Virginia Water Blazing the Trail

In Bill Bryon's latest novel, The Road to Little Dribbling, one chapter details a wonderful period in Bryson's life where he unexpectedly became an employee in a mental health institution. This comical account is set in Holloway Sanatorium, Virginia Water where the very wealthy, who suffered mental illness were able to reside in relative luxury in this secure NHS owned hospital. 

Holloway Sanatorium was built by Henry Crossland for 'mentally afflicted persons' in 1884 and still stands today. The patients are however long gone and today the estate known as Virginia Park is home to a mix of residents who enjoy living in a gated community.

Bryson has very fond memories of the sanatorium, as it was while living there that he met his wife Cynthia. And although Holloway was full of long-term patients who were "quite mad," he loved the quintessential Englishness of the place.

It was in the 1980s that Holloway Sanatorium closed its doors to patients. The grand estate then lay fallow for many years. Thieves took advantage of the disrepair by stealing parts of the roof with the house decaying over time and becoming dangerous.

Then, quite by chance during a family holiday in America, local Virginia Water Resident and Estate Agent Hugh Wyatt spotted a gated community, which had been developed with high class homes, 24 hour security and residents leisure facilities. Hughdecided to take this concept back to England to see if he could create a similar development in his home village.

Wyatt's visionary concept took a great deal of time and effort to develop but it was worth the wait. Working in conjunction with his brother, who owned high end homebuilder Octagon Developments and a local financier, Wyatt was responsible for the first ever UK development where a large Victorian hospital was just part of the plan.  This ground breaking idea has become known as "enabling development".  The only way to make the development viable was to build new houses on the estate which would help cover the cost of restoring the wonderful grade I listed building.

As this was the brain child of Hugh Wyatt, his award winning estate agency, Barton Wyatt, were the selling agents on the estate. Their figures reveal that the real cost of creating each of the homes within the listed building was over £1,000,000 however the houses were sold in 1995 for an affordable £500,000. Today they meet their true value being priced at £1,000,000 - £2,000,000. In contrast the new build homes within the grounds of Virginia Park were originally sold for £325,000 and are now worth around £1,100,000.
 

Some of the owners who bought these homes some 20 years ago are still there today. In this beautiful environment set within 25 acres and with 24-hour gated security, Virginia Park is a fabulous place to live. 

James Wyatt, son of Hugh and now partner of Barton Wyatt, comments:

"I feel immense pride towards Virginia Park and in particular the work that my father and uncle put into creating a development that was the first of its kind in the UK.  They came up against many hurdles during the planning but were very insistent that it was a feasible notion and found solutions to all of the challenges they faced." 

When asked if Holloway House - now known as Crossland House - is haunted, Wyatt says:

"I don't believe in ghosts so it is hard for me to say.  Some of my staff have certainly had the feeling of being watched whilst in the main building.  The contractors who worked on the regeneration were forever telling tales of things that go bump and equipment disappearing or being moved.  Certainly our residents love living there and no one has ever moved out that I know off because of the paranormal!"

Bill Bryson certainly never mentioned ghosts in his tales of Virginia Water.  He fell in love, got married and bought a house in the area, staying for 12 happy years whilst he was a journalist at The Times.

For more details contact Barton Wyatt 

Wentworthski: Multimillion exclusive Surrey estate

Article by Barton Wyatt Estate Agents Surrey

One of the most desirable homes on the exclusive Wentworth Estate in the heart of Surrey sparked a Russian bidding war this weekend reports the appointed agent, Barton Wyatt.

September House, the luxurious detached property from established developers, Millgate Homes, enjoyed a flurry of interest from a number of international buyers in recent weeks but it was two Russian families who eventually went head to head to secure the sale.

After fierce negotiating the lucky winner transferred the deposit for this £6,250,000 family home in record time and is set to move in within the month.

Commenting on the successful sale, James Wyatt, Partner of the award winning agency, Barton Wyatt, says:

"It is sales such as September House that make estate agency really exciting. In my 25 years in this industry, I have never seen such strong competition for a property. Both parties fell in love with the 10,000 sq ft new house but in the end, as it often does, money talks and the lucky buyer secured the deposit first.

