Our Client
A Saudi Family
The Challenge
Our Saudi clients were looking for a new build apartment for family use within a 1 hour train ride from Central London and with easy access to Heathrow by car. They also required a balcony, porter and car parking.
The Perfect Conclusion
We identified Surrey and Berkshire as good locations to search in, being convenient for both London and Heathrow. We successfully agreed the purchase of this spacious 2 bedroom flat within a luxury new development near Ascot at £150,000 less than the asking price. With the flat measuring over 2,000 square foot this equates to a competitive £711 per square foot. Unlike other similar developments across the area, Englemere is set within 12 acres of stunning mature landscaped gardens and also benefits from a swimming pool, tennis courts and summer house for residents private events.
Our Client
A Russian tenant
The Challenge
Our Russian client was looking for a three bedroom furnished apartment in the middle of Mayfair. We shortlisted a number of options however he did not like the style and quality of the furniture in any of the properties and was not prepared to look outside of his search area.
The Perfect Conclusion
We identified a stunning first floor apartment overlooking Mount Street, which is regarded as one of the best addresses in the area, however it was only being offered on a unfurnished basis. Through our extensive network of contacts we were able to introduce our client to a furniture company who were able to design a bespoke solution for him.
Our Client
A UK Family
The Challenge
We originally sourced this wonderful family home for our clients back in 2012. They came back to us in 2016 to help assist with the sale as they wanted to relocate to North London to be closer to good girls schools. 2016 has been a tough sales market, with increased levels of stamp duty and potential buyers concerned about Brexit, selling properties at this level is more challenging than ever before.
The Perfect Conclusion
By carefully marketing the property to Black Brick’s extensive network of other buying agents we successfully identified a suitable buyer for our clients and once under offer, the sale progressed through to a swift exchange and completion. Our clients were delighted and we are also now assisting them with their onward property search.
Our Client
A British Family
The Challenge
We sourced this stunning first floor apartment on one of South Kensington’s best streets for our client in November 2011 for £2,825,000. Our clients had loved living at the property but with their children either at university or living abroad they no longer needed such a large home.
The Perfect Conclusion
Through our extensive network we identified two buyers who were interested in the property and accepted an offer at £3,8250,000 or £1900 per square foot four weeks after being instructed on the sale. Our clients had been very concerned about the state of the market and so were delighted to have achieved such a strong price so quickly.
Our Client
An English buyer
The Challenge
Our British clients whose main residence is in the countryside wanted to take advantage of the slowdown in the Central London sales market and uncertainty around Brexit to find themselves a lovely pied a terre for their future use and stays in London. South Bank was a location that worked well for them logistically and also benefits from a wide range of restaurants, theatre and nightlife . Their brief was for a three bedroom apartment in a secure building within walking distance of Waterloo station. We set about an analysis of all the potential property for sale that suited their requirements in the area, with a particular focus on new builds.
The Perfect Conclusion
South Bank Tower is a development that had all the features our clients required; a 24 hour concierge service, private roof terrace business suite, swimming pool, steam room, sauna and gymnasium. We identified a 3 bedroom apartment on the 24th floor with stunning views over the River Thames and the City. Knowing the developer was keen to sell, we negotiated aggressively saving our clients £550,000 from the £2.75m asking price, a saving of 20%. Subsequently our clients paid circa £1,600 per square foot in a building where exactly the same size units have sold for in excess £2,100 and £2,300 per square foot previously
Our Client
A South African Investor
The Challenge
Our client had owned the property for a number of years and it had been a successful rental investment for him. In 2015 he decided to sell and had engaged a local estate agent to assist him however despite a long period of marketing he had not been successful and so was looking for a fresh approach.
The Perfect Conclusion
Black Brick advised our client to stop marketing the property and to undertake a light refurbishment which we managed. Once this had been completed we arranged for the apartment to be furnished and dressed and then brought back to the market. As a result of interest from two prospective buyers the apartment was sold for £2,625,000 or £1873 per square foot.
