Property Blog
20th January 2020
The New Authorisation regulations came into force on 1 January 2018, meaning that those with previously exempt abstractions now require an abstraction licence. The Environment Agency has announced a six-month extension to the application window for previously exempt abstractions, with the deadline being extended from 31 of December 2019 to the 30 June 2020.
Previously exempt abstractions include:
transferring water from one inland water to another in the course of, or as the... more10th January 2020
If you believe in ‘location, location, location’ - the Cotswolds wins on so many levels Five superb homes from the Cotswolds property specialist Butler Sherborn - £610,000 - £3million
By any yardstick, the Cotswolds continues to be one of the most desirable places to live - great houses, good value, beautiful countryside, excellent education, wonderful pubs, safety and security - and with easy access to London, international flights and other parts of the country especially the Midlands, South West and Wales.
“The Cotswolds wins on so many levels,” says Sam Butler of Butler Sherborn, “so if you want to be sure of making the right move in 2020, take a good look. ... more
2nd January 2020
Cotswold District Council (CDC) has developed The Long-Term Empty Property Strategy to ensure long-term empty properties are brought back into use to provide quality affordable homes to residents in housing need.
It is designed to identify homes that have been vacant for more than six months and support owners in making them available for occupation.
At the end of August 2019 Cotswold district had 648 properties classed as being empty for more than six months. Cllr Lisa Spivey... more
19th December 2019
Leaving aside the equestrian eventing escapades of Ben Way and his superb team of good horses, Sam Butler and Richard Greasby have led the way in Butler Sherborn with their sporting endeavours in the past year.
Richard trained for many months to run his first Ultramarathon in June from Bath to Cheltenham, along the Cotswold Way. The race was over a distance of 100kms, and took place on the hottest day of the year, in June, with temperatures soaring to 35 degrees. Conditions... more
17th December 2019
The Burford office was where Sam Butler and his team originally started Butler Sherborn. As the business has grown and evolved, this riverside office by the bridge in the bustling town of Burford, has been part of the landscape for nearly 30 years. With a fresh team in Lettings, and some new faces, we have enjoyed a fantastic year, with some great results for our clients, In the second half of the year we saw an increase overall of 60% in sales transactions. Elizabeth D’Allemagne... more
5th December 2019
As of 2nd December, farmers started to receive payments for their 2019 Basic Payment Scheme Applications
Once a payment has been made a remittance advice will be sent in the post, confirming the amount paid. Claim statements will follow at a later date, explaining how the payments have been calculated.
Claimants are reminded to remain vigilant against fraud, and should remember:
Your bank, police or the RPA will never ask you to reveal your online password, PIN or... more2nd December 2019
How We Can Benefit You
Valuation is a key part of our professional service at Butler Sherborn. We are lucky to have a talented team with varying specialisations which enables us to provide advice over a range of different property types, for a wide variety of reasons.
Valuation forms part of many a life decision, whether you are looking to buy, sell, diversify or perhaps looking to the future, to succession or the division of assets or assessing potential tax liabilities.
Whether you have a house,... more
26th November 2019
SIX TOASTY HOMES ON THE MARKET FROM BUTLER SHERBORN, FROM £495,000 - £2.4million
Real fires, log burners and inglenook fireplaces – all essential for warding off the worst of winter and ideal for roasting chestnuts and marshmallows or toasting hot buttered crumpets and teacakes, plus the perfect spot for placing that glass of sherry for Santa and a carrot for his reindeer!
And of course, a cosy cottage or farmhouse kitchen with an Aga is just the job for beating the seasonal chill with a slow cooked stew, some baked potatoes, an apple crumble or a few drop scones... more
25th November 2019
With the election due on the 12th December, house building and planning legislation continues to be an important topic of discussion as the parties launch their separate manifestos.
In the continually changing environment of planning legislation, Butler Sherborn offers clear advice and assistance for your home, farm, estate or business.
Do not miss out on the planning potential at your property. With advice available for a range of services from regularising a current use or... more
21st November 2019
‘2019 has been a really good season for Team Way Evening. The arrival of our daughter, Millie, at the start of the season has been an amazing change for us, and she has loved coming all over the country (and Europe), with Sarah and me, during the season.
Eventing, as a sport, is so dependant on horsepower. With horses taking a minimum of 6 years to produce to the top level, it is very hard to keep yourself in a position to be able to compete at the very top, especially as... more
12th November 2019
The Business Development, Food Processing and Rural Tourism Infrastructure grants are now open to new applications. You could be eligible for a Growth Programme grant if your business is carrying out a project to create jobs or bring more money into the rural economy.
