You got it; it's a renting special.
The Renter's Rights Bill is knocking on the door, so we've brought in a lettings specialist :
There's a tonne of great wisdom as he walks you through what the bill means and whether it makes life better for landlords, tenants or both.
Charlie Lamdin is let loose amongst the suggestion that estate agents should have more and specific qualifications. Does he like the idea? Have a listen to Charlie Says and you'll find out.
We're quickly approaching Halloween of course, so the ghouls and spooks are running riot in this month's Selling Somerset story. It really isn't for the faint-hearted.
And Simmo lets you in on a court case victory that ties in nicely with our renting theme.
You might say it takes cojones. Or at the very least a hefty dose of gumption and bravery. Not just social media strength " bravery " but a genuinely brave move in the property sector.
Nic Chbat and Match Property, who are based in Devon have gone all out and DUMPED Rightmove. The single biggest property portal, the one that's in the very DNA of so many sellers and buyer has been given the Big E. In being so public with his view that Rightmove just doesn't do it for his type of agency, is this where it all goes wrong for what has been a huge and strangulating monopoly?
Nic tells all.
Equally uncompromising is leading commentator Charlie Lamdin, who has his say on the way estate agents use tech and AI. It's not pretty and may involve some turd polishing!
And make no mistake, Selling Somerset is a sorry indictment of another hapless agent.
Time to pick up the second part of this exclusive and searingly candid conversation with leading property commentator Charlie Lamdin.
If anyone is going to step up and put right the housing wrongs, it's Charlie. We pick over stamp duty, how long the whole selling process SHOULD take and why he believes he can help make 8 weeks to completion a reality.
Simmo and JP discuss the interest rates drop and weigh up if it really is beneficial or just political posturing and ( for the last time ) we welcome Chef and former pub owner Alan now that he's moved in. We love the fact he calls it " glamping " - check out the episode to find out more.
Oh and one more thing - Selling Somerset charts the story of Tom the estate agent and how he saw things an agent should never see!
" It's literally life and death stuff ". When the top sector commentator Charlie Lamdin says that on the leading property podcast, it's time to sit up and take notice.
Spanning the next two episodes, Charlie, Simmo and John will examine the claim that the housing market just doesn't work.
Where does the blame lie?
Politicians, agents, sellers - which one is it to be?
Housing accounts for so much that we don't generally think about - social isolation, domestic violence, happiness and even suicide.
And of course it massively affects great swathes of the economy.
Let's find out if Charlie can help to fix housing and what Simmo makes of it all.
Unless of course you're the mysterious Parrot-Man and then it's the most colourful moves.
What have we got to get those house related juices going?
Well try this for size :
The vital need-to-know info on estate agents, how they SHOULD be trained and why conveyancers don't deserve all the flak ( well ok, they can have some!).
Simon Bradbury, who in the nicest possible way, has been around the block is your man when it comes to brilliant guidance and we've got him on.
What Simon doesn't know isn't in this podcast.
HMOs. An acronym to strike fear into the deepest pages of any self respecting Facebook community group.
We talk about it - pick Simmo's brains and tell you about the council that's railing against them.
Charlie Says spreads the word about the sale of Zoopla and as you'd expect, Charlie has some unequalled anecdotes and insight.
Then there's the small matter of Selling Somerset as told by Richard Batten of Move On Removals.
Is it a bird? Is it a man? No it's both!
This is nowhere near as bizarre and unreasonable as it sounds.
Simon Bradbury reckons it should be one of the yardsticks when choosing who to sell your house with.
Simon doesn't stop there.
The biggest story from one of his recent viral videos over in Cambridgeshire is all about sole agency contracts. If you want to know what NOT to do when engaging an agent, Simon's your man and he's here to impart endless wisdom.
The Property Ombudsman have just struck off 4 property businesses and Charlie Lamdin is along to share his analysis of this story and how complaints and regulation are handled when it comes to property transactions.
As is always the way, there's plenty of candour from Simmo, as he reveals what happened when he crossed swords with the Ombudsman over a rogue bike!
Alan the landlord, chef and self-builder has some good news and the end is much nearer - listen in and catch the latest positive development in what's been a torrid journey.
Selling Somerset is told from the perspective of a renter who thought she'd found some nice cloths in the property and we're feeling flush as we tell the story of some public loos that proved to be more than convenient in the property market.
It's a George Clarke special.
No Sir!
We've just been crowned the number one podcast in Goodpods Home and Garden category.