Our Client
A British Buyer
The Challenge
Our clients were in rented accommodation looking to buy a permanent home in London. Having recently relocated from the US, coupled with their full-time work commitments, they were extremely time poor and needed advice on which areas they could find the right property for their budget, and a professional to take the necessary time in previewing relevant properties. The property also needed a roof terrace suitable for barbeques, which is difficult to find in central London.
The Perfect Conclusion
We spent time researching the market and educating our clients on multiple locations. In the end we successfully identified a fabulous 3 bedroom new build penthouse apartment measuring 1524 sq. feet in Battersea, with the added benefit of a large wrap around roof terrace. In addition to being able to barbeque on the roof terrace, the terrace also has a Jacuzzi hot tub and stunning views over London. We managed to negotiate and save our clients £75,000 from the asking price, equating to a competitive rate of only £770 per square ft. We also negotiated some extra internal upgrades to the flooring and terrace which will be carried between exchange and completion at no extra cost to our client.
Our Client
An American buyer
The Challenge
We sourced this stunning ground and lower ground floor apartment, with direct access to communal gardens for our client in April 2014 for £6.6 million. Our clients had enjoyed living in the property, but in spring 2016 they contacted us to discreetly help find a buyer for the property as they were relocating back to the US. Our clients did not want the property to be openly marketed and our instructions were to seek a buyer privately and with minimal disruption.
The Perfect Conclusion
Through our network we successfully identified two buyers within a few weeks, one of whom quickly agreed to purchase the property at the full asking price. At £2343 per sq. foot, this represents the highest price per square foot achieved for a flat on this street, a stunning achievement in what is currently a very slow and subdued sales market. The transaction proves that a discreet and confidential approach is often the best way to sell a property and is a prime example of how successful our Managed Sale Service is.
Our Client
A Russian tenant
The Challenge
Our Russian client’s daughter had been offered a place at a prestigious school in South Kensington. Not knowing the capital well our client decided he would rather rent for a year before purchasing a home in the city. The requirements were tough: three bedrooms in a modern gated development with 24 hour security and parking but no more than a 15 minute walk from the school.
The Perfect Conclusion
Through our intimate knowledge of the market we immediately identified those developments which matched our client’s criteria. We shortlisted the best two apartments and our client flew over from Russia to inspect them. He choose a 1st floor flat in Thornwood Gardens which is a well-regarded, boutique development just off Kensington High Street bordering Holland Park and less than a 15 minute walk to his daughters school.
Our Client
An African Client
The Challenge
Our African client was looking for a second home in London, but also something that would prove to be a good long term investment. With a limited budget of £1.5 million we were tasked to try and identify a spacious 3 bedroom property in good condition or newly built within Central London.
The Perfect Conclusion
We spent time with our client showing them options right the way across London, from Putney, Fulham and Chiswick in the West to Clerkenwell in the East and Central areas such as Marylebone and Bayswater. We eventually introduced our client to the idea of Maida Vale having identified a unique opportunity to purchase one of just 8 contemporary new build villas in a gated, landscaped mews. The property was spacious, with 3 good sized bedrooms, plus a media room and also benefitted from allocated parking. Given the current state of the market we also negotiated aggressively for our client, saving them £125,000 from the asking price. We also introduced our client to the right lawyers and helped obtain finance for the transaction through our trusted network of mortgage brokers, providing our client with a complete one stop shop solution to their needs.
Our Client
An American Buyer.
The Challenge
Our American client had been searching for a property for two years. She had offered on a number of properties but had never managed to get any of them over the line. She was looking for a three bedroom flat or house with lots of living space, access to a small outside area, separate space for her teenage son, easy access to her office in Mayfair and her son’s school in Fitzrovia, and within close proximity of a tube station and culinary amenities, all in a ‘villagey’ location. Finding a property which meets a set of such specific criteria in such a wide area is incredibly time consuming and takes incredible tenacity to make sure you don’t miss it when it becomes available, on or off market.
