16th Sep 2024 (6 weeks ago)
One of the reasons we chose Pattinson Estate Agents (then Browns) in Norton to sell our house was that we’d bought it through them in August 2015! As we now chose them to manage its sale for us, it shows how happy we were with their service and confident in their success rate.
Right from the start it was clear that the company we’d bought the house from had grown in the 8-plus years we’d owned the house. For example, the Pattinson take over, innovative technology and the growth of online property portals.
This time around, Tony Aspinall was our first point of contact when he did a realistic valuation that set the tone for the rest of our dealings with Pattinson. We found him both knowledgeable (in terms of the area, demand, and prices), approachable, and very affable - a real pleasure to chat to.
Another star of the show was Charlotte Kitching, who was always available when we needed any help or advice as the sale moved forward. (Our solicitor made a point of singling out Charlotte for her assistance during the closing stages of the sale. A time when everything can so easily go wrong or get delayed.)
As we neared completion day, we came across a small fly in the ointment… Because of the change-over from Browns to Pattinson, the Norton branch was due to close for a week-long refurb. This was starting on the day of our move! So, what to do about the keys for the new owners?
Not to worry; Charlotte and Tony put their heads together and solved this hiccup by getting Tony to collect a spare set of keys from our house on the morning of the move. He then met up with the new owners to hand the keys over once given the OK by our solicitor. An elegant, well thought out, solution that completed our sale.
As to cost, this was on a fixed fee basis. We like this way of working as we new exactly what we were going to pay, so could budget for it. The fee included writing / designing the sale brochure and measuring the house to draw up a floor plan. A ‘for sale’ board and listing on the Pattinson website and the Rightmove / Zoopla property portals were also part of the deal.
One point to note here is when buying our new house, we were surprised at the number of properties that didn’t have a floor plan. This was essential for us as we were travelling to Blackpool (122 miles each way) to view properties. And a floor plan would have indicated if the property met our needs before arranging a viewing.
We queried this omission with a couple of estate agents in the Blackpool area. And learnt the lack of a floor plan was because the vendor wasn’t willing to pay to have one drawn up! Cheapest is not always the best…
So, overall, the price we paid was reasonable and the service we received from the good folk at Pattinson’s Norton Branch was brilliant. And for these reasons, we have no hesitation in recommending them.
And while we can’t speak for all branches in the Pattinson chain, if they share the same ethos as Norton, you should be in safe hands.... Read more