A NEW online business that aims to tackle ‘neighbours from hell’ with an unique service has partnered with Sarah Beeny’s online property portal, Tepilo.
Check The Area, which provides a Neighbourhood Report for house buyers, is to be featured on the Tepilo website.
Founder, Pete Macalroy, has secured a partnership with Tepilo, which will be the first company in the UK to take on the service and offer it to their customers.
The Tepilo team commented: ”We’re keen to see users take up the new service as a way of eliminating mistakes in their purchase process, and saving time and money through avoiding these.”
Says a spokesperson: “Check The Area is the brainchild of former builder-turned-entrepreneur, Macalroy. He employs retired police officers to investigate your potential new neighbourhood, carry out face-to-face interviews with residents, and produce a comprehensive report covering everything from nuisance neighbours and pets, to vandalism and burglaries, speeding cars and parking issues, planning applications and soundproofing of the properties.
“The service has resonated with the Tepilo founders, who see it as a neat fit with their own business goals to change the way the property market functions.”
Says Tepilo: “The service will be of great value highlighting those small (and often bigger) problems in areas and neighbourhoods that you wouldn’t necessarily find until you get there – or which are often glossed over by owners desperate to get out and move on.
“We’re delighted to be one of the first sites to take on the service and offer it to our users – it fits well with Tepilo’s attempts to use technology and innovation to change the way the property market functions and our desire to be the most consumer friendly property site on the net.”
The spokesperson continued: “Macalroy spotted a gap in the market after reading statistics showing that neighbours from hell have led to more than 360,000 Brits moving home in the last year, is thrilled that Tepilo has recognised the value in his service.”
He said; “Where you live is just as important as the house you live in. You wouldn’t dream of buying a house without checking the structure and getting a survey done, so it makes sense to have a neighbourhood report. After all, buying a great house and finding yourself disappointed in the surrounding area could prove a costly mistake.
“According to Halifax Home Insurance, a bad neighbourhood can knock up to £30,000 off the value of your property, but four out of five sellers with nuisance neighbours don’t inform estate agents of the problem, despite it being a legal requirement.”
Macalroy and his business partner Paul Conibere, a property developer, have recruited 90 former police officers to train as investigators.
The duo intend to turnover a million pounds in their first year, and are already in discussions with a franchising company about rolling the concept out across the UK and Europe.
Macalroy says that while his business can’t solve the problem for residents that currently live in bad areas, he hopes to help those that are moving with a safety net and peace of mind that their new neighbourhood is trouble-free.
“This service will protect peoples’ investments, and their health. It will change the way people buy or rent homes forever.”
Notes to editor:
- Check The Area.com was launched on Monday, April 12 2010
- The business offers three types of report: the basic is aimed at long distance prospective buyers just interested in an area or looking for more information than Estate Agents can provide.
- The second costs £400 and is delivered within 14 days, with a fast-track option costing £500 and delivered within seven days.
- The third and most controversial option would see a former policeman stay overnight in the property for sale to ensure the most comprehensive report.
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- Government statistics show that more than 30 per cent of people think their neighbourhood is an unpleasant place to live, and 23 per cent dislike those areas because of problem tenants or neighbours from hell.
- The Halifax Home Insurance survey of 2,000 adults found that one in three neighbours have a dispute of some sort, and house buyers are willing to pay a £5,000 premium for a guarantee of a quiet life. Anti-social neighbours on the other hand, can knock £30,000 off the price of a house.
Issued on behalf of Pete Macalroy and http://www.checkthearea.com by Tartan Cat Communications.
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