The Challenge
The brief was to find a large, modern, two bedroom rental apartment in great condition, within a portered block with a lift, private gym and private gardens in South West London. Our client also had plans to move most of their large furniture from Canada to London and so careful planning on our part was needed to ensure larger items of furniture would fit into the apartment.
The Perfect Conclusion
We identified a large two bedroom apartment on the 4th floor of one of the best new developments South of the river, Neo Bankside. The development has all the private resident facilities that were required– including the 24 hour concierge, gym and private gardens. We managed to save our client money – they originally had given us a budget of up to £5,200 per month to work with, but we managed to secure this apartment for £4,460 per month a 6.4% saving from the asking price.
The Unfair Advantage
We are expert hand holders – relocating to London can be a daunting experience. We managed and oversaw our clients move from Canada to London, seamlessly, and negotiated them a 6.4% saving.
The Challenge
The brief was to find an immaculate one bedroom apartment, in a secure apartment block between Baker Street Station and Marylebone High Street. From the point of instruction we only had 7 days to research the market, view options, organise a tour, negotiate and schedule the client to move in.
The Perfect Conclusion
We were able to secure a large, one bedroom apartment in a well-known mansion block right between Baker Street Station and Marylebone High Street. The apartment was renovated only 12 months ago and remains in fantastic condition. This flat had been on the market for less than an hour before we had organised a viewing for our client to see it. Leaning on our experience our client had the confidence to negotiate decisively and secured the apartment below the asking price in record time.
The Unfair Advantage
We personally wrote letters to every resident living in the building, making them aware of the sale. As a result we were contacted by a resident who had a friend interested in purchasing the apartment. We then conducted viewings with their representative and negotiated the subsequent offers agreeing the sale at £1.8m, just £50,000 below the asking price.
The Challenge
Our client was looking to sell this two bedroom, two bathroom apartment in Belgravia which they no longer used. The biggest challenge we faced was the competition from other apartments in the area for sale. There were five other similar units for sale in the same building alone, and many more in the wider area.
The Perfect Conclusion
We personally wrote letters to every resident living in the building, making them aware of the sale. As a result we were contacted by a resident who had a friend interested in purchasing the apartment. We then conducted viewings with their representative and negotiated the subsequent offers agreeing the sale at £1.8m, just £50,000 below the asking price.
The Unfair Advantage
We go the extra mile. In addition to sending the property details to our extensive list of property agents and private contacts, we wrote letters to every single resident in the building, over 100 people in total. This enabled us to quickly identify a suitable buyer, whilst other similar flats remain for sale in the building.
Our Client
Northern Irish ex-pat clients looking for a London pied-a-terre.
The Challenge
As a second home, our clients wanted something in a central location, with easy access to amenities and transport. The property was also required to provide good value for money as a long term investment.
The Perfect Conclusion
Black Brick successfully sourced this spacious two bedroom apartment measuring over 1,000 sq ft with lift access and a porter. The flat is located on the best garden square address in South Kensington, and was bought for £1,600 per sq ft, with properties selling on the same square for as much as £2,800 per sq ft in the last 12 months. We have introduced the client to a trusted building contractor to assist with renovation works. The apartment had over 15 viewings within the first week of marketing and we successfully secured it against competitive bidding from another party.
Our Client
Swiss clients looking for a London pied-a-terre.
The Challenge
As their second home, our clients were looking for something with a wow factor for the family to enjoy, in a safe area that was also close to amenities and transport.
The Perfect Conclusion
We successfully sourced this special and rare third floor floor flat, benefiting from direct lift access and with triple aspect views directly overlooking communal gardens. The flat has a near perfect layout and is situated in one of the best run buildings in South Kensington. Importantly, we saved the clients a substantial £255,000 from the asking price, paying just £2,242 per square foot.
Our Client
A previous Black Brick client.
The Challenge
In 2009 we sourced this stunning freehold house located in a prestigious Kensington development for £5,440,775 or £1752 per square foot. In 2014 our clients bought a larger, unmodernised property in Belgravia through Black Brick which, once completed, would become their primary residence. With the new home ready for occupation we were instructed to sell the Kensington house.
The Perfect Conclusion
In a very challenging sales market we agreed terms with an Italian buyer at £6,5000,000 or £2093 per square foot which equated to a 20% increase in capital value for our client during the period of his ownership. The transaction was very complicated and eventually took over 9 months to reach a conclusion during which time the buyer sought to renegotiate the price which had been agreed. We successfully managed to avoid the price renegotiation and contracts were exchanged at the agreed level.
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 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
A French couple looking for a rental property in Knightsbridge, Kensington & Chelsea, Notting Hill & Holland Park.
The Challenge
Having experienced problems in previous rental apartments, our clients were keen to avoid further issues with noise and overpricing in the market.
The Perfect Conclusion
With our knowledge and contacts we were able to shortlist only the properties that met with their requirements and arranged multiple property tours in order for them to see the very best selection.
Our Client
A Middle Eastern family.
The Challenge
Our clients were looking for a secure family pied a terre in central London. They had limited knowledge of the city, it’s diverse residential market, and only plan to be in London for a small proportion of every year; making security a paramount requirement for them.
The Perfect Conclusion
We added value to our client by showing them a wide variety of different styles of property – period conversions, mansion blocks and new builds, across a large area of London which helped them to understand the market and ultimately make an informed decision.
We successfully agreed the purchase of this attractive dual aspect 2 bedroom apartment in the highly regarded Kings Chelsea development. Formerly the site of Kings College, the Kings Development is a Grade II listed building set in 7.5 acres of walled parkland which was converted into 289 houses and apartments in 2005. The beautifully restored old buildings in the development and finely crafted new apartments are always in high demand for the discerning buyer in Chelsea looking for exceptional specification and generous living space. The site is a precious part of London’s heritage, yet it has been adapted to the needs of a new generation of Londoners, all in a landscaped parkland setting. 24 hour security, total privacy, the prime location and an array of facilities make Kings Chelsea a unique and highly desirable proposition for buyers and tenants alike.
Further facilities include a gym, swimming pool, tennis courts, manicured gardens and underground parking. The flat itself has the advantage of being located in the best building within the development, housing the facilities and the concierge desk.
Our Client
An international family with 4 children.
The Challenge
Our client was looking to move to London with his family on a permanent basis. He wanted a large detached home with a great view that was walking distance from a high street whilst still being quiet and private.
The Perfect Conclusion
We spent a considerable amount of time at the beginning of the search introducing our client to a number of different areas within London to see which would be most suitable. As the search developed it was clear that St. John’s Wood and Kensington would be the most appropriate and through our unrivalled network we identified a beautiful off market house on one of the best streets in Kensington walking distance from the High Street. The house also benefited from stunning views across Holland Park and even a private gate allowing access directly into the park itself.
We saved £2,000,000 from the asking price and contracts were exchanged within 15 working days.
Our Client
Middle Eastern client
The Challenge
Our Middle Eastern client was looking to for a long term rental investment opportunity with capital growth potential in Central London.
The Perfect Conclusion
We successfully agreed the purchase of this two bedroom 900 sq. foot off-plan apartment with a terrace overlooking the park. The unit is located within the best position within the development, high up on the fourth floor and due to our contacts, we managed to reserve the unit weeks before the official launch date. We also negotiated underground parking and a storage unit (of which there are a very limited number) included in the sale. The scheme is 70% sold.
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.
