As the Renters’ Rights Bill makes its way through Parliament, it’s crucial for landlords to understand how this landmark legislation may impact the private rental sector. Here’s what you need to know to adapt and thrive in this evolving regulatory...

All professional advisers are now looking at the aftermath of last week's budget.  It seems to be particularly hard on our farming clients with the plan to remove Agricultural Property Relief as we know it from Inheritance Tax.  Working farmers have been able to...

EPC Reforms- What do Landlords need to know? What is an EPC rating? An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is a document that records a property’s energy efficiency rating using an ‘A’ –‘G’ grading scale where ‘A’ is the most efficient and ‘G’ the least. An EPC...

Oakwood can help! There could be many reasons for the sale of your rural property so it’s important to tailor your marketing approach to suit your property and circumstances.  Rural property sales are often due to retirement, relocation or business reorganisation;...

Altrincham based chartered surveyor firm Oakwood Property Services is pleased to announce that Associate Surveyor Lydia Sirovica has recently obtained distinction in a Post Graduate Diploma in Real Estate and Property Management from Salford University. Lydia...

I recently had the pleasure of exhibiting at an agricultural careers fair at Reaseheath College in Nantwich.  Talking to the students and young farmers revealed just how many farmers’ children are looking at working outside of the family farm, even if only to gain...

At Oakwood we have delivered hundreds of professional valuations since we started over four years ago, yet to many clients what we do remains a mystery – is it science or is it an art? Whilst we do some Market Appraisals (often termed valuations) for property...

  In our role advising landowners and farmers throughout the north west, we are frequently asked how future development can be reflected in any sale.  Clearly there is no standard answer and we have to look at each case on its own merits, considering many factors....

As a chartered surveyor, I have dealings with property leases on a daily basis, whether advising landlords and tenants on new or existing leases or undertaking valuations of investment property. There is significant value to having a robust and appropriate lease in...

My role as Associate Surveyor at Oakwood Property Services predominantly consists of assisting the senior valuers with property inspections, research and report writing. We undertake valuations for numerous purposes including secured lending, tax requirements,...

At Oakwood we deliver hundreds of property valuations each year, most of which start with the question “we need a valuation; can you give me a price please?”.  Yes, of course we can, but first of all we’d like to know more about what you need and why....

The Mystery of “Down” Valuations It’s no secret that the last two years, since the first lockdown ended in June 2020, has seen the most astounding growth in the property market, across many sectors. Admittedly there is some hesitancy with the office and...

Welcome to the latest property update from Oakwood as we head into autumn/winter 2022, after a glorious summer. They say that a week is a long time in politics; well, what a week (or two) we have had lately with many changes and turmoil within the...

CHESHIRE AGENCY UPDATE – JULY 2022 It’s time again for the latest property market update, and once again we are reporting on unusual times for the market. The RICS Residential Market Survey for June 2022 reported a drop in prospective buyers and a softening in...

The journey to 2022 has been challenging for many, but as we say goodbye to winter and welcome spring with open arms the team look ahead with optimism. Just in case you're not quite up to speed, here's what have we been up to over the past few months. We hosted our...

Property Update A simple message here – more needed!  Our team has been involved in the sale and rental of property across all sectors – residential, commercial and agricultural – throughout Cheshire and South Manchester.  Supply is at an all-time low and demand...

As we enter a new year, after the most unusual couple of years that we have had, most people will have taken the Christmas break to take stock of their lives and businesses and consider what the future holds. Although farmers get less downtime than most people,...

As 2021 draws to a close it’s the time of reviews and this time I’m looking at the residential lettings market.  What times we live in! My first lettings business started not long after residential lettings had been deregulated and the market opened up following...

Oakwood is looking for an temporary administrator to join their growing team conveniently located in the heart of Altrincham town centre. Key duties consist of taking phone enquires in a professional manner and working closely with the team carrying out general...

Winter starts today, although of late the weather has been unseasonably warm with a glorious (if occasionally wet) autumn.  However, I am sure we are all keen to get winter out of the way and move on to 2022, leaving behind the difficulties of the past couple of...

Being a Registered Valuer is a fascinating and varied job; many of us get to see a range of properties and have the pleasure of travelling around our chosen area on a daily basis, meeting interesting people. The aspect of our job that most people are familiar with...

