Press
..."Hove is still classier,” insists Sue Sinclair, a property finder and manager based in Hove for a decade. “It’s busier and louder than it was, but still cleaner and quieter than Brighton. You can walk into Brighton and be in the middle of things, then retreat to your quiet enclave.” Back then I lived in Brunswick Square, a grand creamy edifice on Hove seafront. Then it felt almost rural. Now it’s a bustling inner-city village. I rented a two-bedroom rooftop flat with roof terrace for £400 a month...
...Quadruple that now. As for buying, “a one-bed lower ground-floor flat with significant problems and no views will be £165,000 plus”, says Sinclair. “Pay £200,000 plus for a nice one-bedder with sea views. Walk up Brunswick Place and prices drop £10,000 to £20,000.” As does prestige. “The tide has yet to go out on the local market. It took three failed attempts for me to buy before finding our one-bedroom ground-floor conversion in a Victorian terrace in 2003. We bought for £140,000. "You got a bargain,” says Sinclair. “You’d get £200,000 now,” says Brice. I am not selling. “One-bedroom flats are at an absolute premium,” says Sinclair.
“They’re selling on the first or second viewing. If you’re after a house, the Hanover area offers value: you could pay £250,000-plus for a run-down mid-terrace that’s probably been a student house. If you’ve got £500,000, look at the big detached homes along Dyke Road and surrounding roads like Tongdean.” ...
...Denise didn't feel able to take on the renovation project full time because of heavy work commitments - she's the co-founder of a marketing agency, Total Marketing Network, and recently co-launched a business matchmaking service, too. "I had only three months to complete the renovation - I'd sold my last property and was staying with friends, so to get it done quickly I needed a project manager."
She hired Sue Sinclair who, she says, was brilliant. "Sue pulled the whole thing off and I was able to move in within three months. Electricians, plumbers and decorators were working cheek by jowl."...
