

Are you considering a career in Estate or Letting Agency, Property Management or Surveying? Visit our careers page for all of the current vacancies.

Reward Card:

Ask a member of our team for information on how to get one of our exclusive Reward cards providing you with discounts and offers in many local companies throughout Swansea & Llanelli

Staff News:

January has seen us celebrate Tom Hope’s 10th year anniversary within Dawsons. Tom is now based in our Fine & Country department in our Mumbles office, Congratulations from us all @ Team Dawsons, here’s to the next 10 years +.

Marketing

Declutter your Home

January 28, 2019 Editor

When you are considering putting your property up for sale, we suggest that you consider a “declutter”, even before you call out the agent to value your home.

If you are serious about moving, you will need to go through your items to pack at some point in the near future, so consider this a pre-clean to make the packing job easier.

1. If you have a lot of clutter, at this stage it might be worth considering hiring a skip for a few weeks, that way you can just throw out the items you no longer need, without copious trips to the local dump. Alternatively, you can usually hire a van for a day or two, but make sure that you have checked with your local rubbish dump that they allow ‘commercial’ vehicles to enter and off-load.

2. It is a good idea to try and predict a dry day, you might find that it is easier to move items out onto the patio or driveway, so that you can start with a blank room and only move back into the house the items you really need. At this point, it is worth noting that the more you can open up the space in a room, the bigger it will look and the easier it will be to get great photos for your marketing.

3. Try to keep your surfaces as clear as possible, if you have lots of nick-nacks or you tend to collect paperwork, books and magazine, or you have a myriad of family photos, or a mountain of toys, now is the time to pack those away in a cupboard or into a packing / storage boxes ready for you move. When people are viewing your home, you will get much better results if they can automatically imagine themselves in your space, so keep personal items to a minimum.

4. Take a look inside your storage areas. If you are anything like me, you probably just toss items in without any systematic approach. I find that every once in a blue moon I tidy up the cupboards and drawers with good intentions to keep them in order, but that quickly goes out of the window! Most of my storage areas look like junk heaps so I know that now is the time to drag everything out and store it, label it and neatly return it in a systematic way! I know that once this happens I will 100% find way more space to fill with even more stuff! Go on, have a go!

5. It is a great idea to have storage containers on hand when you are decluttering. My personal favourites are anything stackable, even better if they have drawers to open from the front, and for all of those Seasonal clothes and shoes, how about vacuum pack storage bags which you fill and suck the surplus air out of, making them very easy to pack away in small spaces?

Once you have decluttered and semi-depersonalised your home, touch up any walls which have scuffs and call the agent in for your property valuation. If you live in the Swansea area, we know just the person to call:-

Swansea Sales 01792 646060
Sketty Sales 01792 299655
Mumbles Sales or Fine & Country 01792 367301
Morriston Sales 01792 700777
Llanelli Sales 01554 784400
Killay Sales 01792 298014
Gorseinon Sales 01792 896868

Dawsons, Sketty

Our Sketty Renovation Project Story

January 23, 2019 Editor

Firstly, thank you to James Matthews of JM BUILDING CONTRACTORS, for coming along and allowing us to video him (on our phone) about the amazing renovation project he has been working on over the past 2 years:

Secondly, we hope that if you are inspired to take on a renovation project, that you will contact us in the first instance and let us guide you to the right project for your budget & skill-set.

Thirdly, watch James talk about his first renovation project and take a look at the amazing before and after photos, from his work at 26 Beaconsfield Way, Sketty.

James put his unique stamp on the property, which he purchased in March 2017, opting for a large open plan design with a large rear extension. Due to his tight budget, it was imperative for James to rely upon his relationship with Alison, the associate valuer at Sketty office, who went out on a limb to ensure that James got hold of the property for the best price, in order to utilise his savings for the work!

James and his family moved into their newly renovated home in March 2018 and are now working on the garden & garage, before the project is complete and the property can be sold. Here are some of the photos from the project so far.

Refurbishment project in Beaconsfield Way Sketty — Before Photos

We are sure you will agree it is, indeed, an amazing project and showcases the work James & his building team can do. If you are considering a renovation project there are 2 contacts to add to your planning list:

Alison Morris
(Associate and Valuer)

90 Gower Road
Sketty
Swansea
SA2 9BZ

Tel: 01792 299655

JM Building Contractors

Tel:01792 201 448
Tel: 07837 488 350
Email: info@jmbuildingcontractors.co.uk

COMPETITION WINNER 1ST MARCH,

ST DAVID’S DAY

Competition now closed

Congratulations to

** AMANDA MORGANS **

** SPOILERS AHEAD **

ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ

But why?

James Boland

Managing Director

Dawsons Facebook Page

So PRIZE ONE:

So PRIZE TWO:

JM Building Contractors

Swansea & south Wales estate agents blog

AMANDA MORGANS

SPOILERS AHEAD