Couple re-locating to be nearer to grandchildren

Why they came to Stacks

Mr & Mrs B had friends who had successfully used Stacks in the past to move to a new area and, having reached retirement, the decision to move nearer the grandchildren was beckoning. But though this was an exciting prospect, it brought concerns. They’d not moved house in over thirty years and felt very unsure of both what was involved and how to go about things. It was a daunting prospect, so they turned to Stacks.

What they were looking for

They had no fixed idea of what they were looking for at all, though they were keen to find a community in which they could actively take part, as they had done in their current location. In their own words, “We do not consider ourselves old, but rather ‘actively retired…”. So taking the time to question and discuss their requirements in order to create a useful brief was paramount before we could start.

We sat down and chatted in detail with Mr & Mrs B about what they were looking for in a home and location. We talked about activities, amenities, views, community, as well as the actual needs they had of a property itself. The conclusion we all came to at the end of our conversations was that a new house would probably best suit the lifestyle they were keen to enjoy.

What the local area offer could offer

We also soon all realised that a central but private location, in an attractive large Chilterns village, within walking distance to the shops and train station to allow their charity work to continue, would provide the best of all possible worlds.

How Stacks helped

We put together a selection of properties to view with Mrs B and arranged a day to blitz it. This was an incredibly useful exercise because it helped us all sharpen our focus on the key aspects of what they were looking for. During this time, we found what we thought was the perfect small development. However, there was a problem… the only available house left was on the small side. Mrs B fell in love with it, though, even to the point of working out if she could bear to let go of some of their furniture so they could fit everything in. We, on the other hand, still hoped to find something that fitted their bill perfectly; we weren’t quite ready yet to compromise.

Local knowledge and contacts came to the fore. The relationship we had with the agent, and a discussion regarding our concerns, prompted a call. Negotiations on the larger house in the development had started to get rocky. Was this our opportunity? You bet it was. And with Mr & Mrs B’s agreement, we offered a guaranteed price and timeframe.

The happy outcome

With Stacks doing the negotiations the developer felt on certain ground that the offer was solid, so they accepted it, despite it being £5,000 below the asking price; the property never even went back on the open market. On completion day, Rachel, the Stacks Regional Director, was then there with biscuits and coffee, helping The Bs to unpack… In truth, our favourite role in every transaction!

How Stacks made a difference

In Mr & Mrs B’s own words, “The whole process was made painless; in fact, it was downright enjoyable to have the tedious aspects of house-hunting taken care of.”
Because of our contacts, Mr & Mrs B actually found their ideal property, and didn’t’ have to shoehorn themselves into something smaller. We also brought credibility to the negotiations such that the developer decided to accept their lower offer. Every project has its foibles, and it’s always so satisfying when things come together as it did for Mr & Mrs B.

“Engaging Stacks was the best thing we could have done to come to such a speedy and successful conclusion.”