Mystery clouds UK’s most expensive home – who owns the £63m flat and why does it keep going on sale?

The UK’s most expensive property is in London’s One Hyde Park, International Business Times has shared this week.

Apartment C.08.1 in the luxury One Hyde Park development by Candy & Candy is housed in “the most valuable block of flats in the world”, according to writer Shane Croucher.

Sharing our perspective as to why this ultra high-end property has gone up for sale so many times, Black Brick Partner, Caspar Harvard-Walls offered his thoughts:

“I think the super-prime end of the market has been going down in terms of values for almost two years. A lot of people are laying the blame at Brexit’s door, but really the market had shifted before that.”, he said.

Read the article here.

Brexit may trigger prime London slump – but not for ‘the global elite’

Black Brick buying agency has warned that some areas of prime central London might face a slowing market in the wake of the Brexit vote.

Sharing how thoughts in a new piece for Estate Agent Today, our Founder and Managing Partner, Camilla Dell commented on how the so-called ‘global-elite’ might not be so affected, though.

“Investors drawn to homes selling in the sub-£2m price bracket will continue, because of those properties’ favourable yields and domestic demand.”, but “the same can’t be said for the prime and new-build outer prime markets.”

Read the full article here.

London is going to retain its attractiveness to wealthy international buyers regardless of this outcome

At Black Brick, we strongly believe that London will retain international investment despite Brexit.

Explaining our thoughts in a new article for Prime Resi, our Founder, Camilla Dell stated why it is our belief that the UK capital will still be seen as a attractive to wealthy overseas property buyers in the wake of Brexit.

“Now that an ‘out’ vote has been cast, we will, no doubt, experience a period of ongoing uncertainty as the UK seeks to agree a way forward with the EU. Sterling may weaken even further, making London property even more attractive to foreign buyers.”, she said.

“In general terms, London is going to retain its attractiveness to wealthy international buyers regardless of this outcome; its cultural attractions, geographic location, legal system, and concentration of talent mean that there will always be demand for Prime Central London property.”

See the full online article here.

Is it too early to get rich from Crossrail 2?

If you’re looking for property that’s in easy reach of London, then you’d best look at the neighbourhoods near to the high-speed rail route – and it could make you a decent profit, too.

Offering up our advice to London property buyers in a new article for The Telegraph this week, Black Brick buying agent consultant, Jamie Burnhope shared:

“One of the quickest ways to see capital appreciation from property investment is to buy into an area which is set to benefit from improvements to transport infrastructure. We’ve seen it happen since the opening of the East London Line and we’ve seen it in London and beyond since the announcement of Crossrail 1 – and it’s not even operational yet,”.

Read the full article here.

Rich people are buying secret luxury apartments for the help

A new article in the New York Post this week has revealed how many of the super-rich are buying up “bijoux crash-pads” for their staff.

Offering our perspective and experience in the sector, as a top buying agency for high-profile clients, Black Brick buying agent, Caspar Harvard-Walls shared his thoughts on why so many wealthy people are buying up secret penthouses and apartments for their teams:

“The competition to hire, and keep, the best staff — a personal assistant, nanny, butler or house manager — has gotten way more intense over the last 10 years. So the way they are housed has changed enormously.”

What would Brexit mean for the property sector?

Black Brick Founder and top London buying agent, Camilla Dell has revealed her thoughts on how Brexit may (or may not) affect the UK property market.

In a new article for Everything Overseas, Camilla shared:

“In the run up to the referendum, we are seeing two types of clients. Some clients are very aware of a potential Brexit and the uncertainty that surrounds the referendum. They therefore want to put their search on hold until the result is known. We have other clients who couldn’t care less. They want to buy, and buy now, and actually see the uncertainty surrounding the referendum as a good opportunity to get a better deal on their London property. The uncertainty is also having an effect on sterling, making London property cheaper for foreign buyers.

“Should we vote to leave, then this will create ongoing uncertainty as the UK seeks to agree a way forwards with the EU. Sterling may weaken even further, again, making London property very attractive to foreign buyers.

“Should we vote to stay in, normality will return to the market straight away and we may see a pickup in transaction volumes as a result of pent up demand from buyers that were waiting in the wings.

“In general terms, London is going to retain its attractiveness to wealthy international buyers regardless of whether the UK remains in the EU. Its cultural attractions, geographic location, legal system, and concentration of talent mean that there will always be demand for prime central London property.”

ePrivateclient – Top 25 Residential Property Buyers 2016

We are thrilled to be included in the 2016 eprivateclient Top 25 Residential Property Buyers for a third year.

Eprivateclient is the leading website and news service for private client practitioners, including lawyers, accountants, trustees and fee-based IFAs.

The aim of the initiative is to identify, recognise, introduce and promote the Top 25 Residential Property Buyers acquiring prestigious residential property for high net worth and ultra high net worth clients. Approximately 65 Residential Property Buyers are surveyed and the Top 25 is based on data received on areas such as number of directors, number of buyers, the number of staff, fee structure, fee income and the company selling policy. The Top 25 firms are selected using this data and the six key areas are published on www.eprivateclient.com.

Top tips for choosing the right tenant for your buy-to-let investment

How can you make sure you choose the very best tenant for your newly-bought property?

As a top London buying and expert on all things property, we shared our advice to landlords looking for ideal tenants in a new article for City A.M. this week.

“Many landlords make the mistake of playing ‘hard ball’ with the rental price; their property is often not in optimum condition, and they can forget that the incoming tenant is paying rent to stay in the property. It is paramount to remember that a tenancy is a ‘two way street’ and a mutual respect between a landlord (and their agent) and tenant is crucial to ensure both parties work together to maintain the property.”, said Sophie Amasha, Black Brick’s property manager.

Read the article here.

Why buyers in London’s Clapham are staying put

South London’s Clapham might just have reached its peak, with many of its home owners choosing to stay in the area and creating a neighbourhood that others “aspire to join”.

Sharing his thoughts as to why he believes the central London’s slowing market will soon begin to affect Clapham, Black Brick’s Partner Caspar Harvard-Walls has featured in The Financial Times this week:

“Prices in the best areas of prime central London are down 7.5 per cent since the 2014 peak and it’s my belief that what starts in [the centre] will filter out into outer-prime London, which includes Clapham. By the end of 2016, I expect the best stock in these outer-prime locations will have seen a price drop of up to 10 per cent.”, he said.

London’s South Kensington is primed for buyers seeking a bargain

Where else other than South Kensington boasts such a beautiful array of tree-lines streets, museums and quaint cafes?

Despite all of its many, many attributes, though, the area is still facing a slowing, downturn housing market.

Sharing our recent experiences as a top London property buying agency in the region, we have offered our insights to The Financial Times this week as to why South Kensington might just be primed right now for buyers looking to get a bargain in prime property.

Read the article here.