Network to sell accessible homes

By Geoff Adams-Spink
Age & disability correspondent, BBC News website

Until now adaptations were thought to decrease value

An estate agent based in East Sussex is creating a country-wide network for people to buy and sell properties adapted to improve disabled access.

Mike Reid of Mobility Friendly Homes (MFH) wants to turn what is often a negative feature into something that buyers are actively looking for.

The new service was launched to the public at the Naidex disability exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham.

The company will begin a national advertising campaign shortly.

Costly adaptations

"We found that there was no estate agency in this country that was paying attention to access and adaptations," said Mr Reid.

We've seen a few places where there is actually a premium attached because the property has been done so well Mike Reid, Mobile Friendly Homes

Eastbourne-based MFH already has agreements with 19 estate agencies around the country and wants to expand to cover the whole of the UK.

"People have often spent many thousands of pounds in adapting their homes and can now actually sell them to people who might need the adaptations."

Mr Reid says that, until now, some agents would insist that some adaptations were removed before they would agree to put a property on the market.

Often buyers would have to factor in the cost of removing access features, thereby lowering the value of the house.

Benefit to millions

"We've seen a few places where there is actually a premium attached because the property has been done so well," said Mr Reid.

MFH takes private and estate agents' adverts on its site and is now licensing agencies around the country to offer accessibility as a service, much as they would with agricultural, overseas or waterfront properties.

Mr Reid says that he has generally had a favourable reaction to his concept, especially among more established agents.

"If they become the local specialist, they are going to create more business, get more instructions, more sole agencies and probably won't have to reduce their fees."

Two years ago Mr Reid's company won a gold award for innovation and has since been doing further work to develop its service.

MFH has also established links with some local authorities who have accessible housing registers.

Mr Reid believes that his service could potentially be of benefit to millions of people - not just some of the ten million people who have disabilities, but older people and others living in the same family unit as well.