People are confused. They want to know. “How is there a housing crisis when we have so many new builds in the local area?”  Many people in the South East feel disgruntled by the amount of housing being built in their local area. They wonder how we can still have a housing crisis.  Harrisons Estate Agent, Kane Blackwell, has written for the brilliant Sittingbourne.me with his solution to the housing shortage. He calls for planners and developers to look at building, not more housing, but the right type of housing.

Kane explains ” I know that we have a housing crisis, however, there is not a shortage of houses being built, but a shortage of the right types of homes for local people”

Read the full article that explains How is there a housing crisis when we have so many new builds in the local area?

Harrisons pride themselves on getting the best price in the shortest time possible. We have helped thousands of families move home in the Sittingbourne area over the past 35 years. If you are concerned your listing price may be putting off putting an offer on your home or you would like to know more about how we can help to get you moving contact us today 01795 474848.

Lots of agents are claiming they are selling houses before they are listed online. The housing market is booming currently, many homes are actually selling before they are listed online. Many are also selling for over the asking price, but for properties over the £1m price bracket, the pool of potential buyers is somewhat smaller.  This is where knowing your clients requirements and knowing how to market the property properly is essential.

Branch Manager, Ryan recently tied up a sale of such a property in under a week.  This case, we think, perfectly demonstrates how we do things differently here at Harrisons.

Here is how he did it:

The vendors of a large country home, with land, wanted to move. However they didn’t want the hassle of the sort of attention that their kind of home could attract once it went online.  They wanted only serious, proceedable buyers coming through their door.  They had already had an agent out and invited Ryan along as a comparison.

Ryan took the time to understand their requirements.  He listened to their desire for a simple sale without lots of viewings.  Ryan knew that the property could attract a lot of interest and if it was listed online. It could mean many buyer enquiries and possible leads for Harrisons to value other homes.  He also knew that this wasn’t in the best interest for these vendors.

He took the time to explain how we market homes at Harrisons.  Assured them that he would only allow people to view their home that were likely to buy it and, despite our fee being higher than the other agent that had been out, the owners instructed Ryan to sell their home.

Behind the scenes marketing

Every property we market is marketed “behind the scenes” for a minimum of two weeks before it is listed online, unless the vendor wishes otherwise.  This is to ensure we have all of the property details correct. Contact any potential buyers on our database and to offer a sneak peek to our social media followers and groups.

So, Ryan went and took the photos, filmed a sneek peek video for our followers and returned to the office. He then picked up the phone to a potential buyer who was looking for this type of property.  This potential buyer had recently accepted an offer on their property and had already been financially qualified as being able to proceed with a purchase in this price bracket.

Needless to say, this buyer was keen to view and subsequently made an offer.  The offer stage is always a delicate process.  This is where an exceptional estate agent can really demonstrate how good they are in their role.  Ryan had already built a strong personal relationship with both parties.  They trusted his advice, but it’s still a skill to get to a figure that everyone is happy with. Ryan worked hard to get there, often doing further viewings and taking/making calls late into the evening to get to an agreeable price.

Needless to say both the vendor and the buyer are really delighted with the outcome. The vendor even phoned to say how delighted they were and that we had earned every penny of our fee!

Try the Harrisons Way

Building relationships and trust. Understanding our clients individual needs and wishes.  Knowing our local market place, and pre qualifying potential buyers so that they can move quickly, should the right property for them come onto the market. This is something that sets Harrisons apart.  If you would like to know more give the team a call on 01795 474848 and find out if we really do have a different approach to estate agency.

If you are looking for your dream home, click here to be notified of suitable properties before they come onto the market (we promise not to spam you).

Selling houses before they are listed online.

Saying Thank You and supporting local. Our Partnership with Mad Cat Brewery

We’ve had a very busy 18 months or so in addition to the day job of helping people to sell houses.  We’ve undergone a major re-brand, restructured the business and raised £10,000 for charity.

However, we have aspirations to do more.  We wanted to give our clients something to say thank you for choosing Harrisons, plus we wanted to support local businesses in any way we can.  So, we are putting together a thank you gift for our clients, sourced from our local business community.

Starting with this….

Our very own beer!

We have teamed up with local craft brewer Mad Cat Brewery to have our own beers labelled and bottled.  The design for the label was created by former Sittingbourne https://www.madcatbrewery.co.ukpupil Freya Rix.  Freya runs Drawn by Freya, where she not only creates images for some exciting local projects, she also takes commissions for people’s houses. Thinking this was a lovely idea for our new homeowners to be able to have a unique drawing of their home. We commissioned Freya to do a drawing for Harrisons to use as a Thank You/congratulations on your new home card, giving them the details, should they wish to commission her.  The resulting illustration was so good that we decided it had to go on our beer.

