Our Saturday morning - one very long, very early morning inventory, one negotiator gone to the chelsea match, umpteen tenants in, queue for using the chip and pin machine, two new deals tied up, five completions, silly amount of phone calls, one speech for ladies night finished, one cup of tea, trip to robbing key cutters, …. now we have finished…..at last………..lucky we get on better than wayne bridge and john terry

What is this beirut petrol station ?, tescos at brookfield Wednesday lunchtime thats where, what is going on , they even had a couple of security wallies directing you where to queue, if I hadn’t of been on fumes I would have done one, oh and when you finally get to the pump an hour later you got to start telling it where and how you going to pay. Its alright if you are on the missing list or you got nothing to do for the next week but personally I am on a boycott.

Useful Tip for Tescos : I would rather disembowel myself with a clubcard or collect all your old shopping bags round the M25 than fill up there again !!!!

Well, I have been working in Potters Bar for a month now, it is obviously early days but I am pleased with how things are going so far. At the moment I am learning the area, going back to basics, inspecting all the properties that came with the purchase of Alan Randle & Co, doing the viewings, making the tea, speaking to new and existing clients and generally getting a feel for things.

So Do you think its going to work over there ?

Without doubt, I am really pleased with the location of the new office, there is a lot of footfall, parking is excellent ( you get one hours free parking over here - take note Borough of Broxbourne ! ) There have been plenty of walk in enquiries -I have had offers on nearly all the properties we have listed so far so I am sure we will do well here. I have a lettings assistant, Caroline Ewins who used to work for Alan Randle working with me who is doing really well and who I am sure will be successful wih us, she is also very good at reminding me what needs doing and who to phone next, sort of like a talking diary.

What are the properties like ?

Maybe a little less well maintained than we are used to in our other offices but the rents are more expensive because of being closer to London and the schools are very good, management fees are higher because the rents are. It does make me think that Hoddesdon and Hertford are really undervalued in terms of rent achievable.

Did you rent the flat with the triangle shaped rooms ?

The one on Southgate Road with the Dairy Lea Bedrooms ? Well I have a really good offer and a second viewing tomorrow, as I tell the boys, there are positives with any property, even if you got to think a bit longer about what they are. Even triangular shaped bedooms must be useful to someone - maybe someone with a huge toblerone collection.

Bad luck to the Enzlebert today - I was asked to enter the inaugaral Hoddesdon Pancake race but thought it might be better to enter a lightning fast athlete instead. Not being able to find one I put Enzo in. Boyaka, all the local bizzo people turned up in track suit and trainers, our boy went more for the suit and shoes combo, won his first heat ( easy ) , made the final (easy ) and came second in the final ( see picture for evidence of false start from bloke from Intersport ). Anyway, the mayoress still tried to give enz the first prize and therefore we are the moral winners.

P.S Thanks to all the girls from County lettings for supporting us.

I was on my to work the other day when I see Stuart Eccleston with this Mark One Escort someone had given him. It is well out of shape and a bit cream crackered these days, showing signs of plenty of rust and is somehow going to have to get an MOT, it looks like the Escort needs a bit of attention as well !!

Not bad eh, three and a half weeks later and we have transformed the old bookies in to a real love machine of an office, I am really pleased with the end result, especially as I will be working over here for a few months. I have already been dealing with the letting clients and tenants of AlanRandle & Co for the last few weeks. One thing that has become very clear is that demand for rental properties in Potters Bar and surrounding areas is very , very high, I have already had offers on every property we have listed , the rental yieds are particularly good, if you are looking at investing in buy to let give me a call to discuss.

 Rich

Be-jeesus Rich, OMG Dicko, what is this blue horror of an ex bookmakers ? Surely this will never be a nicely kitted out letting agents - no way, you might be better off getting anew tattoo next door .

Wha - hay, I have just had about the busiest month in my lettings career but I have been working on the Potters Bar shop and the project management of the new unit, which I am really pleased with and will post some photos later today.

So whats going on in lettings, the start of the year was slow for us and everyone because of the awful weather.But we recovered well and rented out a total of 34 properties, four of which were through Potters Bar whilst we were still setting up the shop. Tony has also let the first property from Bishops Stortford and is now taking on plenty of new instructions.

Of course we are nervous about the two new shops but I am positive that in the next few months we should be able to obtain a market share.

What else is happening ? We have our new Toyota Iq’s which are brillo and will shortly be sign written. Shame about the al quaeda boys losing to man u the other day, spurs are going to struggle to hang on to 4th place.

Still no full time property manager at Hoddesdon but we might have a good part time person on board soon - still stopped smoking and am going to start the gym again soon !!