When I talk to prospective clients I ask them why they want to come to the Isle of Wight and very often they say something along the lines 'Because it’s England as it used to be’.
This is not surprising to those of us who live here, enjoying some of the most unspoilt countryside and coastlines in Britain, where neighbours stop and chat, but what IS surprising is that these comments are not coming from people wanting to retire here, but those in their 30s, 40s and 50s bringing their work with them.
The Island is fashionable now, a far cry from the times over the last 20 years when it was so far off the map that it was impossible to get a London agent to come down to value a house, let alone market it – now they’re fighting for instructions and I get regular calls from London agents for information and comparables.
I was asked by one today what my typical client is like. I thought for a while about the wide variety of people I have found homes for over the last few years. There is no typical client, that’s what makes the work so enjoyable. The search can take anything from a week to two years, their budgets range from £50k to £5m, their ages range from 20 to 80, they are moving up, down and sideways to permanent or holiday homes in all parts of the Island. We laugh a lot, the variety is endless, every day is different, and every day i talk to people wanting to live here... Cathy Tutton, Relocation agent