Perhaps no surprise given the collision of these ear catching features :
- Why property renovations could LOSE you money
- How to know if you can trust a lettings agency
- Which house price index is actually telling it like it is
AND
- When is a car park a more attractive marketing proposition than a portal ?
PLUS
Self build wisdom from Alan in Northamptonshire and the reason behind Simmo blagging a free bottle of oil.
Well okay, the lending rulebook for mortgages isn't about to be ripped up anytime soon.
BUT
Our expert-in-the-field Samuel Gee is on hand to look at the news story about mortgage rules potentially being eased.
*MASSIVE UNDERSTATEMENT ALERT* Sam knows his stuff.
And then some.
We do like to think of ourselves as a podcast that informs and entertains and when Charlie Lamdin is on a roll, he can certainly perform both of those.
Give him a subject he's passionate about and off he goes.
This time it's the digitalisation of property transactions. Try saying that when you're on a train from Exeter, the seagulls are in full voice and you're attempting to complete the Rachel Reeves missing CV years word-search!
Alan is back ( thank goodness ) to bring you bang up to date with his self build in Northamptonshire and I've got two more things to say to you :
Selling Somerset copycats and black mould.
Intrigued? You should be!
What a start to the year!
Top flight interior designer Nichola Haysey of Haysey Designs is with us to pick over the techniques, fabrics and styles she's seeing as on trend for 2025.
Have you got your sconces yet?!
Question for you : if you never saw a For Sale board again, would it bother you? More to the point, would it bother Simmo?
Discover which council thinks there are too many of them and whether they'll disappear for good?
Is it too early to call this a board crisis?
The erudite voice of eloquence Charlie Lamdin delivers another Charlie Says and this time, his crosshairs are trained on the introducers and middle men of conveyancing.
You can also check out the latest report on the kinds of smells that can help to sell a house. NO, it's not freshly baked bread anymore - we've moved on from that!
There's also Selling Somerset which is, shall we say, quite fowl!
A very Merry Christmas from the leading property podcast!
Dale Bradford knows how to glamourise estate agency. Responsible for the brand new book " The Time Travelling Estate Agent "
Dale puts veteran agent Eric Meek front and centre of a saga that begins in a garage in an unassuming suburban property. We chat to Dale and discover what some of the early readers have found believable and conversely, which bits unwittingly stretch credibility! It may not be what you think.
Bad Santa ( aka Charlie Lamdin ) crops up in this, our festive episode to unveil his property Xmas wish.
Is there any way he'll get what he longs for?
Selling Somerset takes an unexpected turn - we won't say anything else other than you HAVE to listen to Katy's story.
Plus there's a chance to get Simmo's experienced view of ultra long mortgages and how they affect retirees. You can also pick up thoughts on BTLs and landlords - will they keep dropping off in 2025?
They just don't get it.
The general public can't get their head round what it is estate agents actually do.
Thankfully, Stephen Brown is on hand to turn that around.
So will we ever get away from those low / no cost online merchants that give the industry a bad name? We pick over all of that and more with Stephen.
There's more sizzling truths from Charlie Lamdin, as he takes down the Ponzi nonsense videos that have been springing up left, right and centre on Facebook. " Do you want to make a million in two months?" No, we want to slap you in the face!
The self build diary is back up and running - Alan reports from deepest Grafton Regis and The Ghost of Flax Bourton is the spine-tingling tale in this month's Selling Somerset.
Oh yes and there's much sniggering about a Leaf!
There's an avocado just for you.
Or something like that.
The avocado bathroom suite was very much "of its time" - BUT the return of this bold statement ( euphemism alert ! ) is on the cards.
We'll chat to the wonderful interior designer Nichola Haysey of Haysey Designs - she'll give you her take and has stacks of fascinating observations on interiors trends and ways to make them work.
Here's a question for you :
When someone mentions the charity Shelter, what do you think of? After this month's Charlie Says, you may just revise your opinion. There's some explosive stuff in this property podcast.
If self builds are your thing, we're behind the scenes once more at Alan's place in Grafton Regis to see how it's coming along.
There's also mortgage rate talk and best of all - duck talk!
No, you didn't imagine that - find out what one estate agent came across on a very unusual visit.
It's amazing what a funny tweet makes you do.
The one by Rugby writer Paul Williams about what it's like to try and buy a house was hilarious and we HAD to talk about it. Just how much does Simmo hate his peers using the phrase " offers in excess of..."?
Turns out it's a lot.
If it grinds your gears too, listen in and find out you've got far more in common with this property professional than you thought possible!