"The indoor swimming pool was a big hit in this house, not to mention that the property had been dressed by well known interior designers, Alexander James Interiors who worked with Millgate Homes to create a perfect blend of luxury and sophistication."

September House's new owners will not be the only Russian residents in the area. This corner of leafy Surrey has become a hotspot for Russian families attracted to the open green spaces, easy commute to London, large detached new homes complete with high tech security features.  

James Wyatt continues,

'I wouldn't go so far as to say that this area has turned into 'Wentworthski' but I can certainly see why international buyers, including Russians, are buying in and around Wentworth in ever increasing numbers. Be it their primary family home or a country retreat, the estate offers some truly special homes."

If you are looking or reputable estate or letting agents in Surrey with a range of luxury properties, please contact Barton Wyatt.

From Barton Wyatt to Blizzard Beach - where children's dreams do come true

Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park in Orlando, Florida is the stuff that dreams are made of. And for 192 children from the UK, this was where their dreams came true thanks to the Dreamflight charity and amazing support from people who just wanted to give something back.

Dreamflight is a registered charity whose purpose is to take deserving children on the holiday of their dreams to America's capital of fun - Orlando!  The children are chosen from all over the UK and are either currently, or have been, seriously ill. Dreamflight is not just a holiday for them, these children get to realise that they are not alone with their illness and not the odd one out.  With a new independence gained from being away from their family, they see other children who have suffered, they gain perspective and strength and with the help of the team of volunteers experience things that they never thought possible. 

The children on each trip are accompanied by a group of doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and non medical escorts who make the journey possible by giving their time and energy to the charity, and it is not just for the 10 days that they will be away.  There is a great deal of preparatory work and fundraising to be done before the annual trip to ensure that everything runs smoothly.   

Jo Parris, Lettings Manager for Barton Wyatt Estate Agency in Virginia Water, Surrey was invited to be a non medical escort for the 2013 Dreamflight.  It was in fact a client of Barton Wyatt who introduced Jo to the charity almost ten years ago and together with Jo's husband, Mike, a doctor, they decided to offer their time for the trip.

James Wyatt, partner of Barton Wyatt offered his own support by giving Jo the extra time off from the office and sponsoring T-shirts for the children of the 'Pooh Bear' Group to enjoy on their day in Blizzard Beach.  Barton Wyatt has sponsored the Pooh Bear group T-shirts for nearly ten years and looks forward to continuing to do so in the future.

Jo Parris comments on her experience:

"I was both nervous and excited about the trip before we went.  Excited by the experiences I was going to gain from being part of such a special group of people but also anxious to get my part right and make a worthy contribution to the trip."

Jo was allocated two special boys to her care; Robert and Jermain, aged 8 and 9 years old. The holiday started in a hotel near Heathrow and once the goodbyes to the parents were completed, Jo's duties began.

The Dreamflight 'flight' itself was a revelation to Jo, a frequent flier herself.  "The flight started with a party and really went on like that," she explains.  Silly string, face painting, nail bar, food on demand and the friendliest crew you'll ever come across including a running commentary from the flight deck during take-off and landing made flying a real adventure for children, many of whom had never been near an airport, let alone traveled on a Jumbo-Jet!

Once at Orlando, Jo had a packed schedule starting at 7am and often not finishing until 11pm.  The group were taken daily to a different theme park on the 'Pooh Bear' bus aiming to ensure the children had maximum fun.  However, there was always a serious side to ensure the wellbeing, safety and health of the children and Jo found she grew eyes in the back of her head so that she always knew where her boys were and that their medication was given on time.

Jo describes the emotional side of the trip:

"A tremendous bond was made between the group, not just with the children and teenagers but with other escorts and arriving home was quite emotional.  Parents came to meet the plane and yes there were a few tears. I personally felt bereft for several weeks, continually looking round for 'my boys'.

"I've not seen the boys since the trip, it's not protocol. I have however sent them photo books and had email communication with one of the boy's mums. In the New Year we will be showing the film of the trip to the whole Pooh Bear group and so I can't wait to see all of the children then."

Dr Mike, a Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine had a very different experience as he was a 'floating doctor' not officially allocated to a group but going to where he was needed.  He spent his time with all twelve of the groups and was responsible for the health of the adult volunteers on the trip as well as the children.  Mike was also responsible for a sourcing a portable ventilator for the trip, an expensive and life saving piece of equipment but this was just one part of the multitude of tasks which together make the trip possible.

