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We’d like to wish our clients and customers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

2021 has been another busy 12 months for the Gateway Group. We’ll be back in 2022 to keep you updated on Property Matters. Until then, Season’s Greetings and a Happy New Year from our teams at HQ, London, and Leeds. We hope you stay safe and well during the festive season.

Our offices are open as usual to support you. So please get in touch if you need to.

This month, the BBC reported a story of payments being offered to west Devon housing tenants who opt to downsize. Could this be one solution to free up much-needed family homes in the UK?

The bold move made by councilors is to address a shortage of suitable rental properties for families. Rising house prices and a lack of homes on the market have led to a housing crisis in this part of the country, but Devon is not alone in facing this situation.

The plan is to offer tenants who move to a smaller home a £1,000 fixed payment, with an extra £500 per bedroom released as a bonus. Tenants downsizing from a three-bedroom house to a one-bedroom property would receive £2,000, for example. There is also discussion of a discretionary £5,000 lump sum in areas of West Devon where the housing market is particularly strained.

Generally, it seems that older homeowners are keeping hold of their properties. A report from Legal & General Financial Advice at the end of Summer 2021 finds that fewer than one in four households headed by someone over 55 years old plan to downsize in the near future. This is a smaller proportion than when the survey was conducted three years ago.

Sparkle, sequins and snowflakes never go out of fashion at this time of year! Our stylish team at Gateway HQ modelled a flurry of festive knitwear on Friday 10 December, and all for a super cause.

Everyone in the team across our different departments put on a Christmas jumper and pulled off some iconic seasonal looks and, it has to be reported, some quite tricky styles! The proceeds raised from taking part in the event will help Macmillan Cancer Support continue its amazing work, so thanks to everyone for embracing the Christmas spirit.

In December, Gateway Property Management was delighted to add two new developments in Kent to its expanding nationwide portfolio.

The first development of 400 new homes is located just south of the River Thames in Gravesend, close to local amenities and a short commute to London. Eight miles away in historic Rochester on the River Medway, our dedicated team will also be managing 100 luxury homes, set in a highly sought-after area.

Since our last edition of Gateway Today, we’ve also added modern property developments to our portfolio in the Malvern Hills, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty; Sheffield City Centre; the counties of Durham, Essex, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, North Yorkshire, and Surrey; and Wimbledon, just a stroll from the famous All England Club where we hope to see Emma Raducanu lifting a trophy very soon.

As trusted managing agents, our portfolio continues to expand, from towns and cities to the countryside and coastline. You can see our latest additions, and find out more about our specialist property group, on Instagram.

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Meet our friendly, professional team and our thoroughly individual property group.

You can discover more about our specialist property companies at LinkedIn and see how we can support you in the new year. Whether you’re a property developer, investor, landlord, buy-to-let owner, management company or tenant, we are always here to help.