Into the Weald: Five sales stories from the Weald of Kent
Nestled between ancient woodland, rolling farmland, and timeless villages, the Weald of Kent has long been a place where homes tell stories. Each one of these stories reveal the truth what goes into achieving a successful sale.
The owner decided to relocate to the South West so the time had come to put their home on the market. Enticed by a high valuation, the vendor initially instructed a local agent that promised a fast and easy sale, essentially expecting the home to sell itself. They didn’t get any interest, but also noticed similar properties nearby going under offer so something had to be wrong. Feeling underwhelmed by their marketing and lack of communication, after less than two months they decided they needed a change.
They approached us after seeing our marketing of another property we sold in the area. Changing agent would mean that they’d also benefit from appearing as a new listing on the portals. We valued the property 10% lower than the previous agent, not news the owner wanted to hear but this is the unfortunate reality when an agent overvalues a property. We suggested utilising guide pricing, so that we had flexibility to negotiate a higher offer. Our photographer transformed the way the property looked, capturing magazine worthy photographs to highlight the beautiful interiors. They also paid attention to the all important front photo, capturing it from an elevated position from the field opposite to highlight the rural location.
Our approach resulted in four offers on the property, allowing us to negotiate a higher price. The sale has now completed and the seller is enjoying their new home.
‘Overall an excellent agent. All of the team members were first class and efficient. Jane, Jackie and Kerry are a credit to the business. Kerry in particular is a first class sales progressor without whom I doubt the chain would have got to exchange. Photographs and marketing were better than others. I have no hesitation in recommending Sandersons in the same way they were recommended to me.’ ★★★★★ - Google review from J. Kelsey (seller)
On the edge of the sought after village of Biddenden, this beautifully converted period barn blends timeless character with modern luxury. Extensively refurbished throughout, the property spans over 1,900 square foot and boasts a captivating mix of exposed beams, brickwork, solid oak internal doors with Suffolk latches and other contemporary finishes.
The vendor initially instructed a local agent that promised a fast and easy sale, essentially expecting the home to sell itself. They didn’t get any interest, and assumed it was just a bad market. But gradually, they noticed other properties of a similar size and price were going under offer so something had to be wrong. Feeling underwhelmed and frustrated by the agents lack of communication and proactivity, the owners instructed Sandersons to market their property after seeing our marketing of another house they were interested in purchasing.
We transformed the presentation of the property, in contrast to the previous agents, we captured the front of the property from the fields to the front to highlight the beautiful surroundings. Internally, the property was unfurnished so we used virtual staging to help potential buyers visualise the size and layout options of the space. We also secured a space in popular lifestyle magazine ‘Wealden Times’.
The property was on the market for over a year, we listed it for the same price and achieved a sale in five months. This may sound like a long time but niche, premium properties like this can take time to find the right buyer. We had a steady flow of viewers during this time with 16 viewings taking place in total. Both buyer and seller entered into a Sandersons Secure Sale reservation agreement to demonstrate their commitment to ensuring the deal was a success.
This unique granary conversion radiates charm and character, the owners loved their home but felt the time was right to downsize. Initially, the owners instructed a local agent in Tenterden to market their property. They were underwhelmed by their marketing but decided to give them a chance. After listing the property they felt like they’d been forgotten about with no communication from the agent. Unfortunately they were tied into a fixed term contract so had to wait for their three month contract period to end.
The majority of our business comes from word of mouth, but on this occasion we actually reached out to the owners as we could see their poor marketing and lack of progress with their sale. When our valuer met with them they loved what we had to offer and our proactive approach. Changing agent would mean that they’d also benefit from appearing as a new listing on the property portals. One of the key differences in our marketing was the main image, the first impression a potential buyer will have of the property. Our photographer obtained access to the neighbours property to capture the property from the other side of the pond, a far more desirable viewpoint of the property.
In conjunction with our phased launch, social media marketing, proactive team and extensive database, we generated 10 viewings and an offer just under the asking price. Unfortunately the sale fell through as the chain broke down. However, this may have been a blessing in disguise as when we re-listed it we sold it in just six days, and for a higher price than on the previous occasion.
‘During the last few very stressful weeks, Kerry has been amazing dealing with the issues and my stress . Thanks for doing a great job.’ ★★★★★ - Google review from S. Hazelwood (seller)
This attached cottage has been renovated and restored to an exceptional standard featuring distinctive local ‘Dering’ style round headed windows within brick elevations beneath a Kent peg tiled roof. Internally there are beamed ceilings, wooden latched doors and a charming inglenook fireplace complete with bressumer beam and wood burning stove.
The owners were relocating to East Sussex so decided to sell their much loved family home. Initially they did try listing the property with an agent in Tenterden, however their poor marketing and communication meant they only had the property on the market with them for nine days. After this the owners decided to take a break from marketing their property.
They knew of us after seeing our marketing of other properties locally, after meeting with our valuer they decided to instruct Sandersons to market their property. Our marketing paid particular attention to the period features that appear throughout the property. With many photographs featuring views through the dering windows and exposed beams. We also used historic information and photographs of the property in our marketing, selling the story of this home.
Our superior marketing combined with a guide pricing strategy enabled us to achieve a sale price 5% higher than the previous agent was marketing the property for.
Believed to date back to 1840 this attached ragstone oast and barn was converted and listed in the 1970s. This handsome country home has a wealth of immense charm and character and much work has been carried out in recent years to maintain and refurbish the property to an exceptionally high standard. The owner initially put the property on the market but had a change of plans so withdrew from the market. Impressed with our service, they returned to us when the time was right to sell.
We paid particular attention to the beauty of the building and its surroundings in our marketing, elevated photography with drone imagery gave a great sense of the rural setting. Internally, we focussed on the small details that made the home special, from the beautiful oak staircase, to the delightful triple aspect roundel living room. They were all beautifully photographed and featured in our property particulars. When it came to listing the property, we launched with our phased marketing strategy to maximise exposure and ensure no registered buyers missed an alert. Our comprehensive approach generated six viewings in the first two weeks of marketing, with the owner accepting an offer 19 days after launching the property.
'Thanks to our in-house progression team, it took just five weeks to exchange contracts. Jane and her team are conscientious and on the ball at all stages. Excellent organisation to deal with. Cannot recommend them enough.' ★★★★★ - Google review from J. Lucas (seller)
