The Whitman & Co team
Whether you are buying, selling or letting, the Whitman & Co team has the local knowledge to guide you through the property process
Like many successful, long-standing Chiswick businesses, Whitman & Co has always been a first port of call for local charities, clubs and schools seeking sponsorship for their fundraising events. ‘Of course, that all changed during the pandemic lockdowns when the annual W4 social calendar came to a sudden halt,’ recalls Sales Director, Chris Chalmers.
‘But now, to judge by the number of requests for support that we’ve received, community life is back and busier than ever. We’ve always believed in pitching in and playing an active role, so we always try to say yes when we’re approached.’ Among the beneficiaries of the company’s generosity are Grove Park School, Chiswick Rugby Club Juniors, Kew College, the High Road Flower Market, Chiswick Cricket Club and the West London Sinfonia.
‘Traditionally, for the Bedford Park Festival, we have donated a brand new bike and organised a raffle to win it, with the proceeds going to the Festival’s nominated charities,’ adds Chris. ‘However, most appropriately, this year the bike, which we bought from Fudge Cycles, has been kindly donated to West London Welcome, a community centre which is run for and with the help of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants.’
When it comes to the property market, Chiswick sales and lettings activity continues to be strong. ‘In fact, May was a remarkable month for us – we agreed 29 sales in 31 days,’ says Chris. ‘However, we are anticipating that recent rises in interest rates on both sides of the Atlantic and wider global events will have some degree of “cooling off ” impact.’
Over the last two decades, Whitman & Co has consistently proved that the most effective business strategy is often the most simple. ‘We only focus on the area we know best – Chiswick and its immediate surroundings – and we like to build long-term relationships with clients, working with them at different stages in their home-buying and selling lives,’ explains Chris.
‘Most importantly, our valuations are realistic. We never over-value simply to secure an instruction, we quote figures that we can achieve and we don’t put clients under pressure. Being straightforward always pays dividends in the long run as clients will then come back.’
The commercial property sector has also been extremely active – for example, a new gelateria called Amorino has just taken on the ex-Manor Springs site – with Director Jeremy Day reporting more enquiries for shop premises than there are vacant units available. ‘I think that we’re now in a period of transition after the pandemic,’ he says. ‘The increased popularity of shopping locally, together with changes to the planning use class order, have meant that there are now very few shops to let. As a result, rents have started to rise.
‘Currently, the office sector is a little quieter, with the most significant demand coming from businesses which have decided to down-size their space in response to an increased number of staff working from home.
‘If you need any advice or information about buying, selling or letting a property in Chiswick in the near future, we would be delighted to help,’ says Chris. ‘Do pop into the office and say hello or follow us on Social Media, we look forward to talking to you.’
Whitman & Co
5-7 Turnham Green Terrace,
Chiswick, W4 1RG
+442087478800
sales@whitmanandco.com
lettings@whitmanandco.com
http://www.whitmanandco.com/
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