Bungalow Blog

Bungalow crafted the PhD identity for Berkshire-based Prospect Estate Agency back in 2006, elevating their existing Premier Homes of Distinction department to a property brand with refinement, style, a stronger position and larger market share. Originating straplines to hit the sweetspot of its target demographic and a visual style to spotlight properties across web, print, newspress and magazines such as Berkshire Life, our innate understanding of property enabled us to precisely position the PhD brand to target those vendors seeking 'a higher degree of marketing.'

Having copywritten and designed the original marketing ourselves at the brand's inception - indeed, defining the service - it was only natural that PhD commissioned us once again to give their marketing brochure a makeover: expanding on, and refreshing the content to reflect their now-established approach and the increasing calibre of instructions gained. Flick through the brochure here.

With the brand's growing market presence and track record, Bungalow are regularly called in to help present PhD's top-end properties at their very best. From the interior photography to the design, layout, captioning and copywriting, Bungalow's approach to property brochures helps convey the real character of a home. Combining creativity with property know-how, we produce brochures that go beyond agents' standard offerings and provide a more compelling narrative for prospective purchasers to engage with.

PhD's 2010 marketing brochure has helped provide several £1m+  instructions for us to work with, including Roxburgh, this lovely property in Ascot, Berkshire, valued at £3.7million:

Our service goes beyond the traditional hard-copy brochure: we also provide a smart online gallery for the vendor to share with their friends and family, along with interactive e-brochures which can be distributed at the click of a button by email or tweet. Click the images to flick through the brochures.

Premier homes, by definition, are individual and each deserves a bespoke approach to its presentation and marketing. A compelling and engaging brochure not only adds great value to any Estate Agent's service, it acts as a persuasive selling tool to vendors and enhances the experience for vendor and purchaser alike.

From the brand identity and marketing materials to the presentation of its prestige homes, Bungalow Industries has delivered a unique and market-leading Estate Agency brand in Prospect PhD.

Read more about our work with Prospect Estate Agency here, and if you'd like to elevate your premier property brand, are interested in our property photography, or would like marketing materials to sell your property privately, call Bungalow Industries on 0845 60 11 470.

Bungalow Industries had a bank-holiday field trip to the Isle of Wight - a return to a childhood holiday haunt for David, and a first time for Scott - with a very packed itinerary in store! A 4am start for an ungodly-timed ferry from Portsmouth landed us in Fishbourne bright and early for a weekend of touring in the Spider, visiting friends... and seeking out some of the Island's mid-century modernist architectural gems.

Having a couple of hot leads property-wise on the very south of the Island, we based ourselves in Bonchurch - a picturesque seaside village on the easterly edge of Ventnor. The town and its 'Undercliff' region is nowadays home to the Island's species-rich botanic gardens - with the unique geology offering a sheltered, sub-tropical microclimate. Formerly the site of the Royal National Hospital, the renowned therapeutic air offered comfort to consumption sufferers for over 80 years until the arrival of effective antibiotics whereupon it fell into disrepair, to be demolished in 1969.

Our chosen B&B turned out to be something spectacular and quite unique: the Winterbourne Country House. With a breath-taking coastal setting, mesmerising view, suite-like room and superb hospitality, all expectations were exceeded. We'd taken some work with us and planned to use spare time to recharge batteries and provide inspiration. Of this, there was no shortage: some 151 years earlier, none other than the great Charles Dickens had occupied the very next room penning David Copperfield! (No pressure there, then!)

With our days filled with coastal walks, the Botanic Gardens, mackerel lunches in secret coves and even a boat trip to a birthday party on the beach, we barely had time to check out the architecture - but luckily we'd based ourselves in just the right spot...

Exploring the Undercliff, we were lucky enough to spot a number of gems including Chert (shown below left) - now owned and let as holiday accommodation by the National Trust, and described as one of their most unusual properties. Several more individually styled mid-twentieth century homes are to be found dotted around, enjoying the panoramic sea views and it was a treat to see these buildings preserved in their original state by fellow modernist enthusiasts. These properties are of true architectural significance and the Twentieth Century Society has, in the past, organised guided tours of Wight's mid-century-modern hideaways. You can read more about Chert's interesting history here on their website.

Our visit was timed to perfection to coincide with the Bembridge Street Fair where we stepped back into a bygone era of bunting, brass bands, bric-a-brac and cream teas all to the most perfectly elocuted commentary over the Hi-De-Hi-style tannoy. Our Island chums Zoë and Tim were holding their regular stall, selling Zoë's beautiful art-based photographic cards and knitted ties, along with Tim's wonderfully ingenious driftwood sconces. Their stall created a real buzz and a lot of smiles, and it was great to see their work being bought by holidaymakers and locals alike.

There's so much more to explore on Wight than our three days allowed and we're really looking forward to getting back there as soon as we can. We'd definitely stay at the Winterbourne again, and highly recommend it too (try the kippers for breakfast!). The great British seaside holiday is alive, well and thriving on Wight and with all the fun of the ferry it even feels like you're going abroad.

All too soon, and with heavy hearts, we bade our farewells and made for the port - but not before a mad dash to Captain Stan's for two pots of his finest crabmeat for a seafood supper back home!

After Bungalow helped property-services entrepreneur Damien Knight breathe life into his PurpleGroup brand and website, demand went through the roof. And not just from other property professionals, but from domestic customers too who were clearly engaged by his brand and its core messages. So much so, in fact, that Damien came straight back to Bungalow to launch another business! Following our advice on a clear, transparent name for the company, London Property Inspections was born and Bungalow set about the brand identity and website design.

