Our Client
British clients looking for a London pied-a-terre.
The Challenge
Our client was an extremely time-poor senior executive, living with his family outside London but seeking a pied-a-terre to use during the week and on children’s holidays. The flat needed to be a secure lock-up and leave, providing easy access to our clients office in the City and local transport links
The Perfect Conclusion
We successfully sourced this off-plan 2 bedroom apartment measuring 907 square feet on the 2nd floor with views over an internal courtyard garden. The apartment also benefits from a balcony and is due for completion at the end of 2017. Bart’s Square is a new-build apartment block in a vibrant mixed-use development around the corner from Smithfields Market, with residents’ gardens, a bar, meeting room and cinema, and offering secure, lock-and-leave properties. Although the developer had sold the best apartments, we worked our contacts to secure one second-hand, off-market. The development is ideally located next to the new Farringdon Crossrail station.
Our Client
A high profile member of a Middle Eastern royal family.
The Challenge
Our clients were specifically looking to acquire a significant family residence in prime Central London. Specifically, they would only consider Belgravia, freehold houses measuring over 14,000 square feet, and houses that represented good value and had not previously been done up by a developer.
The Perfect Conclusion
We thoroughly researched the market, considering both on, off and pre-market houses. Through our network we were finally able to identify an entirely off market house that met with our clients very specific criteria. The owner had decided to sell off market as they had a very expensive private art collection inside the house, and only wanted serious, vetted buyers in through the door. The house measured over 20,000 sq. feet and we were able to negotiate an impressive rate of £2700 per sq. foot. Fully modernised houses in this part of London can achieve up to £5000 per sq. foot.
Our Client
A Russian client looking for a one bedroom apartment to rent in central London
The Challenge
Our client instructed us to find a one bedroom apartment in Kensington. The property had to be within a modern, gated development with 24 hour concierge and security. His budget was £750 per week.
The Perfect Conclusion
There are a limited number of gated developments in Kensington. Our knowledge of the area enabled us to shortlist those developments which would provide the accommodation and services our client required. The best property we identified was located within Wycombe Square which is a boutique development of apartments and town houses benefitting from 24 hour security and concierge. The property was listed at £850 per week (and had been previously let for £900 per week) but we agreed terms with the landlord at £725 per week- a saving of 15% for our client.
Our Client
A Jordanian client relocating to London with his family.
The Challenge
Our clients were relocating to London from the Middle East with their entire family for work reasons. Before committing to an expensive house purchase, and also due to time constraints, they wanted to rent first in order to get to know the area better. They needed to be within a half hour drive from the children’s school in Surrey but also within 45 mins to 60 mins commute to the City. They had limited time to fly over and view potential houses with a small window to see a shortlist of the best options across a number of areas.
The Perfect Conclusion
In advance of our clients visit to London, we previewed in excess of 25 properties across Wimbledon, Roehampton, Putney and Coombe so that by the time our clients visited London we could make best use of their time and the two days they had set aside in order to find their perfect rental property. Our thorough search process meant that we saved our clients a huge amount of time, cancelling out properties that did not come up to the standard of their requirements, and ensured they saw the very best selection available. We identified an immaculate 5 bedroom new build house, spanning 3642 sq. feet with the added benefit of having had only one previous tenant since new. The property is located in the highly sought after Wimbledon Village area, in a quiet position with a garden and off-street parking. We also negotiated a £2,000 discount from the monthly rental price.
Our Client
Three sisters, looking to up-size to a larger four bedroom apartment in South Kensington.
The Challenge
Our clients, a family we have worked with for a number of years, were looking to upsize to a four bedroom apartment with high ceilings in the South Kensington area. Four bedroom apartments are rare and difficult to find in this location.
The Perfect Conclusion
Due to the architecture and make-up of properties in South Kensington, four bedroom flats with period features are very hard to find. Through our network we successfully identified a suitable 4 bedroom apartment, measuring some 2000 sq. feet and the only 4 bedroom apartment on the market in a period building at this price level. We also managed to negotiate and saved our clients £1300 per month from the rental price.
Our Client
A British Couple looking to move in to London.
The Challenge
Our clients were retiring into London from Surrey and wanted to purchase either a house with a garden very close to a high street, or a lateral apartment with a large terrace overlooking the River Thames. They were open to being led and guided by us in terms of location, and we spent considerable time showing our clients various options in west, south west and east London.
The Perfect Conclusion
After 9 months of searching, and one failed transaction due to the seller withdrawing, we finally secured a very unique 2268 sq. foot freehold property on Reckitt Road. The property is located in the heart of the popular Glebe Estate and is a few minutes’ walk from Chiswick High Road with its various cafes, restaurants and shops, and less than 10 minutes’ walk from Turnham Green tube station, giving them easy access into central London. The house also has the added benefit of a stunning roof terrace with roof top views over the Glebe Estate. Our in-depth knowledge and range of experience across many of London’s postcodes, made us perfectly placed to undergo a search with such a wide scope. In addition we also managed to save our clients £65,000 from the asking price paying a very competitive £674 per sq. foot. The house next door had sold less than 12 months ago for £780 per sq. foot, giving our clients complete confidence that they were not only buying a great house, but also getting an attractive price.
