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Best coastal towns to live in the UK 2025

By Tim Palmer.

Popular with avid swimmers, sailors and outdoor adventurists, our many coastal towns are a staple of our culture as an island nation here in the UK.

Black Brick Featured in The Sunday Times Best Places to Live by the Sea

Black Brick’s regional expertise has been recognised in The Sunday Times’ authoritative guide to the best seaside towns to live in across the UK, with the agency’s buying agents contributing local insight on some of the country’s most desirable coastal locations.

Rupert Stephenson, Regional Director at Black Brick, highlighted the understated appeal of Beer in Devon — one of twenty locations featured in the guide. “It’s pretty and unspoilt and there’s a great lifestyle, but unlike Lyme Regis or Sidmouth, which get really busy, nobody really knows it’s here,” he said — a characteristically candid assessment from an agent with deep knowledge of the southwest market.

The guide arrives at a moment of genuine opportunity for coastal buyers. Prime coastal property prices currently sit around 12.8% below their autumn 2022 peak, according to Savills — though that correction follows a 25% surge during the pandemic mini-boom, meaning well-chosen properties still represent significant value. Increased council tax and stamp duty surcharges on second homes have contributed to the price softening, and agents across the board note that vendors who need to sell are pricing accordingly.

Black Brick’s national buying agent network spans prime coastal and rural markets across England, Scotland and Wales, offering clients the same rigorous search and acquisition expertise in the country and at the coast as in prime central London.

Read the article here.

Prime Central London an ‘anxious market’ due to falling prices

By Ryan Bembridge

The property market in Prime Central London is becoming increasingly hard to predict, navigate and succeed in.

The Prime Central London market is the most ‘anxious’ it’s been for over a decade, according to London property broker Black Brick.

Much of the anxiety steps from the departure of wealthy elites due to the end of the non-dom tax regime in April – which is pushing down prices.

There is speculation that the Chancellor could u-turn on imposing inheritance tax of 40% on resident’s worldwide assets, given that the loss of wealthy elites is cutting down tax receipts.

Camilla Dell, managing partner at Black Brick, said: “I don’t think this will suddenly bring back people who have already left – unless they are having a horrible time elsewhere.

“Relocation is not for the fainthearted, it is not an easy thing to do and it is not cheap. But it may stop people who are thinking about going, and it will be good for sentiment.”

She added: “I think that people are just really nervous about the fall out of all the wealthy people leaving.

“Buyers are nervous about catching a falling knife. Our buyers at the £10m, 15m, 20m level totally get that it is a buyers’ market, but they are wondering how much further prices will fall.”

According to Knight Frank – which earlier this year cut its price growth projection for PCL from 2% to 0% – the change created a £401m stamp duty black hole in the year to May, thanks to a collapse in the number of £5m+ sales in central London, down 14% year-on-year.

The newly-published Henley Private Wealth Migration Report 2025 found that the UK will lose 16,500 millionaires this year, the largest net outflow of high-net-worth individuals experienced by any country since the firm began tracking millionaire migration a decade ago.

A number of factors have served to dampen the property markets for investors in recent years: stamp duty hikes on second homes introduced in 2014 and 2016, Capital Gains taxation, and a ban on offsetting mortgage interest payments against tax.

Transaction levels are 36% below levels seen in May 2024, and the number of homes under offer is also falling.

Despite this, Black Brick said some investors are returning to London property as a result of falling prices and rents.

Tom Kain, a partner at Black Brick, notes that investors can find properties which will offer a gross yield of around 5%, which is not only a little more than they would earn by simply putting their assets into a savings bond but gives them the hope of capital growth down the line.

Ironically jitters amongst owner occupiers are fuelling this trend.

People who could quite easily afford to buy a London property are increasingly looking to rent while they get to know the city and await a return to price growth before putting down roots.

Amidst a backdrop of falling prices, there are a couple of neighbourhoods in PCL seeing prices continue to grow.

Postcode level analysis, again from Lon-Res, has found that South Kensington and a swathe of the West End (Fitzrovia, Bloomsbury and Soho) both appear to have turned a corner, with prices starting to climb in the past year.

Read the article here.

Domestic buyers are seizing unprecedented opportunities in Prime Central London

By Camilla Dell for PrimeResi.

British purchasers now make up over 40% of Black Brick’s client base, up from 25% last year.

British domestic buyers are making the most of some unprecedented conditions in London’s prime property market, according to Black Brick.

The high-profile buying agency has reported a notable shift in its client base this year, with the proportion of UK domestic purchasers rising to 41%, compared to 25% in the previous year.

