Radical new property finder helps buyers to look for a second home

Hetti Simpson, of Big Skies Estates. Picture: CONTRIBUTED (Image: Archant)

I know from experience that house hunting is simply not as straightforward as you think it's going to be. Even with local knowledge, an idea of budget and the internet search websites at your fingertips, it's still a time-consuming minefield that can take the joy out of the search.

When searching either for myself or previously, as the owner of Norfolk Hideaways, helping holiday cottage purchasers to find their dream property; I know that even when you have a firm idea of exactly what you are looking for, you almost never end up with the keys for the house you had in your mind's eye at the start. Which makes the job of the estate agents even more complicated.

So, it's time to shake things up a bit, by launching Big Skies Estates, and probably the most radical idea is hosting an estate agency and property finding service under the same roof.

Whilst the master plan is to find the perfect property on the North Norfolk coast for everyone from within our own portfolio – the reality is that that is unlikely. I realised it might be useful to be able to extend the search to properties on other portfolios. The 'if I haven't got it, let me help you find it' principle.

So, Big Skies Property Finder is born. It is a unique consultancy service, with a simple flat fee structure. I think probably it will best suit buyers searching for a second home or holiday cottage, but essentially it will work for anyone searching in the coastal area.

You register as normal and we make sure we really understand what you are looking for. There is no charge for this consultation or for any subsequent search at Big Skies. If, after that, you would like us to prepare a short list of properties from outside our portfolio, income projections or organise viewings, there is an initial search charge. After that, if you go on to have an offer accepted on an introduced property, there will be a final charge – if you would like more information, check the website for prices, or give us a call. We then leave you in the capable hands of the estate agent who is listing the property and they will guide you through the buying process from there.

Not rocket science, but hopefully it will enable us to save the intrepid north Norfolk home buyer a lot of time and wasted energy and put some of the fun back in to house hunting!

This column is sponsored by Big Skies Estates.