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
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
IBV International Vaults, a global Swiss vault company.
The Challenge
Our client operates IBV vaults, a market leading safety deposit box company across several locations including Switzerland and South Africa, but was keen to expand into London, where he could offer his VIP service to the world’s elite. There are very few bank vaults still in operation, and even fewer that are willing to sub-lease or sell their space to a third party. Many banks no longer offer safe deposit box facilities, but demand for such facilities is high as storing valuables in secure safety deposit boxes can avoid soaring insurance premiums.
The Perfect Conclusion
As a residential buying agency, this was a very unusual deal for us, made possible by our excellent connections as the vault was only available off-market. Situated on Park Lane in Mayfair, and next to the Dorchester Hotel, the location could not have been more perfect for our client. We negotiated a long lease with Barclays, and a significant rent free period as our client intends on carrying out significant works to improve the vaults. The 2,077 sq. ft. vault will open in November 2017 and will be completed to a luxurious standard, providing 3,300 safety deposit boxes for discerning clients.
Our Client
A French family relocating from Brussels to London
The Challenge
Our clients were a French family with 3 young children, relocating from Brussels to London for work and their children’s schooling. They required a minimum five bedroom house with a garden, close to schools, a park and the West End. This opened up a huge choice of potential locations and properties that might work for them. We spent time educating our clients on different areas, showing them properties in South Kensington, Kensington, Chelsea, Notting Hill, Primrose Hill and Hampstead. The family were restricted to visiting London just twice a month, so our weekly reporting was hugely important in helping them to understand the different areas, styles of houses and pricing.
The Perfect Conclusion
We successfully agreed the purchase of this grand semi-detached freehold period house. The property met our clients brief perfectly, measuring over 3,300 square feet, with 5 bedrooms, a 100 foot garden and the ability to extend the house by adding a further floor. The purchase was agreed the first week the property came onto the market, and we successfully negotiated a discount of £400,000, despite competition of a higher offer from another buyer. We have also assisted our client with the potential future works they will do to the property by arranging three separate specialist surveys and introducing and overseeing three building contractor and interior design quotes. We are also overseeing the removal and set-up of new utility accounts to ensure their move in process is stress free.
The Unfair Advantage
We move fast. We were first in through the door of this magnificent period house in Primrose Hill. Early negotiations meant we secured the property at a very competitive £1,399 per sq. ft., saving £400,000 from the asking price, and successfully exchanged contracts despite a higher offer from another buyer.
Our Client
A Nigerian family
The Challenge
Our clients were looking to sell their Knightsbridge apartment to reduce their property liability in London.
The Perfect Conclusion
Having seen transaction levels and prices dramatically decreasing in the area over the last 12 months Knightsbridge has become an increasingly difficult market to sell in. However, we managed to agree the sale at a very healthy £2,385 per sq ft to a cash buyer who we introduced via one of our private contacts.
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
An Indian buyer.
The Challenge
Our Indian Client was looking for an off plan buy to let investment opportunity in Prime Central London for under £1 million. With so many developments available across London the market is extremely difficult to navigate.
The Perfect Conclusion
Successfully buying a new build property in London requires experience and skill. With 1000’s of properties being developed across Central London, it’s vital to understand value, the differences between developments and select the best possible unit. We identified a beautiful one bedroom apartment measuring 557 sq. ft. on the third floor of ‘The Stage’ which is conveniently located less than a 5 minute walk from Liverpool Street Station. The development itself is on the site of a 16th century theatre where Shakespeare first performed Romeo and Juliet. Through our excellent relationship with the developer we were able to agree terms prior to the public launch at £787,500 or £1414 per sq ft which was 10% below the listed asking price.
Our Client
We have closed not one but six transactions for various UK investment clients in this off-plan development during 2015.
The Challenge
Many of our clients are attracted to buying off plan. The advantages of staged payments and possibility to sell the contract on before completion being some of the key advantages. However, the off-plan/new build market is a minefield for most buyers and investors. Most off plan developments in London will not make good investments. There is a vast range of options across London, and the need for in-depth market knowledge about how they are likely to perform when completed is vital.
