A NEW estate agency has opened for business in the Basingstoke area – and the boss has pledged to help local good causes.

SeventeenFifty Homes is based at Basepoint Business Centre, in Stroudley Road, and is run by trained estate agent and fully qualified financial advisor Simon Orton.

Simon said: “Traditional estate agents charge a percentage of the sale price of a home.

At SeventeenFifty, we operate a flat-fee policy which means that the owner of a £1m house will pay the same as the owner of a £150,000 flat. Just because someone can afford to pay a higher fee, it certainly doesn’t mean they should.”

As keen as Simon is in helping to bring down the cost of selling a property in Basingstoke, he also wants to put something back into the community.

He said: “When I first started planning the business a year ago, one of the first notes I scribbled down on the first draft of my business plan was ‘give back – locally’.

“And a year later we’ve followed through with that by teaming up with Naomi House and Jacksplace hospices, at Sutton Scotney, for children and young people.

“We will be donating a percentage of every penny of profit made to this incredible and inspiring local charity and hope to help further in the future with ad-hoc events.”