Our Client
A British family looking to upsize
The Challenge
our British clients were looking for an apartment or house for their growing family. They wanted to be within walking distance of family in Primrose Hill which meant the search area was very small. They had seen a lot of property before engaging us and had missed out on properties because of being outbid.
The Perfect Conclusion
Black Brick secured a house on the Kentish Town/Belsize Park borders in a competitive bid scenario where all interested parties were asked to submit ‘best and final’ offers. We agreed an offer equivalent to £787 per square foot. A house which sold a few doors down earlier in the year sold for £768 per square foot.
Our Client
Singaporean family with children.
The Challenge
Our Singaporean client was looking for a secure pied-a-terre in Central London. As their children are due to start school in the UK, it was important that the property was located in a secure development with 24 hour porter and/or concierge services as there would be times when the children might be in the property alone.
The Perfect Conclusion
We researched a number of gated developments in our clients preferred area of Kensington and set about highlighting units that suited their requirements. With little stock on the open market, we also made private approaches to owners and residents who were not openly looking to sell. We identified 21 Young Street, a new off-plan development by Grainger PLC, in a prime location just off High Street Kensington and Kensington Gardens. This boutique development has just 53 apartments and will benefit from 24 hour concierge, residents gym, screening room, library and gardens and continued on-going investment from Grainger through the retention of certain units.
The development has seen a huge amount of interest since the launch with very little open marketing and we were one of the very first into the scheme. We successfully purchased a 3 bedroom 1690 square foot duplex Mews house style apartment and negotiated £50,000 from the asking price and managed to get a secure parking space included. It was the perfect development for our clients, meeting every single one of their requirements.
Our Client
English and Australian clients
The Challenge
Our English and Australian clients with a growing family were looking to upsize from their two bedroom flat in Maida Vale to a five bedroom family house in South East London, closer to family living in Kent. They wanted to find a period house with good living space, close to amenities, and to maintain their existing 45 minute commute to The City. Being five months pregnant, our client was keen to have moved in before child number three was born.
The Perfect Conclusion
Not knowing much about South East London themselves, we introduced and educated them on the various pockets, the properties which exist there and the prices being achieved for different types of property. Together we were able to narrow the search area down until they had complete and utter confidence that Limesford Road was the perfect house for them. Despite competition from another bidder, we were able to secure the property for the clients for £1.1m (£557 per square foot) – £30,000 less than the asking price.
Our Client
A Russian Client
The Challenge
Our Russian client was looking for a three or four bedroom apartment to rent in Marylebone. He wanted the property to be in a good location, have high ceilings and be able to house all of his existing furniture.
The Perfect Conclusion
We found the perfect property on our first tour with the client, within two weeks of being instructed. Despite two other offers on the property, we were able to secure the property for our client for less than the asking price.
Our Client
A British Family
The Challenge
We sourced this stunning first floor apartment in Chelsea for our client for £2,500,000 in July 2012. Our client had successfully let the property for four years but decided to sell in order to release funds to purchase two smaller properties for his children.
The Perfect Conclusion
Through our extensive network a buyer was identified and an offer of £3,525,000 or £2880 per square foot was accepted. This represented a 41% increase in value over a 4 year period and is the highest price ever achieved in this building-an incredible result given current market conditions.
Our Client
A Russian tenant
The Challenge
Our Russian client was looking for a three bedroom furnished apartment in the middle of Mayfair. We shortlisted a number of options however he did not like the style and quality of the furniture in any of the properties and was not prepared to look outside of his search area.
The Perfect Conclusion
We identified a stunning first floor apartment overlooking Mount Street, which is regarded as one of the best addresses in the area, however it was only being offered on a unfurnished basis. Through our extensive network of contacts we were able to introduce our client to a furniture company who were able to design a bespoke solution for him.
Our Client
A UK Family
The Challenge
We originally sourced this wonderful family home for our clients back in 2012. They came back to us in 2016 to help assist with the sale as they wanted to relocate to North London to be closer to good girls schools. 2016 has been a tough sales market, with increased levels of stamp duty and potential buyers concerned about Brexit, selling properties at this level is more challenging than ever before.
The Perfect Conclusion
By carefully marketing the property to Black Brick’s extensive network of other buying agents we successfully identified a suitable buyer for our clients and once under offer, the sale progressed through to a swift exchange and completion. Our clients were delighted and we are also now assisting them with their onward property search.
Our Client
A British Family
The Challenge
We sourced this stunning first floor apartment on one of South Kensington’s best streets for our client in November 2011 for £2,825,000. Our clients had loved living at the property but with their children either at university or living abroad they no longer needed such a large home.
The Perfect Conclusion
Through our extensive network we identified two buyers who were interested in the property and accepted an offer at £3,8250,000 or £1900 per square foot four weeks after being instructed on the sale. Our clients had been very concerned about the state of the market and so were delighted to have achieved such a strong price so quickly.
Our Client
An English buyer
The Challenge
Our British clients whose main residence is in the countryside wanted to take advantage of the slowdown in the Central London sales market and uncertainty around Brexit to find themselves a lovely pied a terre for their future use and stays in London. South Bank was a location that worked well for them logistically and also benefits from a wide range of restaurants, theatre and nightlife . Their brief was for a three bedroom apartment in a secure building within walking distance of Waterloo station. We set about an analysis of all the potential property for sale that suited their requirements in the area, with a particular focus on new builds.