In fairness, Damien was testing the water somewhat with this venture - he knew the demand was there, but was unsure as to where his focus should lie - trade or consumer.  So, given timescale, brief and budget in measures equally tight, Bungalow set to.

The resultant site has hit the spot. Conversion rates (#visits with purchase ÷ #visits without purchase) are phenomenal (greater than 50%) and LPI is fast becoming the provider of choice for property services in and around London. In fact, a Trade-only division has since been set up and both sites are constantly being expanded and updated to accommodate the unwavering demand.

www.londonpropertyinspections.co.uk

It's always exciting - and rewarding too - when a one-off job leads on to a more involved and extensive project.  That's exactly what happened when entrepreneur and property pro Damien Knight came to Bungalow to liven up the website of his company PurpleGroup.  Whilst offering a fantastic service - HIPs, EPCs, and all the necessary gas and electricity servicing & certification for landlords - all at industry beating prices, he felt his existing website wasn't fully engaging with his customers.

Using our property know-how and gaining a fuller understanding of the customer base Damien wanted to target, we got to work expanding his existing brand identity to create a slideshow of banners for his homepage using strong visuals and catchy hooks. 

They met with such approval that we were commissioned to create a livery for their fleet of vans, set up a Twitter page (starting them off following over 600 industry players - and potential clients), an email marketing campaign, provide consultancy on his website's usability and layout... and finally, to bring all this together in a smart, sharp corporate booklet showcasing their great ethos, services and resources. Damien's as thrilled as we are with it and we set it up as an e-brochure so he can impress new contacts as easily and quickly as sending a tweet or an email.

The growth of PurpleGroup's brand and collateral - matching Damien's vision with Bungalow's creativity and insight - has resulted in a new confidence and professionalism for his business - along with a strategic partnership that's all set to grow from strength to strength.

www.purplegroup.co.uk

If you'd like to add weight to your brand and increase your momentum in the marketplace, call us at Bungalow Industries on 0845 60 11 470 to discuss the possibilities!

Whilst clearing out the office art drawers I came across some drawings I did some years back. Drawing was my creative outlet before I picked up a camera and the technology took hold.  I embraced its speed of capture; pencils and pens were sidelined.

Although still pleased with these drawings, I'm excited and raring to set to work in a more illustrative way: more interpretive, with a freer, simpler feel. 

Inspired, and with a timely set of new pencils and charcoals (a super Christmas present) and a copy of "Sketchbooks: The hidden art of designers, illustrators & creatives" at hand, 2010 is a year when I go back to basics and connect with raw materials again.

David

Ever industrious and filled with festive spirit, we designed our own Christmas cards! We had great fun writing our own festive poem encompassing all things special to us at Christmas here at the Bungalow in Edgcumbe Park. 

In the spirit of giving we're also matching the production and postage costs of our cards and will make equal donations to two very worthy causes, each with significant personal bearing:

Merry Christmas everybody! ...And if we haven't yet had the pleasure of working with you, we hope the opportunity may arise in the coming year!

David & Scott

Busy day at the Bungalow with special guest Ian Waite stopping by to sign some more prints for his online shop. We print them all especially to order and he pops in to sign each one personally when his schedule permits! This batch will just catch the last post for Christmas... we'd best hot-foot it to the post office!

A rare and special day: an opportunity to tickle the ivories and trip the shutter!  After the concerted efforts of the past few months in getting our website finished, downtime has been an elusive luxury and we both welcomed the opportunity to clear out creative cobwebs!

Fingers were a little rusty, admittedly, and Addinsell's Warsaw Concerto (the theme to the 1941 film 'Dangerous Moonlight'... later renamed 'Suicide Squadron') took some flak.  The Polish theme continued with run-throughs of some favourite Chopin gems: the last movement of the B minor Sonata, his 1st and 3rd Ballades and the infamous A-flat 'Heroic' Polonaise. 

All credit to David for some cracking shots too - a more picture-perfect than note-perfect afternoon, granted...  but great fun, a different kind of creative collaboration... and a stern reminder to practise, practise, practise!

The dish is also known as Eggs Arlington, a name coined by Le Caprice in London's Arlington Street; see their recipe here.

A.A. Gill also refers to the dish by this name in his mouthwatering read "Breakfast at The Wolseley" in which you can learn all about the origins of this gourmet breakfast classic - including why there should always be two eggs per serving: Benedict and Beatrice! A great book, well worth reading!

A big Thank You to all of you who emailed us after the launch of our site, it really means a great deal and we're delighted it's met with your approval!  With such kindness shown in taking the time to write to us, we'd really like to share some of your comments here:

"Your website looks absolutely sensational. Just looking through the testimonials and case studies alone immediately makes me want to work with you both."

"I'm loving your brand: the green/grey, use of clean fonts and soft shadows throughout gives it a really nice consistency, I'm looking forward to seeing what the future holds for Bungalow!"

"I think your web site is a very fine one. I wish you'd been around during the 20 years I was working variously as brand manager through to international sales & marketing director. It's elegant and adept, and very accessible at the same time. Not the easiest marriage I would have thought. Good job!"

"Wow! Fantastic site, really different and refreshing."

"...it's slick, polished and simple to navigate..."

"...it's so comprehensive and absolutely outstanding..."

"I think the website is absolutely mega and awesome - you should be just so proud of it!"

...and here's a tongue-twisting stream of consciousness to leave you on, from friend and photographer Zoe Barker (currently exhibiting at the Geffrye Museum in London):

"Well get you and your super-swanky awesomely amazing uber-professional top of the range peachytastic stylish incredibly complex smooth-operating inter-twining website!!"

—Can't argue with that, Zoe!

Thanks again everyone for your kind words and well wishes.

Sincerely,
David and Scott.