This is unsurprising, said the firm, given the recent increases in stamp duty rates for overseas purchasers and changes to the non-dom regime: on a £3mn purchase, a foreign buyer of an additional property now pays £210k more in stamp duty than a UK buyer.

Traditional prime markets are “suffering hugely” as a result of these changes, according to the team, citing LonRes data showing achieved prices in Belgravia and Knightsbridge sank by 8.9% in Q1, with buyers achieving an average 12.8% discount on asking prices.

Overall, Prime London transaction volumes in May were down by 35.8% compared to the same month a year ago.

At the same time, there’s lots of choice: the data shows stock levels are now 22.4% higher in the £5mn-plus range.

These conditions are creating buying opportunities “that have never been seen before”, said the firm, offering up a recent acquisition in Marylebone as an example.

Acting on behalf of a UK domestic client who was looking for a second home in London to add to their primary residence in the country, the agency secured an 18th century freehold townhouse – recently renovated and in a prime spot on Manchester Street – at £250k below the asking price.

It’s a different story in more domestic markets like Chiswick and Tufnell Park, however, where demand for family houses is outstripping supply. The team is on the hunt for a number of family houses up to £3mn, and said the comparison with super-prime is “like night and day” with good houses attracting multiple bids and selling within a few days of coming to the market.

Camilla Dell, Managing Partner at Black Brick: “With stamp duty rates having risen significantly for overseas buyers, combined with the abolishment of the UK Res Non-Dom tax regime it is unsurprising to see that British are back. Overseas buyers of a UK property who are also buying an additional property face stamp duty rates of 19% on the portion of the price above £1.5 million compared to 12% for a British buyer moving home.”

The firm also reports a rise in the number of US buyers, who now make up 23% of its client base, up from 15% last year.

Dell: “Many US buyers are looking to diversify, and some are unhappy with both the political and social situation. In other areas, like California, high property tax and climate change are also causing buyers to look abroad. Having a bolt hole in London makes a lot of sense for US buyers, even if they are not relocating permanently to the UK. Remaining buyers we are advising are from Middle East and continue to show strong interest in London, followed by European buyers. Recent volatility in the Middle East may drive more buyers from these regions to diversify and buy London property which is looking cheaper by the day.”

Another key trend flagged by the firm is a rise in the number of new developments catering to short term stay buyers in areas like Knightsbridge: “Developers such as Finchatton are creating two and three-bedroom luxury new build apartments to cater for a new breed of super prime buyer. Those who do not wish to rent or become tax resident in the UK but still want a luxury pad in the capital,” said the update.

Dell added: “These new boutique developments often have smaller sized apartments priced below £10 million and do not have all the luxury amenities of the traditional super prime new build but that’s the advantage. Buyers who are here for 90 nights or less don’t need or want to spend tens of millions or pay ridiculous levels of high service charges for facilities they will barely use. As long as there is a lift and some kind of porter then it’s enough for this new kind of buyer. We have been to a series of development launches recently which appeal to this trend, one was situated in Knightsbridge, and we recently acquired a property just like this in Mayfair for a client.”

Read the article here.

‘London needs to make foreign investors feel welcome’

By Caroline Roux.

Black Brick on Mayfair’s Next Chapter: The Reuben Brothers’ £1 Billion Bet

As one of London’s most ambitious luxury property developments takes shape in the heart of Mayfair, Black Brick founder Camilla Dell has been providing expert commentary on the opportunities and challenges facing the capital’s most prestigious postcodes, according to in-depth reporting in the Financial Times.

The Reuben Brothers — Britain’s second wealthiest family — are investing £1 billion across 1.3 acres of prime Mayfair land, transforming the Piccadilly Estate into a new quarter encompassing apartments, a members’ club, a hotel and reimagined public realm. The centrepiece developments include One Carrington, a boutique block of 28 apartments priced from £2.95 million, and the forthcoming Cambridge House — a Grade I listed Palladian building being converted into a 102-room hotel and seven residences.

Dell offered a characteristically precise assessment of Mayfair’s internal geography for the FT, drawing a clear distinction between the market’s strongest and weaker pockets. “We would consider prime Mayfair to be Grosvenor Square, Mount Street, bits of Davies Street,” she said, noting that off-pitch locations present a harder sell — and that several existing new-build schemes in the area have properties that have been sitting on the market for some time.

On One Carrington specifically, Dell acknowledged that the improvements being made at street level — including the pedestrianisation of Shepherd Market, part-financed by the Reubens in partnership with Westminster Council — would meaningfully support buyer appetite. “I would have to talk most of my buyers into viewing One Carrington,” she said. “But these improvements at ground level will help.” She also pointed to the strong performance of comparable boutique schemes, citing Hanover Square’s Mandarin Oriental residences as a benchmark: “Hanover Square sold really well — because they were on for £3 million to £6 million.”

