Testimonials

What our clients say about Fiona Penny

"I must admit to having been initially sceptical, I naively thought having recently relocated from London, renting with no property to sell, that buying a house in Tunbridge Wells would be easy....

After searching for a while, all to no avail, my wife heard some mums at school discussing Fiona and the service she and her team offered. We decided to consider this option and arranged an initial meeting with Fiona to discuss options. What we liked from the outset was there was no mention of budget, the focus was on what the requirements were for our next family home. Then we discussed what properties we had viewed recently, what we had liked and disliked about them before any discussion of budget and then it was to see if our expectations were realistic!

We decided to instruct Fiona after the initial meeting and within 24 hours we had details of 4 properties, none of which were on any listing websites. Again, it was pleasing that the properties were below, within and only one was above budget, rather than just push more expensive houses as these would represent more commission. This process continued, where we were notified of houses that were not yet advertised, often estate agents had only just been instructed and we could view (or Fiona and her team could do on our behalf and report back very quickly). It's worth noting that, in many cases, the houses we viewed did not make it onto the standard listing websites for some weeks, if at all.

When we first discussed our requirements, we had identified three specific roads in central Tunbridge Wells that we would like to live in. Within 4 weeks Fiona had found one. We viewed within two days of the agent being instructed, second viewing two days later and we had an offer accepted a couple of days after that.  The house was never advertised and essentially the estate agent made one phone call to Fiona - this process really works, the agent did not take photos or even make a floor plan and the property was under offer within a week.

Why are Fiona and the team so successful? Well, they are just amazing.....they are very professional and work incredibly hard to find you a dream home. They know the area and the market extremely well, but key to their success is that Fiona represents many potential buyers, now and in the future and this is very attractive to the estate agents. One local agent stated, "Fiona is the first person I call when we have a new instruction".  Estate agents like the ease of this process as Fiona is representing serious buyers (as they have already paid an inital fee at this point) rather than time wasters. Clients like the fact they get a distinct advantage in what is a competitive marketplace and sellers like the fact that details of their property are not available for all to see online.

Fiona was also very helpful during the legal side of the purchase. She chased endlessly to keep the purchase on track and we rarely spoke to our solicitor during this process and not once to the estate agents through the entire process!

All in all, they are marvellous and did for us exactly what they said they would do.... in just over a month. If you are sceptical (as I was) about whether you need this type of service...don't be, I don't think you will regret it."

Mr G and Ms K    Tunbridge Wells

"Fiona Penny Home Finders was a genuine find for us. We had been looking between local agents and internet searches for a long time and were drawing a blank. Friends recommended Fiona and her team as a company who could access and manage the connection to the type of property we were failing to find ourselves.

This was exactly our experience. From the initial conversation about realistic wish lists and family priorities for everyone living in the house, Fiona made it her business to look after ours. She took the time to understand what we really needed from a home and ultimately found it for us.

Her positive enthusiasm for our goal was balanced with calm experience on the local property market and its players, making her a real asset in the process. She was relentless in her search to find the right place but also appreciated that this was an emotional decision and a future life we were building, so let us enjoy what can sometimes be a stressful process through her manner and humour. Professional to the end, we really appreciate her role in the house move and wouldn't hesitate to recommend her and her team." 

Mr & Mrs P   Penshurst

"We were very motivated to find a country house and felt worn out viewing the properties on the open market that we thought were promising, each time feeling disappointed as they didn't meet our expectations.

I was recommended Fiona Penny through a friend - Fiona and her team had found a beautiful home for them and I was hopeful they could work their magic for us too!

After meeting Fiona, we got straight into viewing properties that fit our criteria. Fiona would immediately follow up with us afterwards, asking what we liked or didn't like - working with our feedback and over time, was able to make her own appraisal on potential properties before contacting us to discuss and view. This took the massive toll of wasted time out of our house search, which you cannot put a value on. Fiona and her team also managed all communications with the estate agents, taking another time-consuming task off our hands.

Within 8 months Fiona had found us our dream home, we didn't have to sacrifice anything and made it a seamless process! I couldn't recommend Fiona Penny and her team more - always professional, pleasant and patient."

Mr & Mrs W   Wittersham

"We were moving our family out of London to the countryside and we were looking for the family home that would be right for many, many years. We were high maintenance, and had lots of needs: proximity to a station, a large garden, it had to be detached, period, 5+ bedrooms, near or in a pretty village, close to a pub, near good schools... the list went on, and alongside our exacting needs, we were also overwhelmed by the very thought of the complexity of managing our property search alongside full time work and parenting two small children.

We decided to find property agents to help, and called Fiona Penny on the strength of the testimonials we read on the website. Because of that decision we are now living in our amazing family home, in a beautiful location, convenient for the train station, and adored by us, our children and our dog. Not only are we living in our fabulous house, but the process of finding it, negotiating the price, exchanging and completing on it was as seamless and smooth for us as it could possibly be.

Fiona and Mandy really gave us a white gloves service - from the second they met us for a cuppa to run through our needs, shared their detailed and rich knowledge of the entire area we were considering, to the way they kept us informed, to how they helped ensure smooth negotiation and seamless handling of the exchange - completion process, we couldn't be happier, and we couldn't recommend them too highly."

Mr & Mrs C-H     Lamberhurst

"We would like to say a huge thank you to Fiona and her team. Fiona's knowledge of the area and the housing market is outstanding and, in a very difficult market, she has managed to find us a beautiful house in an amazing location which is no mean feat ! The support provided by the whole team both durnig the search and since the purchase has been superb - nothing is too much trouble and they have come up with a solution to any challenge they are presented with. We absolutely could not have managed this move without Fiona and her team."

