Trusted Agent profile · Worthing
★★★★★
342 reviews across 2 platforms
1 Liverpool Gardens Worthing, BN11 1TF
Homewise's office in Worthing, at 1 Liverpool Gardens Worthing, is rated 4.3 out of 5 across 342 reviews on two platforms, including 157 Google reviews rated 4.2.
Tell us what you need and we'll put you in touch. Homewise hasn't joined The Trusted Agent yet, so we'll pass your enquiry to them or to up to three other top-rated agents near Worthing.
Every review we hold for the Worthing office, from every platform, shown as written. First names only.
5/5
TrustpilotThe customer service 10/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Kayleigh The young lady I spoke to, to inquire about over 60s property and how it works she explained everything to me and at the end of the phone conversation i felt so please the way it went . if all tbe staff are like Kayleigh then this company must have a fantastic way of training their staff . it was a joyful experience and im so glad i found homewise to help me move and find a place
1/5
TrustpilotStay away if you value your estate
This company is truly evil. They exploit the vulnerable by offering a very unattractive deal to people who don't know what signing up to them means. My mother thought she was signing up to a home for life when she contributed £225, 000 towards a £275,000 property and is now only entitled to 30% of the value and has been converted into a life tenant whilst her freehold was sold to an investor. Beyond disgusting. We are trying hard to extricate ourselves from an onerous, extortionate contract. Stay away if you value your estate.
Hi Lyn, I believe you have been speaking with the Homewise Customer Care Team in recent weeks, to gather all the information you require regarding your mother’s Home for Life Plan. I understand you were previously unaware of your mother’s decision to use the plan, when leaving rented accommodation to her current home some years ago. Due to Data Protection and our company privacy policies, we cannot comment or disclose, within this public forum, any personal information relating to our customer, your mother; however, we do note there are inaccuracies and possibly misunderstandings in your feedback.Our Home for Life Plan offers a choice for people to be able to have security and peace of mind for their future. To move out of rented, perhaps unsuitable living or financial situations, and find a home in an area they love to live in for their lifetime. It’s worth noting that whilst there is a one-off cost for a Home for Life Plan, this is always lower than the price of the customers chosen property and means they can live there with no further payments to Homewise for the rest of their lifetime.To add further reassurance to you, and others who may be reading this post; we are a family-run business, and our values, ethos, and Code of Practice are at the very core of everything we do. As such, we go to great lengths to ensure that our customer’s interests are protected, which is why many customers choose Homewise. We always encourage anyone considering the Home for Life Plan to involve family throughout the process, so everyone involved is fully informed and happy with the plan, which many do. But of course, we cannot enforce this on those who do not wish to.The Home for Life Plan can be set up in many ways to suit the customer as to how they would like to plan for inheritance, either by creating an early inheritance, or by safeguarding up to 50% of the property’s future value. When the property is sold, this percentage equivalent amount of the proceeds of sale are rightfully issued to the customer’s estate as they specified. Of course, this percentage is the decision of each customer, depending on how much importance they place on inheritance. We do insist that all customers seek independent legal advice from their own chosen solicitors’ firm. As such, any solicitor is acting solely in their client’s interest and is advising their client based on that independent relationship. We cannot, and will not, proceed without an independent solicitor who is acting on behalf of the customer, signing a certificate to confirm that they have fully advised their client on the plan and that their client fully understands the term and effect of the agreement they are choosing to enter. I understand that at the time, your mother was very clear on the fact that she did not want to use her fund as it was her wish that this was to be left for inheritance, and that staying in the current area was imperative, conducting the search and negotiations on her chosen property herself.The Home for Life agreement is a legally binding contract and is set up to protect our customer’s interests for their lifetime. The customer can move home using the plan on another property, however if they wish to end the contract early or move to another property without using the plan then this will not be financially beneficial in most cases. Your mother continues to hold the legal right to occupy her property for her lifetime, and should she wish to move to another property and retain that right she is more than entitled to do so, and we will support that move as much as she can.For this reason we have a thorough due diligence process in place from the start, helping our customers find their perfect home for their retirement years. As part of this process we have to ensure that any potential property will facilitate the Home for Life Plan lease, and as such whilst we do need to investigate this, it is for the benefit of all parties as we would not wish for our customers to expend finances on a potential property which was unsuitable for the Plan; we’d rather know up front to save everyone the time and money. The same due diligence process applies for any potential move.As with any product, there are pros and cons to the plan and of course it’s not for everyone, but for those who we are able to help, it can make a big difference to their living situation and happiness in retirement.I hope this helps explain a little more about our values and measures in place to protect our customers. I know you’re in regular contact with our Customer Care Team Lyn, looking at the options for your mother’s current and/or future needs, and as always, our team are here to help with anything you need.For any readers with questions or concerns please do contact us directly at any time, we’ll be happy to help. Best regards, Danielle (on behalf of Homewise).
