Redwoods Estate Agents (Hampshire)
Aldershot, GU11
5/5, 1 reviews
100% recommended
0% lettings valuation accuracy
0% lettings fee satisfaction



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“I am currently shopping for my first property, and I ......”

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Apr 16,2012
Minithumbdown
By: 'GarethRDR'
Apr 16,2012
1 people found
this helpful
I am currently shopping for my first property, and I was initially reluctant to deal with Redwoods due to a terrible experience I had suffered renting a flat through them. This was some years back, shortly after Crown Heights had been built; a friend and I decided to rent a two-bed flat. We were initially swayed by the agent's talk of development planned for the block (including a gym and swimming pool for resident's use). To this day, such facilities have not been built, and it when it became apparent after the first year of our tenancy that this wouldn't be happening we took Redwoods to task over using this as part of their original sales pitch. We were met with stern rebuttals, but no explanation (or apology) as to why they were promising facilities that would never be delivered.

The remainder of the tenancy proved no better, as both a broken cupboard door and poorly fitted window fell into disrepair yet repeated requests to have the items fixed were fobbed off. They were both of poor build quality (the cupboard was MDF and the window brackets were unable to to cope with the stress of simply opening the window). As stated, repair requests were ignored until ultimately we came to depart the property and Redwoods retained the entirety of our deposit. I fought tooth and nail with their lettings department, requested an itemised bill detailing what services were being carried out and with which suppliers but this was not forthcoming. I later discovered that - in addition to billing for the window/cupboard repair - they had re-decorated both bedrooms and had a professional carpet cleaner in, despite the property being kept in a perfectly clean state. At no other property I have rented since have I lost any amount of a security deposit, but as I was young and naƒÂ¯ve at the time, I eventually gave up chasing and wrote off the cash. In hindsight, I should have gone to arbitration.

Fast forward to the present, and I have had a few house viewings through Redwoods that have been disappointing. They are happy to suggest properties with a lease under 60 years, simply stating that my partner and I could pay for a lease extension. This is in stark contrast to agents such as Connells, who have informed us when viewing short lease properties with themselves that such terms are unmortgageable, and they are waiting for the current owners to extend before they will sell to us. We have also been told by Redwoods that £60 pcm ground rent is "very reasonable"; now I understand some sales patter is going to be forthcoming, but when other agents/properties are quoting in the region of £10-£50 a year for ground rent, I fail to see how £720 is "reasonable" (this wasn't even for a property in a block of flats, as they do generally have facilities such as lifts which can drive maintenance costs up).

On the subject of maintenance costs, we enquiried about ground rent at a maisonette and were told that is was free. This was quite surprising, and when we enquired as to why we were told that the management company used to collect ground rent, but they hadn't been round to the property in months. Now, surely at any point they could turn up and request current (and even perhaps outstanding) ground rent, yet when I made this point we were given some vagaries about the property being ex-MOD and collection being highly unlikely. I still don't see how this allows Redwoods to state categorically that grount rent would never be requested though.

The most disappointing experience thus far has been a viewing that we were informed prior to by the salesman was "a very nice property", only to be told upon meeting him outside said property that it actually wasn't well maintained, was very small and in truth he hadn't seen it before telling us it was "nice". I appreciate his frankness, but experiences such as these make it hard to trust anything I'm being told. My partner and I have come to the conclusion that, if we can help it, we probably won't be purchasing through Redwoods unless we find an absolute bargain or the perfect property. I thoroughly recommend other people do the same.
What agent could do to change your mind?
Frank, open and honest about viewing properties. Visibility/more information on costs.
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Latest Reviews

14th Apr 2010
reviewed by 'brian2905'
Opening Hours
Address

Redwoods Estate Agents (Hampshire)
121 Victoria Road
Aldershot
Hampshire
GU11 1JN
01252 344099, 01252 344366

Performance statistics
Services Valuation Accuracy Fees Satisfaction Min Price of property reviewed Max Price of property reviewed
Lettings 0% 0% £0 £0
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Areas covered
Services offered
  • Sales
  • Lettings
  • Block Management
  • Surveys
  • Conveyancing
  • Mortgage Advice
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Apr 14,2010
Minithumbup
By: 'brian2905'
Apr 14,2010
0 people found
this helpful
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Kindly note that legally, letting agents need to publish information about their tenancy fees, government-approved redress schemes and client money protection schemes on their website and on third party websites (on which agents are listed). For properties to lease/rent in England, agents need to keep this information up to date and precise on allAgents or specify within the property description.

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Awards won by Redwoods Estate Agents (Hampshire), Aldershot GU11 1JN



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