January Newsletter: Light at the end of the tunnel?
Dear friends,
Over here in London, it’s January and we are in full lockdown, and you don’t need me to remind you that the Covid-19 numbers are not looking good. The government has been criticised heavily for its policies but if it can get the vaccine rollout right - which the enclosed images seem to be demonstrate - this may begin to put things right.
In its own new and unique way, life goes on. And we are all adapting, pivoting and doing our best to manage the ambiguity.
At Homes One, we currently have various searches underway for best-in-class properties in London. Many of these searches are foreign buyers, and while some of them already live in London, at least they are not leaving these shores - indeed some of them are doubling up their investments. London is still seen as a safe haven, despite Brexit and Covid-19.
Better a safe ship in a storm, than to risk the gamble for calm seas elsewhere.
I took some time to consider why certain clients are searching now - and thought I’d share three main reasons with my community:
1. Virtual viewings
There is no need for time-consuming physical viewings in person... at Homes One we do all site visits for you, meaning you can dramatically reduce time commitment and R&D focussed energy. WhatsApp live (or Signal/Telegram for the security conscious) makes for a great quality and free of charge viewing platform, meaning we can give you the usual Homes One home touring service from wherever you are in the world.
2. Early birds catch the worm
New stock is coming on in anticipation (or hope!) of the spring market, but most of the current buyers are left over from late last year. The spring market will be an improvement on last year as a Covid vaccine offers the greatest degree of certainty in over a year - and the summer market will perhaps be even better - don’t believe the naysayers! The earlier you begin your search the more likely you are to get what you want. Don’t be fooled into thinking everyone has paused in lockdown - far from it - use the technology available and perhaps pressure the odd vendor into making a move early for peace of mind.
3. The warm data is good
In the absence of cold facts and figures to help build a clear market picture, I tend to sense into the ‘warm data’ all around me... Currently, the number of searches I have on, combined with my sense for the local market near our home which has seen two impressive properties selling in very early January, are giving me an ebullient feeling that there may be light at the end of the Corona-tunnel. As I speak to people I notice that many have accepted things as they are and people are not as anxious as they were six month ago… we are all in a huge re-patterning of life in which we will all change, but at the same time remain the same. My bet is the housing market will be resilient… and that there may be opportunities for the market-savvy, as the new normal takes shape.
Five more lockdown tips from the Bazzi household:
Mindfulness: if you can meditate once in the morning and once in the evening, lockdown will feel a lot easier.
Home schooling is hard so take it easy on your children. They are probably going to emerge into a very different world than the one they came out of.
Tidy like Marie Kondo, declutter, and sell anything that doesn’t give you joy on eBay.
Don’t forget to enjoy the downtime. Allow yourself to slow down and lower your expectations of yourself and others while the world is in lockdown.
When all else fails… do another Peloton class! Their instructors are somehow able to vicariously download bucketloads of energy and good vibes.
I send love and positive intentions to you all and pray that you and your families are safe and well, as you navigate the restrictions, and the early phases of the UK being independent from the EU, successfully.
Stay safe we are almost there. We are all in for an amazing summer. I look forward to seeing you all soon.
Warmly,
Karim