Countrywide Estate Agents www.countrywide.co.uk

As a mental health worker of 19 years, I would describe Countrywide Estate Agents as disappointing. Countrywide manage the Estate Agents Mann.

My next door neighbour is a Mann Tenant who is a vulnerable woman in her mid-70's and suffering from a sensory impairment. Despite her age and condition, she has experienced targeted bullying from her young upstairs neighbours (also managed by Mann). They not only deliberately removed the light bulbs from the communal hallway to leave the woman in darkness and disorientate her, but they have previously poured a bucket of water onto her head from their window and continuously drop heavy objects on their floor above her head regularly, which in turn have caused concerning large cracks in her ceiling, make her jump and caused her sleep insomnia. The neighbours have cameras set up in the communal hallway to watch her movements so they can intimidate her when she leaves/returns to her property. The neighbours throw objects at their internal door which is adjacent to hers and make loud noises throughout the day and night to cause her distress. This was witnessed first-hand by a visiting police officer and can be clearly heard by myself and my partner in our next door flat.

Despite hours of footage submitted to Mann's Beckenham office and Head Office, Mann have left her without support and refuse to look at the footage (which had also been submitted to the Police).

Mann and the woman's landlord (who also manages the flat of the harassing neighbours) have been made fully aware of these activities and continue to take no action.

My advice is to avoid this business if you can find alternative services.

Lowest lowlifes I've ever had the displeasure of dealing with.  Avoid at all costs. Bournemouth branch are full of hideous people, who try their upmost to back each other taking from you. Disgusting, disconcerting and vile people.

To all customers thinking renting from this company I would I advice don't avoid at all costs countrywide shouldnt  even be operating as a Management Service or letting agency they told me I had rent arrears fees of £180 then they changed it to late payment fees. Don't let them try there tactics after 3weeks of disputes via email they decided to waiver the fees more like there was no fees. They tryed to take the fees from my deposit over all it took me over 5weeks to get my deposit back after providing evidence at the start. The property manager changes her stories  very unprofessional and bad management the case is been taken further to the ombudsman and legal action has already been taken.

I would like to say a big Thank You to our Mortgage Advisor from Countrywide for her precious help and guidance through our home purchase process. She has always been friendly and understanding and has taken the initiative to go the extra mile to protect us by explaining thoroughly everything to us. Buying a house is a huge expense and responsibility, loading you with a lot of stress too until the keys are in your hands. She has done her best to make it a very positive experience. Time went by quickly thanks to her methodical approach and expertise.

I would like to wish this lady all the best in her endeavours and of course recommend her and Countrywide for their immaculate professionalism.

Having dealt with Countrywide on Canvey Island 4 years ago, we were very pleased with their service and decided to use them again to remortgage. Our previous consultant had left but the consultant we were assigned was excellent. Ours was not a simple case but she worked tirelessly to get us a good deal. We have been very pleased with the service we received and would recommend without reservation

I have had dealings with this branch in recent months. They have put everything into efforts to sell a property in which I have had an interest and to achieve a good price. Impressed with their negotiating skills. Their advice on strategies was excellent. Could have been better sometimes at providing requested updates though.When difficulties arose they handled them very well indeed.

If zero was an option on the overall rating, that's exactly what I would give.

Thankfully, our members decided to sack Countrywide / HLM due to the incompetent service we received, and ended our contract with them on the 31/12/2017.

We were assigned to the Hull office.

Despite giving 90 days notice, our new company have only just received the keys and paperwork concerning our development.

Whilst on the face of it, they come across as being polite, ignoring emails, questions and phone calls seems to be the norm.

Got fed up of reporting problems that never seemed to get followed up, very frustrating having to report the same issues over and over again.

Visits to site were very few and far between, and when a very young chap did come on site, he seemed more interested in his phone bleeping all the time, than taking on board the issues raised.

Got really tired of repeating myself.

Really not happy with some of the contractors they use as well.

Reported a problem in October of last year, which posed a health & safety issue.

Eventually sent someone from over 50 miles away to do a simple repair, which did not work, reported it in December, and was told they would come back in a few days to put it right, it never happened, and we now have to pay someone else to do the job.

Our neighbours are still working with this company, and a contractor who carried out work and invoiced them on 12/12/17 is still waiting for payment.

