Property Finding
Helping you to find your dream home in the Lake District.
A dream home can mean different things to different people. Many of the properties Gemma finds for her clients fall into the £700k to £15million price bracket. Sometimes they are family homes for people who already live in the area who are struggling to find what they are looking for. Other clients are selling a larger property and want to downsize to the area, or are seeking an investment property for a holiday let.
Gemma also act for clients looking for one of those special or rare, off-market properties that come along less often and are at the top end of the market. This could be for people who seeking a new life or second home away from the rat-race, or who are looking for a very impressive investment property.
Competition can be fierce
The Lake District is a highly desirable area to live in and to own investment properties. This means that there’s a high demand for from people who live within the county and those who live elsewhere. Many properties can often be sold within hours of coming on the market, particularly when they are in the most sought after villages or come with outstanding views. This means you have to be in a position to move quickly. Gemma’s clients come to her so she can be their representative on the ground she can jump on new listings quickly and advise on how to proceed.
Finding properties that are off-market
In 2025 55% of the homes secured by Gemma were off market.
Gemma spends a lot of time looking for Lake District properties that are not yet on the open market. Off-market properties can be due to divorce or probate and the sellers wish to keep their sale private. In other situations, if the property is currently a holiday let or guest house, they will want to keep their sale unlisted so it doesn’t impact future bookings.
Because Gemma is from the area and has worked in the Lake District property market for over 15 years, she is able to offer her clients access to a network of contacts built over many years, this enables her to find the right properties and opportunities. Her property finding service includes:
- Sourcing properties not yet on the open market.
- Advising you on the history of available properties, selling prices and planning restrictions.
- Viewing homes on your behalf and giving you an independent assessment of those homes.
- Tactical negotiations.
- Offering you ideas and interesting property alternatives that you may have not previously considered.
- Organizing trades to visit properties and other professionals from architects to surveyors.
- Orientation visits along with a viewing services.
What if the property I like comes up on a property website?
In 2025 Gemma saved her clients just over £1 Million through strategic negotiations.
It’s not all about off-market homes, many of the best homes are found through estate agencies or property websites. Her services come into play in several important ways.
- The estate agent selling the property acts for the vendor: Agents are always on the side of the seller not the buyer. Gemma’s job is to be on your side and ensure your negotiations and purchase goes through as smoothly as possible. Relationships with estate agents have been built over years, her involvement increases your chances of having that offer accepted. You may not be familiar with the idiosyncrasies of the Lake District property market, and she can help advise and troubleshoot as required.
- Properties in rural locations can often be complicated: There can often be complications with rural properties that she can advise on. For example:
- National Park planning restrictions.
- Footpaths and rights of way.
- New legislation regarding septic tanks and Environment Agency guidelines on water sources on the property.
- Advise on local occupancy clauses and other restrictions relating to holiday lets.
- Having the difficult conversations with the vendor: When you live in another part of the country, or indeed overseas, she can be your representative on the ground. She can liaise with the vendor’s agents and solicitors, solve problems, and deal with the unexpected when you can’t.
To find out how we can help you, email us on info@lakedistrictrelocation.com or call Gemma on: 07485672282