Result: Total Service

Queensberry Mews West

The Challenge

Our British clients were looking for a London pied-à-terre in Prime Central London that had both outside space and private off street parking. They were hoping to find a property that was “future proofed” from an accessibility standpoint, so either a lateral apartment or a low built house with not many stairs.

 

The Perfect Conclusion

We successfully negotiated the purchase of a stunning three bedroom, three bathroom, two story freehold mews house which had both a private garage and terrace located in the heart of South Kensington. The house is positioned on the corner of the mews so light floods in from two aspects, an important feature as mews houses can tend to suffer from being dark. In addition to being dual aspect, the private outside space and parking made this particular mews house quite rare and therefore highly desirable. Due to the strength of our relationship with the selling agent, they shared the knowledge that the vendor would, in two weeks’ time, be reducing the asking price from £4,000,000 down to £3,750,000. Even so we were still able to negotiate £350,000 from the reduced asking price, equating to well under £1750 per sq. ft. in an area where these size houses have achieved in excess of £2,500 per sq.ft. Our clients have also taken advantage of our Vacant Care Service to ensure the house is looked after and in the condition they left it every time they return home.

 

The Unfair Advantage

We provide a complete service – not only were we able to find this unique house and save our clients just over 9% from the asking price, we will also continue to look after the property post purchase via our Vacant Care Service.

Pont Street

The Challenge

Our repeat Hong Kong client was searching for a property with very specific requirements that are hard to achieve in the Knightsbridge area. The property had to be situated in a period building, with ceiling heights of at least 3m, but with no-one above the bedrooms. Apartments in the area generally have depreciating ceiling heights as you go up in the building, so there are very few flats on the top floors where this can be found. The building also had to have a lift.

 

The Perfect Conclusion

We successfully agreed the purchase of this stunning 2,050 sq ft duplex penthouse apartment with 3m ceiling heights and far reaching views across Knightsbridge. The apartment has been purchased shell & core, providing a blank canvas for our client to create a new unique space to their own taste. We negotiated £200,000 off the asking price, with the final purchase price equating to a rate of £2,097 per sq ft. Similar flats in good condition on the street have achieved as much as £3,346 per sq ft in the last 12 months.

 

The Unfair Advantage

We’re patient – despite very tough search requirements, we worked tirelessly over a 12 month period in order to source the right apartment for our client

Montagu Square

The Challenge

Our Far Eastern client was looking to purchase an investment property in prime Central London in order to diversify their overall investment portfolio, take advantage of a weaker London property market and weaker pound. As first time buyers they had limited knowledge of where and what to buy, and current market values. We looked at a range of properties across multiple prime areas of London, educating our clients in the process.

 

The Perfect Conclusion

We successfully agreed the purchase of this immaculate three bedroom apartment overlooking one of the finest garden squares in Marylebone. The apartment measures just over 1200 square feet, spans two buildings, with six windows directly overlooking the gardens, and is a 10 minute walk to Selfridges and Marylebone High Street. Due to the strength of our relationship with the selling agent, we were first through the door to view the property, and submitted an offer within the first week of the property coming to market. We were able to negotiate a £200,000 discount from the asking price, equating to under £2,000 per sq. ft. in an area where the best properties are now selling in excess of £3,000 per sq. ft. Our clients have also taken advantage of our Property Management Service to ensure the property is seamlessly let-out on completion.

 

The Unfair Advantage

We provide a complete solution. As well as saving our clients 8% from asking price, we will also be managing the property to ensure it is rented to the best possible tenant.

Allen Mansions

The Challenge

Our repeat client who we originally sourced an apartment for in Allen Mansions was looking to sell their private parking space having secured alternative parking elsewhere for their car collection. The space was located within an enclosed garage, fully fitted with power outlets and automatic gate access. Prior to creating a marketing brochure, we oversaw a light refurbishment of the space. Selling a car parking space on its own will naturally only appeal to a limited set of buyers.  

 

The Perfect Conclusion

We reached out to our network of other buying agents, local agents in the area and also used social media to advertise the space. Within 24 hours of being instructed, we received an offer at the full asking price from a resident of the building.