Maybe that's the reason the contractor ( not the same as above ) never came back, who knows ?

If you are passionate about your home and the area you live, I would NOT recommend this company.

They often made decisions about our company without consultation with the directors and members, and trying to follow the accounts and figures was a complete nightmare,because they were so out of date.

They sent a summary, income and expenditure figures for 2016 in 2017, and despite asking time and time again for recent updates, we were just fobbed off and ignored.

I then got some lame excuse from our property manager that he didn't have access to them, which never seemed to be a problem in the past. I am so happy that we can put this sorry business behind us, and look forward.

Rant over.

Brilliant service and really helpful staff, would recommend to anyone.

I let my property for 4 years via Carsons Letting Agents, Fully Managed by Countrywide. I regret using with of these companies.

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1. Costs.

During the sales pitch, "fully managed" was presented as 10% fee covering all costs. Over the four years there was a steady growth in extra costs which just slipped in. Ask them explicitly about checkin/checkout inspection fees, number and timing of property inspections included with your package. whether those inpections has written up reports etc...

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2. Review the tenancy agreement contract.

If you place restrictions (eg: no pets), there is virtually no provision for consequences if the tenants break those terms. If I was letting a property again, I would try to place written consequences in the contract along with restrictions. (eg replacement of carpet AS NEW if the cat or dog rips up a section of it)

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3. Damages.

When a tenant trashes your property, you would expect the letting agent ( who is paid by you as your agent ) to fight for fair compensation. Countrywide were absolutely useless here.

- The checkout inspections that I paid for did not include a list of items that the independent inspectors felt justified damages & remediation. All they includes was a dump of small photographs that I had to review to find damages.

- The concept that the tenant has to make good any damages is not upheld by countrywide. They say that the law considers the cost and age if the item and then give you a consideration towards repair. So ... if a door is broken, you will probably get 30 quid towards a new door or a professional repair. Countrywide say that this is the actual basis of the law ( which I can't dispute ) but my beef with countrywide is that they wont even try to discuss appropriate compensation with the tenant.

The individual property manager who I dealt with ( and I would love to name this individual, but the rules of this side prevent me ) was obstructive, unhelpful, smarmy and always on the side of the tenants.

The whole experience has been awful. I have been a renter in another country, where the whole basis of renting is geared to protect the landlords' interests properly. I looked after the property very well, and paid voluntarily when I damaged items. The landlord was prompt to fix problems that were his domain. I finally left the house in excellent condition and got my full deposit back. My experience in this other country has been a well balanced one, where the interests of tenants and landlords are actively respected by the letting company.

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4. Tenants Interests.

The whole experience has been awful. I have been a renter in another country, where the whole basis of renting is geared to protect the landlords' interests properly. I looked after the property very well, and paid voluntarily when I damaged items. The landlord was prompt to fix problems that were his domain. I finally left the house in excellent condition and got my full deposit back. My experience in this other country has been a well balanced one, where the interests of tenants and landlords are actively respected by the letting company. The law is much firmer on responsibilities both ways. No wishy washy dilution of costs and responsibilities.

I know from my old neighbours that the tenants were equally unhappy with Carsons / Countrywide. They disputed financial costs from Countrywide (costs and fees which I knew nothing about). I have sympathy for the set of tenants who looked after my property ( but no sympathy for the ones who trashed it and paid precous little compensation), and I suspect Carsons / COuntrywide are just as bad to the tenants.

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5. Summary

Before going with Carsons / Countrywide in the UK, a friend implored me NOT to use them because they were fundamentally bad. I do not have any hard evidence of fraudulent behaviour from my experience, but I know I have had a terrible experience.

Avoid carsons letting agents and countrywide property managers or regret it.

Those people decided to keep 1000 pounds deposit for no reason whatsoever. They did not provide any evidence or any receipt. On the phone they told me that the cleaning was 100-150 pounds roughly (the house was in perfect order when we left it) and they kept the rest for other expenses about which they couldn’t provide any other details. They told me with arrogance that they couldn’t do anything else and that we should dispute the decision if we believe that it is unfair. They also admitted on the phone that the landlord didn’t came back to them and the charging fee was solely made by their office. I was a tenant for over a year and I admit that they just try to gain as much as possible for you. In case you are renting a place with them consider not paying the last rent, they will probably try to trick you same way