The Chinese are leaving London but Iranians are on their way

With the Chinese economy stalling and its stock market falling, UK property market is feeling the impact.

A new article in The Times this week looks into the issue, reporting how whilst many Chinese are leaving London, interest from the Middle East is on the rise.

Sharing her thoughts for the piece as a top London buying agent, Black Brick Founder Camilla Dell revealed how, in recent weeks, our buying agency are “yet to see “huge numbers of Chinese buyers come our way”.

Read the full article here.

The impact on ‘buy to leave’ on prime London’s housing market

With prime property in London rising by 73% from March 2009 to November 2014, ‘buy to leave’ is perhaps an unsurprising phenomenon to have emerged in the UK property market.

A new article in The Financial Times talked all about it this week, questioning whether we should be “morally outraged” by the trend.

We were delighted to have shared our thoughts for the piece, too. As a top London buying agency for prime property, Black Brick’s Partner and esteemed buying agent Caspar Harvard-Walls revered that “Investors want a safe haven and real estate in London falls into that category,”.

Read the full article here.

‘Keep it neutral even if you are not selling’

We are delighted to share that Black Brick’s Founder, Camilla Dell has been interviewed for a column in The Times this week.

As a renowned buying agent specialising in prime central London property, Camilla’s article focuses on her informed advice and top tips for home owners, buyers and investors in the UK, reflecting on her own experience of buying and renovating her home.

“When you take into account the costs of moving and the stamp duty, I paid less on the refurbishment than I would have done on the tax bill,” she shared. “Also, I love where I live and I love the house. I wouldn’t have wanted to move even if money weren’t an issue.”

Read the full article here.

No second chances?

Following last month’s stamp duty announcements, there’s a new “property quandary” on the horizon: buy now before the tax rises, or wait until after to see if prices drop?

We shared our thoughts on the topic in a new piece for The Times this week, agreeing with the consensus that a ‘a stampede is on the way’.

“We’ve taken several new inquiries from buyers who want to crack on.”, Black Brick’s Founder, Camilla Dell shared.

Read the full article here.

Ten things you need to know about £1million homes

If you looking to spend 1 million on your next home, there’s some things you should know…

We have offered our advice to million-pound property buyers this week in a new article for The Times, explaining how competition between £1 and £2 million properties can be intense:

“The market is busy with domestic owner-occupiers who have been frustrated at the difficulty in finding, and successfully bidding on, family homes in the capital. Additionally, the uncertainty in global stock markets is encouraging investors to move assets into London property. We are also representing cash buyers and those aiming to ‘future buy’ property for their children.”, Black Brick’s Founder, Camilla Dell shared.

Read the full article here.

Pretend you’re a millionaire: Britain’s luxury homes from £1m to £100m

We might not all be able to afford them, but everyone likes to snoop at mega-luxury properties on the market, right?

We’ve been featured in new article by The Times this week all about London and the wider UK’s high-end property market.

In the piece, our Founder, Camilla Dell shared how recent falling oil prices have “knocked wealthy African buyers out of the market”, whilst the new stamp duty changes have also deterred many other suitable high-end investors.

Read the full article here.

Homebuyers get moving as mansion tax fears fade

With the Tories coming out on top in this week’s election, the UK prime property market has got itself up and running again.

Many people had been holiding off from purchasing new homes due to fears of the ‘mansion tax’ changes proposed by Labour and Lib Dems, a new article in The Times reveals.

Now that that certainty has been clarified, the mansion market is moving again.

Make the most of the buy-to-let loan war

“The cost of deals is falling but lenders are the most generous to new landlords with substantial deposits”, writes Melanie Wright this week in The Times.

Sharing our perspective on this so-called buy-to-let loan war, Black Brick’s Founder and Managing Partner, Camilla Dell commented on how landlords today need to be prepared for times when their property may be empty – also known as ‘void periods’:

“Generally speaking, flats are a better investment because the void periods tend to be smaller. Even if you’ve got a lot of money to invest it’s better to spread it out over lots of units than buy one large one.”, Camilla said.

Buying agents can help get the best price

Buying agents like Black Brick have long been regarded as the people to go to when you want to find and secure the very best deals on high-end property.

A new article in The Times this week discusses how buying agents help people get the best prices, and here at Black Brick we only all too happy to share our advice for the piece.

“Get a good lawyer, who is familiar with the location, doesn’t rely on fax machines and get one who answers the phone quickly. We tell our clients that having a good lawyer can make or break a deal, depending on how fast and professionally they act,” Camilla, our Founder and Managing Partner, said.

The winners and losers of stamp duty reform

Chancellor George Osbourne announced a shake up of stamp duty on Wednesday, quickly sitting ripples across the UK housing market.

A new article in The Times covered how the changes impacted Colin Roberts, whose home’s asking price dropped by £70,050 after the announcements.

As a leading buying agency for premium property in London, we always have to keep our finger on the pulse of all the latest changes in UK property. Offering our perspective on these latest stamp duty reforms, Black Brick Founder and Managing Partner, Camilla Dell shared how she predicts an “acute” impact for the £10million-plus market, citing how a recent buyer of a £20million home will have to find an extra £1million as a result of the reforms.

Read the full article here.