Mr & Mrs M. Hawkhurst

"Quite simply - Fiona Penny and her team found us our dream home. The process felt easy from start to finish and they treated us and our children like part of the family. They found us a wonderful house just before it came on the market and any issues that arose throughout the buying process were easily resolved. 

We can't recommend them highly enough."

Mr & Mrs S       Robertsbridge    

"Moving home and country as a family with two small children can be a very stressful endeavor. Fiona and her team made this transition so smooth and pleasant! We didn’t know the area but had a long list of expectations. The house had to be close to a train station, close to a good school and walking distance to town center. Fiona and her team were very understanding from the beginning and we felt we were in good hands. We’re now living in a house that ticks all our boxes and are settling in nicely.

We could not recommend Fiona and her team enough for their professionalism, care and experience! Working with her and her team made our move so much easier, especially as we were living overseas and were unable to do visits ourselves. We trusted them 100% and are so happy we did. I honestly cannot imagine how we could have done it without them!"

Mrs & Mrs S-D    Tunbridge Wells 

"We have recently moved in to what can only be described as a "dream home", a house that we would never have secured, let alone found, if it wasn't for the friendly and professional team at Fiona Penny Home Finders. Although we know the area realtively well, moving back in to it from the West Country was always going to be difficult and even more so given the prevailing state of the market. It was clear from the outset that Fiona and colleagues had a very good grasp of the brief, avoiding time wasting visits and concentrating on the limted number of properties which ticked our boxes. Inevitably this took time and, all the while, Fiona reassured us that patience would pay off. . . and she was right.

Fiona Penny Home Finders know how to rise to the challenge and, once again, have proven they can deliver."

Mr & Mrs S     Robertsbridge

"We cannot thank Fiona and her team enough for all their help and support during our recent house move. From the moment we decided to move, we knew it was not going to be easy to find the home for us - to realise a childhood dream of owning an equestrian property while meeting location requirements for our son's schooling and our need to commute regularly to London, all in a property that felt right for us.

Working with Fiona made the whole process manageable and after a short search she was able to use her expansive network to find us the one! During our first viewing of the property, arriving to see Fiona jumping up and down and giggling with excitement. It was evident to us that this is far more than a job for her. She has true passion and finds real joy in her work. She knew this was the house for us, and she was right - she had done a great job of understanding our needs and style preferences.

I can honestly say I feel I made a friend along the way and on behalf of our family I want to thank Fiona and her team for everything they did to help us on our journey."

Mr & Mrs T   Benenden

"During an unprecedented time in the property market, where stock levels were particularly low, Fiona and her team ensured we were first to see any property that came onto the market. Lucinda, who is part of Fiona's exceptional team, was our main contact and continued to give us outstanding support throughout the whole process, especially at times when we felt we would never find our home.

We were buying our home in a "seller's market" with very little being sold off market. However, the house we eventually ended up buying we saw before it went on the market and bought it off market . This is something that would not have been possible without the relationship which had been built between Fiona Penny Home Finders and the estate agent. The continued support we then received from when our offer was accepted to completion ensured the whole process ran smoothly and completely removed the usual stresses that present themselves at that time.

We cannot thank Fiona and her team enough, and in particular Lucinda"

Mr & Mrs G     Hever

"Trying to find a house in the south of England while living in Scotland was very difficult, particularly during the latest housing rush. Fiona Penny and her team took all the stress away and worked hard to find me the perfect property just where I wanted it.

Eternally grateful."

Ms M     Tunbridge Wells

"We had been searching for our perfect home for over a year and were finding the whole process extremely stressful. The market was challenging, with properties being snapped up before we even got through the door and many houses were going to sealed bids. Viewing properties should be exciting and fun but we were starting to dread even thinking about the prospect! 

Luckily Fiona and her team came to our aid and made the process enjoyable once again. We were a little apprehensive at first as it's obviously an additional financial outlay but we are absolutely convinced it has been money well spent. Fiona has such a good relationship with all the local agents we managed to view several properties before anyone else. It meant we were on the front foot when it came to putting in offers, which Fiona also handles with aplomb. We were lucky that our purchase was a relatively smooth process and Fiona was a great support in getting us to the day we picked up the keys. We are thrilled with our new house so thank you Fiona and team !"

Mr & Mrs P   Ightham

"We would like to say a huge thank you to Fiona and her team. Fiona's knowledge of the area and the house market is outstanding and, in a very difficult market, she has managed to find us a beautiful house in an amazing location which is no mean feat ! The support provided by the whole team both during the search and since the purchase has been superb. Nothing is too much trouble and they come up with a solution to any challenge they are presented with. We absolutely could not have managed this move without Fiona and her team."

Mr & Mrs M     Hawkhurst

"We love, love our new house, it has been great, perfect for us in every way. We are so grateful for your help in the whole process, you gave a level of help and professional know how and I don't believe we would have got this house without you. Even though we know the area well your relationships with the Estate Agents and general knowledge really helped beyond words. Your work right up to completion and beyond was second to none.

If we can do anything to help the business going forward please let us know, we are happy to provide references to any prospective clients."

Mr and Mrs C    Tunbridge Wells

"We hadn't considered using a home finder before but we are so glad we found Fiona Penny. Initially she helped us secure a house to rent so we had somewhere to land when we returned to the UK, not a simple process from overseas. She then turned her attention to finding us our "forever home". We've just moved into it and coudn't be happier.

