Mat Loach - Estate Agent

29/05/2026

And relax

24/05/2026

The man, the legend Dan Pav. A great agent and great leader

Great to catch up with this Welsh property guru this week in London! Is there anything he doesn’t know about that market place! Daniel Pavitt who looks after a large part of South Wales at Yopa Property is on the look out for his next agent for both Yopa and Associate Yopa your very own, own brand...

18/05/2026

What landlords need to know about the Holsworthy and Bude rental market

The local rental market is still tight, but it is not quite as frantic as it has been over the last couple of years.

Across EX22 and Bude, there are only around 34 rental homes currently available, with average rents sitting at about £1,028 per month. That tells us supply is still limited, especially when compared with the number of people who want to live locally.

But there is an interesting detail in the data. There were no new rental listings in the last 14 days in the public data I reviewed. That means tenants looking now are mostly choosing from existing stock rather than a wave of fresh properties.

For landlords, this creates two key points.

First, good rental homes are still valuable. If your property is well-presented, sensibly priced and in good condition, there is still demand.

Second, tenants are becoming more selective. With affordability under pressure nationally, tenants are looking carefully at value. They are asking: is the rent fair, is the property well maintained, and will this home work for my lifestyle?

Average rents vary by property size. In EX22, 2-bed homes are averaging around £799 pcm, while 3-bed homes are averaging just over £1,000 pcm. In Bude, 2-bed homes are closer to £958 pcm, with 3-bed homes at around £1,023 pcm.

The headline for landlords is this: the rental market is still in your favour, but the easy wins are disappearing.

With legislation changing, tenant expectations rising and affordability stretched, landlords need to be sharper than ever on pricing, compliance and presentation.

If you own a rental property locally, now is a good time to review your rent, your marketing, your tenancy quality and your long-term plans.

The question is no longer just, “Can I let it?”

It is, “Can I let it well, to the right tenant, at the right price?”

15/05/2026

Team PropertyBox in action

15/05/2026

What’s On Around Holsworthy, Bude & the Local Area | now - 3 June 2026

Your local guide to family days out, hidden gems and things worth knowing about
This is the first of what I hope will become a regular local guide to what’s happening around Holsworthy, Bude, Widemouth Bay and the surrounding villages.

As a local parent and someone who spends a lot of time out and about in this area, I know how hard it can be to find good things to do — especially with family. The best events are not always easy to spot. Some are tucked away on a village noticeboard, hidden in a Facebook post, mentioned by a local club, or buried on a venue website.

So I wanted to start pulling together a simple, useful monthly guide that brings the best bits into one place.

This is not meant to be a complete list of everything happening locally. It is more of a highlights reel — the events, family days out, markets, sport, music, coastal activities and slightly different local finds that I think are actually worth knowing about.

I’ll be focusing on things that are useful for local families, active people, homeowners, and anyone who wants to make the most of living in this part of North Devon and North Cornwall. Expect a mix of well-known favourites, smaller community events, running and swimming challenges, food and drink, beach life, local sport and the odd hidden gem.

If you live locally, have family visiting, or simply want a few ideas for the weekends and school holidays, this guide is for you.

Top 10 Things On Around Holsworthy, Bude & Nearby

1. Bude Lit Fest
When: 13–17 May
Where: Various venues around Bude
Talks, workshops, family activities, story sessions and events across town. A great one to dip in and out of.
https://www.visitbude.info/event/bude-lit-fest/2026-05-13/

2. Pigstock at The Big Sheep
When: Saturday 16 May
Where: The Big Sheep, Abbotsham
A family-friendly festival day with live music, including Scouting for Girls.
https://thebigsheep.co.uk/pigstock-26-festival/

3. Roadford Lake Active Weekend
When: 16–17 May
Where: Roadford Lake
Trail races, junior races, open-water swimming, triathlon and aquabike events. Brilliant for runners, swimmers, active families and spectators.
https://sportivaevents.co.uk/events/roadford-lake-trail-races/

4. Kindred Spirits Festival
When: 22–24 May
Where: Waterloo Farm, North Petherwin
A smaller, family-friendly festival with music, camping, workshops, food, bars and children’s activities.
https://www.kindredspiritsfestival.co.uk/

5. Raise Your Voice Singing Workshop
When: Saturday 23 May
Where: Parkhouse Centre, Bude
A relaxed singing workshop for anyone who fancies trying something a bit different and meeting people locally.
https://www.visitbude.info/events/2026-05-23/

6. Clovelly Seaweed Festival
When: Sunday 24 May
Where: Clovelly Village
A quirky coastal food festival and a good “something different” day out.
https://www.clovelly.co.uk/event/seaweed-festival/

7. Bude Jazz Club — The North Coast Joymakers
When: Sunday 24 May
Where: Falcon Hotel, Bude
A relaxed evening of live jazz in a proper local venue.
https://www.visitbude.info/events/category/music/

8. The Milky Way Space & Science Academy
When: 25–29 May
Where: The Milky Way Adventure Park, near Clovelly
A strong half-term option for families, especially if you want a full day out that works whatever the weather.
https://themilkyway.co.uk/events/view/space-science-academy

