Galashiels mortgage firm’s expansion into Hawick running like clockwork

Galashiels-based Clockwork Mortgages has moved into the town’s former Clydesdale Bank premises.

The building, at 30 High Street, had stood empty since the bank closed its doors in 2016.

The company, which in addition to its office in Channel Street also has an outlet at Northgate in Peebles, was established 12 years ago by owner and director Ewan Barrowclough.

Ewan, of Selkirk, said: “I bought the Hawick unit at auction a year past February and it then went through the planning process and we didn’t start work on the office until December last year.

“We had to completely gut the whole place as it was very run down, take off the old grey cladding on the front office and take the night-safes out the front and the walk-in safe at the back.

“We got in two weeks before lockdown and the shop front wasn’t quite finished yet.

“We are Covid-friendly and have been doing face-to-face interviews for the last two weeks while socially distancing.

“Clients are more than welcome to come in and see us but it’s their preference and we can do telephone interviews and a lot on email.

“Our preference is face-to-face because it’s better putting a face to the name.

“The housing market is booming at the minute and there just aren’t enough houses on the market to meet the demand. We’ve been going 12 years so we have a good client bank and we have always been supported well from Hawick.

“One of the reasons we opened in Hawick was the amount of people who used to come across to Galashiels to see us, it was quite something, and that has prompted us to do the move in the first place and we have been really welcomed.

“I think people were quite glad to see an old building being occupied again so we get good support here.”

There are currently two staff employed in Hawick, with another appointment expected soon, two staff members in the Galashiels office and a sole adviser in Peebles.