Island Life Anyone....?

It’s not often you get the opportunity to buy your own island and a tax haven to boot - and we're not talking about the Skerries off the West beach at Lossiemouth. This week however one came on to the market. Knight Frank is advertising the sale of Herm Island, just off Guernsey.

70 miles from the south coast of England. It’s a mile-and-a-half long and half-a-mile wide and its 40-year lease is up for sale for £15m. Tempted? Although you’re not simply buying an island retreat: it’s a thriving business concern. Self-catering cottages, a campsite, a three-star hotel, restaurants, a tavern, log cabins and shops: oh, there’s work for you and your staff of 80 to do.

Millions have been spent installing electricity, a water supply and a sewerage system, as well as a network of roads and paths. The island also boasts gardens, woodlands and large areas of restored farmland. Guest accommodation includes more than 20 self-catering cottages, an 80-pitch campsite, eco-friendly log cabins and the harbour-side 40-room White House hotel (above). The Mermaid Tavern is the island’s only pub, so don’t get yourself barred. There’s also a 50-seat restaurant.

You may struggle to raise £15m, but a visit is feasible. All arrivals are via Guernsey, which is a short flight or ferry ride from the UK and France. It’s not far to go for an island that looks more exotic than it has any right to seeing as it’s stuck in the English Channel. But as the Major once put it: "If I was asked to design the perfect island, and place it anywhere in the world, Herm would be the island and this is where I would put it."

Can anyone lend me a few £'s...?

Jackson.

Don't look at my house......

Although not yet available in the Moray area - Google's Streetview is proving an invaluable tool for estate agents and letting agents in the country's larger towns and cities.

I have seen the Google camera car a couple of times in Forres though - so it shouldn't be too long now !

Though it seems it's not to everyone's taste - Sir Paul McCartney has had his London home removed from Google Street View over security fears.

The former Beatle demanded the mapping service block photographs of the St John's Wood townhouse after realising it could be viewed online.

Sir Paul of McCartney has been strict on security since his former bandmate John Lennon was murdered in 1980. It is thought that Macca's security team, who monitor the house around the clock, complained to Google over the issue.

A 'source'told me: “Sir Paul was unsettled when he heard Google users could get a 360° view of his property.”

A Google spokesman said anyone could remove their house from the site by clicking a button, adding: “Since the launch of Street View, millions have used it and the vast majority are very happy to have their house included.”

The service allows users to take virtual tours of streets across much of the country.

Look out for your house on Streetview soon - Or not, if you happen to be Sir Paul.

Until next time,

Jackson.

Two Tyred.....

Just a quick note to congratulate David from Moray Property, who last week successfully cycled from Land's End to John O'Groats, unsupported in just 9 days. Raising £1000.00+ for the Children's Hospice Scotland (CHAS).

Well done David, though I understand you may be standing up at your desk for a few days !

If you'd like to contribute to this very worthy cause you can do so by following this link - Click Here..

Mr Jackson senior has also saved you a M&S vanilla slice - He promises to call in at the office personally to deliver this.

Congratulations again,

Jackson.

Watch out for hidden commission !

LOOK OUT SELLERS ! Home owners are being charged "unnecessarily" high prices for Home Reports as experts warn that estate agents are creaming off hidden profits from the sale of the controversial packs.

The warning from the Law Society suggested that estate agents could be receiving a "hidden commission" on selling HR's.

Dave at Moray Property has confirmed to me that this is quite a common practice amongst local agents - "Moray Property simply put the seller in contact with the Home Report provider directly, which allows the customer to negotiate the best price - which we believe to be the fairest solution for all".

Though not all agents are as upfront, the hidden commission normally comes from estate agents paying a HR provider a lower amount for the pack than it charges home owners.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors is now investigating the matter. It told the Daily Telegraph that the matter was "worthy" of investigation and is "something we need to look into".

For example, if an estate agent is paying £300 to a HR provider, but charging £400 to a home owner, then the home owner is out of pocket to the tune of £100.

The Law Society explained that while this is not a criminal offence, problems arise when estate agents fail to openly declare to home owners that they are taking a commission in this way.

The packs cost in the region of £450 and contain a home's survey, property questionaire and an energy performance certificate, which rates the property's energy efficiency.

The National Association of Estate Agents condemned the practice of adding commissions to HR's without sellers being informed.

Peter Bolton King, chief executive of the NAEA, said: "If a member is found taking undisclosed commissions then they will be put in front of a disciplinary panel. If they're found guilty then we fine them up to £1,000 per breach. If it's very serious we will expel them."

Speak with your agent about this, especially if you suspect you are paying an inflated price - But beware, some have 'longer noses' than others !

Until next time.

Jackson.

Tell it like it is.....?

I know the website at Moray Property is quite unique, with it's descriptive text, pop up pictures, not to mention it's 'pictures only' sales brochures. However it seems some agents have been getting carried away....

This I found very amusing from The Guardian - Saying letting agents don't need to be controlled is akin to condemning motherhood and apple pie. Even the Association of Residential Letting Agents concedes members need regulating.

But while the lettings agent sin list is long, few would have included "offensive language" on it – until now.

We're not talking about a string of obscenities on the current state of the property market. Instead, it's an attempt by an agent to inject humour and honesty into estate agentese.

Jules Bending of the Real Ralph Bending, an estate agent in Glastonbury, has been banned from advertising in a local paper and taken down from property websites Rightmove and Primelocation.com for an unconventional approach to marketing properties. Here are some examples of his style:

• "Lease available for what can only be described as a prime piece of retail crumpet."

• "Three bedroom former school house with everything except the randy old teacher and fag butts down the loo."

• "Cheap but not particularly cheerful ground floor apartment."

• "Characterful as a vegetarian's fart, this Victorian beauty hums to the rhythm of a well soaked mung bean."

It may not be to everyone's taste and there's a touch of innuendo, but how offensive is it? It's not obscene, racist or classist; it doesn't attack people with disabilities. And none of it contravenes the Property Misdescriptions Act – claiming a tenant could "stare out of the window at Morrisons superstore in sheer delight" is a matter of fact. Well, maybe not the delight part.

Rightmove says Bending's listings on its site were removed after "public complaints", although it's a bit confused over the nature and number of them, as well as what sort of appeal Bending was offered against the decision. Of course, these "members of the public" could be rival estate agents. Whoever they are, should they have the right to ban slightly colourful language in a world where bland is the norm?

It all recalls the wonderful Roy Brooks, a now sadly late estate agent whose 1960s adverts in the Sunday papers for London properties scandalised his rivals with their honesty and jokes – he was not afraid to call a broom cupboard a broom cupboard rather than a "bijou flat".

Bending's enemies in the business say he is "publicity seeking" – and it has certainly worked. But aren't they all? If not, why are they spending money on newspapers and appearing on Rightmove? Shouldn't more estate agents adopt his approach?

On that thought provoking bombshell I'll leave you to make the call.

Until the next time.

Jackson.