The Perfect Conclusion
We highlighted the Television Centre to several of our clients for various reasons – its transport links, proximity to the Westfield shopping centre, investment going in from Imperial College, opening of a new Soho house hotel and private members club and the fact the BBC will continue to be on site, all make it compelling. It is also relatively low density. Furthermore, we achieved an attractive rate, at circa £1,000 per square foot, which we feel is good value for a development of this quality and in this location. We also leveraged our contacts to get our clients in early, securing the best units before the development’s UK launch.
The Client
An English buyer.
The Challenge
A repeat client who wanted to purchase an investment property to add to his portfolio.
The Perfect Conclusion
We highlighted the brand new iconic re-development of St Barts hospital on the City fringe. Unlike many of the other generic high rise, multiple unit schemes on offer in London, St Barts has a boutique feel with every flat retaining it’s own individual character and is set within the historic side streets near Farringdon. The scheme is also in very close proximity to the new Crossrail substation. The property was secured with a small reservation deposit before it had been offered to any other buyers and buying off-plan has enabled our clients to spread the payment over the next 36 months.
The Client
A South African family.
The Challenge
Our clients who were living in Surrey were looking to move to either Petersham or Richmond in order to be close to their childrens school. They wanted a detached five bedroom house with a large garden preferably in excellent condition.
The Perfect Conclusion
Black Brick found an off market, detached house, with a large garden and backing onto Richmond golf course. The property was less than five minutes’ walk to the school.
Here is what our client had to say about his experience working with us:
“The best decision we as a couple, who were new to the Richmond market and after 12 months of fruitless attempts to close on a selected home, was appoint Black Brick. Caspar and his team hit the ground running and helped us refocus our attention on the targeted homes by re-positioning our offers /strategy. This eventually resulted in us securing our preferred choice, despite the home never coming to market. Without Caspar and the Black Brick team we would not have secured our new home”.
The Client
A Middle Eastern Buyer.
The Challenge
Our client was a repeat client who was looking for a pied a terre in Prime Central London.
The Perfect Conclusion
We sourced a two bedroom apartment located within a boutique, off plan, prime apartment block just off Hanover Square, a prime Mayfair address. The property was the show apartment and we were able to negotiate the inclusion of £100k of fixtures, fittings and furnishings within the asking price.
The Client
An Indian investor
The Challenge
Our client was looking for a central London property that could be easily rented in the short term and would provide a base for their children who will come to University in the UK in years to come.
The Perfect Conclusion
After a sequence of guided property tours we narrowed down a particular area our clients felt comfortable with. Through our contact in a local estate agency office we arranged access for our clients to view a very attractive first floor apartment before it came onto the open market. The offer was submitted, negotiated and agreed in quick time, cancelling out the threat of competitive bids from other potential buyers.
The Client
An African Investor
The Challenge
A repeat Black Brick client, who we have sourced multiple properties for over the years. Knowing that our client loves St John’s Wood, we preempted that they would be interested in this new, off plan, off market development overlooking Primrose Hill.
The Perfect Conclusion
We sourced an off market, off plan, 2 bedroom, 1200 square feet apartment in what is set to become St John’s Wood/Primrose Hill’s most prestigious modern apartment building, containing just 36 apartments. With completion not until 2015, we think this development will do very well over the next few years. It will be the only apartment block in the area with a full range of facilities, such as swimming pool, gym, parking and 24 hour concierge.
The Client
An African Buyer
The Challenge
International client with children at boarding school in the UK looking for a secure, discreet freehold house to use during half terms and holidays.
The Perfect Conclusion
We sourced an off market mews house in a small gated development in Fulham. The property was in immaculate condition and so could be used by the family straight away.
The Client
A Middle Eastern Buyer
The Challenge
Our client was looking for a four bedroom apartment in prime Central London. The property was a pied a terre and therefore security was an important factor within the brief.
The Perfect Conclusion
We sourced a fantastic, newly refurbished lateral apartment on Lowndes Square before it came onto the open market and consequently advised our client that they should fly into London at the earliest opportunity. Having viewed the property, our client offered and successfully exchanged contracts within 48 hours.
We were also able to negotiate all the furniture, art and audio visual equipment to be included within the sale price.