 

The Unfair Advantage

We think outside the box. By using social media, we raised awareness of this unique opportunity and secured a buyer at the full asking price within 24 hours.

Victoria Street

The Challenge

Our clients were relocating from Belgium to London and whilst their longer term plan is to purchase a property it was felt prudent to rent a property for at least 12 months to allow them to get a feel for the varying neighbourhoods of the capital. Their brief was for a lateral apartment, with at least 3 bedrooms and a minimum of 2000 square foot. Our clients travel frequently and so easy access to Heathrow and a good sized lift within the building were important requirements. The budget was set at a maximum of £4000 per week.

 

The Perfect Conclusion

As our clients did not have a specific location in mind we previewed and shortlisted options all over prime central london: Mayfair, Belgravia, Pimlico, Kensington and St. James’s all had suitable properties however we identified a ninth floor apartment within a new development in the heart of Victoria which ticked all of the boxes. The property was 2695 square foot, had three bedrooms and two large terraces. It also benefitted from a concierge, underground parking and a large lift. The asking price was £3250 per week so well within the budget and we successfully negotiated this to £3000 per week which equated to a 8.3% saving for our client.

 

The Unfair Advantage

Our extensive knowledge of Prime Central London allowed us to advise and guide our clients as to the best possible locations for their tenancy.

Seymour Street

The Challenge

Our client from Hong Kong was looking to invest circa £2 million into the London market. They had limited knowledge of the geography and market conditions in central London. We advised them to split the budget for the investment into two properties, rather than one, providing diversity of investment and stronger rental prospects. This is one of the two flats our client purchased on our advice.

 

The Perfect Conclusion

We successfully agreed the purchase of this brand newly completed one bedroom flat located in a block of only 27 private residential apartments. The building is regarded as one of the best to have been completed in the area within the last 24 months, with all units selling out off-plan. The building is finished to a very high standard with 24 hr security/concierge and underground parking. The property sold for the original contract price of £1,600,000, but the buyer failed to complete. Through our contacts we were quickly made aware of the opportunity to purchase at a heavily discounted rate before the property was released back onto the open market. We subsequently agreed the purchase at £1,150,000, a 28% discount from the original contract price.

 

The Unfair Advantage

We gain access to the best deals – an early heads up meant we were able to achieve an impressive 28% discount from the original contract price.

Halsey House

The Challenge

Our client from Hong Kong was looking to invest circa £2 million into the London property market. They had limited knowledge of the geography and market conditions in central London.

The Perfect Conclusion

We successfully agreed the purchase of this newly converted two bed two bath apartment located on a garden square in WC1 at £100,000 less than the asking price. The property provides good potential yield due to high demand for rental apartments in the area from a number of University students and law professionals studying and working locally. This is one of two properties purchased by our client. We advised them to split the budget for the investment into two properties, rather than one, providing diversity of investment and better rental prospects. The property is also two bed, two bath, a bonus considering most other new build or newly converted flats in the area at this price are one beds. We will be managing the properties on an ongoing basis, providing an end to end service from purchase through to management when the tenants are in-situ.

The Unfair Advantage

Knowledge is power – we successfully rented the property within a week of it coming to the market, resulting in a 3.5% gross yield.

53 Queen’s Wharf

The Challenge

Our client was looking to sell this two bedroom, two bathroom new build apartment in Hammersmith, West London. The challenge was selling in the midst of the current Brexit market uncertainty and competing against at least two other similar flats for sale in the building.

 

The Perfect Conclusion

Pricing the property at the right level was crucial. As a result we generated more than one interested party and agreed a sale at the very respectable price of £950,000 (equating to £1,103 per sq ft) to a cash buyer. The property exchanged and completed within 4 weeks.

 

The Unfair Advantage

The right advice is crucial. In order to achieve a sale we knew the property had to look appealing compared to the competition. We agreed to price it just below what the other competing apartments were asking and subsequently found a proceed able buyer who was willing to transact quickly.

Netherhall Gardens

The Challenge

Our U.S. client was looking for a secure pied a terre in London for personal use. They required a building in good condition, with a lift and porter that allowed dogs.

