Our Client
An English couple with a growing family looking to upsize to a larger family home.
The Challenge
Our clients had been living in a beautiful apartment in Kensington but with a growing family decided that they wanted to buy a house in the same area. They were very focused on identifying a property where they could add value and so were open to the idea of buying something which required a significant amount of work. Initially our clients had started the search themselves but had become increasingly frustrated with the lack of good quality stock combined with the unrealistic price expectations of many sellers in this area of London. They engaged Black Brick to take over their search.
The Perfect Conclusion
Through our network we were introduced to an off market house on Bedford Gardens in Kensington which had been owned by the same family for many years. The family had successfully applied for planning permission which allowed for the house to be almost doubled in size through a basement extension, developing the side and rear of the ground floor level as well as a loft conversion. The property had an asking price of £5,950,000 however as a result of our negotiations we were able to secure a discount of £1,100,000 (or nearly 19%) and contracts were exchanged at £4,850,000.
Our Client
An English family looking to move from an apartment to a family house.
The Challenge
Our clients had lived in the Little Venice/Maida Vale area for many years. The combination of lower house prices combined with cheap lending gave them the motivation to upgrade to a larger family house, St Johns Wood being an area they had always dreamed of living in. With two older children living and working in London, the house needed to have the right balance of good bedroom and living space in order to give adults and older children the space to live under the same roof. The house needed to have at least 4 bedrooms, and be walking distance from the tube. Whilst initial research threw up around 30 potential houses, in reality, decent houses that were sensibly priced were far and few between.
The Perfect Conclusion
After an abortive transaction on a Grade II listed house where we discovered that the owners had failed to obtain the necessary planning consents, we finally managed to identify a much better alternative house within 3 months of being retained. We were the very first people in through the door to view a special house located on Blenheim Road. The house had been meticulously refurbished by the current owners who were relocating abroad and therefore extremely motivated to sell. With 4 bedrooms, all with en-suite bathrooms, ample entertaining and reception space, outside space and off street parking, the house met with every single one of our clients requirements. Our early viewing resulted in a week of negotiations and a price being agreed at well below the planned asking price of £4.75 million. We saved our client £350,000 or 7.3% from the asking price, equating to a very competitive £1600 per sq. foot. Recent house sales in the area have been achieving as much as £1865 per sq. foot. We also managed to get the seller to agree not to bring the property onto the open market, allowing our client the necessary time needed to exchange contracts without the pressure of another potential buyer coming along.
Our Client
A family from the Middle East, looking for a second home in London.
The Challenge
Our clients were looking for a second home in London, as they spend considerable time in the city during school holidays. With 5 children, we were tasked to find a large 4 bedroom apartment in a secure modern or brand new build development. Proximity to the west end for shopping was also very important. The budget for the purchase was between £3 million to £3.5 million. Due to planning laws and the price of high quality new build in Prime Central London, 4 bedroom apartments are extremely hard to find at this price point.
The Perfect Conclusion
We identified an opportunity to join two apartments on the same floor in a brand new development, Castle Lane. Nestled in the historic Birdcage Walk Conservation Area of Westminster, Castle Lane is a rare, new boutique development of 28 meticulously crafted apartments and 3 townhouses. By joining two apartments together, we were able to create a lateral 4 bedroom 4 bathroom apartment measuring almost 2000 sq. feet. As well as negotiating for the developer to carry out the work to join the apartments together, we also managed to save our client £250,000 from the asking price, equating to a purchase price of £1,962 per sq. foot. New builds regularly achieve in excess of £2000 per sq. foot in this location.
Our Client
Our clients were an Asian/Australian family looking to purchase their first family home in central London.
The Challenge
Since moving to London from Australia three years ago they had been in rented accommodation in the Holland Park area, and with a baby on the way, had decided they wanted to put down some proper roots and buy a permanent home. The market in Holland Park and surrounding areas for sensibly priced and well located properties in the £2m to £3.5m range is severely limited. Good properties often sell before coming onto the open market and competition is rife.
The Perfect Conclusion
Due to our excellent contacts with the right local agents, we were first in the door of this beautifully presented 3 bedroom freehold house, measuring almost 1800 square feet and with the added benefit of secure off street parking and south west facing garden. Abbotsbury Road is one of the most sought after roads in W14 and is located directly opposite Holland Park, making it an ideal family location. We managed to agree the sale during the first week of marketing, and also successfully negotiated a £205,000 discount from the asking price.
Our Client
Our client was looking for a three bedroom property with a garden suitable for pets.
The Challenge
The property had to be within walking distance of an apartment their staff were currently renting. This meant we were searching within a very small radius. In addition, finding properties with Landlords that are happy to allow pets can be a challenge.
The Perfect Conclusion
We successfully agreed the rental of this attractive townhouse on Chepstow Road at £600 less than the monthly asking price, saving our clients an impressive 7% from the asking price rent. As part of our negotiations, we also managed to get the landlord to agree to carry out a light refurbishment before our clients moved in, and arranged for a garden landscaping company to work on the garden. This involved speaking to relevant contractors, arranging quotes and securing the best price, all as part of our service.
Our Client
A British client looking for a family home.
The Challenge
Our client wanted a large, detached house in South West London. Their ideal property needed to be very private, not overlooked and with a secluded garden. With three dogs, access to open spaces within walking distance from the property was also an important requirement. They had previously been under offer on another property in Wimbledon for £6.5 million, but had lost confidence in both the property and the price being paid, and so engaged us as their buying agent to provide proper guidance and advice.
The Perfect Conclusion
We spent time educating our client on various desirable areas in South West London, working out what was important to them and what wasn’t. We identified Putney as a suitable location, and one that would offer our clients better value for money than more expensive Wimbledon. Through our network of contacts we identified an off market house in Heathview Gardens. The front of the house had uninterrupted views across a cricket pitch with a stunning, private 90 foot west facing garden to the rear. Heathview Gardens is located on Putney Heath, surrounded by woodland with Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park easily accessible. Crucially we managed to save our client £300,000 or 5.1% from the asking price concluding the purchase at £5,500,000 or £935 per square foot.
Our Client
An Indian client looking for a two bedroom apartment to rent in central London.
The Challenge
Our client instructed us to find his daughter a two bedroom apartment between her University at St Martins and Marylebone. It was critical that the property be within a modern, secure development with 24 hour concierge, security and be very close to the tube.
The Perfect Conclusion
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 Fitzrovia Apartments which is a small development of apartments next to Great Portland Street tube station which benefits from 24 hour security and concierge. The property was listed at £850 per week (and had been previously let for £900 per week unfurnished) but we agreed terms with the landlord at £800 per week furnished – a saving of nearly 6% for our client.
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.