3/5
TrustpilotThe bottom line
The bottom line to remember is if you move in with a partner that are below aged 60, that partner will have to exit the property in 28 days on their older partners passing because the younger partners are not on the legal title and never will be allowed to be included when reaching 60. They will have no home and need to do probate and funeral costs without potentially the Memories of your partner around them. Given a funeral is normally at least 14 days in planning and probate a minimum of five weeks, you really do have to think it through. If the exit the property was six months it would have made more sense as Homewise never lose financially.Part exchange we were told was simply a very below market cash payment to enable you to fund a move to anywhere quickly and that’s all.It is a form of equity release in as much you can buy a house at £260 with a lump sum of £185 up front and if you’ve sold a property of several £££ above £185 there’s your cash release. What’s not clear is if you are ever allowed to have a charge on the property say for a secured loan.It’s not a lease in the truest sense as it has no years so I do find it odd the partner cannot be added to the original title registration when they turn 60. What I did find slightly disappointing is you are told to call for a personal quote and see many properties based on a male aged 69 our quote was no different from the online quick calculator.It’s very very clear what they offer in terms of a lifetime lease with a few tweaks in the exit and the adding to of title which would be the same as any registered title we may well have gone through the process. Yes it’s Homewise product but find it interesting it’s a fixed non variable registered land registry title which they have the power to change going forward making what they offer that little more palatable. Even more maybe they should have considered adjusting the age to 55 and over as this is very much a primary age for early retirement these days.Polite and friendly company.
5/5
TrustpilotKayleigh was extremely open to help me
Kay-Leigh was extremely open to help me. Her voice was genuine and reflective of a caring motivated professional which during a challenging time of Life brought peace. I am grateful. Ginger Gilmour
5/5
TrustpilotFirst impressions
The lady I spoke to (Kayleigh) was very helpful to me on my first tentative steps in dealing with the company and the way it worked and has been helpful since on phone calls, explaining the technicalities I needed to know and I'm sure she'll help me in going forwards over the coming days.In this day and age, it's good to deal with a competent person who has a nice personality (trust me, in my years of dealing with people, they are thin on the ground)Whatever she's been paid, isn't enough.
5/5
GoogleRecently I consulted Tommy Evans at Homewise to discuss the viability of attaining a property to suit my future needs, within my budget. I was most impressed by his pleasant helpful manner. He provided all the pertinent details in a succinct and concise manner. Any questions that I had were answered promptly and clearly. My initial experience of dealing with Homewise left me feeling confident at proceeding with a purchase.
5/5
TrustpilotExcellent experience
The whole experience was very good from start to finish. The advisor I spoke to {Tom} was polite, helpful, and explained everything clearly and constructively. He listened to my questions and comments and was able to answer them all. It was a very positive experience , I did not feel pressurised or rushed at all, which put me at my ease. I came away from the conversation feeling informed about the whole process. I particularly liked the fact that I was given the advisors number so I could ring and speak to him direct, rather than have to go through a call service. I did in fact need to speak to him the following day with another query and came away again with my question answered in a professional yet freindly manner. Makes a refreshing change!In total, cannot fault the service I was given
5/5
TrustpilotClear and straightforward
Clear, courteous and easy to deal with, and almost always the same person. Considerable paperwork to attend to, but all of it necessary. No information overload, no pressure.