Throughout our search (and beyond) Fiona and her lovely team were a reassuring, knowledgeable presence and were there for us every step of the way. Their experience and contacts make all the difference and they genuinely care about making sure you get the perfect house - even when you keep changing your mind about what pefect is!"

Mr & Mrs R   Tunbridge Wells

"Fiona Penny saved us several unnecessary trips to the area, by seeing many properties on our behalf. Fiona then found us our dream home, before it had even been marketed. We would never have found this house without her knowledge of the local area and her close relationship with individual local estate agents."

Mr and Mrs B     Chiddingstone

"Fiona has been amazing. She not only found us our family home but supported us along the way from the first viewing to completion (which took 18 months!) Having relocated from London with our three children and secured places at a school in East Kent, we were looking to purchase a property close by.

Fiona doesn’t normally go as far as East Kent but straight away showed us a house she had recently been called about and it fit our requirements perfectly. Our sale was delayed due to lockdown followed by a fiercely competitive property market. Fiona kept in contact with our vendors and kept us informed over the 18 months that it took to finally secure the property. She was supportive, reassuring, professional, patient and proactive which led us to finally completing.

I would absolutely not hesitate to recommend Fiona, her team are also brilliant and you can rest assured they will together find you your dream home. There is not a chance we would have found our home without her."

Mr & Mrs M    Canterbury 

"We first approached Fiona Penny after a long period of RightMove scanning for properties that never seemed to show us anything that fit. We knew we loved the area and had noticed many beautiful houses but nothing remotely comparable ever appeared on the online portals. That’s when we began to learn about the world of buying agents and off market sales and felt a bit overwhelmed about how to even begin trying to find a home. 

Thankfully this is where Fiona and her team stepped in and from the initial meeting we just knew that we were in safe hands. 

Fiona was patient, understanding and most importantly mindful of our budget. She was able to give us a sense of what we could achieve and was very open about the reality of the current market but also very positive and hopeful about the fact that she and her team would find us the right house.

This was the key aspect that we found working with Fiona and Mandy. It wasn’t just about the fantasy property but about trying, together, to discover what worked best for us as a family practically.

Fiona Penny Homefinders excelled at taking the raw ideas of our dream home and shaped that into a realistic search brief. This in turn has led to the successful discovery of the bricks and mortar of our actual forever home. 

We found that Fiona and her team are supremely knowledgeable and well informed of the area‘s property landscape. We felt supported throughout the process from the first viewing and submitting of an offer to what became a rollercoaster of a conveyancing journey. They were always available, approachable and happy to help. 

We found them to be extremely detail focused and the standard of relationship and tailored search you receive is one you simply wouldn’t get searching alone or with an estate agent. There is a strong kind, collaborative ethos and client focused care that is tangible from the start. 

Our advice to any prospective or future clients would be just do it! You won’t regret instructing Fiona and her team who will find you the right house. You may not know it when you see it but we would say be patient and trust them they really do know what they’re doing and it’s always in your best interests. Good luck!"

Mr & Mr N-P    Sandhurst

"We decided to use the services of a property finder as we were moving to Kent from Suffolk. We had no detailed knowledge of the county but were clear in terms of our requirements for a property and our reasons for moving. We were looking for a property with character, in a village location, with a reasonable sized garden and views. We had undertaken an initial assessment of the areas ourselves but the requirement to constanty be ready to drop everything to drive 3 hours would not have been sustainable or effective.

In deciding to use a property finder we contacted three businesses offering the service. Fiona clearly understood our requirements, demonstrated and in depth knowledge of the areas that may be of potential interest and we felt we would be easy to work with. In addition, and of particular value, is her network of contacts - being new to the area means we have no knowledge of good tradespeople and the contacts Fiona has have already proved very useful in the few weeks since we moved in. Being able to reference Fiona also helps in terms of demonstrating credibility when looking to engage tradespeople.

Prior to appointing Fiona we had also referenced her with a couple of state agents that we had been engaged with and they both gave very positive recommendations. The search took a fairly short time to deliver a suitable property and we engaged with Fiona and all her team. There was always someone on hand to answer our queries, advise on progress or support the viewings. We looked at a small number of properties before we found the right one, which was an off market property where we were given exclusive access to view and then secure the purchase. It is highly unlikely we'd have found this property without using Fiona.

In summary, the key benefits we found of using Fiona Penny Home Finders were;

1. Market knowledge and contacts

2. Detailed knowledge of the search areas

3. Access to off-market properties

4. Her "black book" of contacts

5. Speedy access and responeses from Fiona and her team

6. Easy to do business with."

Mr & Mrs H    Lamberhurst

"Fiona, Mandy & Lucinda have helped us to find an amazing family home after we decided to move from London to Tunbridge Wells. They were 100% supportive throughout the process and we really felt they went "above and beyond" on several occasions.

House buying isn't always a smooth process, and this was the case with us initially, but having Fiona and her team help us was incredible and I can honestly say we've ended up in the best house for us. The team listen to your requirements really carefully from the beginning and from there you often get first look at suitable houses. Tunbridge Wells is a very buoyant market and this edge is often essential.

What we were most impressed by was the regular communication, the speed at which things were actioned, how personal the service was and the constant support and guidance throughout the process, as it honestly minimised any stress and we always had someone to ask and get honest feedback from.

Buying a home is a massive investment both financially and emotionally (especially when moving to a new area) and having been in our new house for a few months now, I can honestly say that it feels "like home" and we feel so lucky we live here.