Jo concludes:

"Going on Dreamflight is a huge honour. It is also a huge responsibility and mentally and physically exhausting.  Dreamflight changes the lives of the children who go but I can also say that it's changed me.  Would I go again?  In a heartbeat."  

For more information contact Barton Wyatt Estate Agents Surrey on 01344 843 000.

For information on Dreamflight visit www.dreamflight.org.

Keepers Wood, Wentworth

Keepers Wood, Wentworth £4,450,000

Keeper’s Wood is set within 0.7 acres of south facing rear gardens in a highly sought after road on the prestigious Wentworth Estate, in Virginia Water, Surrey.

The property includes marble floored entrance hall, large combined kitchen / breakfast / family area with walk-in larder and second cloakroom. Linked dining and drawing room opening onto terrace, a spacious guest cloakroom, TV end and study complete downstairs.

First floor has 4 en-suite bedrooms. The master bedroom suite is beautifully appointed and includes a centre, free standing bath, TV, bespoke twin basin vanity unit, super-sized walk in wet room and separate wc and bidet. The master bedroom has double doors with a glass Juliet balcony overlooking the rear garden.
Top floor has a further bedroom, bathroom and a leisure room with mini kitchen.

For further details of the properties for sale in Wentworth Estate or Sunningdale, please contact Barton Wyatt.

2013 house prices to little change

Article provided by Barton Wyatt Estate Agents

Virginia Water

UK house prices rose on the month in November, and are expected to be little changed over the course of 2013, U.K. lender Halifax said Thursday. “Conditions in the housing market have been largely unchanged over the past 12 months with little overall movement in either house prices or sales for the second consecutive year,” said Martin Ellis, the Halifax’s housing economist.

“This stability is remarkable given the poor domestic economic climate and the considerable uncertainty regarding the prospects for both the UK and world economies.” House prices rose 1.0% on the month in November and were 1.3% lower when compared with a year earlier. That compares with drops of 0.1% on the month and 1.7% on the year in November.

The figure was considerably stronger than analysts’ estimates of a 0.2% rise and broke a four month run of falling prices. The lender’s figures were considerably more bullish than those from the Nationwide, which reported house prices were flat in November. Specifically Halifax said it forecasts a change in U.K. house prices of between a fall of 2% and an increase of 2% over the course of next year.

The lender also reported that in the three months to November, house prices were 0.7% lower than in the three months to August, compared with a 1.0% decline in the three months to October. “However, we suspect that any significant, sustainable turnaround in house prices is still some way off.” It was a similar message from Blerina Uruci at Barclays. “So far, supply restrictions and accommodative monetary policy have provided some support to the housing market and prevented prices from falling significantly,” she said. 

Halifax also said that while the economic outlook remains challenging, there are some signs that the Funding for Lending Scheme that rewards banks who increase their lending levels to consumers and small businesses with access to cheaper lending rates. But, the lender warns their outlook is closely tied to the uncertain outlook for the U.K.. “The outlook for the U.K. economy remains highly uncertain. Risks in the global economy remain significant and how these evolve will be key determinants of how activity in the U.K. progresses over the coming year,” Mr. Ellis said.

Rent reaches record high

Article provided by

Virginia Water Estate Agents

The cost of renting hit a record high of £734 a month in August after five consecutive months of rising prices. Average rents in England and Wales rose by 1.2% compared with the previous month, according statistics from LSL Property Services. The average cost of renting is now 2.9% higher than it was 12 months ago, causing rents to rise to record highs in five regions of the country.

London tenants have been worse hit, with rent rising at a rate of 4.9% since August 2011.

Meanwhile, renters in the South East have seen price rising at a rate of 3.9% during the same period.

Wales and the South West are the only two regions where rents have fallen in the past year.

David Brown, commercial director of LSL Property Services, says: “The rental market is right in the thick of its peak season, and the demand from graduates and those starting new jobs has added a new layer of competition on top of the existing pool of frustrated buyers.”

For further information on Virginia Water as well as Letting and Sales market in Surrey, please contact Barton Wyatt.