Monday, 28 March 2011
Wednesday, 28th March 2011
11:15 | 
Posted by
madaboutfurniture
If you are interested in buying a property in the Costa del sol or already own a home here, you could do worse than get hold of a copy of last weeks Sur in English and the supplement about buying in The Malaga area.
Yes, it is that time of year when people are trying to talk up the coast as the summer seasons but I found it to be a balanced view with sensible comments by people in the know and the articles useful to any wannabe buyer.
The south of Spain has had a tough time over the last few years, not unlike but maybe more severe than others of Europe but now may be a good time to start thinking about owning that second home in Spain.
To give you some of the highlights, the Costa del sol is a large area that has seen a building boom go bust and there are thought to be 400,000 empty properties around unsold and lying empty. In some areas where there have been massive overbuilding property prices have fallen by 40% and the experts think that they will have to fall another 20% before they start to see interest return and actually some properties are un-saleable do to either location or concept.
that's the bad news over, as in all areas, location, location, location is key and where there has been a more organic growth and quality builds, property prices haven't been anywhere near as effected. One of the main reasons for bargains around in these areas isn't anything to do with the property being worth less money, it's because the owner has had financial problems at home mainly Ireland, England and Germany and so have had to unload their property at a bargain price.
As we move forward these will become less frequent and will again help stabiles the Market. One thing that they don't mention in the report is that borrowing has had a major factor in reducing prices, people just can't get the finance easily and this is depressing the market further.
One thing is certain is that the speculators have gone. The guys who want to make a quick buck won't be back for a while and that’s a good thing, with buyers looking for property to use themselves and for the long term it will create a much more sustainable Market for the long term and that's a good thing for all of us.
There are undeniably loads of great properties to choose from and if you have either the cash or the finance in place there has never been a better time to buy. Will prices go down further? Not much in the good areas the experts say so if you are thinking of buying and thinking long term now could be the right time. We have been here 10 years and can't think of a better place to have as a holiday home.
Monday, 21 March 2011
A day in the life of..... Steve Dixon, Director
A day in the life of......Steve Dixon, Director.
My working day starts at 10 in the morning and the alarm doesn't wake me until 8.20. It's a far cry from 6am starts and cold journeys on the m25 that I had to endure every day when working in the UK.
First task is to let “Ebony” our black labrador and “Gibs” the cat out for a wee and then it's tea and back to bed to watch the news headlines for half an hour. Breakfast is always cereal with soya milk.
Ebony gets a walk on the beach on the way to work and this is something else that I appreciate every day. She comes to work with us and sleeps all day on one of the rugs but wags her tail when anyone comes in the store. The shop opens at 10am and that's when Sarah also arrives. Tea and lots of it are drunk in the first hour while we plan the day.
The delivery guys, Jason and Sorin have already been on the go for an hour as they start at am every day. They have been with us for 5 years and it is their job to deliver furniture to customers and to organise our warehouse. When we install a complete furniture package they have the job of installing all the lights, putting up the bathroom mirrors , showers screen and hanging the curtains etc, etc. Sarah will then join the guys and help make all the beds, unpack the kitchen pack and lay out the apartment and when they have done all the hard work I will turn up, fluff up the cushions and make sure that everything is ready for the customer to move straight into.
It's basically a team effort and we are very focused on getting the job done to a high standard and on time. Our guys have been with us for 5 years and nether have had a day off sick or been late ,so you can't ask much more than that from your staff and colleagues.
Back in the store it is me and Sarah on the sales desk all day. We both take calls and talk to potential clients who come in the store. We don't need daily meetings as we are constantly talking about what is going on but we do sit down weekly and go through each client to make sure we are on top of things.
Everyone has their own responsibilities. Sarah deals with emails and sales enquiries she also keeps the website up to date and keeps a tag on deliveries and orders. My role is more focused on the buying making sure we have enough of the right stock and visiting Clients on site.
Davids desk is out of the way and this suits him. He does all the administration and manages all the finances , he also makes sure that suppliers are paid and we are reaching our targets.
Lunch is always on the go and usually just fruit as we are aware that we will probably eat too much in the evening.
We buy most of our furniture from China and the Far East and we spend time away at exhibitions sourcing the products. This is one of my favourite parts of my job and David is the one who plans the trips and makes them easy.
We have been in business for 10 years next year and we are very proud of what we have achieved in this time. It's always a gamble uprooting and moving to a foreign country but it has certainly been a great experience for us and we have made a great life for ourselves over here. Going back to the UK would not be an option but you never know where we might end up, as long as its Ebony friendly and we can get sky tv!!! That's fine by me.