We absolutely wouldn't hesitate to recommend Fiona Penny & team to anyone considering a move"

"The short story is that Fiona and her team found us our dream home, they are a joy to work with and I can very happily affirm all the other testimonial descriptions.  So what else can I add?

Like many others, I don’t think we’d have moved without Fiona and her team’s hard work and dedication to finding the right home for us.  Additionally, I cannot understate how good it was for my mental health to pass on the ‘property agent’ baton to a professional and stop scouring the internet. 

Throughout the trials of lockdown, Fiona was resolute that she and her team would find us our dream home no matter what it took. When they did, Fiona’s recommended mortgage advisor confirmed a mortgage in principle within hours so we could make our offer, stop the house going to market and avoid any bidding wars which we would have lost. 

On our property search journey, we had also asked Fiona to look for self-build or renovation opportunities. Fiona arranged plot viewings accompanied by an insightful local architect and also guided us on how to approach sealed bid processes.

Overall, throughout the whole process Fiona was a great source of guidance. She is incredibly responsive and proactively managed communication between the estate agent, vendor, solicitors and us.  Fiona and our solicitor, who Fiona had recommended, moved mountains so we could move within days of exchanging and ultimately ten weeks of making our offer.

Fiona and her team feel like friends you can trust. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them."

Mr & Mrs O    Hawkhurst

"My husband and I recently moved from London to Tunbridge Wells and used Fiona's servces to help us buy our first home. I admit I was initially unsure about using an outside service to help us with our search, however I was completely proved wrong. Fiona's help was completely invaluable for us making the move from London and her fantastic local knowledge allowed us to find an area of Tunbridge Wells that had absolutely everything we were looking for and I am sure we wouldn't have been able to find on our own.

She used her expertise to find us the perfect house during a really turbulent time in the market and supported us fully through the negotiation process and the extensive administration involved in buying our first home. After we moved in, she also provided us with an extensive guide of everything we needed to know about the area to help us settle in as well as possible.

I cannot recommend Fiona's services enough and to anyome reading this who may be feeling sceptical I can assure you, you definitely won't regret working with Fiona and her team."

Mr & Mrs V     Tunbridge Wells

"Fiona Penny was a pleasure to work with - efficient, responsive, not to mention patient! She kept our particular requirements at the forefront of her search and we finally secured a great house, off-market, which we otherwise would never have know about"

Mr & Mrs T     Cranbrook

"Planning a move out of London to east Sussex was a project we had talked about for a long time but had never been able to kick start. It was just too daunting. Our friends had had a delightful experience with Fiona and the team and they put us in touch with them. They took a detailed brief noting all aspects of our wish list and then set about using their experience, contacts and tenacity to find the right property for us. 

Always professional and helpful. Fiona and Mandy guided us to a house in a location which suits us perfectly and offers great potential. We are happy to recommend Fiona to anyone looking for a house in East Sussex."

Mrs & Mrs B      Berwick

‘We decided to use a property search agent (in this area Fiona Penny was the name which was repeatedly recommended) to help us in in a difficult market where, over many months of actively searching, we hadn’t been able to find anything close to what we wanted. Fiona’s excellent contacts with agents enabled us to see properties not yet on the open market. Fiona listened carefully to the brief and she met it! We simply wouldn’t be here without her help, which doesn’t stop once the house is found. She saw our transaction through in lockdown and did so much (including finding temporary accommodation for the vendors) to make it happen.

We have no hesitation in recommending Fiona Penny Home Finders"

Mr & Mrs P    Ticehurst

"Oh my goodness...where to start?   This is going to be so gushing you are going to think Fiona Penny is a relative or something. But she's not. She's just brilliant. I was extremely stressed out trying to find a big rental property, there was nothing on the market anywhere and my move date was looming. Someone suggested I spoke to Fiona so I called...within a day she had sourced several properties to think about. In the end she brokered a deal with someone who was in fact selling but was prepared to rent for a year. I would never have been able to negotiate this....I don't have the contacts, but she knows EVERYONE!

And she offers a very personal service. I felt like she held my hand the whole way through. Thank you Fiona..."

Mrs R   Tunbridge Wells

"One of life's challenges is moving house.  The thought of trying to find a home that was suitable for our needs seemed an impossible task, having found ourselves stuck in rental accommodation which was driving the children and each other to distraction, until one day someone suggested that we contact Fiona Penny. Life changed in an instant once we had "signed up" with Fiona as we were immediately shown a property that suited out requirements particularly as we were intending to "downsize" from London and this particular property suited our specific needs in terms of size and location to the school(s). Fiona assisted us throughout what was a difficult negotiation period and "smoothed" out the whole process from commencement to completion with no job being too difficult to handle particularly with a very demanding and temperamental husband to oversee the transaction.

In addition, Fiona's contact book has come in extremely handy (particularly as we were new to the area) with some excellent recommendations from builders to plumbers that we have utilized in providing us the same level of service. Our new family home would not have been possible without Fiona's professional guidance and support throughout."

Mr and Mrs B    Cranbrook

"Fiona and her team are absolutely brilliant. They took all the worry out of our country house search and found us our dream home. The depth of local knowledge and property expertise Fiona brought to our experience was invaluable. Furthermore, Fiona is the consummate professional, an excellent negotiator and an absolute joy to work with. When the house purchase was complete, Fiona provided us with a customised, in-depth guide to our new village and the surrounding areas included trusted traders! We couldn't have asked for more. Fiona Penny is superb!"