 

The Perfect Conclusion

We successfully agreed the purchase of this smart new build, two bedroom, 1,437 square foot flat, located in a boutique development of only 15 flats in Hampstead. Unusually for a new build the property has excellent ceiling heights, over 2.5m. We also successfully negotiated a £137,500 saving from the asking price which included underground parking and further benefits, like the installation of new electrical points and a full move-in demonstration with the developer.

 

The Unfair Advantage

We save you time – over 50 flats were inspected across North London as part of our search. Our clients were then presented with a shortlist of the very best opportunities during their short stay in the U.K.

Lillie Square

The Challenge

Our client was looking for a 3 bedroom apartment in a new build development to hold as a long term investment. The budget for the purchase was £2,000,000.

The Perfect Conclusion

We identified a rare opportunity to purchase a stunning, sub-penthouse apartment in the popular Lillie Square development from a distressed seller who could no longer complete. Lillie Square will be one of the most high-profile residential developments in London, transforming a 7.4 acre car park on Seagrave Road into 808 high-end new homes offering modern garden square living. The seller, having originally exchanged contracts at £2,074,000, wasn’t able to complete on the purchase and as a result we were able to agree terms on the contract at £1,700,000, some £374,000 or 18% below the original contract price.  Three bedroom apartments in this scheme and on this floor have traded at £1,714/sqft, we secured this for our client at at a highly competitive £1,352/sqft.

The Unfair Advantage

We buy below market value and can identify highly motivated sellers. At £1,352 per square foot, we acquired the property for 18% below the original contract price.

Red Lion House

The Challenge

Our client was a sophisticated investor, already owning significant commercial and residential real estate assets in London. He had been looking for some time to acquire a family home in London, and did not want to pay the huge premium that comes with buying new build properties. He needed 4 to 5 bedrooms and at least 3000 square feet in Marylebone or Mayfair.

 

The Perfect Conclusion

We identified a freehold house in Mayfair, measuring just over 8500 square feet which was being sold by receivers. The house had previously been sold in 2014 for £19.175m. Once a famous pub, The Red Lion was shut down in 2009 and sold to a luxury developer, and initially had asking price of £25 million. With 6 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, 2 receptions rooms, dining room, kitchen, media room, gym, swimming pool, roof terrace and an internal lift, the house met with every single one of our clients requirements.

The purchase price of £15 million, equated to a highly competitive £1748 per square foot. Unmodernised houses in Mayfair usually achieve over £2000 per sq. foot, and modernised houses often achieve well in excess of £3000 per sq. foot. Red Lion House was in almost new condition, so the price was extremely attractive. Of course, we were not the only potential buyers interested in the property, and we had to move quickly and demonstrate our ability to get on and do the deal in order to win the contract from at least two other interested parties.

The area immediately surrounding the property is interesting from a future investment perspective. On one side of the property business entrepreneur and billionaire John Caudwell is developing his own private residence of over 50,000 sq. feet, and on the other side he is developing a new luxury block of residential apartments – Audley Square which is due to be one of the most luxurious new build developments in Central London, with prices set to be in the region of £10,000 per sq. foot.

Finally, we are in discussions with our client regarding our Vacant Care Service to help look after and service our clients home for him when he is travelling.

 

The Unfair Advantage

Mayfair houses traded at an average rate of £2567 per square foot in 2018. We acquired Red Lion House at an astonishing £1748 per square foot, 32% below the market average.

The Sherwood

The Challenge

The brief was to find an immaculate one bedroom apartment, in a secure apartment block close to our client’s university at Regents University College.

 

The Perfect Conclusion

We were able to secure a large, off market, one bedroom apartment in the Crown Estate’s newest development, the Sherwood which is just off Regents street. The building has just under gone a complete renovation and has been fitted out with both a concierge and 24hr security. Through our long standing relationship with the estate agent we were able to gain access to several one bedroom apartments that weren’t on the open market, this being the best.

 

The Unfair Advantage

We have the inside track – not every property is listed on websites… this ideal one bedroom apartment was sourced entirely off market.

Neo Bankside

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.

Luxborough Street

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.

Ebury Street

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.