It’s time to look at the latest RICS Residential Property Market Survey, which is for August.  Not surprisingly the survey shows a softening of market activity, with the market perhaps taking a breather after months of frenzied action.  Previous reports noted the...

The RICS July 2021 Residential Market survey shows a softer month for new activity, following on from the preceding months of manic movement on the market, partly fuelled by the stamp duty holiday which ended on 30th June.  However, the lack of stock continues to...

Following the acquisition of long-established Altrincham based Morrison Property Services by Oakwood in November 2020, the management and agency business has been growing and a new Property Manager has been appointed. Ciaran Dwyer, formerly of agent Thornley...

After what has been a year of very little face-to-face social and business interaction, Oakwood have pushed the boat out and will be hosting and attending a variety of events over the summer. We are pleased to be attending the Cheshire Agricultural Trade Fair with...

It is not surprising that the RICS Market report for May 2021 shows a widening disparity between demand and supply within the housing market which is forcing an upward pressure on house prices. In north Cheshire alone, property sales have been beyond buoyant for...

Altrincham based property advisers Oakwood Valuation Surveyors is continuing its growth with the appointment of a new director.  Chartered Surveyor Andrew Aspinall has joined the firm to work on progressing the property development arm.  Since the business started...

Without doubt the stamp duty holiday introduced by Rishi Sunak last year has been a huge success and helped build some much needed positivity for the property sector. However, with the March deadline looming, some housebuilders are starting to report a drop off in...

Oakwood Valuation Surveyors and Morrison Property Services are committed to following government guidance for working safely during the pandemic.   We are working from home where possible and maintaining social distancing in the office to protect our staff,...

From national fame to local purchases, there has been lots going on at Oakwood! To find out what we've been up to over the past few months, click the link below to have a read of our latest newsletter:...

Altrincham based chartered surveyors Oakwood Valuation Surveyors Ltd has purchased long established letting agency business Morrison Property Services, also based in the town.  Morrison Property Services has been run by Jonathan Morrison, who retains a consultancy...

Whilst going out is currently a bit of a challenge, I watched last night's One Show and was delighted by the Watchdog segment. Some timely advice for those looking to rent a house. Unfortunately, scammers are everywhere and the rental sector is not without their...

The market for agricultural land has long since departed from mirroring the wider property market and general economy, being distorted for so many reasons.  It no longer even reflects farming profitability.  So, what are the market drivers? Whilst profit is not a...

Altrincham based property experts Oakwood Valuation Surveyors have promoted office manager Lydia Sirovica to Graduate Surveyor, twelve months after she joined the firm on a temporary basis to assist with development of the newly formed business, which is based at...

It is perhaps with trepidation that we awaited the latest RICS Residential property update for August 2020, given the current state of the world, and the fact that we are now officially in one of the country’s deepest ever recessions.  However, the survey shows...

The year is rattling on and we find ourselves at the 1st of September.  Let’s hope the year ends quickly and we can put it behind us.  A year quite unlike any other and one we never need to have again.  However, the reminders will be with us for some time, not...

The RICS publishes a monthly market survey based on comments submitted to members active in the residential property market, many of whom are involved with estate agency and valuations.  It is perhaps with bated breath that we waited for the July 2020 survey,...

At Oakwood we are often asked by clients how a commercial property valuation is established.  Hopefully the Valuation Methodology section of our reports gives them the answer, but if they are in the early stages of appointing us, they often want to know our...

Most property owners have no issue with access to their property as it adjoins the public highway and there are no particular restrictions, apart from the usual highways regulations.  There may be some complexity to developing property, but on a day to day basis...

We have just released our latest newsletter, in which we take a look at some of the key changes to valuations as we begin to come out of the lockdown period. - The "new normal" way to inspect - Farm business succession  - Property values - how will the pandemic...

The one consistency in life is change and agriculture is not immune to it.  In fact, the past few years have seen some massive changes and farm businesses need to stay fleet of foot to adapt.  Even here in Cheshire we have seen the effects of climate change – a...

What a few weeks it’s been, not only in the UK but globally.  Lockdown has been tough on most people, even those who have been able to carry on with semblance of work, as routines have gone out of the window.  Sadly it looks like our summer holidays may be delayed...

The RICS reports monthly on the residential property market, gauging the sentiment of agents across the UK, looking at trends in vendor and buyer enquiries, the pipeline of stock and deals agreed in the month.  The March 2020 report is now out and, not surprisingly...