The ancient studded door is shoved shut against the raw and wet wind. The log smouldering in the stone hearth radiates a glow warming both body and soul of those sufficiently astute or fortunate to find themselves in their local hostelry, sampling Landlord’s Delight or even the famous Goulash served in The Dog and Gun here in Keswick! The day is over, the night drawn in, and it’s a choice between conviviality at the inn or a lonely election broadcast.

Since the clocks went back to Greenwich Mean Time at the end of October, the days have seemed so much shorter you’d be forgiven for wondering if every establishment not engaged in supplying heating oil or selling gaudy plastic toys (which I will inevitably buy for my son this Christmas), have long since shut up shop for winter.

Well, you get the point, I’m sure. But my profession – helping people to buy and sell houses – is more or less impervious to such seasonal variation. Houses need to be sold for all sorts of reasons, such as downsizing, upsizing , an investment as a second home/holiday let or sadly a bereavement. The timings of most of these events are beyond the control of the vendor and unsurprisingly do not discernibly vary according to whether the clocks are at GMT or BST!

Of course, most of these motives have their equals and opposites as someone selling often looks to purchase a property too. What is perhaps not quite so obvious, is that there are also many prospective purchasers of property here in Keswick who are discerning purchasers; that is, they are not compelled by external factors to make a purchase at any specific date but can broadly choose when to purchase. However, the relative scarcity of properties in this area means that even they have to be ready to pounce – to contact the Agents, visit the properties coming from some distance, decide whether to make an offer – whenever a suitable property comes on the market. So even the flexible purchaser therefore has to be actively searching irrespective of the season, the weather, or the clock time.

PFK are open:
Monday 23^rd December: 9am - 5pm

Tuesday 24^th December: Closed at 1pm

Wednesday 25^th December: Closed

Thursday 26^th December: Closed

Friday 27^th December :9am -5pm

Saturday 28^th December : 9am - 4pm

Monday 30^th December: 9am- 5pm

Tuesday 31^st December: Closed at 1pm

Wednesday 1^st January: Closed

Thursday 2^nd January onwards: 9am-5pm

Hannah Sims – Manager of PFK Estate Agency, Keswick.