Blog | butters john bee Estate & Letting Agents

We're thrilled to share some exciting news with you – our brand new website has launched! As your trusted local property experts, we're always looking for ways to enhance your experience, and we believe our new website will do just that. What Does This Mean for You? As our valued client, you can expect the following benefits from our new website: Simplified Property Search: Whether you're looking to buy, sell, or rent, our new website will offer a streamlined property search experience. Faster Response Times: With improved data synchronisation and seamless data integration, you can expect faster response times to your enquiries and requests. We understand that timing is crucial in the property market, and our new website will ensure that you receive the assistance you need promptly. Access to Expert Advice: Our new website will not only feature our latest property listings but also provide valuable resources and insights to help you navigate the market with confidence. From buying and selling tips to area guides, we're here to support you every step of the way. Thank you for choosing us as your trusted experts. We're committed to helping you, whatever stage you are at in your property journey, and our new website is just one more way we're delivering on that promise.

Students from Sound and District Primary School buried a time capsule at a new housing development in Aston, near Nantwich. They aim to show future generations what life was like for children in the 2020s. The 31-family home Alderwood Gardens development is being built by Edgefold Homes and marketed by local estate agents butters john bee. Carlos Hernandez, butters john bee's New Homes Regional Sales Director, said, "It’s not every day that you get to be involved with creating a little bit of history for future generations and I was really pleased that we were able to arrange this between the developers and the school.” The students included items like a list of endangered animals, money, details about the royal family, and information about the Covid-19 pandemic in the capsule. They also added a map of the local area and details about their school, including a newsletter, lunch menu, and an erasable pen. Laura Minshall-Thomas, Headteacher at Sound and District Primary School, said, "“It was great to see how excited the children were when we asked them to put together the time capsule and they took care in making the choices to give a really good reflection of their school and the world around them.” Jack Seddon, Construction Director at Edgefold Homes, praised the students' thoughtful choices for the capsule. He said “It’s lovely to have the support of the community and local school here at Alderwood Gardens, I know the children have really thought about what to put in the time capsule and I do wonder what people in 100 years will make of it.” The development features three- and four-bedroom homes carefully designed for families. For more information, visit www.edgefoldhomes.co.uk/development/aston/.

Spicerhaart Skydives for Magic Moments Charity: £11,600 Raised! A daring team from Spicerhaart embraced the ultimate thrill by skydiving from thousands of feet above the ground, all in support of the Magic Moments children's charity. Their courageous feat raised over £11,600 for this noble cause. On a glorious summer day in late August, the 17-member team joined forces with the North London Skydiving team at Chatteris Airfield in Cambridgeshire. Under the guidance of experienced instructors, they learned the ins and outs of tandem jumping, gearing up for the adrenaline-pumping adventure. With options to leap from heights ranging between 12,000 to 15,000 feet from the De Havilland Twin Otter plane, they embarked on their journey. Reflecting on the experience, Pippa Major, Spicerhaart Operations Manager and event coordinator, described it as nothing short of amazing. She said “It was the most amazing day. Falling through the air from 15,000 feet at 125mph is one of the most exhilarating experiences I have ever known. We were in freefall for 60 seconds before the chute was released and in freefall for another five minutes and it was so peaceful. There’s also a real sense of relief when everyone has landed safely. There was so much excitement and anticipation thought the day, but also a sense of teamwork, knowing we were all there to raise money for such a great cause. In fact, it was such a success we will now be making the Magic Moments skydive an annual event!” Magic Moments, Spicerhaart's dedicated children's charity, orchestrates trips to Disneyland Paris for children with life-limiting illnesses and their families. Their noble cause is supported by 13 children's hospices across the UK. Emma Barber, Chair of the Magic Moments charity, expressed profound gratitude to everyone involved in the skydiving challenge. She said “We are so grateful to everybody that took part in this incredible challenge, and also to everyone who sponsored and supported this event. Without the generosity of our Spicerhaart family and friends, we would not be able to take the families who are going through the hospice journey to Disneyland Paris to make new special memories.”

