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London’s housing market lures Hong Kongers seeking safe haven

Wealthy Hong Kong residents are increasingly looking to live in London to escape their hometown’s political unrest, giving the UK capital a boost to its premium property market.

Featuring in a new article in Bloomberg this week, Black Brick’s Camilla Dell shared:

“Unlike wealthy buyers from the Middle East or the U.S, Hong Kongers are probably looking to relocate permanently to the U.K. There will be potential for more buyers as a result of BNO holders being told they’re welcome with open arms.”

Read more in the full article here.

Will the pandemic bring high rise service charges back to earth?

Featuring in a new article this week for The Financial Times, Black Brick boss Camilla Dell shares how London buyers are ‘deserting’ luxury high-rises for their own four walls.

“In the pandemic some weren’t even able to use those gyms and facilities but were still paying these charges,” she said. “In the world [post-Covid] the idea of sharing facilities really doesn’t appeal now.” 

Read more in the full article here.

China’s super-rich are buying up prime London property

London is apparently now the world’s most popular place to invest in for the Chinese, according to The Times.

In the article, writer Carol Lewis spoke with Black Brick Founder and Managing Partner, Camilla Dell to hear her experiences of overseas buyers from China, as a London buying agent dealing with an array of high-profile clients looking for prime property in the UK capital.

Camilla shared how she had recently been approached by a “fixer in Dubai who was looking for property for a Chinese buyer in Hong Kong”. Restrictions on currency exchange mean that many wealthy Chinese have become adept at moving money around and often have global connections.

Read the full article here.

What should you ask to see on a virtual viewing of a property?

Asking the right questions when you’re viewing a property virtually is crucial.

Black Brick Buying Agents Managing Partner, Camilla Dell has shared her advice on virtual property viewing in the latest piece for The Times.

“Don’t be afraid to ask the agent to stop talking and open the windows so you can try and check for street/traffic noise,” she commented. “If it’s a flat, make sure you get to see the common parts, the lift — all vital and will tell you a lot about the quality of the building and how well it’s managed.”

To learn more, read the full article here.

How will the stamp duty holiday affect the housing market?

With the Chancellor officially announcing a stamp duty tax break until the end of March next year, there may well be some big changes coming soon for the UK property sector.

In a new article by The Times that discusses how the stamp duty holiday will affect the housing market, Black Brick Founder and buying agent of over 20 years, Camilla Dell shared her thoughts on whether the government may even abolish the tax altogether:

“I can’t see it happening politically. They’d be accused of being a party for the rich when they are trying to help the north. Sunak’s reforms gave my buyer on a £2 million flat in St John’s Wood an extra £15,000. I think this is as good as it gets for us.”

Read the article here.

Have London’s new homes lost their lustre?

With lockdown slowing down the sales of luxury new-builds in London, have they lost their appeal?

Camilla Dell, Black Brick’s Founder and experienced London buying agent for premium property, shared in The Financial Times this week how the pandemic has shifted cultural behaviours towards apartment properties:

“It was once a plus having the shared gym, spa, swimming pool and concierge,” Camilla said. “In a world with a pandemic they might think twice and want to buy the freehold on a newly refurbished Mayfair town house instead.”

Read the article here.

English property market rebounds on pent-up demand

Is the property market coming back to life yet?

In a new article for The Financial Times this week, Black Brick Founder and Managing Partner, Camilla Dell shared her perspective as a London buying agent for prime property:

“There is quite a big gap at the moment between buyers, who feel the world is not what it was, and sellers, who think they’ll just hang on.”

Read more the full article here.

Meet the estate agents turning themselves into superstars

As the world continues to go a *little* crazy in lockdown, some professionals in property are dialing up the fun-meter in a bid to grab attention and stay on top.

Offering her view on the trend, our Founder and Managing Partner, Camilla Dell shared with The Financial Times how in the UK, some high-end sellers simply do not want an online presence because of confidentiality and security:

“The property might have artwork and family photographs. Private individuals don’t want that kind of exposure or need that kind of exposure.”, she warned.

Read more in the full article here.

How to avoid getting into negative equity if house prices fall

With the global outbreak of the coronavirus, house prices here in the UK are likely to fall soon, leaving buyers with high LTV mortgages out in the cold.

Speaking on whether now would be a good time to make a deal in property, our Founder, Camilla Dell shared her thoughts in a new article for The Telegraph this week.

After a crisis, “we will always see a bit of distressed selling,” Camilla said. “There will be some undoubtedly, but I think it will be few and far between.”

Read more in the full article here.