After causing a stir with This Morning's Home Genie Georgina Burnett, self builder Alan Bonar-Drake serves up the latest audio diary on his project behind The White Hart in Grafton Regis. Find out precisely where his build is at.
Selling Somerset certainly isn't for the faint hearted. Or celibate! Simmo's up to his knees in it again!!
We're also going to give you a measured assessment of shared ownership.
Is it is bad as it's been painted in the media over the last couple of weeks?
There's only one way to find out.
Older homeowners are doing it, but are they doing it as well as they could?
Downsizing - it can be an emotional and sensitive time and if you're going to have a property journalist run the rule over this story, you have to get the best - Marc Shoffman.
Rent rises are cooling, according to Zoopla in a BBC report and so Simmo offers a wise summary and what it means for landlords and the housing market in general.
Charlie Lamdin is on the verge of launching the BestAgent Public House Price Index - Charlie explains how it works and why it's an important move for the sector and don't forget 4th Sep is BestAgent Day.
Selling Somerset does its thing once again and this time, Simmo gets all serious.
Throw in Alan working some ladder based magic with his self build update and you have the leading property podcast.
At least that's what Charlie Lamdin thinks.
Now there's a change in No 10 and Westminster, we thought the time was right to have Charlie on as our main guest and see if he thinks the new government are up to the job when it comes to housing.
Simmo also casts his experienced eye over a new report on the level of SSTCs ( sold subject to contract transactions ) and dusts off his almanac of superb west country anecdotes in Selling Somerset.
When you pick an estate agent, can you be sure they give great service and when you read their reviews, are they genuine?
Are you sure?
Ben Marley, Commercial Director of the ESTAS Group LTD lays out what truthful and trustworthy reviews can do for anyone buying or selling a home.
Charlie Lamdin unquestionably gives it both barrels on Charlie Says when it comes to the BBC investigation into Purplebricks - take cover!
We find out how Alan's self build is not only stuck at a financial crossroads, but how it has a very specific issue that you might have some advice for.
Selling Somerset has an encounter with some highly unusual and functional furniture and will Simmo put to bed the idea that being an estate agent in 2024 is sexy??!
It seems like Simmo's dim (ish) view of open houses as a way to sell property didn't play out especially well.
Mainly in Devon.
Match Property's Nic Chbat is on to tell you why they work for him and what they can give to both vendor and buyer.
Not the best of news from Grafton Regis, as Alan's self build grinds to a halt ( wait, did we nick that from Kevin McCloud? )
Plus
Charlie Says tackles the Rightmove price index and Charlie isn't happy about it!
What could the link be between ITV and Purplebricks? This is the podcast that has the answer and there's a spooky tale from a particularly supernatural part of Somerset!
Selling Somerset brings on another house selling story that you won't hear anywhere else.
Want to see the most luscious architectural visualisations for your next dream build ?
Michael Hall of NVision Studios is your man.
They produce such stunning imagery that brings a house to life. We're glad to say that Michael is our guest this month - just wait until he talks about their most "out there" project!!
We're also tackling the question of Open Houses as a marketing / sales tool. Could it work for you? Simmo runs the rule over their potential to get your house sold.
Charlie Lamdin is back with us for a Charlie Says that analyses the latest outburst from Kevin McCloud and Alan the self builder is back on with news of Silver Birch Cottage.
Oh and if you've ever seen Selling Sunset, strap in for our own version - Selling Somerset!
28 week agreements - can there be any justification for them?
The argument to see the back of them is gathering pace and the voices against them are loud and convincing.
A sense that the sector has to change is in the air. Our guest John Durrant is proposing it has a complete overhaul and that a code of conduct should be driven by PropertyMark and RICS.
Simmo has his thoughts - and you're about to get them both barrels ( as long as he's not too busy thundering around a karting track!)
Self builder, pub owner and chef Alan Bonar-Drake has some news about the roof and porch and promises not to mention his Inglenook fireplace.
Charlie Says with Charlie Lamdin runs the rule over 28 week agreements; will he agree with John?
And
New rules around holiday lets - who will they help?
Hear it all on THE property podcast.
First time buyers are strong armed into a situation that benefits no one ( well apart from the big name, corporate estate agencies ). Vendors suffer, low grade call centre " conveyancers " screw it all up and reputable agents also get the brunt of it.
Conditional selling. It's a racket and Malcolm Davidson of UK Moneyman, Charlie Lamdin of Best Agent and of course, our very own Andrew Simmonds are calling it out for what it is.
Unethical, despicable and illegal.
So why are some still getting away with it?