Mrs B & Mr J   Goudhurst

"Moving to Tunbridge Wells with my family from Leeds and finding our ideal property went so smoothly and was so straight forward thanks to Fiona Penny and her wonderful Home Finders team. They were so helpful, accommodating, reassuring, patient, supportive and kind. They took away all the stress of a property search and house move and nothing was too much trouble. Greatly appreciated and very many thanks. I would very highly recommend using their first-class service. Worth every penny!"

Mr W    Tunbridge Wells

"As people who would never have considered using a home finding service, we cannot recommend Fiona and her team highly enough. When our property search became stuck Fiona found us something truly unique within weeks and was pro-active throughout to ensure a smooth process and move for us to a new area."

Mr & Mrs S    Hurst Green

"We were delighted with the help and support Fiona and her team gave us when we were looking for a rental property in West Sussex. Busy ourselves with life and work in London, they were able to take much of the leg work and stress out of the search and ensured we only came down to view those properties already vetted. Our search criteria also changed over time but they were always accommodating and changed their search accordingly until they found the perfect home for us. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Fiona Penny."

Mr B    Itchingfield

"Having moved into our dream home in record time – 6 weeks from first viewing to completion – we would wholeheartedly recommend putting your search into the hands of Fiona and her excellent team. We were moving back to a new area of the UK from abroad, and we knew we needed advice on the best schools and commuter areas for our particular needs, as well as the obvious home search. Fiona and her team worked with us to find a short-term rental home, and once we were settled, we worked together to find a home to buy.

In terms of the service that Fiona and her team offer, it really does cover everything! You can talk to Fiona about any aspect of your move and be sure that she or a member of her friendly team has had personal experience of the very same issue, and they can offer both professional advice and personal views. Her knowledge spans a number of areas, for example, she knows why certain properties have been on the market for a while; she understands well the right areas to live in for the various schools; she knows your rights as a tenant and she was able to use her expertise to help us get out of our rental contract earlier than planned.

We felt we quickly built a very good working relationship with Fiona and we liked her honest approach. She was willing to help us at every step of the way, and she went above and beyond to always get back to us promptly. Without Fiona’s help, as well as Sarah and Jay in her team, we don’t believe we could have found a home as quickly as we did.

We are certain that we saved months of time and effort by talking to Fiona from the very start. Just being able to say you are a “Fiona Penny” client is a huge bonus in itself, as sellers need to feel confident that you are a serious buyer who is able to move quickly, and it’s the name that sets you apart from other buyers.

Overall it was an extremely positive experience for us, and we would highly recommend Fiona Penny Bespoke Home Finders to anyone looking to move to this beautiful area."

Mr and Mrs G    Cranbrook

"We’d found the right school for our boys which was 35 minutes away from our home so we started searching for a house nearer school. Two years and three near misses later, we still hadn’t managed to find and buy a suitable home, and the daily commute to Cranbrook was becoming onerous for all of us. I saw Fiona’s advert and gave her a call out of pure desperation. I could tell right away that Fiona knew her stuff and would be able to help us find our new home. 

Fiona came to meet us face to face one evening later that week and we were both sold on her professionalism, detailed understanding of our requirements and way of working to find the right property for our family. Less than four weeks later, Fiona called and was very excited to share that she thought she had found ’the one’! The next evening she showed us the perfect property which was ‘off grid’ of the estate agents. The house met all our requirements and we were fortunate enough to be able to proceed with a private purchase which completed within ten weeks of our first viewing of the property. Amazing!

Whilst we had been confident Fiona would find us a new home, we hadn’t anticipated the brilliant support and value she and her team provide in actually making it all happen. Fiona and her team are so proactive and seek to smooth and ease along the legal process, taking away a lot of stress by managing relationships with sellers, solicitors, and surveyors. No purchase is stress free but Fiona really helped us navigate the bumps along the way including renting out our previous home. Fiona's little black book of trusted service providers has been a brilliant resource throughout the process and since moving into our new home."

Mr and Mrs B     Cranbrook

"Like many other couples with young children, we wanted to move from London to Kent for the usual reasons, better schools, bigger house, more room, more green spaces and away from all the traffic. After selling our house in Ladywell and moving into rented accommodation we spent several months at the start of 2018 looking for what we thought we wanted without success. It was time consuming and we weren’t making any progress when my wife came across Fiona Penny’s Homefinder Service.

Our criteria was defined and we were determined to ‘stick to our wish list’ so it was never going to be an easy task to find the right family home in the right location within budget. Fiona and her team made a huge difference. They knew the area very well and we had no idea so they were able to shortlist the right properties and give insight to some of the houses we thought at first would be suitable. We avoided wasting week-ends by travelling back and forth from London. Their service was extremely professional and first class in every way. Fiona was always there for our viewings, even on Sundays. After a few weeks we found the right house for the right price in the right location.

I am very happy to recommend Fiona and her team without hesitation."

Mr and Mrs F    Cranbrook

"We came across Fiona's website by chance after more than a year of searching on our own, one disastrous purchase/sale and another that looked to go the same way. We were also feeling under pressure to make our move to the country from the city and into our dream forever home before our daughter started school. We only had a few months left to make it a reality, especially to secure a school place before the summer holidays. We were impressed by all the testimonials from happy clients and wanted to meet Fiona.

We were reticent at first wondering what it was that Fiona and her team could really do that we couldn't. Our hesitation was unfounded. We met Fiona in March and had moved in by August in time for the new school term and already incredibly happy here.

