Journal

Notes from the desk

Practical writing on buying, selling and renting, and the occasional walk around the city.

Selling · 8 October 2026 · 6 min read

What a valuation really looks at

Behind a free valuation: the comparables, the condition, the street and the calendar, and why the first number is never the whole story.

By Imogen Hale

Buying · 24 September 2026

A first-time buyer's checklist, in the order you will need it

From the mortgage in principle to the day you collect the keys: eight steps, what each costs, and where people usually get stuck.
Renting · 10 September 2026

Renting well: what tenants and landlords should expect from each other

A short guide to deposits, inventories, repairs and renewals, written from the lettings desk.
The city · 27 August 2026

Walking the Quay: how a scrapyard became the best address in the city

A walk along the regenerated riverside from the footbridge to Foundry Row, with notes on what to look for if you want to buy there.