Our Client
A Russian client looking for a family apartment in London.
The Challenge
Having rented a property in Mayfair through our Rental Search Service when he first moved to London, our client decided that he wanted to purchase an apartment in the same neighbourhood. With very specific requirements of at least 3 bedrooms, lateral space, a 24 hour concierge and security, a good view and ideally a swimming pool, the number of suitable options in such a small area were extremely limited.
The Perfect Conclusion
Our extensive experience, knowledge and contacts in Mayfair meant that we were able to identify developments, both existing and off plan which would be able to satisfy our client’s specific requirements. In the end Clarges Mayfair was the perfect solution for our client’s needs. A boutique scheme of just 34 apartments, developed by British Land and designed by Squire and Partners, with extensive leisure facilities including a swimming pool, as well as 24 hour concierge. The best units have far reaching southerly views over Green Park but unfortunately none were available on the open market. Through our network we sourced an off market 4 bedroom unit on the 4th floor with stunning views over the park. We then successfully negotiated 10% from the asking price, saving our client £2.35 million.
Our Client
European clients looking for a pied a Terre period apartment in London, which could also be used by their son whilst at university.
The Challenge
Our clients were very open on location, but wanted the apartment to have at least two bedrooms, be in a safe area very close to a high street and a tube station. They had a budget of £1.3m.
The Perfect Conclusion
We secured an excellent conversion of a Victorian end of terraced house in West Hampstead with three bedrooms, within three minutes’ walk of the high Street and two stations (overground and underground). The apartment was in reasonable condition and was perfect for the clients’ son to move into, but also has potential to make improvements and add value over time. The property was on the market with an asking price of £1,2950,000. We successfully negotiated the price down to £1,222,500, saving our clients £72,5000. This equated to a very reasonable £836 per square foot. Flats in the area regularly sell for in excess of £950 per square foot.
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 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 Indian buyer.
The Challenge
Our Indian client was looking for a 2 bed apartment in Mayfair or Knightsbridge with the specific requirement that the building should have a 24 hour front desk porter and air-conditioning. Due to currency remittance laws in India, their budget was constrained providing a further challenge to the search.
The Perfect Conclusion
We successfully agreed the purchase of this three bedroom, 7th floor, 1100 sq. foot apartment in a highly regarded apartment block in Mayfair next to Grosvenor Square. As a result of our negotiations we saved our client £400,000 from the asking price and managed a difficult conveyancing process through to a successful exchange of contracts. The property was held under two leases – one short lease with the immediate landlord and a longer concurrent lease granted by the Grosvenor estate. The short lease contained a provision which essentially could have restricted our clients from selling the property for a 7 year period. We successfully managed to negotiate with the landlord to vary the short lease to remove the relevant provision and also negotiated for the vendor to pay the premium for the this which was £65,000. Crucially we also introduced our client to a financial advisor who successfully arranged a mortgage that could work with their remittance restrictions and enable them to buy.
Our Client
A Middle Eastern Buyer.
The Challenge
A repeat client of ours was looking for a secure long term property investment in Central London.
The Perfect Conclusion
We identified a distressed sale in Phase 1 of the new Battersea Power Station Development. We managed to negotiate and secure a 14th floor river facing 2 bedroom unit at approximately £1,500 per square foot. Other similar units have exchanged for £1,800 per square foot plus. We were able to negotiate a substantially reduced price as the vendor was keen to sell having suffered from a severe currency depreciation in their home country. The unit is in one of the best positions in the scheme and includes a 200 square foot winter garden. In addition we have provided a complete solution for our client through our Property Management Service, and successfully identified a suitable tenant paying £725 per week.
The Client
A Canadian client
The Challenge
Our client had his property rented out and managed through us, but decided he wanted to sell the property and release some equity in order to buy a larger home outside of London. The flat having been rented out for several years was looking quite tired and so we advised our client to spend some money on the flat in order to achieve a better sales price.
The Perfect Conclusion
Our client was delighted when the property achieved £75,000 above the guide price of £2 million given by the selling agents who appraised it prior to sale.
The sale shows the difference we were able to make with our understanding of the market, our knowledge of which estate agents to work with, and the correct attention to properly “dressing” a property.
The Challenge
Our client was high profile, working in the entertainment industry and looking for specialist advice and confidentiality. Privacy and security were important requirements. They also wanted a flat with open-plan spaces and that all important ‘wow’ factor.
The Perfect Conclusion
We successfully sourced this impressive and funky 1500 square foot warehouse conversion apartment in Shoreditch, and negotiated an impressive £200,000 reduction from the original asking price. We also managed to get a car parking space included as part of our negotiations.
The Unfair Advantage
We battle hard on price. Tough negotiations resulted in a £200,000 saving for our client.
The Client
A British buyer.
The Challenge
Our British clients lived an hour from the capital and wanted a pied a terre in Central London, preferably walking distance from the shops, restaurants and theatres of the West End. They wanted a modern flat in very good condition.
The Perfect Conclusion
Through our comprehensive network of the best developers in Central London we identified a boutique scheme of only 7 apartments located just off The Strand, with walking distance to Covent Garden and therefore in the heart of the West End.
We were able to secure our clients a £100,000 discount as a result of our negotiations.