It's fair to say that we would not have succeeded on our own and would likely have given up and stayed in London long-term if we hadn't made the move in time. Fiona and her team are incredibly hard-working and tenacious, they got us into view properties not yet advertised, had architects out to discuss possibilities before we even offered on places; they rang round schools and spoke to the local authority about late places and procedures and sorted out a short-term let for us to live in during the month between selling in London and completing in Kent. This secured us the much-wanted school place and meant we kept our buyers who were eager to move in while we waited to move in ourselves.

The house itself is one we would not have even looked at without Fiona and her team's deep knowledge of the area and clear understanding of our wishes. When searching for houses you make snap decisions on the look of a place as well as the practicalities and price. Fiona and her team overcame those and once we saw the place and loved it, they worked tirelessly to ensure we secured it - putting us in contact with a mortgage adviser, negotiating the price and ensuring we did not lose out in a bidding war. Fiona's combination of hard work, tenacity, diplomacy and patience won through and we're very grateful. We're very happy here."

Mr and Mrs T    Goudhurst

"Fiona Penny was fantastic.  She was incredibly patient and positive when our mother needed to downsize her home after 40 years.  At what was a tricky time, Fiona listened, took on board and found the perfect new home in the best location.  She made a stressful time a whole lot easier and held our mother's hand the entire way from beginning to end.  My siblings and I certainly couldn't have done what she did! I have been recommending her company to everyone that's struggling to find what they want."

Mrs S    Benenden

"We were recommended Fiona Penny's company by a friend and it really was like a dream come true. From brief to completion Fiona helped us to find our 'dream home'. The process from meeting the vendor directly to negotiations with estate agents was bridged with such professionalism and passion.

Fiona made it her job to secure the house. We felt we were in professional and experienced hands throughout the whole journey. Even though we knew the area we had a task from the outset to find a home with potential, within budget and that no body else would know about. A big challenge and a brief that was an 'ideal scenario'. All of which Fiona managed to deliver on and above.

From running my own business I know how crucial a personal service is and Fiona certainly gives a great service.

The added extras of knowing a lot of local suppliers, contacts and interior designers just rounded off the whole experience for us and we continue to use these services. We would highly recommend the services and expertise of Fiona Penny's company, you would be in the safest hands from home and abroad. Thank you Fiona for finding our dream home."

Mr and Mrs S    Tunbridge Wells

"Fiona Penny's home finding service has been invaluable to us. Whilst we had already lived in the East Sussex/Kent area, being overseas made it difficult to liaise with estate agents in a different time zone.

Fiona visited properties on our behalf and arranged for photos to be taken. She personally took us to all the properties we viewed. Once we found a property we wanted to buy, Fiona assisted throughout the transaction and continued to do so after completion.

You always know that Fiona is on your side and wants to help you find your perfect home! An excellent service, thank you!"

Mr and Mrs L    Sevenoaks

"When we decided to relocate further out into Kent from Bromley, the task seemed wholly daunting. However, as soon as we started working with Fiona, we felt confident and relaxed about what lay ahead.

Fiona’s experience and expertise meant that we always had sound advice. Her professional contacts with estate agents allowed us to find out about properties before they were on the market. Fiona did a lot of background research and went to see properties before us so that we only viewed those houses that were real contenders and therefore did not have wasted trips to and from home.

Once we found our house, Fiona took all the stress away by dealing with negotiations and was absolutely fundamental in pushing things forward so that we completed quickly before the start of the school term. On a personal note, we found Fiona wonderful to work with.

She really helped us to work out what was important to us when finding a house. She was always available to talk to on the phone, to listen to worries, to answer questions and to offer advice. She works with the utmost commitment and respond to queries incredibly quickly, which makes a huge difference.

Thanks to Fiona, we are now settled with our three children in a wonderful house in a fabulous area and are excited about the future ahead."

Mr and Mrs G    Southborough

"We wouldn't have got the house we wanted in Tunbridge Wells without Fiona's help. She offered great advice, carried out all the negotiations on our behalf, and kept everyone involved calm throughout. Thanks to Fiona's efforts, we were able to move here from London with 3 kids in time for the start of term! We wouldn't hesitate to recommend her."

Ms B and Mr G    Tunbridge Wells

"Thank you Fiona for making our relocation back to the UK from overseas, a lot less stressful than it could have been. It was reassuring having someone with indepth knowledge of the area and close contacts within the Real Estate Community, looking for rental accommodation for us, taking into account all of our priorities. In a very short time span, Fiona helped us secure school places for our children and to find rental accommodation in the Tunbridge Wells area. Fiona did a very thorough job, from vetting properties through to the finer details of moving to a new area, even finding out rubbish collection days."

Mr and Mrs L    Frant 

"We used Fiona during the course of this year in connection with our move to Kent. We must say it was a wholly positive experience. We have lived in London for most of our working lives so a step into the country was a step into the unknown so we needed lots of support and handholding.

Fiona was always available to help and was incredibly responsive (even when on holiday which we did not expect). Fiona and her team often anticipated our needs without being asked and I don't think there was one question they were not able to answer. Nothing has been too much trouble and they continue to offer advice whenever we need it well after completion of our purchase. They have been both professional and friendly throughout – just what we wanted."

Mr and Mrs P    Cranbrook

"The help Fiona provided us was absolutely first class at every stage. She is extremely knowledgeable and professional, has great contacts and she is very proactive and gets things done quickly and efficiently. It has been a pleasure dealing with her - she has a very pleasant manner and took all the pressure off us."