The family of a courageous young child battling a rare disease expresses profound gratitude to charity leaders for facilitating a magical trip to Disneyland Paris, creating enduring memories. Emily Mills, aged five, was among sixteen children and their families selected for the recent excursion orchestrated by Magic Moments, the dedicated charity affiliated with Spicerhaart, the UK's largest independent estate agency. Magic Moments orchestrates regular trips to Disneyland for children facing life-limiting illnesses and their families, garnering over £1 million in donations since its inception in 1998. The December adventure marked the third trip organised in 2022, with nearly 200 individuals transported to France for an unforgettable experience. Emily, diagnosed with Dravet Syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy, embarked on the journey accompanied by her parents, Catherine and Gareth, and her older sister Rosie, residing in Peterborough. Catherine, initially apprehensive about the trip despite accepting the invitation, extends heartfelt appreciation to the trustees of Magic Moments for curating a holiday of unparalleled significance. She reflects on the profound impact of the trip, forging enduring bonds and creating cherished moments as a family. “Our family, solely down to Magic Moments, has made lifelong memories and bonded together beyond our wildest dreams,” she said. “We laughed, played, and actually became kids again and allowed ourselves to enjoy everything. Rosie saw her mum and dad be spontaneous for the first time since Emily was born. Emily got to ride the carousel as many times as she wanted because she loves horses. Rosie got to be a kid in a magical kingdom, without a care in the world which is something I will treasure forever. This is a gift that goes way beyond a holiday to Disney. It is a gift that brought us back together as a family, united us, and allowed us to be us again for which we are eternally grateful.” Emma Barber, Chair of Magic Moments, echoes Catherine's sentiments, emphasising the charity's commitment to creating transformative experiences for families facing adversity "The experience Emily and her family had is exactly what Magic Moments strives to achieve on these trips. Feedback like this makes all the time and effort everyone puts in well worth it. Thank you to everyone at Spicerhaart who has raised money and supported Magic Moments especially in such difficult economic times, your efforts and donations ensure we can continue to provide these trips."

Spicerhaart, the UK's largest independent estate agency group headquartered in Colchester, Essex, has initiated a new project focused on charity clothes recycling. This project allows staff to contribute pre-loved clothes, which can then be claimed by colleagues in exchange for a donation to Magic Moments, the company's in-house charity. Magic Moments supports children and their families during challenging times with an unforgettable trip to Disneyland Paris. Any remaining unclaimed items will be donated to the local homeless charity, Beacon House. Pippa Major, a Magic Moments Board Member and Operations Manager & Business Analyst to the Group Managing Director at Spicerhaart, highlighted the significance of the initiative. She said "Our Spicerhaart family have been donating preloved clothes, so that others can enjoy them, which is incredibly important for the sustainability of our planet. We are helping the environment by reducing our carbon emissions, reducing unnecessary use of water and energy whilst both minimising our contributions to landfill and incinerators. It’s our way of educating and ensuring that our family are conscious consumers, while supporting our own charity at the same time. We’re also encouraging them to bring in other items, such as books, which people can enjoy in their breaks, and household groceries which may otherwise go to waste.” Spicerhaart is actively exploring ways to extend similar initiatives to accommodate staff working remotely or across branches nationwide. Antony Lark, Spicerhaart Group Managing Director, expressed his enthusiasm for the initiative, stating "As a company we take our responsibilities to protect our environment seriously and I am delighted to see initiatives like this really come to life. What’s particularly pleasing is how these ideas have been generated by individuals. Pippa, as an example, has shown great passion for this and it is going to be a huge success in so many ways.”

Spicerhaart has named Carlos Hernandez as its latest addition to the leadership team, serving as the regional sales director for land and new homes in the North West region. Carlos brings a wealth of experience to the role, having dedicated a significant portion of his career to working with the esteemed local brand, butters john bee, which is now part of the national Spicerhaart estate agency network. Expressing his enthusiasm for his new role, Carlos shared, “I’m delighted to now be taking on the role of regional sales director for land and new homes covering Staffordshire, Cheshire, Warwickshire and the West Midlands. I’ve worked in this area since I graduated and I’m really keen to see Butters John Bee become the number one choice for land and new homes in the area.” Tim Wardley, Managing Director of Spicerhaart Land and New Homes, reflected on Carlos's promotion, stating, “It’s great to see Carlos taking the lead on land and new homes for this region. butters john bee already has a great reputation in this area which makes them ideally placed to become the leading agency for land and new homes. Nationally our land and new homes plan has already seen a 400% increase in new home sales, so it’s great to welcome Carlos to the senior team.”

