Creative ways to live with an ex-partner, if you can’t afford to move out

The rising cost of living is causing some divorcees and ex-partners to have to stay on living together, post breakup.

Our Managing Parter, Camilla Dell features in The Times this week, sharing some of her own stories of working with people in the prime property market who have recently split from their significant other.

She recalled how she once found herself looking for £50 million houses for a divorcing wife, then preparing her for court “so she understood the property market and running costs better and was prepared for cross-examination,”.

Read the full article here.

The new house price hotspots favoured by high earners

Those who earn the highest in our country massively influence the growth of house prices.

As such, data into their movements enable buying agents like Black Brick determine emerging new property and neighbourhood hotspots.

Featuring in The Times this week to reflect on the latest revelations of high earners’ property interests, our Managing Partner, Camilla Dell shared her thoughts.

Read the full article here.

The best places to move near good schools in 2022

Tim Palmer of The Times has declared the best places to move to in the UK that are nearest to the very best schools.

Leaning on the expertise of various buying agents and property experts, the article features the advice of Black Brick buying agent Caspar Harvard-Walls, who warned that the cost of living crisis is “striking fear even among the wealthy”, leading to experts like him to expect buyers in the most premium areas to begin looking more closely at state school catchment regions.

“If people’s income is squeezed, saving on school fees will become a massive issue, especially as 70 per cent of new Oxbridge undergraduates now come from state schools,” he said.

Read the full article here.

Why house prices are heating up in London’s elite postcodes

Despite the current political climate and economic turmoil, the UK’s capital is still a hotspot for premium property buyers, with little sign of slowing down.

Reflecting on her own experience as a prime central London buying agent, Black Brick’s Founder Camilla Dell shared her thoughts on the current market in a new piece for The Times.

“Anyone working in oil and gas seems quite interested in the London property market — I have a few Nigerian clients and inquiries from Africa, the Middle East and the United States. Oil is up, the pound is down, so London property will benefit from these buyers feeling much wealthier,” she said.

Read more in the full article here.

How will the stamp duty holiday affect the housing market?

With the Chancellor officially announcing a stamp duty tax break until the end of March next year, there may well be some big changes coming soon for the UK property sector.

In a new article by The Times that discusses how the stamp duty holiday will affect the housing market, Black Brick Founder and buying agent of over 20 years, Camilla Dell shared her thoughts on whether the government may even abolish the tax altogether:

“I can’t see it happening politically. They’d be accused of being a party for the rich when they are trying to help the north. Sunak’s reforms gave my buyer on a £2 million flat in St John’s Wood an extra £15,000. I think this is as good as it gets for us.”

Read the article here.

What does selling property off market mean?

People are increasingly starting to list their homes privately, opting out of the popular property websites like Rightmove or Zoopla, and going solo.

But why? Surely it’s much more hassle to go alone, especially for something that can be as stressful as selling your property.

In a new article for The Times this week, Black Brick Partner and top Buying Agent, Caspar Harvard-Walls shared his perspective on the matter:

“We used to be dealing in £20m properties, but now it can be anything from £1m upwards,” he said, estimating that the number of off-market properties on his books has risen from a quarter in 2018 to a third in 2019.

“I was looking on behalf of a buyer who had a £4m budget. I found six houses that met their specific brief and not one of them was on the open market.”

Read more in the full article here.

Where Britain’s youngest millionaire’s live

This week in a new piece for The Times, Melissa York shares where Britain’s wealthiest under-30s are hanging out and living life best.

As a buying agency specialising in premium property in London and the wider UK, we were asked to feature our opinions for this article on current hotspots for ultra-rich youngsters.

Sharing his insight into those that are wealthy heirs, Black Brick buying agent, Tom Kain revealed how many families’ succession plans outline how they spend on property:

“They’ll have a succession plan in place outlining how they’re getting the money. That’s why they’ll tend to choose a safe investment that’s about capital growth and wealth preservation.”

Read more in the full article here.

How to deal with sealed bids

In a new article for The Times this week, we share our top tips for handling high-end property purchase negotiations.

In the piece, Black Brick buying agent Caspar Harvard-Walls shared his recommendations when it comes to sealed bids, citing how they often appear for “really high-quality, best-in-class properties”

“As an extreme example, an unmodernised detached villa in Holland Park, west London, went on the market at about £13m. A round of sealed bids later, it sold last month for more than £18m.”, he said.

Tips on selling large-family homes

Large, four-to-five-bedroom homes are often a little harder to sell, with a smaller pool of buyers to choose from.

In a new article for The Times this week, we share our advice and top tips for how sellers should go about selling on their large family homes.

Black Brick Partner, Caspar Harvard-Walls shared how, for the grounds, the key is have them photographed at their best and in bright weather:

“Even if you want one more Christmas in the family home, have your pictures taken earlier in the year, when the garden is in bloom,” he said.

Read more in the full article here.