Mr and Mrs S    Tunbridge Wells

"We lived in London for 7 years before moving this summer with two small children. Decent property, both rental and to buy, is scarce and to contemplate house hunting from London would, for us, have been extremely difficult. Fiona managed the whole move for us - finding a rental home before it was on the market, negotiating with the agent, helping us with cleaners, babysitters, doctors, etc., etc. I couldn't recommend her highly enough."

Mr D    Tunbridge Wells

"Having decided to relocate to Kent from London, we enlisted Fiona to help us with our move and it was one of the best decisions we made. As a family with two young children, Fiona saved us from unnecessary trips to the area by looking at all properties on our behalf. From our very first meeting, Fiona had a very clear understanding of exactly the property we were hoping to find and with her strong relationship with estate agents in the area she was able to show us properties that had yet to go on the open market.

Fiona found us the most beautiful home, a really special dream house that we know we will all love living in for a very long time. Fiona is extremely professional, efficient, trustworthy, and knowledgeable and we would not hesitate in recommending her if you are about to embark on a home move. A huge thank you to Fiona for all her help in this process!"

Mr and Mrs D    Tunbridge Wells

"We were terribly frustrated after a year of house hunting, with no success. On a recommendation from a friend, we instructed Fiona who immediately found us a house in the village we wanted. Within 4 weeks of starting work, Fiona was able to secure us our perfect house for life. She is a pleasure to deal with and is extremely professional and efficient; you really feel she is on your side. She knows all the agents in the area, and brings a real advantage in what is still a competitive house market. In addition and as part of the service, what you also get is Fiona's excellent list of contacts who can help with everything from finances to builders and decorators. We have no hesitation in recommending her to anyone looking for a property."

Mr and Mrs G    Matfield

"I would happily recommend Fiona to any of my clients who need assistance to find alternative accommodation. She is reliable, professional, thorough, efficient and at the same time able to work with all sorts of people whatever their difficulties."

Ms R    Tunbridge Wells

"I recently moved from Japan to the UK with 3 little children and a newborn baby. I needed to rent a house near my children's school but was unable to spend the time searching or viewing any properties. Fiona was absolutely invaluable, searching for properties that met my requirements, talking to estate agents, undertaking viewings and reporting back to me with her findings. It wasn't easy to find what I wanted in my time frame but Fiona persevered, and we found a property that met my requirements.

Not only did Fiona organize my house, she helped me find a doctor and dentist for the family and gave me lots of information on Tunbridge Wells and places to visit in Kent with children. Fiona also followed up after I moved in to check everything was satisfactory and she helped me with any matters that needed attention.

Fiona really made my move back to the UK much easier and I would highly recommend her incredibly professional services to anyone moving to Kent and looking for a property. Thanks for everything Fiona!"

Mrs D    Tunbridge Wells

"We decided to enlist the help of a property finder as we were relocating our family of four from London to Tunbridge Wells, an area we had no previous connections with. When looking for a property finder we were recommended Fiona Penny. She was very professional, knowledgeable and friendly when I contacted her on the telephone.

We met with Fiona to discuss our requirements and what she could do to help us. Fiona has extensive knowledge of the area we were looking at and very good connections.

Once retained, Fiona started to look at houses for us. Anything we liked the sound of she would view and give us feedback on. If we liked her feedback, we would view. This enabled us to make progress quickly without wasting time travelling far to viewings of houses we would never be interested in buying. Due to Fiona’s good connections she would also get viewings at a very early stage, sometimes even before a house had come on to the market.

When we decided to put an offer on a house, Fiona would handle all the negotiations and have all the dealings with the agent/seller on our behalf. She would take care of all practicalities leading up to exchange and make sure everything progressed as fast as possible.
Having Fiona on our side took a lot of stress out of the house buying process. It also freed up our time. With Fiona’s area and market knowledge we also felt comfortable to act faster when we had found the house we wanted.

Buying a house and moving to a new area can be very stressful. However, with Fiona constantly on hand we had a friend to turn to, giving us advice and support. It was a life saver. I cannot recommend her highly enough. Without her I fear we might have given up on the idea of buying and just settled on renting instead."

Mr and Mrs R    Tunbridge Wells

"To say that working with Fiona and her team was a pleasure from start to finish doesn’t even come close.  We simply couldn’t have done it without them.  We realised very quickly from our first enquiries with estate agents that our move to Tunbridge Wells wasn’t going to be straightforward.  We lived four hours’ drive away, in the Cotswolds, and the market at the time was so hot that properties were going under offer before we’d even had a chance to drive down for a viewing.  We did a search on the internet and the service Fiona provided sounded like it was just what we needed.  We didn’t know what to expect, but Fiona guided us through the process from the very start.  We had no idea where we should start looking, but Fiona and her team’s vast knowledge of the area, and her uncanny ability to interpret what we needed before we even knew it ourselves, meant that we trusted her implicitly with our search.  And it was the best decision we ever made.

She found us a wonderful house, in a great area, a few minutes’ walk from our children’s school and it has worked out perfectly.  The whole process was a joy, and we are so grateful to Fiona and her team for everything they did for us."

Mr and Mrs C    Tunbridge Wells

"Fiona is a dynamo: energetic, hardworking, committed to the cause and optimistic and encouraging, when the going gets tough. She is brilliantly connected locally and always comes up with useful names of contacts. Fiona is great at what she does and most importantly she does it with heart and sensitivity. We are now settled very happily in our new home and we feel fortunate that we were introduced to Fiona at an early point in our search."

Dr J and Ms K     Wateringbury

"During difficult market conditions in 2017 Fiona and her team diligently and professionally navigated us through a myriad of frustrations trying to find the right properties to meet our brief.