9. Pro Wrestling in Bude
When: Sunday 31 May
Where: Parkhouse Centre, Bude
A proper wildcard pick for families and teenagers — something a bit different for a Sunday afternoon.
https://www.visitbude.info/organiser/tris-olner/

10. Local Cricket & Football Fixtures
When: Various dates between now and 3 June
Where: Bude, Holsworthy and nearby clubs
There are local cricket and football fixtures coming up, including games at Crooklets, Stanhope Park and Holsworthy AFC. Worth checking before travelling as fixtures can move.
https://budecc.play-cricket.com/
https://holsworthycc.play-cricket.com/
https://www.holsworthyafc.co.uk/

For me, local knowledge is not just about knowing the property market and postcodes. It is knowing the places, people, events and little details that make an area feel like home.

Hopefully this helps you find something good to do locally over the next couple of weeks, and for those attending Morwenstow AFC Fun Day on Saturday, come over and say hi!

Save this post, share it with someone local, and let me know if there’s anything brilliant coming up that should be included next time.

11/05/2026

What’s really happening in the Holsworthy and Bude property market?

If you’re thinking about selling in Holsworthy, Bude or the surrounding villages, the big thing to know is this: there is still a lot of property on the market.

Across EX22 and EX23, there are around 560 homes currently for sale, with about 42 new listings added in the last couple of weeks. That means buyers have choice — and when buyers have choice, presentation, pricing and first impressions really matter.

The average asking price locally is sitting around £422,000, but the average time on market is close to 296 days. That does not mean every home is taking that long to sell, but it does tell us something important: homes that are not priced correctly, not presented well, or not marketed strongly can sit for far longer than sellers expect.

This is where the local market becomes very practical.

If your home is launching soon, you need to make sure it stands out from day one. The first couple of weeks are still crucial. That is when your listing is fresh, when buyers are most likely to notice it, and when your marketing needs to work hardest.

Good photography, strong presentation, a realistic pricing strategy and proper exposure across portals, social media and local audiences can make a real difference.

The market is not dead. Far from it. But it is selective.

The homes that look right, feel right and are priced right are the ones most likely to get viewings, offers and momentum. The homes that launch half-heartedly can quickly become part of the background noise.

So if you’re thinking about selling soon, my advice is simple: don’t just ask what your home is worth. Ask how your agent is going to make it stand out.

That is where the difference is being made right now.

05/05/2026

My view on the opportunity presented by the Renters Reform Bill
There’s a lot of noise around the Renters Reform Bill right now. I’ve had a lot of conversations about it over the last few weeks, and they all seem to circle the same point:
“It’s going to make it harder to evict tenants.”
And yeah… that’s true. But it’s also why I think most people are looking at this completely upside down.

The bit that’s being missed isn’t what happens at the end of a tenancy. It’s what happens at the very start.

For years, the industry has had a kind of safety net. If a tenant didn’t quite work out, there was always a way to reset things. Not instantly, not always easily… but it was there. That safety net is disappearing. And when you remove the safety net, behaviour changes.

Landlords won’t say this out loud, but you’ll feel it in conversations. There’s a subtle shift already happening: They’re not just asking “Can you let my property?”
They’re asking: “Can you let it right?”

That’s a very different question. Because “letting it right” isn’t about speed. It’s not even really about rent achieved. It’s about confidence, and quality.
Confidence that the tenant is right.
Confidence that the process is solid.
Confidence that they’re not walking into a problem they can’t easily get out of.

And here’s the interesting part………….

Landlords don’t see most of the things agents think are important.
They don’t see your referencing checks.
They don’t see your compliance workflows.
They don’t see what happens behind the scenes.

So what do they see………….
They see your listings.
They see your photos.
They see how consistent your brand looks.
They see how you present property after property after property.
And from that, they make a judgement.
“These guys look like they’ve got control…” or "I’m not sure they’re on top of things.”

It’s not always rational. But it’s real. And in a market where the cost of getting it wrong is going up… those judgements start to matter more.

That’s why I think we’re about to see a bit of a split. There’ll be agents who still focus on getting properties live quickly, ticking the boxes, moving on to the next one. And there’ll be agents who slow down just enough to make sure every listing actually does a job.
Not just fills a property…
…but creates enough demand to choose from.

For me that’s the shift. It’s not about filling properties anymore. It’s about creating choice for you Landlords. And when you have choice, you have control. When you have control, you reduce risk. And when you reduce risk, that’s when landlords start to feel like they’re in safe hands.

That’s the bit I think people are underestimating. This isn’t just a compliance change. It’s a trust shift. And the agents who understand that early — the ones who can show consistency, quality and control across everything they put to market — they’re the ones who will quietly pull ahead over the next couple of years.

03/05/2026

Looking forward to a great day at Bideford AFC youth tournament. Good luck Tornados

03/05/2026

Looking forward to a great day at youth tournament. Good luck Tornados