At Maison we have always known that smaller is better.
We stride into 2023 with many more properties under offer and hopes justifiably high. Since our launch this year we have achieved what we set out to do and much more.
Maison’s aim was to provide the housing market with a personal approach, take as much stress out of property transactions as possible and to do everything we could to provide a dedicated service at competitive and fair rates. Our aim was to put you first!
We have achieved that and it has all been done with a permanent smile on our face. It has been so much fun, purposely anti-corporate and entirely family orientated. Your feedback and support has been utterly fantastic.
We have no place for suits and ties, or 9 to 5, the world has moved on! Instead we pledge that we will do what is right by you when it works for you and not when it is convenient for us. We vowed that you will never be just a file on our desk but instead we respect your need for advice and genuine support – and we have stuck to this promise.
You will never be just another transaction. We deal with people not numbers. You will always be a friend to us.
Through our experience of our island, we understand it is your relationship with your individual property expert that is the key to your success, not the company they work for. With over 15 years in the industry, our expertise is available to everyone and not just a select few! At Maison we promise you a director will look after your deal from start to finish – it is what you and your property deserve.
And all for a fair commission rate. Why pay more – it has never made sense to us!
Unashamedly, everything we have done has been with mental health in mind, too. We are a company defined by our own quirks, you might say.
I am merely one of the 25 per cent that will experience mental illness in some form in 2023. I’m just pleased to say that it’s all starting to make a bit of sense now and I have this year to thank for that.
No, I’m not gloating, nor aiming this at the doubters that made life unbearingly tough through nothing but their own ignorance and self importance, instead I am telling my story very much with my fellow mental health sufferers in mind.
And I am extremely proud, too!
Having been consigned to the scrap heap, my confidence was non existent, my depression was at an all-time low, I really did not know where to turn.
But just like a slightly overworked computer with far too many programmes running, I pressed the off switch, rebooted and came back to life slowly but surely and at my own pace.
Depression, stress and anxiety are always going to be there for me but by respecting the illness and the need to help myself I like to think that I won’t be dictated by it. It has become a respected friend. It is a part of me that I can now accept. It is certainly something I can live with and in time maybe even embrace.
A year ago the thought of starting a business from scratch was enough to have me reaching for the anti depressants! With my self confidence shot to pieces, I had reasons to question my ability and worry just how sensible a new business launch might be. Could I cope? Obviously not, according to some.
Our new business was approached on our terms and it just goes to show that no matter how low you may be, there is no reason to worry. Things can be better. You can prosper. Just take one step at a time.
For me, surrounding myself with the right people was crucial – friends and family – and working from home was mentally (and financially) sensible.
It has allowed me to run a company and enjoy being a father and a fiancé.
Please remember those things are not mutually exclusive, even though others (stuck in the dark ages) might insist they are!
I will never begin to understand those that never see their children and choose a life of work rather than a balanced one. I certainly won’t ever regret spending a single minute with my family and I will always insist that having this balance makes people far more productive in a work environment. A happy worker is a successful one.
I have been able to see Freddie grow up and I will always enjoy the school run and being on hand to hear about Jack’s day. There is plenty of time for work too and no logical reason why it can’t all fit in together, especially in Guernsey.
Please work smarter not harder!
You may have noticed that many of our social media posts include pictures of the boys… they are the only motivation we need and very much the heartbeat of our business.
In time Maison will grow – we have exciting plans for 2023 – but at our own pace and only when we feel comfortable and when we recruit it will always be with this ethos of work/life balance in mind.
But my experiences are by no means unique.
We are so grateful to be associated with GuernseyMind and A Smile for Georgie, two charities that we have been delighted to help this year and who both clearly recognise our values.
My message is simple.
Rest, recharge, reset – no one has the right to deny you that opportunity, even if they think they have.
Go again, but at your own pace.
It worked for us, it can work for you.
If you know someone with depression please reassure them and help them. Depression is debilitating but no one has the right to condemn you or write you off. Like many other illnesses, with the right treatment and support there is no telling what you are capable of.
It is possible, please be positive.
In a world where you can be anything, be kind.
Focus on the important stuff! There are far too many critics in the world. Learn to encourage.
Of course we couldn’t be where we are, at the end of the year, without you, our clients and friends, who took a leap of faith to choose us. We know that you have been very happy indeed with our service but we must thank you for allowing us to be the people we want to be. It has been a privilege.
We look forward to seeing you all in 2023.
Wishing you a very Happy New Year.
Maison – Your Property Experts