We had to compromise in some areas but Fiona and her team were able to find a property that met our expectations. Fiona was particularly “on the ball” when someone needed chasing up or providing advice in any aspects of the moving process. Moving house is stressful, especially if like us you have lived in a property for 32 years, so well done to Fiona and the team.!

Mr and Mrs H    Burwash

"As someone told me, buying a house and moving are more stressful than getting married and divorced! I salute you and Sarah for coping with huge pressures.  We certainly could not have begun to do it without you and Sarah on side.

Thank you so much for all your work and endless patience.  I think there were times when we thought it would never happen so we could not be more thrilled and are so grateful to you for orchestrating everything."

Mr H and Ms G     Tunbridge Wells

"Fiona and her team are absolutely brilliant. After a frustrating and unsuccessful house search for nearly 8 months, we thought we'd be living in London forever! And then we met Fiona. She worked wonders. She managed to not only find us a beautiful house but also one in the perfect location. Moving to Tunbridge Wells from London, with a young family, was a huge thing for us. Fiona was more than helpful. Her useful contact list of everything from builders to babysitters was invaluable. She even managed to get us recommendations for swimming, rugby and gymnastics lessons - helping us to settle the kids more quickly after our move.

Fiona is utterly professional and was a wonderful support throughout a stressful time. She kept things going, gave us good advice and helped to keep us all feeling positive! I tell many people that we couldn't have done it without Fiona and her team. It's true. It's been a long journey for us, but we made it and feel very lucky. We love our house and look forward to a happy future in our new home. Thank you Fiona."

Mr and Mrs K    Tunbridge Wells

"We just wanted to say a big thank you for all your help. Never in a million years would we have thought that the process of relocating our family from London to a completely unknown area would have been so easy. We couldn't have done it without you, we are so glad you crossed our path. Thank you!"

Mrs B    Cranbrook

"In the summer of 2016 we moved from The Netherlands to Kent. Fiona and her wonderful team helped us find our dream house. Fiona fully understood what our wishes were and managed to present several perfectly matching properties to us. After we made our choice she and her team assisted us with all the paperwork and and our queries with moving in and settling in the UK. It was such a relief to have Fiona and her professional team on our side. It helped us tremendously. She took the time, was very hands on and showed her adequate professional skills and remained in good spirits throughout this important time for our family. Her friendly, vivid personality definitely adds to this. We highly recommend Fiona Penny if you are looking in Kent for that one particular house to make your home!"

Mrs V     Hildenborough

"As a couple in our early 30s with a young baby we never expected to employ a buyer's agent while securing our first home. However, having Fiona and her team alongside us really was a sensible decision. We were saved money, time and stress by having someone on our side who could guide us through the entire process. We were not only first time buyers but also based in London wanting to buy in Kent so FPBH were invaluable to us in almost every way - from choosing location, to advising on day care and schools, timing the move, negotiating the price and dealing with all the steps between offer to completion. Even post-completion we have relied on references and suggestions from FPBH for handymen and builders.

Fiona Penny Bespoke Home Finders provide an incredible balance of professionalism and friendliness. It felt like our every need and want was attended to as efficiently and promptly as possible. We were happily settled in our first home a mere four months after instructing Fiona. We will not hesitate to recommend Fiona and her team to all our friends and colleagues."

Mr and Mrs K    Hildenborough 

"We contacted Fiona to find us a special home, in a peaceful location with a high-spec finish and an easy commute to work.  Fiona and her team understood the brief perfectly and went to work with enthusiasm and professionalism.  She managed to source off-market properties which we would never have found by ourselves and conducted initial viewings for us which saved us an enormous amount of time.  Buying a property can be stressful but we certainly felt that having Fiona negotiate the purchase and manage the transaction through to completion and beyond has been invaluable. 

We would highly recommend Fiona Penny, she delivered on all aspects of our search and consistently went the extra mile."

Mr and Mrs G    West Malling

"I met Fiona and her team back in June 2015 when we made the decision to move further out into the countryside. Fiona and her team were very patient showing me lots of different houses within our brief  - houses both on and off the market as well as giving the best recommendation for a school! However, I think where Fiona and her team really come into their own is their excellent customer service and extensive tried and tested contacts.

From the solicitor, removal company, surveyor and architect during purchase to everything you need to carry on your life after moving in - plumbers, doctors, vets etc. Moving to a new area can be overwhelming but Fiona and her team literally are the back up team and hold your hand through the whole process.

We have ended up with a house in a location that we used to have pipe dreams about, our children love their new school (our daughter in particular is flourishing) and when things go wrong in the house which inevitably they will there is an extensive list of trades people that come fully recommended."

Mr and Mrs C    Ticehurst

"Fiona, Sarah and team worked tirelessly to help us find our dream house in a pretty difficult market.  They were incredibly professional, helpful, understanding and nothing was too much trouble for them.  We are so grateful for all their help.  As we were moving from London to Kent and really weren't familiar with the area, they advised us on villages, arranged school visits, viewed numerous houses on our behalf and arranged a short term rental, before finding us our perfect house.

Their endless patience and ability to listen was very much appreciated, especially as our move out of London wasn't straight forward.  Since moving into our house, Fiona has been very helpful with her contacts.  She has helped us find a nanny, a cleaner and even someone to make cupboards!

We can't thank Fiona and Sarah enough for all their help - it's a fantastic service and we thoroughly recommend using them." 

Mr and Mrs M-B    Goudhurst