An so to the beer,  Mad Cat Brewery is based locally at Brogdale Farm, which is home to the National Fruit Collection.  They pride themselves on brewing a range of delicious craft beers that appeal to a wide range of tastes.  “Our” beer is based on one of their popular brews, 9^th Life.  It’s a strong and hoppy IPA that pairs perfectly with steak, barbecue and Mexican food. The perfect way to toast your new home.

every ,”Harrisons Estate Agent Raise £10,000 for Charity”

To celebrate raising an amazing £10k for Holding On Letting Go.  On Saturday,  teamed up with staff and volunteers from the charity. Pitching a pop up stall in Sittingbourne High Street.

We had a wonderful day.  It was fantastic for our staff to meet the team from Holding On Letting Go.  Shoppers and members of the public joined in with our raffle and tombola and hopefully learned something about this very important local charity too.

Raising a glass to toast this achievement.  Harrisons have pledged to continue the support for the children’s charity. By committing to more fundraising in future and a pledge to bring the total raised to £20k.  We are hoping to achieve the figure by this time next year!

Fund raising initiatives organised by Harrisons included donating £50 for every house sale; holding raffles, and a team member participating in a sponsored bike ride. Harrisons worked with other local businesses to donate Christmas presents to the children supported by Holding On Letting Go.

All the staff at Harrisons have got behind the fundraising initiative which has only been running for 12 months.  It has already raised enough money for the charity to support 30 children. Who are struggling with the loss of someone they love.  In the UK, a child is bereaved of a parent every 22 minutes. With more being bereaved of a sibling, other family member, or friends. The services offered by Holding On Letting Go are invaluable to many children throughout Kent.

To find out more about Holding On Letting Go and the work they do with bereaved children. Visit their website here. Or to learn more about our fundraising efforts. Read our article Harrisons Estate Agent Raise £10,000 For Charity

May is National Walking Month and we are very lucky to have so many varied walks around Sittingbourne and Faversham.

 Now the evenings are lighter for longer, this makes it the perfect time to get outside, and get walking. Walking has a whole host of different health benefits that you can use to motivate you to introduce walking into your daily lives.

WALKING IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEART

Keeping your heart in tip top condition is important as your heart is responsible for pumping the oxygen and blood around your body and keeping all the other organs working.  Walking not only strengthens your heart but reduces the risk of heart disease and strokes. A brisk walk for 30 minutes every day is said to reduce your risk of a stroke by 27%. If this wasn’t enough, it also reduces bad levels of cholesterol and increases the levels of good cholesterol too!

WALKING HELPS YOU TO LOSE WEIGHT

If you are trying to lose weight gradually in order to keep it off, then walking is a great form of exercise for you. If you walk at around 2mph for 30 minutes then you will burn around 75 calories. 20 minutes of walking a day will burn an incredible 7lbs of body fat a year.

YOU CAN LOWER YOUR RISK OF DEMENTIA

An older person who walks six or more miles a week is less likely to have problems such as dementia. This is because walking has been proven to prevent your brain from shrinking.

WALKING GIVES YOU ENERGY

There are times when you feel more lethargic than others. If you find yourself in this zone then a walk could do you good. It boosts your circulation and increases the oxygen supply is around your body, which in turn will keep you feeling alert and awake.

IT’S A FULL BODY WORKOUT

Many muscles in your body are activated during walking including; calves, glutes, hamstrings, quads and abdominals, so give it a try and give your legs, bums and tum a workout.

INCREASE YOUR VITAMIN D INTAKE

Here in the UK there are lots of people who are deficient in Vitamin D, the best way to increase your levels of Vitamin D is to get outside in the sunshine. Vitamin D is good for your bone health, as well as your immune system, which is why it is important to try and increase the levels in your body.

WALKING MAKES YOU HAPPY

In the same way walking can help you feel energised, it is also great for making you feel happy. A brisk walk can be just as beneficial as taking an antidepressant, and can be a great helping hand if you are suffering from depression, anxiety or feeling stressed.

WALKING IS GREAT FOR SOCIALISING

After more than a year of restrictions it’s lovely to be able to meet up with family and friends, even with the current restriction in place there are so many people we have missed seeing and going for a walk together it a great way to catch up.  Walking is also a great family activity, after we’ve been stuck inside for so long at’s great to get outside and enjoy some time together.

WHERE TO WALK AROUND SITTINGBOURNE AND FAVERSHAM.

Not only are we very lucky to have so many walks locally. We are also lucky that many trails are available for you to download online.  A great page to start is by visiting the Visit Swale website.  From there you will find links to various walks around Swale.  Two of our favourite local walks can be found on this page, the two creeks walk and the peasants’ last revolt.

The AllTrails website is another great resource for finding walking routes locally, it includes several walks along the Saxon Shore Way, which is a long distance footpath that includes areas of historical importance and some breath-taking views.  For a full list of trails along the Saxon Shore click here

So with so many walks right on our doorstep, will you be walking this May?

