News, Press, Advice & Awards

With one in three house sales in England not making it over the finish line, it is no wonder that buyers are increasingly nervous of the house buying process. Prospective purchasers are currently obliged to spend sizeable sums on legal fees and surveys yet they could easily be subjected to being ‘Gazumped’ or ‘Gazundered’ at the last minute. When a transaction collapses, the consequences can be considerable: hundreds, sometimes thousands, of pounds are lost in unrecoverable costs and, perhaps more importantly, the hopes and plans tied to a long-awaited move can be left in tatters.

For many families, buying a home is one of the biggest financial decisions they will ever make. While factors such as schools, commuting, and local amenities are key parts of the decision-making process, one consideration is becoming increasingly important: how well will this home work when your children reach university age? Chiltern Relocation not only helps many families to find their ideal home but we also understand the importance of future proofing that adds up to a successful move.

As work days go, it doesn’t get much better than this. Standing shoulder to shoulder with inspirational women in business, at the House of Lords, overlooking The Thames in the sunshine was a real pinch me moment.
I was thrilled to receive the phone call from The Enterprise Vision Awards inviting me to represent Chiltern Relocation at the annual event at a truly iconic venue. Here I joined female founders, leaders, investors, policymakers and fellow women in business for afternoon tea and speeches.

This time of year is particularly busy for Chiltern Relocation as we hear from clients who are looking ahead to the next school year. For many London families, there comes a point where the daily rush, rising housing costs, and competitive school admissions begin to outweigh the excitement of London life. The decision to leave London is often driven by education, but lifestyle plays an equally important role. Families are increasingly seeking more space — both in their homes and within greener, community-focused surroundings — while still maintaining easy access to London.

Every four years, the world goes just a little bit football crazy when the FIFA World Cup comes around. Nations prepare for years, fans hold their breath, and every detail matters — from strategy and teamwork to timing and execution. Surprisingly, the world of property relocation works in much the same way.
At first glance, moving home may seem far removed from international football but the similarities are remarkable. Both involve planning, pressure, teamwork, logistics, and one ultimate goal: a successful result.

Having run the London Marathon in 2019, I am a huge fan of the event. When April rolls around, I love going into London to cheer on the runners knowing that the boost from the crowds can make all the difference. As a passionate runner, I have often felt that there are many similarities in the approach to my favourite pastime and to my work life – mainly the preparation, the endurance and getting over the finish line.
So why is house hunting so similar to running a marathon and what lessons can we learn from it? Runners are trained to work through four distinct phases: Base, Build, Peak and Taper and these stages very much correlate to the home search process.

Since opening in May 2022, the Elizabeth Line has become the UK’s busiest rail service with over 500 million journeys recorded.
It is nearly four years since the Elizabeth Line headed west to Reading and since then, commuters have flocked to use the UK’s most popular new service. The iconic purple tube line links Reading with direct, high-frequency connections through central London and beyond in under an hour. Residents can now travel directly to key destinations such as Paddington, Bond Street, Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf without changing trains.

Throwback time – its 2005 and technology looks very different to how it does now. This was the year that Chiltern Relocation was born….alongside a few other memorable moments.
Do you remember these seminal moments in technology, sport, media and property in 2005?
• Google Maps was launched and the first satnav’s started to appear
• YouTube was born…’Me at the zoo’ a 19 second video in front of elephants was the first clip to be uploaded to the site
• The Apple iPod was the music player of choice
• The Apprentice premiered with Sir Alan Sugar
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was the best-selling film of 2005
• Federer won his third Wimbledon title and Tiger Woods his ninth major title
• ‘We Belong Together’ by Mariah Carey and ‘Gold Digger’ by Kanye West were the bestselling songs
• The UK property market feared a house price crash following previous boom years with many headlines debating whether the ‘housing bubble’ would burst
• House price inflation dropped from over 20% in 2004 to single digits in 2005
• Property search portals like PrimeLocation and Rightmove were emerging but still quite ‘clunky’