5/5
TrustpilotExcellent! Thomas was very professional and is…
Thomas was very professional and is able to explain everything very clearly. I am very happy with all the details. Thank you so much. Kind regards Rowena
5/5
TrustpilotFirst class experience
My introductory call with Kayleigh was first rate. I had a lot of questions, which were clearly answered in a friendly manner. I very much hope to proceed with Homewise.
1/5
GoogleLifetime lease's need urgent review by the government as far as I can see this a massive con. These types of investors are leaches that will leave you with no tangible assets that you can pass on to your family should you wish to. Take for example Herne Road Surbiton - Marketed by 2 estate agents at £850,000 offered for sale at £561,000 with home wise. You will pay £561,000 the majority of the property's value, and under the lifetime lease offered by homewise the property will revert to them once you pass away, so HomeWise will end up with a property worth £850,000 and pay only £289,000, this is before we take into account any appreciation in the propertie's value. This is a massive scam!!!!! YOU ARE MASSIVELY SUBSIDING AN INVESTMENT FOR A LONG TERM PROPERTY INVESTOR!
Hi Shane, I'd like to reassure you that this isn't the case. As part of the Home for Life Plan, customers can choose to safeguard up to 50% of the property's future value as an inheritance. This means that if property values increase, then so will the value of your safeguarded percentage. The amount you choose to safeguard will have an impact on the amount of discount we can offer upfront, but it's really down to the customer and their priorities, which we work closely with our customers to explore and understand. If you don't have children, for example, then inheritance is often less important. It's also worth adding that everyone that uses the Home for Life Plan must be independently legally advised - we can't and won't proceed without this. Our sole aim here is to help people aged over sixty to move home. We're completely open about the fact that the Home for Life Plan isn't right for everyone, but for those that are struggling to find or afford a suitable home, it gives a valuable and much-needed option. Sorry for the long response, but I hope I've helped to address some of your concerns. Jenny
1/5
GoogleVery frustrating. I'm a first time buyer and all the affordable homes that would be perfect have been snapped up by this company. Even when I filter out 'retirement homes' I still get stuck with "Price reduced for the over 60s" houses and absolutely nothing left for first time buyers. Completely stagnated the local market. They've created a vacuum where all affordable homes sit on the market unpurchased and first time buyers or those with a smaller budget are left with nothing to choose from while seeing these vacant homes sit untouched. What 60 year old in Hastings can afford to/want to buy a 3 bedroom family home? Especially in an area of generally low income and high COL??? Unethical and unfair.
Hello there, I just wanted to help clarify how we work. We don't actually own all the properties you see advertised online - we're an estate agent and we work like all other estate agents in that we're just offering them for sale. All of them are available for anyone to purchase and you can find the details of how to do this in our property listing. We try not to make assumptions about the types of homes people over 60 would like to buy, therefore we do advertise larger homes along with bungalows and flats so that there are plenty of options available. I hope this makes sense and helps to clear things up a bit. If you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us and we'll be happy to help. Jenny
5/5
TrustpilotExcellent customer service
1/5
TrustpilotNever heard of them but was looking for…
Never heard of them but was looking for a house and they were at the other end of the phone. I thought they were estate agents but they are not. They are in my opinion providers of bridging finance to the elderly to take over the properties when they pass away. Its not something very nice and clear too. I was just informed that if your spouse is under 60, He/She has to vacate the property within 28 days of the one aged 60+ passing off.The maths don't make any sense and justification to be fare. Best to all the maths before signing up...
5/5
Googlebarney was excellent in explaining all details of lease for life with homewise and it made me even more sure to proceed in purchasing my forever home with homewise
1/5
TrustpilotAbsolutely shocking they advertised my…
Absolutely shocking they advertised my house without asking . It was on with another agent and they listed it. It looked it was less than the actual sale price due to the way they operate. Complete cowboys. Please beware they should not be doing this without consent. I will be seeking legal action.