.Spring sunshine, the extension to the Stamp Duty holiday and the relaxation of restrictions has continued to support buyer demand. Now is a great time to sell your home in Sittingbourne.

Are there buyers?

In short yes! Properties sold faster in the first two weeks of April than ever previously recorded according to Rightmove, 23% of properties sold in March ‘sale agreed’ within just one week.

What can they buy?

As fantastic as this surge of buyers is, there is a problem: demand is outstripped by supply, there are just not enough houses on the market for them to buy.  This is not an issue limited to Sittingbourne; Rightmove figures also show that seller numbers are down by 21% from last year.  In a sellers’ market such as this, it means that any home on the market will receive lots of attention. Especially if it is priced correctly and marketed properly.

What do they need?

Today’s buyers know exactly what they want. This last year has given everyone a different perspective on personal needs. This might now include space to work from home.  Many large corporations have have announced that they going to reduce current office footprint in favour of a new approach that enables more people to work from home and flexible working.   It is believed that the post-Covid working environment will be very different to what it was just over 12 months ago.

This huge change in the global working culture means that now more than ever before, a space to work is essential, whether that’s from home or an office hub.  We have seen over the past year many home offices being built in gardens and in converted garages.  It is therefore worth thinking about presenting an ‘office space’ in your property when you decide to place your home on the market.

A fresh start

There is no doubt that the idea of a post-Covid fresh start is extremely alluring. The idea that when June arrives, you will be able to enjoy your freedom in a wonderful new home.  We know that many of you in Sittingbourne and beyond have invested in your properties over the last year. The queues at the DIY stores and the difficulty of finding certain shades of paint and materials was testament to this.  All your hard work and creativity may give you some good news when we come to value your property.

Why now?

Why wouldn’t you want to sell your home when there is an abundance of buyers and a lack of properties available?  We can have your home marketed quickly.  To ensure you can make the most of the buyer demand.  If you’re thinking of moving, now is a great time to sell your Sittingbourne home.

Give our team a call today on 01795 474848.

I need your help, can you help me?

• If you are an amazing Personal Assistant
• who wants to be an instrumental member of an amazing company
• who is passionate about helping people move on with their life, – then carry on reading.

Could you:

Thrive in a fast-paced environment?

Show real Passion?

Really be Customer focused?

Make the unorganised, organised?

If so, I really want to hear from you, so I can share with you the opportunity and benefits (that means your salary and perks!)

We are unlike other agencies and my purpose is to change the perception of estate agents. (This is why I need your help!)  I am extremely passionate in what I and my team do and I will share my vision and mission with you when you make it to the interview stage.  We enjoy what we do and have fun doing it, however ensuring we do the absolute best for our clients.

If this is something that appeals to you, I need to hear from you now, get in touch at chris@harrisonshomes.co.uk, I cannot wait to meet you!

Chris Ellis, Managing Director of Harrisons Homes explains the reasons behind our dynamic rebrand

“I began my career with Harrisons Residential in Rainham as a trainee negotiator in 2004. And, luckily for me, I found my vocation in life.  I progressed through the company quickly, and by 2007 I had moved to the Sittingbourne Branch as a senior negotiator.

At this time both branches were owned by different parties, and, despite trading under the same name, they had different values, systems and processes which ultimately lead to the two branches becoming two independent businesses.

I became a partner in Sittingbourne in 2012 and the full owner last year, I was aware that a shared name and website was confusing and I wanted to make changes to communicate that Harrisons in Sittingbourne is a single branch, independent estate agency.

I have truly loved working under the Harrisons Residential brand, I grew up within it and it has given me the opportunity to achieve my dream of owning my own business.  Harrisons Residential has been a trusted company since the 80’s, and I am proud of this. However, I wanted to move forward with the times and the brand was becoming restrictive of how I wanted to progress.

2020 was a year to be remembered and difficult for all, including myself, in regard to the continuing of the company.  With the goal of owning my own business achieved, I wanted a new challenge, of moving forward and enhancing an already high performing office into a more modern agency that is rooted in the local community, to do this I needed a rebrand.

The brief the rebrand was clear.  Bring the traditional values, which are imbedded into everything we do, and incorporate this with a more dynamic, modern, current estate agency feel. Reflect that we are investing in tech and new methods to improve the overall experience for our clients, who are our true focus and expect an outstanding customer service.  Celebrate our staff who are professionals and highly knowledgeable. Underline that we live and work in Sittingbourne and support the local community and businesses.

I’m delighted with the result, this is a brand fitting for a our business.  It’s bold, vibrant, clear and focused.  It reflects that we aren’t your typical estate agency, we do things differently (dare I say better?) Harrisons Homes is a brand to be proud of; it’s values, it’s innovations, it’s people, it’s location and of course that it’s a business that truly gives back by supporting local charities.

Harrisons Homes is a brand fitting for a business that will continue to deliver the outstanding service you have come to expect from us as we look forward to 2021 and beyond.