It’s beginning to look a lot like year end here at Chiltern Relocation and that means we are as busy as ever. We wanted to share a snapshot of our active week from relocating international clients to running in a Santa suit! It’s always busy at this time of year but we also love taking the time to catch up with clients we have moved during the year and check how they have settled in.
Monday:
We tend to be in the office on a Monday morning to catch up with viewings over the weekend and to plan for the week ahead. If we have a Viewing Day scheduled for later in the week it is also a time to update property availabilities and alter the plan accordingly. The rental market moves much faster than the sales market so there are often a few changes to factor in at the start of the week.

Rachel Reeves long awaited Budget finally addressed all the speculation surrounding tax hikes for those living in properties over £2million. There had been much debate about the potential impact of the news which led to a stagnation in the market as home owners put plans on hold in anticipation of the Budget announcement.
Indeed, experts at Savills noted that in the run up to the budget London sales were down 20% on this time last year.
What is the new ‘Mansion Tax’?
The official name of the new tax is the HVCT = High Value Council Tax and it will come into force from April 2028. It is expected that this new tax will raise £430million per year from 2028. The tax will be based on 2026 values and property prices will be revalued every 5 years.
The new surcharge will apply to properties valued at more than £2m, which the government estimates will affect fewer than 1% of properties in England.

A recent survey by TwentyEA has revealed that self-employed estate agents are outperforming the market. They:
• Are 12% more likely to sell your home
• Sell your home 23% quicker
• Sell your home or an average of £5400 more
Not many people have heard of independent agents, let alone the fact that they appear to be outperforming established agencies. So, who are these agents and is it worth entrusting your house sale to them?

There are major changes coming for renters in England under the new Renters’ Rights Act. Here at Chiltern Relocation, we help many clients in securing a rental property and the changes will certainly help to make the process fairer for tenants. The private rental sector in England is about to undergo its biggest transformation in decades. The new Renters’ Rights Act introduces sweeping reforms designed to give tenants more stability, greater protection and a stronger voice in a market that has typically been in favour of landlords.

Chiltern Relocation has moved a large number of clients over the past 21 years, and we often get asked for advice on settling into the new community and social life. Whether it is single young professionals or families relocating, the same concerns arise: how do we find out about where to go and what to do?

We are all creatures of habit and moving from your favourite gym, coffee shop, library or book club feels like a huge upheaval and sourcing and settling into new social outlets seems quite the task.

When clients ask for our advice, we offer these three simple steps to help them ease into a new area. It may take a bit of time and energy but it does work.

Step 1: Find a link

October the 8th is World Dyslexia Day and of all the ‘awareness days’ this is one that really resonates with me. I am thrilled that one day is dedicated to bringing global attention to a learning difference that affects over 700 million people worldwide. This disorder not only impacts basic reading, writing and spelling abilities but it also impacts the lives of those who are dyslexic.
As you may have guessed, I am dyslexic. However, the condition was not diagnosed until secondary school by which time I had already received a mentally bruising time in education. I was told that I was not trying hard enough and was labelled lazy which was a hard badge to wear. Teachers were not sufficiently aware of the condition back in the 70s and did not understand the huge disconnect between my oral and written skills. Despite being sent to a ‘special class’, that was threatened to others students if they demonstrated poor behaviour, the teachers were not adequately equipped to help me succeed. I left school with negligible qualifications that didn’t earn me a place in the Sixth Form.

Lights, Camera, Buckinghamshire! When you think of Hollywood blockbusters and filming locations, leafy Bucks doesn’t spring to mind. But with its lush countryside, historic estates, and state-of-the-art studios, Bucks is fast becoming one of the UK’s most sought-after filming locations. Notable movies filmed here include the recent star-studded The Thursday Murder Club, Wicked and Deadpool and Wolverine. Other timeless classics such as Goldfinger, Harry Potter and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory have also been captured here in addition to many television family favourites including Downton Abbey, Midsomer Murders and Afterlife with Ricky Gervais.

House hunting can be a time consuming and stressful business. If you are looking for your forever home but are feeling ‘time poor’ and lacking local knowledge about areas, schools and social amenities then you may be considering using a Buying Agent to help you. Having such expertise on hand is invaluable and with so many properties now being sold ‘off market’, Buying Agents can open up a wide range of potential properties that would be impossible to find by yourself.

It’s been a busy few weeks at Chiltern Relocation. Now that the summer holidays are over, we have had an increasing number of invitations to ‘Agent’s Days’ in order to preview properties before they come onto the market.