The development is launching into a challenging market: prime London property sales above £5 million were 14% lower in the year to May 2025 than the previous twelve months, with overseas buyers now facing stamp duty rates that can exceed 17%. Nevertheless, American buyers are emerging as a significant source of demand, drawn by prices that remain well below their 2014 peak and a favourable currency position.

Read the full article here.

The homes selling at a £5m discount

By Alexandra Goss.

Black Brick: Vendors Are Finally Accepting the New Reality on Prime London Prices

Price reductions are sweeping Britain’s property market, with discounts reaching a five-year high in prime central London — and Black Brick’s buying agents are well placed to capitalise on the opportunities this creates for clients, according to reporting in The Telegraph.

Tom Kain, buying agent at Black Brick, offered a blunt assessment of where the market now stands. “We have not paid full price for a property for a while,” he said. “After a long period of denial, vendors have finally accepted that their properties are no longer worth what they might have sold for at the height of the pandemic.”

The data supports this view. Average discounts across prime London reached 9.3% in the first quarter of 2025, according to Coutts, rising to 15% in Mayfair and St James’s. Of prime London homes valued between £1 million and £10 million that sold in the first three months of the year, 82% went for less than the asking price. Central London’s WC postcode recorded the highest proportion of properties reduced by at least 5% of any area nationally, according to Zoopla data analysed for The Telegraph.

The conditions reflect a significant imbalance between supply and demand. Rightmove reports that the number of homes for sale is the highest in a decade, while Knight Frank’s new sales instructions are running around a fifth above their five-year average — and new prospective buyers are running a fifth below it. Non-dom departures, a landlord sell-off driven by successive tax changes, and persistently high mortgage rates are all contributing to the glut of stock in prime postcodes.

For buyers with the right advice, however, the environment is creating genuine opportunities. Black Brick’s approach — rigorous pricing due diligence combined with skilled negotiation — is precisely suited to a market where asking prices and true values can diverge substantially, and where securing the right property at the right price requires both expertise and discipline.

Read the article here.

How does the prime London property market vary by postcode?

In a new piece by Investec, Black Brick Buying Agents have been asked to share our insights and expertise into how different areas of London affect the prime property market.

Our Managing Partner, Camilla Dell, commented:

“Bayswater appeals to a wide range of buyers, ranging from families to property investors. The area has seen a surge in buyer demand, driven by a £3bn regeneration of Queensway, which includes high-end apartment complexes, restaurant pavilions and landmark retail destinations that will be completed in 2026. W2 is also within striking distance of some of London’s best schools such as Wetherby, Chepstow House and Pembridge Hall.

My favourite part of W2 is The Hyde Park Estate, a small triangle area bordered by the Bayswater Road, Edgeware Road, and Sussex Gardens. The architecture consists of grand, white, stucco-fronted buildings that surround various garden squares and crescents. Residents are close to the park and Connaught Street for essential shopping.

The volume of transactions in W2 is up 14% year-on-year, and there has been a 9% increase in prices. In the last three months, houses achieved an average sales price of £6,082,667. Homes in good condition with period features and high ceilings are most sought-after, particularly in quieter streets.

That said, Bayswater hasn’t been immune from the slowdown caused by increases in stamp duty and the abolishment of the UK Resident Non-Dom rules. The average discount achieved between February and April 2025 was 9% *.”

Read the full article here.

First-time buyers today are going straight for the family house

By Hugh Graham

Black Brick: The Property Ladder Is Disappearing — and It’s Stamp Duty’s Fault

First-time buyers across Britain are increasingly skipping starter properties altogether and going straight for family homes — a fundamental shift in how people approach the property market that Camilla Dell, founder of Black Brick, has been tracking closely, according to reporting in The Times.

The numbers tell a clear story. Some 73% of first-time buyers in Britain purchased a house in 2025, up from 62% in 2020, according to Hamptons estate agency. In London, the proportion has risen from 37% to 50% over the same period. The average age of a first-time buyer has hit a record high of 33.1, according to UK Finance data.

Dell explained the structural shift in straightforward terms. “In the old days, you might buy your studio, then sell it, then buy your one-bed, then sell, then a two or three-bed, then a family house,” she told The Times. “That pattern, certainly in London, has vanished as a result of extortionately high stamp duty rates. People are moving less and trying to future-proof. First-time buyers want a house that will last them a good ten years.”