Magic Moments Returns to Disneyland Paris, Bringing Christmas Cheer to Bereaved Families After being postponed due to the pandemic, Spicerhaart's charity, Magic Moments, has resumed its trips to Disneyland Paris, aiming to infuse Christmas magic into the lives of bereaved families. Emma Barber, Chair of Magic Moments, disclosed that over 100 adults and children embarked on two 5-day trips prior to Christmas. Families relished precious moments together at the theme park, forging connections with others navigating similar circumstances. Echoing the sentiments of many, one family expressed profound gratitude, stating "What can we say, but what a magical trip with magical people. We cannot thank everyone at Magic Moments enough for the chance to share this trip with families like us, who are missing a piece of them. It was a gift to have the chance to create new memories and bring out genuine smiles for our family, which have been hard to come by in the last 18 months.” The inaugural trip, bolstered by a dedicated team of volunteers, aimed to provide solace to bereaved families. Claire Drewett, reflecting on the poignant journey, said "Trips with bereaved families are always incredibly hard for both the families and our Magic Moment team, but if we can put a smile on the families’ faces for just a few seconds, it makes it all worthwhile. I was both proud and honoured to lead one of the trips this year as we, at Spicerhaart, work tirelessly to fundraise in order to run them.” Tom Charlesworth led the second expedition, accompanied by colleagues Lesley Miller, Liane Walker, and Belinda Jarman. As a trustee and ardent supporter of Magic Moments, Tom's involvement in this venture marked a poignant milestone. Witnessing the resilience of bereaved families amidst the tumult of the pandemic, he expressed profound admiration for their unwavering strength. He said "I am a trustee and passionate supporter of Magic Moments, and although I have been on previous trips with the charity to Disneyland Paris, this is the first time that I have been on one with bereaved families. With the onset of Covid, the last two years have been tough for everyone and, as a parent with two young children myself, I have seen the impact that the pandemic has had on my own family. I cannot even begin to imagine the journey these families have been on and still have ahead. I am truly in awe of these families who have shown so much resilience at what has been an immensely emotional time. I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone in our team and their families and friends, who have run marathons, jumped out of planes, held bake sales and parted with their change to make a real difference.”

Spicerhaart is thrilled to announce its latest milestone: the acquisition of butters john bee. Boasting 19 branches spread across Shropshire, Cheshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands, butters john bee stands out as one of the most profitable and well-established agencies in the North West. This strategic move propels Spicerhaart's branch count to 200, with a workforce of 2,000 employees spanning England and Wales. Operating under renowned brands like haart, Darlows, Haybrook, Felicity J Lord, and Chewton Rose, Spicerhaart continues to strengthen its position as a leader in the real estate sector. Paul Smith, CEO of Spicerhaart, expressed his excitement about the synergy between the two family-run businesses. He remarked, “Our two family-run businesses complement each other perfectly, providing the perfect opportunity to grow our branch network along the M6 corridor. We are delighted to welcome the bjb team into our family. "As far as the customers and staff are concerned, it will be business as usual, but with additional telephone support outside normal working hours, from 8am until 10pm, for all our customers. "We will also be introducing our highly successful ‘FLINK’ service, which enables more people to see properties for sale via social media. It’s amazing how many people go on to buy when they’re not even looking, just because they’ve seen the perfect property online. "Further growth in our business is set to follow, underlining our confidence in the traditional model and our commitment to bricks and mortar offices, backed up by all the latest advances in digital technology." With over 150 years of operation in the North West, butters john bee has garnered numerous accolades, including the ESTAS 2017 Best National and Regional Estate Agency and the Estates Gazette EGi Award for being Staffordshire’s Most Active Commercial Agent for four consecutive years. James Beardmore, Managing Director of Butters John Bee, expressed his enthusiasm about the acquisition, stating "This is a very exciting time for us as it means we will be able to offer additional services to our customers and more career development opportunities, training and rewards to our 200 staff." The agency's offices span across Cheshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands, offering a comprehensive range of services including residential sales, lettings, conveyancing, surveying, financial services, residential property auctions, and commercial property management. This strategic acquisition underscores Spicerhaart's commitment to growth and innovation, further solidifying its position as a leading force in the real estate industry.