There are 3 types of grant:
Business development Food processing Rural tourism infrastructureTotal funding is limited meaning grant applications are competitive as per Round 1.
The grants are funded by... more
6th November 2019
If you are approached by a Developer or a Promoter they could help you unlock significant value in your land BUT make sure you take the advice needed to protect your position.
If you are lucky enough to own land that has potential for future residential or commercial development the increase in land value is likely to be significant. However, the time, costs and skills incurred in obtaining the necessary planning consent is often too great for the landowner to contemplate themselves.
Landowners are often approached by developers or promoters offering terms for Option Agreements or Promotion Agreements in order to help achieve a planning consent and an... more
5th November 2019
The Lamb Inn, Crawley
The Lamb Inn is an enchanting, and stylish, country pub just outside Witney, dating back to the 18th Century and run by Sebastian and Lana Snow. The focus is on the highest quality, locally sourced ingredients, accompanied by a straightforward, but eclectic wine list and cask ales, all delivered with a big welcome.
The pub has a series of very cosy interconnecting rooms with a huge fireplace in the bar, low ceilings, beams and a suntrap of a beautiful beer garden with pizza ovens,... more
1st November 2019
In the last few weeks, against expectations, Butler Sherborn has been busier than anticipated. We launched 18 properties; placed 14 under offer; exchanged on 6; completed on 9, and let 8.
Contrary to predictions, in the run up to the 31st October, Butler Sherborn has experienced a hectic October resulting in nine completions. Sellers have been understandably cautious, and reluctant nationally, and in the Cotswolds, to place their properties on the market in the immediate run... more
31st October 2019
The UK government has committed to becoming net-zero in terms of carbon emissions by 2050. The Committee on Climate Change has made a number of recommendations in the report ‘Land Use: Reducing emissions and preparing for climate change’.
The recommendations proposed in the report would result in a structural change of the UK agricultural sector, due to the level of greenhouse gases it currently produces. There are a number of recommendations, including a reduction of up to 3.8 - 4.5... more
22nd October 2019
Four Cotswold barns new on the market with Butler Sherborn from £350,000
A barn conversion makes for a really interesting home, especially if it includes some of the original characteristics such as old roof timbers, flagstones and existing agricultural features like cattle stalls, loose boxes and stable doors.
“Converting a barn makes for an extremely exciting building project,” says Sam Butler, partner of Cotswold property specialist Butler Sherborn. “It gives you the chance to blend old and new in a really contemporary design to create a unique home... more
18th October 2019
The Hare, Milton-under-Wychwood
Located in the golden triangle between Burford, Stow-on-the -Wold and Chipping Norton, The Hare, Milton-under-Wychwood sits in the heart of the Cotswolds. It is a perfect country pub with a cosy bar and oak panelled dining area, and extremely friendly staff.
Matt Dare, is a talented young chef, committed to using fresh local produce. He offers a catholic range of meat and poultry beside the Marine Cuisine board, which boasts fresh fish from the West Country, delivered daily.
... more
10th October 2019
‘what3words’ divides the world into a grid of nearly 60 trillion squares of 3m by 3m, each has its own identifier that can be accessed using a phones GPS.
It can often be difficult to locate places in the countryside with postcodes covering very broad areas. Many places like field entrances, stables or farm buildings have no specific address and many rural businesses, as well as emergency services are now using the technology to pinpoint specific locations.
‘what3words’ has the potential to assist in the day to day operations for rural business, directing visitors to the correct location, contractors to the correct gateway or the... more
10th October 2019
In 2018 it was €1 = £0.89281 a drop of 0.21%. BPS payments for England are set in Euros and then converted into sterling. This is calculated as an average of the exchange rates set in September. Historically the exchange rate in the past has been as low as 67p per Euro.
This rate has the greatest impact on the level of payments if there is no change in the claim from year to year. This exchange rate will be used to convert English entitlement values, greening payment and young farmer payment elements of BPS into sterling and which forms part of the calculation to arrive at 2019 BPS payments.
Despite the drop in the exchange rate, it is arguable that given the current economic and political uncertainty it is more positive than initially feared. The... more
26th September 2019
Situated in that corner of Bampton which features as the village of Downton, in the TV series Downton Abbey, this charming house was originally known as ‘The George & Dragon Inn’.
Converted in the 1990’s to a lovely village house, The Old George, as it is now known, is prominently located in the bustling village of Bampton, within walking distance of all the amenities.
Bampton is an enchanting village in the Thames Valley, between the Cotswolds and the Vale of The White Horse, and was a thriving market town throughout the 18th Century. Its wealth was founded on the wool trade, as evidenced by one of the largest parish churches in the diocese. It is this lovely... more