We were sorry to learn of your experience and thank you for sharing the feedback. To explain why you saw the advert, we have partnerships with trusted Estate Agents across the country and they can offer their vendors (you) a free, optional, second listing on property portals such as Rightmove. This Homewise listing is detailed in the vendor agreement with your agent and the service is called ‘Market Plus’. You can opt out of Market Plus at any time by reaching out to your estate agent or Homewise. An additional listing can increase exposure for your property and generate greater interest from prospective buyers. The advertised Homewise guide price is an indication of what a Home for Life Plan could cost for a Homewise customer to live there. Don’t worry, if one of our customers chose your property you wouldn’t receive any less. Homewise would purchase the property from you like any other buyer and our customer would pay the lesser amount to us for the Home for Life Plan. If you have further questions about the Homewise service or are aged 60+ and would like to know more about Homewise as a customer, please do get in touch directly at any time. Best regards, Raye (on behalf of Homewise)
4/5
TrustpilotVery helpful throughout the whole…
Very helpful throughout the whole buying process and kept us informed of developments. It seemed a long time for the sale to go through but Rhondda kept us up to date on matters.
1/5
GoogleI dont need to take notice of this as i am not entitled to the equity release scheme. However, having this on Rightmove, makes looking for properties extremely hard and alot more stressful than it needs to be! You have to sieve through all of the homewise properties until you find 1 property on a page that isnt homewise! GET OFF RIGHTMOVE! if agents want to use you, have it as part of the description on their post!
Hi Daniel, if you filter out retirement homes from your Rightmove search then you'll no longer see our adverts which should help make your search results more relevant. It's really easy to do - just click 'Filter' in the top right then choose 'don't show retirement homes'. I hope that helps! Jenny
5/5
GoogleA good experience with everyone I spoke to at Homewise. Very professional and very knowledgeable. George has been a great help during our property purchase.
5/5
TrustpilotHomewise appear to be unusual in care for retired folk.
Homewise appear to be an unusual organisation in the world of housing retired people. Having found a niche market, it appears their founder has developed a well experienced team and built on a reliable formula. Interactions by myself with 2 members of staff, have created good vibes for me at a particularly critical stage of my journey into old age.
5/5
TrustpilotTom was extremely helpful and sensitive…
Tom was extremely helpful and sensitive to my recent health issues as he went through all the steps. He regularly reassured me throughout the conversation.
5/5
GoogleI came across homewise through a friend who had moved with them a few years ago and he said it might work for me too. I didn't know how it would work and thought it might be loan but its not. I received the brochure to my home and found it very informative. It was clear and well explained. I was happy to see there are still companies out there who help people. I called them and the man I spoke to was friendly and calm and explained how it could work. I look forward to speaking to homewise they keep me informed and will book viewings on houses I choose and handle agents, and they will be buying the house I want to live in for me. Thank you
5/5
GoogleSpoke to Homewise recently on behalf of my mum. The lifetime lease is a great product for someone looking to release some funds and still live somewhere nice. The lady i spoke with was friendly and knowledgeable, i was able to book in a no obligation quotation for my mum and see if this poses another option. It wad good to understsnd they dont own properties you see online they provide a discount for over 60s, and you can still buy the property outright.
5/5
GoogleMy friend whose in her late 70's wanted to move nearer to her family as she needs more help now but didn't think she had enough money. I was told about Homewise by a family member so told her about it and she was so thrilled that she may have an option. They explained everything to her and made everything so easy. Her family were included in all the decision making and now she is going through the process of moving to a lovely new home near her family. I will miss her but I am so happy for her and her family.
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Tell us what you need and we'll put you in touch. Homewise hasn't joined The Trusted Agent yet, so we'll pass your enquiry to them or to up to three other top-rated agents near Worthing.