The consequences for different parts of the market are significant, and Dell was direct about what this means for values. “There will be a potential oversupply of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom flats as they become less popular — and increasing demand for three to four-bedroom terraced houses, starter homes in outer prime London areas.” She highlighted healthy competition for £1 million houses in family neighbourhoods including Fulham, West Hampstead, Clapham and Balham.

The data reinforces her view: in London, average flat prices have grown just 2% over five years, compared with 12% for terraced houses. Nationally, flats are up 16% against 31% for terraced houses over the same period.

Dell reserved her sharpest criticism for stamp duty itself, which she sees as deeply damaging to overall market health. “Overall, volumes are massively down since George Osborne started messing around with stamp duty. That’s why it’s such a terrible tax. The housing market contributes a significant amount to GDP — and yet stamp duty stops the market from being fluid, as it causes people to stay in the same place longer than they should.”

As featured in The Times

Read the full article by Hugh Graham here.

Why are Americans are flocking to the Cotsworlds?

By Laura Parnaby.

Black Brick: Americans Are Buying UK Property at a 40% Discount — and the Cotswolds Is Their Top Destination

American buyers have become one of the most significant forces in the UK property market, and the Cotswolds has emerged as their destination of choice — with Black Brick founder Camilla Dell providing expert insight into this growing trend for the Daily Mail.

US buyers now represent 25% of Black Brick’s client base, typically bringing budgets of $1 million to $10 million for a second home. Dell explained that the surge in American interest began five to six years ago, accelerated by a favourable exchange rate following Brexit, and has continued to build since. Crucially, she noted that prime London property has barely moved in value since 2014 — and when combined with relatively stronger US wages and dollar strength, Americans are effectively purchasing UK property at close to a 40% discount compared with a decade ago.

“Americans are a significant buying force for UK property,” Dell told the Daily Mail. “When Americans think of the quintessential British countryside, the Cotswolds comes to mind.” She highlighted the ‘golden triangle’ of Stow-on-the-Wold, Chipping Norton and Burford as the most sought-after villages for US buyers seeking an accessible country retreat within 90 minutes of London.

Dell identified a range of motivations drawing Americans to the UK. Currency advantage and value relative to 2014 prices are central, but political factors have also played an increasing role, with some buyers keen to establish a foothold outside the US amid domestic uncertainty. The abolition of non-dom tax status has also, counterintuitively, made the UK more straightforward for Americans — who, as US citizens, are taxed on worldwide income regardless of where they live, meaning the non-dom regime was never available to them in the first place.

The Cotswolds’ enduring appeal lies in its protected status as the UK’s largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, its thriving village communities, growing number of private members’ clubs, and its reputation as a discreet retreat for high-profile individuals — all within easy reach of London and with strong transatlantic connections.

As featured in the Daily Mail

Read the piece here.

The £400m blossoming of Bloomsbury

By Liz Rowlinson.

Black Brick on Bloomsbury: London’s Best Value Central Postcode

As American buyers continue to look beyond London’s most obvious prime postcodes, Black Brick’s Tom Kain has been guiding clients through the compelling case for Bloomsbury — one of central London’s most undervalued and intellectually rich neighbourhoods, according to reporting in the Financial Times.

Bloomsbury’s value proposition is striking. Average achieved prices last year stood at £1,137 per square foot — meaningfully below the prime central London average of £1,654 per sq ft, and lower than nearby Fitzrovia (£1,480) and Marylebone (£1,581). Crucially, this also represents a discount to where Bloomsbury itself was trading a decade ago, when average prices topped £1,200 per sq ft between 2015 and 2017.

Kain offered a characteristically straightforward assessment of what the neighbourhood offers. “You don’t really buy in Bloomsbury for capital growth,” he told the FT. “You buy in Bloomsbury because it’s good value for central London.” He illustrated this with a concrete example: Georgian townhouses in Bloomsbury trade at around £1,500 per sq ft compared with £2,000 per sq ft in Marylebone — a 25% premium for crossing into a neighbouring postcode.

The neighbourhood is undergoing meaningful change. A £400 million investment programme led by Bedford Estates, alongside Imperial London Hotels and other partners, is improving public spaces, attracting boutique hotel brands and drawing major office occupiers including GSK and McKinsey. The opening of the Elizabeth Line at Tottenham Court Road has already enhanced connectivity significantly, and office vacancy rates in the area are falling.

For buyers seeking genuinely central London living — walkable to the West End, the British Museum, the Eurostar terminal and major cultural institutions — without the price premium of Mayfair or Marylebone, Bloomsbury represents one of the more interesting opportunities in the current market.

As featured in the Financial Times.

Read the article here.