In-between clients I will be thinking about ranges and what we can buy next. Buying the right furniture at the right price is key and is probably the single thing that has got us through a down turn in the Spanish housing market but when you are confident that you have a great team, have great products in stock and competitive prices it keeps you positive and helps you sleep at night .
Our working day ends at 7pm and by then we are all ready to go home.
Finally at home its more dog walking on the beach ,our evening meal and then off too bed.
Friday, 11 March 2011
Buying a sofa
A few weeks ago on television I watched Mary Portas, she had a series where she tackled different sectors in the retail Market and went undercover as a sector shopper to see the kind of customer service she got from stores and then worked with the stores to improve the way they served customers.
This particular week was based on furniture shops and it was very interesting.
The first thing that it showed was that generally the service offered by large companies was dreadful. No one tried to find out what the customer wanted or asked any questions, it was all just the hard sell.
The second thing was that the things that Mary was trying to train the staff on were all second nature to us at mad about furniture.
Your sofas are probably the most expensive item you will buy for the home and it is something that you will have to look at and live with for a long time so it is important that you get it right.
What material would you like, mostly we sell leather because it's so practical, modern looking and comfortable. It will also last the longest, look the best for longer. Nowadays however there are some very good quality imitation leather available as well as some Suede materials that are all the rave and now with scotch guarding and new technology, materials are coming back in fashion,
Colour is vital, cream looks great in spain gives you that Mediterranean feel. Brown is the bestseller but the colour is up to you, treys, blacks and red are popular too. Advice, if you are not sure maybe it's best to stay neutral and use some great cushions to jazz things up, as you can replace these whenever you like
What about the style?
Modern low and with square arms, tall comfortable and traditional, how about a chaise so you can put your feet up. What about a relaxer built in.
Corner sofas are very popular and give you more seats in a smaller area. We also now have a corner sofa set in stock that has a built in iPad charger and player in the corner part and built in speakers so you get all the technology and it's all hidden too.
The important thing is to use someone who will help you to get it right and show you everything that is available so you make the best choice.
If you come to mad about furniture we will show you options, help you design what's best for you. We will visit your home and offer some great advice, measure the space so you get the right sofa first time. We have lots available from stock for immediate delivery or you can have one made to your requirements and delivered in only 30 days.
This corner sofa is only 1199€ that's great value and It's in stock.
Our leather sofa sets start at 1600€ and we have many around 2000€ we also have some lovely Italian made sets, they start from 3000€ but go up to 10,000€ and beyond
Mary, if your reading this please pop by, your welcome to secret shop in our store anytime.
This particular week was based on furniture shops and it was very interesting.
The first thing that it showed was that generally the service offered by large companies was dreadful. No one tried to find out what the customer wanted or asked any questions, it was all just the hard sell.
The second thing was that the things that Mary was trying to train the staff on were all second nature to us at mad about furniture.
Your sofas are probably the most expensive item you will buy for the home and it is something that you will have to look at and live with for a long time so it is important that you get it right.
What material would you like, mostly we sell leather because it's so practical, modern looking and comfortable. It will also last the longest, look the best for longer. Nowadays however there are some very good quality imitation leather available as well as some Suede materials that are all the rave and now with scotch guarding and new technology, materials are coming back in fashion,
Colour is vital, cream looks great in spain gives you that Mediterranean feel. Brown is the bestseller but the colour is up to you, treys, blacks and red are popular too. Advice, if you are not sure maybe it's best to stay neutral and use some great cushions to jazz things up, as you can replace these whenever you like
What about the style?
Modern low and with square arms, tall comfortable and traditional, how about a chaise so you can put your feet up. What about a relaxer built in.
Corner sofas are very popular and give you more seats in a smaller area. We also now have a corner sofa set in stock that has a built in iPad charger and player in the corner part and built in speakers so you get all the technology and it's all hidden too.
The important thing is to use someone who will help you to get it right and show you everything that is available so you make the best choice.
If you come to mad about furniture we will show you options, help you design what's best for you. We will visit your home and offer some great advice, measure the space so you get the right sofa first time. We have lots available from stock for immediate delivery or you can have one made to your requirements and delivered in only 30 days.
This corner sofa is only 1199€ that's great value and It's in stock.
Our leather sofa sets start at 1600€ and we have many around 2000€ we also have some lovely Italian made sets, they start from 3000€ but go up to 10,000€ and beyond
Mary, if your reading this please pop by, your welcome to secret shop in our store anytime.
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