Ellis Pembery, the new lettings manager at Holmes Naden Estate Agents, has witnessed many changes in the industry over the years, and here he talks to Thomas Castleabout what this has meant for Bollington and Prestbury.
Ellis Pembery, Janet Johnson and Edward Naden
“When I first moved to the area [Bollington] there were just a handful of properties available for rental, and now there is a catalogue available. There are several reasons for this. It is more affordable and flexible for people who are finding it difficult to secure a mortgage at present. and there is no longer the stigma attached to renting as there used to be. Maybe the old phrase ‘an Englishman and his castle’ no longer applies solely to people who own their own home. You can rent and still be proud of where and how you live. Many rentals offer luxury living and quality accommodation.”
Ellis has established himself in the industry for the right reasons. He knows the meaning of quality service and how to cater to the demands of both landlords and tenants.
“It is not just a job, I live in Bollington and I see many of our customers in the village on a daily basis. It is important to ensure we sustain good relationships. This is where we specialise as being a registered agent with the ombudsman; with the financial services office and the national union of estate agents. We have to ensure that correct procedures and codes of conduct are followed. Many of our landlords have remained with us for years due to nature of our bespoke and tailored service.”
There has always been a high demand for properties in this area, a situation boosted recently with the BBC’s relocation to MediaCity in Salford.
“MediaCity has had a clear impact to the market here. People are looking for properties in Bollington, Kerridge, Prestbury and Adlington as these provide a rural retreat and are within a reasonable commuting distance to Salford and Manchester. We have been dealing with many BBC employees, including news readers and radio presenters, who want to live relatively close to each other, thus increasing demand substantially in the area.”
Despite growth and recent new developments Ellis believes Bollington has retained its community feeling. “It is a self-sufficient village where people queue outside the butcher’s and bakers on Saturday mornings. As new blood comes into the village it still manages to retain this community spirit. Prestbury needs to attract a younger crowd to secure its future, and you can see this happening with restaurants like the Saffron Room attracting younger people into the village. There is still a lack of affordable housing, and I believe that if there was a development designed for this purpose the prestige of the area would not be diminished. Instead, it would be a major evolutionary step.”
