Yes, you can have a ‘glam room’ like Melania

Homes with a dedicated room for doing makeup, nails and getting dressed are increasingly becoming a must-have for high-end property buyers in the UK.

Discussing this latest trend in the market for a new piece in The Times, our Founder and Managing Partner, Camilla Dell shared her thoughts as top London buying agent for super-prime property.

“[I have] viewed homes with not only glam rooms, but glam suites, where a separate lounge area containing a minibar and TV is located off a dressing room, so all the girls can discuss and debate outfits”, she revealed.

Read the full article here.

Ten places where house prices are set to rise

Some UK neighbourhoods seem to be “defying a downbeat Brexit market”, a new article in The Times this week has revealed.

Offering our perspective as a top London buying agency for luxury property, Black Brick’s Founder, Camilla Dell shared her thoughts on which regions’ house prices are due to rise.

“With 10,000 new homes, 5,000 more on the cards and the possibility of a Crossrail 2 station, [Tottenham Hale, north London] is the London suburb du jour”, she said.

Read the full article here.

Donald Trump will be US president but there is no sign of panicked exodus to London

Whilst there had been a lot of apprehension that Donald Trump’s potential presidency would drive many Americans over to the UK, there currently is little sign of that happening…

In a new piece for International Business Times, Black Brick’s Founder and Managing Partner, Camilla Dell, shared her thoughts on the US election’s impact London property:

“After the election, [Black Brick] likely to see some wealthy US citizens, particularly those most offended by Trump, move to the UK as some of our American clients hinted to us prior to this outcome.”, she said.

Read the full article here.

The forecast for the prime London market? That depends on which part…

“Forecast season may be upon us, but headline figures are of little use in the micro-markets of prime London”, Camilla Dell shared in Prime Resi this week.

As an esteemed buying agent for property in prime central London, Black Brick’s Founder, Camilla Dell was invited to share her views on what the future may hold for the market in coming years, sharing her insights for a new piece in Prime Resi.

Read the full article here.

Black Brick’s Camilla Dell: Newbuild property in central London faces substantial price cuts

Our Founder, Camilla Dell has been featured in International Business Times this week to share her thoughts on London’s current prime property market.

In the piece, Camilla said that, in reaction to recent market movements, Black Brick has been “very cautious on the newbuild segment, which we think is still the most vulnerable part of the market. Some parts of London are flooded with supply and we’re likely to see properties offered with substantial discounts.”

Read the full article here.

River views, great food, warehouse conversions – what more could you want in SE1?

Bermondsey has long been “condemned as a slum”, but recently it’s evolved into a London hotspot for the arts.

With property prices in the region having peaked this year at an incredible £4.7m, we shared our thoughts for a new piece in City A.M., discussing the revival of the neighbourhood and what’s attracting prime property buyers.

“Bermondsey has a high concentration of local authority buildings, in which privately owned apartments can be bought for under £650 per square foot,” Black Brick buying agent, Jamie Burnhope said. “With the regeneration at Elephant and Castle and the continual growth of London Bridge, Borough, and Shad Thames, Bermondsey represents a very good-value option for any first time buyer wanting to be in a central location.”

Experts’ guide to selling your home faster this autumn

In a new article for Everything Overseas this week, Black Brick Partner, Caspar Harvard-Walls shares his perspective on the UK property market in autumn.

“The property market has, without doubt, shifted in favour of the buyer, so sellers need to make sure that they give themselves every opportunity of achieving a sale. The most crucial point is price, so owners need to look at their local market and honestly gauge whether they are listed at the right level.” he said.

“Owners who are looking to make a quick sale should make sure that they understand what their target audience demands. If they have a family house, then they should focus on making sure that the kitchen looks its best, rather than focusing on whether the surround sound system works. If, however, the property is likely to appeal to a professional couple, the priorities for the master bedroom and bathroom become much more relevant.”

“As a seller, you want a buyer to aspire to purchase your home. If the property is not taken care of, then this becomes so much more difficult. The first impression really does matter; try to think about your home through the buyer’s eyes. Just because you don’t mind your underwear all over the bedroom floor and the bath full of hair doesn’t mean that everyone else does. If in doubt, keep everything neutral, so that the buyer can imagine what it would be like if they moved in.”

View the article online here.

Off-street parking, plus an annexe

Which simple features or additions could you make to ump up the value of your London home?

In a new piece for The Times this week, we discussed our thoughts on how properties with annexes or driveways can surprisingly increase its value by a considerable amount.

In the article, Black Brick Partner, Caspar Harvard-Walls shared how “[Black Brick] don’t come across blue plaques very often — they are still pretty rare. It’s something that will assist in getting viewings but not necessarily add value unless it’s someone very famous.”.

“In terms of architectural significance, the Barbican, in the City of London, has an incredible following from people who like that brutalist architecture. The Barbican has its own market — there is nothing like it — and as a result achieves values in excess of the local market.”, he continued.

How speculation shaped the housing market

New data has reported that UK house prices are slowly still rising, in spite of current economic uncertainty.

Sharing her thoughts as a top buying agent for London prime property, Black Brick Founder Camilla Dell featured in a new article by The Independent this week to talk all about the current state of UK property.

Commenting on recent interventions supposedly to help first-time buyers, Camilla said: “The reality is that the intervention may have actually made things worse for them. As a result of changes to Stamp Duty, we now see a far greater number of investment clients buying smaller properties for investment and directly competing with first-time buyers. I feel that the new Chancellor now has an opportunity to address this and alter the very punitive levels of Stamp Duty that we now see, which should help diffuse some of the competition at the lower levels of the market.”

Tips on selling large-family homes

Large, four-to-five-bedroom homes are often a little harder to sell, with a smaller pool of buyers to choose from.

In a new article for The Times this week, we share our advice and top tips for how sellers should go about selling on their large family homes.

Black Brick Partner, Caspar Harvard-Walls shared how, for the grounds, the key is have them photographed at their best and in bright weather:

“Even if you want one more Christmas in the family home, have your pictures taken earlier in the year, when the garden is in bloom,” he said.