“Being able to call Russell directly rather than deal with a call centre or write long emails just made things so much quicker and easier for me.”
Brian lived in a large, multi-generational six-bedroom house near Billericay in Essex but the upkeep of both house and garden eventually became too much of a chore. In consultation with his family, it was agreed that downsizing to a more a manageable property would be more practical, which would also allow them to release a large amount of equity that had built up over the years.
Initially, Brian was looking for a bungalow in the same area but, as none were available, the search was widened to include park homes. So, in the summer of 2024, Brian and his wife visited Sandy Bay in Canvey Island with the intention of finding a park home for their son but, as it turned out, they were convinced that they’d also found their next new home for themselves too. As such, a deposit was paid for a brand-new luxury park home.
Sandy Bay is a luxury residential park home resort, for those over 50, with beautiful grounds, with access to the beach, and resort amenities including an outdoor pool, bar and lounge.
The existing home was put on the market in July 2024 at a guide price of £850,000 but sadly, and for a number of reasons, a buyer was not forthcoming. By Spring of the following year, with no offers received, Brian thought it would be a good idea to explore Part Exchange. Helpfully, the sales team at Sandy Bay initially introduced him to a firm of PX specialists but, because the value of Brian’s property was greater than this company’s threshold, the deal could not be progressed.
Fortunately for Brian, Sandy Bay also dealt with Russell Smith at Silverbridge Properties, who had no qualms about structuring a PX deal at that level, which would help secure Brian’s move.
Once Russell had spoken to Brian to explain the process, how PX works and to get his agreement to proceed, a surveyor was instructed to view the property in order to obtain a current valuation. Sadly, the housing market at this point had become extremely stagnant which meant that Silverbridge were not able to offer the initial asking price. However, Sandy Bay was able to bridge the gap, particularly as Brian was also now looking to buy another park home at the development for his son.
Between Russell, Sandy Bay and Brian an acceptable deal was eventually reached and completion on Brian’s property was achieved in mid-August 2025. Silverbridge Properties also gave Brian 28-day licence to occupy after completion, giving him more time to pack and move to Sandy Bay. Even better, Brian also benefitted from Silverbridge’s profit share scheme from the sale of his Billericay property.
“The sole reason the deal worked was because of Russell’s and Sandy Bay’s flexibility”, says Brian.
“Russell was easy to reach and talk to and what he said made a lot of common sense. His approachability meant that we could chat things through on the phone which was just so much easier than having to write long emails, or deal with call-centres.
“Russell’s patience was never-ending, even though there was a lot of back and forth to get the right deal and always friendly and pleasant to deal with even when big numbers were involved.”
“The cherry on the top was the profit share which I had totally forgot about but it was nevertheless thrilling to see when it landed in my bank account just recently. I couldn’t recommend Silverbridge Properties highly enough”.