Normally at this time of year, we take stock of the last 12 months, evaluate what we did right and wrong and plan on becoming better human beings in January (well – after we have consumed several thousand extra calories in food and alcohol and, overspent on Christmas presents that is!) but this year has obviously been very different. Whilst it has been one of the strangest years ever, which at times has seemed like a never-ending black hole of doom and gloom, it has also made us appreciate the things we usually take for granted such as seeing loved ones, going on nice holidays and generally having the freedom to do as we please.
One of the lowest points of 2020 for me has been the recent death of my Dad, Richie Barker, who passed away at the age of 80 after a 4 year battle with Alzheimer’s. He was the main reason I am so interested in the property world and most of my childhood was spent watching him renovating anything from a shop to a country cottage. Not long after I founded Barker Healey, he came round to see me and produced a rather dated looking paperback book with a bright yellow cover, entitled “How To Open An Estate Agency”. Unbeknown to me, back in the late 1980’s, he had been seriously considering opening an estate agency, having found himself out of work in the footballing world and had bought himself the book as a guide. He never went on to do it as he was offered a role at Luton Town FC soon after, but it makes me smile to think that my chosen profession is something he also very nearly embarked upon. The book itself was a nice gesture but not much help to me, given that it was 30 years old and obviously published before the internet was invented, which today plays such a major role in the marketing of the business and the properties we sell and let!
Out of date literature aside, my Dad taught me a great deal about professionalism, being hardworking, motivated and about never giving up. He used to say “don’t worry what anyone else is doing, only worry about what you’re doing” and anyone who knows me will know that once I have an idea or a target in mind, there is no stopping me! I have definitely inherited his strong desire to succeed, even though 2020 has certainly tested my faith at times! He will be very sadly missed, but his name and influence lives on in Barker Healey Property.
On a more practical note, we are now expecting the usual mad scramble to get sales completions achieved before Christmas. On the lettings side, the students from Harper Adams are once again on the prowl for accommodation for the academic year 2021/2022 and we already have a number of properties reserved for this period. If you are thinking of buying an investment property to rent out to students, now is the time to do it, as the majority of houses are booked up by the Easter prior to the start of September. With the legal process taking an average of 10/11 weeks, it will be Spring before we know it and as student accommodation must be furnished and brought up to an appropriate standard, it is likely that a further couple of weeks will be needed before viewings can take place.
Louise Thompson – December 2020