The Perfect Conclusion
South Bank Tower is a development that had all the features our clients required; a 24 hour concierge service, private roof terrace business suite, swimming pool, steam room, sauna and gymnasium. We identified a 3 bedroom apartment on the 24th floor with stunning views over the River Thames and the City. Knowing the developer was keen to sell, we negotiated aggressively saving our clients £550,000 from the £2.75m asking price, a saving of 20%. Subsequently our clients paid circa £1,600 per square foot in a building where exactly the same size units have sold for in excess £2,100 and £2,300 per square foot previously
Our Client
A South African Investor
The Challenge
Our client had owned the property for a number of years and it had been a successful rental investment for him. In 2015 he decided to sell and had engaged a local estate agent to assist him however despite a long period of marketing he had not been successful and so was looking for a fresh approach.
The Perfect Conclusion
Black Brick advised our client to stop marketing the property and to undertake a light refurbishment which we managed. Once this had been completed we arranged for the apartment to be furnished and dressed and then brought back to the market. As a result of interest from two prospective buyers the apartment was sold for £2,625,000 or £1873 per square foot.
Our Client
A British Buyer
The Challenge
Our clients were in rented accommodation looking to buy a permanent home in London. Having recently relocated from the US, coupled with their full-time work commitments, they were extremely time poor and needed advice on which areas they could find the right property for their budget, and a professional to take the necessary time in previewing relevant properties. The property also needed a roof terrace suitable for barbeques, which is difficult to find in central London.
The Perfect Conclusion
We spent time researching the market and educating our clients on multiple locations. In the end we successfully identified a fabulous 3 bedroom new build penthouse apartment measuring 1524 sq. feet in Battersea, with the added benefit of a large wrap around roof terrace. In addition to being able to barbeque on the roof terrace, the terrace also has a Jacuzzi hot tub and stunning views over London. We managed to negotiate and save our clients £75,000 from the asking price, equating to a competitive rate of only £770 per square ft. We also negotiated some extra internal upgrades to the flooring and terrace which will be carried between exchange and completion at no extra cost to our client.
Our Client
An American buyer
The Challenge
We sourced this stunning ground and lower ground floor apartment, with direct access to communal gardens for our client in April 2014 for £6.6 million. Our clients had enjoyed living in the property, but in spring 2016 they contacted us to discreetly help find a buyer for the property as they were relocating back to the US. Our clients did not want the property to be openly marketed and our instructions were to seek a buyer privately and with minimal disruption.
The Perfect Conclusion
Through our network we successfully identified two buyers within a few weeks, one of whom quickly agreed to purchase the property at the full asking price. At £2343 per sq. foot, this represents the highest price per square foot achieved for a flat on this street, a stunning achievement in what is currently a very slow and subdued sales market. The transaction proves that a discreet and confidential approach is often the best way to sell a property and is a prime example of how successful our Managed Sale Service is.
Our Client
A Russian tenant
The Challenge
Our Russian client’s daughter had been offered a place at a prestigious school in South Kensington. Not knowing the capital well our client decided he would rather rent for a year before purchasing a home in the city. The requirements were tough: three bedrooms in a modern gated development with 24 hour security and parking but no more than a 15 minute walk from the school.
The Perfect Conclusion
Through our intimate knowledge of the market we immediately identified those developments which matched our client’s criteria. We shortlisted the best two apartments and our client flew over from Russia to inspect them. He choose a 1st floor flat in Thornwood Gardens which is a well-regarded, boutique development just off Kensington High Street bordering Holland Park and less than a 15 minute walk to his daughters school.
Our Client
An African Client
The Challenge
Our African client was looking for a second home in London, but also something that would prove to be a good long term investment. With a limited budget of £1.5 million we were tasked to try and identify a spacious 3 bedroom property in good condition or newly built within Central London.
The Perfect Conclusion
We spent time with our client showing them options right the way across London, from Putney, Fulham and Chiswick in the West to Clerkenwell in the East and Central areas such as Marylebone and Bayswater. We eventually introduced our client to the idea of Maida Vale having identified a unique opportunity to purchase one of just 8 contemporary new build villas in a gated, landscaped mews. The property was spacious, with 3 good sized bedrooms, plus a media room and also benefitted from allocated parking. Given the current state of the market we also negotiated aggressively for our client, saving them £125,000 from the asking price. We also introduced our client to the right lawyers and helped obtain finance for the transaction through our trusted network of mortgage brokers, providing our client with a complete one stop shop solution to their needs.
Our Client
A Middle Eastern Client
The Challenge
Our client bought his property at the very peak of the sales market. With changes to his personal circumstances, he no longer used the property and it became an unused asset. We were tasked with managing the sale in a very challenging sales market, which saw several changes to stamp duty along with other significant changes to property ownership for foreigners. As a result we had to carefully manage our clients expectations on price and stay focused on a sale which would take many months to conclude.
The Perfect Conclusion
Our client was delighted when having reduced the asking price to £7.95 million we suddenly got multiple offers on the property for him from three interested buyers. We successfully agreed a final sale price of £7.25 million, just 3 days after Brexit.