The Perfect Conclusion
Our dedicated and tenacious approach meant that we were able to immediately set about scouring the whole of the London market for the perfect property. Our understanding of areas and prices across the whole of London meant that we were able to immediately focus on specific areas which we knew would give her the size of property she needed with all the local amenities she desired, all for the budget of circa £1.5m. Having been looking for two years, she bought the first of a shortlist of five properties that we showed her in an area she had never previously considered.
Our Client
A Lebanese Rental Client.
The Challenge
Our Lebanese client was looking for a family house to rent in the Kensington area. They were moving from the Middle East and only had a very brief window in order to find a property. The property needed to have a garden and be big enough for a family with three children. We were able to preview and shortlist potential properties in advance of their visit ensuring they only saw the best of what fitted with their brief.
The Perfect Conclusion
We successfully sourced this modern four bedroom townhouse set within a gated development including a garden and underground parking close to High Street Kensington. Having 24 security on-site was an extra attraction for the safety of their children. We secured the property against competition from another potential tenant and still managed to agree the rent below the asking price. We also agreed redecoration works (re-painting walls and polishing floors) at the expense of the landlord as a condition of our offer. We are also assisting the client with removals and setting up utility accounts as part of our service
Our Client
An American Buyer.
The Challenge
Our American clients were looking for a long term investment situated between Islington and the West End. Their daughter was going to live in the apartment whilst working and living in London and needed to be able to rent a room out to a friend.
The Perfect Conclusion
Our knowledge and experience in having searched these locations for clients on many occasions allowed us to isolate very quickly the best investments in the market and to present the safest and best located options to the family. Having had an offer accepted on an excellent apartment in Islington and progressing the transaction very close to exchange of contracts, the seller then decided not to sell and pulled the contract. We were able to source an excellent alternative for the client in less than a week. Much to our delight, the family preferred the new property – a top floor, two bedroom apartment in a modern development measuring 1,263 square feet on a quiet turning very close to Highbury and Islington tube station. The apartment was one of only two of its kind in the development and had lovely light, lots of space and rooftop views. The apartment was bought for £1.25m, which equates to £989 per square foot.
Our Client
A Middle Eastern buyer.
The Challenge
Our Middle Eastern client was looking for a modern , 3 bedroom apartment to be used as a pied a terre. He wanted to buy in a new development with services including a 24 hour concierge, parking and leisure facilities. With so many new developments being sold across London, both existing and off plan, the market is difficult to navigate.
The Perfect Conclusion
Successfully buying a new build property in London requires experience and skill. With 1000’s of properties being developed across Central London, it’s vital to understand value, the differences between developments and select the best possible unit. We identified a beautiful 3 bedroom apartment, measuring 1129 sq. ft. on the 7th floor with stunning views in 375 Kensington High Street, which has already proven to be a very successful scheme and offers residents 24 concierge, parking and extensive leisure facilities. We were able to agree terms at £2,250,000 or £1992 per sq. ft. and exchanged contracts within 3 weeks. As our client lives abroad, they have engaged our Vacant Care Service to help look after the property for them while they are away and we are assisting our client to furnish the property all in time for their visit to London over the summer.
Our Client
An Indian buyer.
The Challenge
Our Indian client was looking for a 2 bed apartment in Mayfair or Knightsbridge with the specific requirement that the building should have a 24 hour front desk porter and air-conditioning. Due to currency remittance laws in India, their budget was constrained providing a further challenge to the search.
The Perfect Conclusion
We successfully agreed the purchase of this three bedroom, 7th floor, 1100 sq. foot apartment in a highly regarded apartment block in Mayfair next to Grosvenor Square. As a result of our negotiations we saved our client £400,000 from the asking price and managed a difficult conveyancing process through to a successful exchange of contracts. The property was held under two leases – one short lease with the immediate landlord and a longer concurrent lease granted by the Grosvenor estate. The short lease contained a provision which essentially could have restricted our clients from selling the property for a 7 year period. We successfully managed to negotiate with the landlord to vary the short lease to remove the relevant provision and also negotiated for the vendor to pay the premium for the this which was £65,000. Crucially we also introduced our client to a financial advisor who successfully arranged a mortgage that could work with their remittance restrictions and enable them to buy.
