Result: Market Knowledge

Montagu Square

The Challenge

Our Far Eastern client was looking to purchase an investment property in prime Central London in order to diversify their overall investment portfolio, take advantage of a weaker London property market and weaker pound. As first time buyers they had limited knowledge of where and what to buy, and current market values. We looked at a range of properties across multiple prime areas of London, educating our clients in the process.

 

The Perfect Conclusion

We successfully agreed the purchase of this immaculate three bedroom apartment overlooking one of the finest garden squares in Marylebone. The apartment measures just over 1200 square feet, spans two buildings, with six windows directly overlooking the gardens, and is a 10 minute walk to Selfridges and Marylebone High Street. Due to the strength of our relationship with the selling agent, we were first through the door to view the property, and submitted an offer within the first week of the property coming to market. We were able to negotiate a £200,000 discount from the asking price, equating to under £2,000 per sq. ft. in an area where the best properties are now selling in excess of £3,000 per sq. ft. Our clients have also taken advantage of our Property Management Service to ensure the property is seamlessly let-out on completion.

 

The Unfair Advantage

We provide a complete solution. As well as saving our clients 8% from asking price, we will also be managing the property to ensure it is rented to the best possible tenant.

Victoria Street

The Challenge

Our clients were relocating from Belgium to London and whilst their longer term plan is to purchase a property it was felt prudent to rent a property for at least 12 months to allow them to get a feel for the varying neighbourhoods of the capital. Their brief was for a lateral apartment, with at least 3 bedrooms and a minimum of 2000 square foot. Our clients travel frequently and so easy access to Heathrow and a good sized lift within the building were important requirements. The budget was set at a maximum of £4000 per week.

 

The Perfect Conclusion

As our clients did not have a specific location in mind we previewed and shortlisted options all over prime central london: Mayfair, Belgravia, Pimlico, Kensington and St. James’s all had suitable properties however we identified a ninth floor apartment within a new development in the heart of Victoria which ticked all of the boxes. The property was 2695 square foot, had three bedrooms and two large terraces. It also benefitted from a concierge, underground parking and a large lift. The asking price was £3250 per week so well within the budget and we successfully negotiated this to £3000 per week which equated to a 8.3% saving for our client.

 

The Unfair Advantage

Our extensive knowledge of Prime Central London allowed us to advise and guide our clients as to the best possible locations for their tenancy.

Seymour Street

The Challenge

Our client from Hong Kong was looking to invest circa £2 million into the London market. They had limited knowledge of the geography and market conditions in central London. We advised them to split the budget for the investment into two properties, rather than one, providing diversity of investment and stronger rental prospects. This is one of the two flats our client purchased on our advice.

 

The Perfect Conclusion

We successfully agreed the purchase of this brand newly completed one bedroom flat located in a block of only 27 private residential apartments. The building is regarded as one of the best to have been completed in the area within the last 24 months, with all units selling out off-plan. The building is finished to a very high standard with 24 hr security/concierge and underground parking. The property sold for the original contract price of £1,600,000, but the buyer failed to complete. Through our contacts we were quickly made aware of the opportunity to purchase at a heavily discounted rate before the property was released back onto the open market. We subsequently agreed the purchase at £1,150,000, a 28% discount from the original contract price.

 

The Unfair Advantage

We gain access to the best deals – an early heads up meant we were able to achieve an impressive 28% discount from the original contract price.

Halsey House

The Challenge

Our client from Hong Kong was looking to invest circa £2 million into the London property market. They had limited knowledge of the geography and market conditions in central London.

The Perfect Conclusion

We successfully agreed the purchase of this newly converted two bed two bath apartment located on a garden square in WC1 at £100,000 less than the asking price. The property provides good potential yield due to high demand for rental apartments in the area from a number of University students and law professionals studying and working locally. This is one of two properties purchased by our client. We advised them to split the budget for the investment into two properties, rather than one, providing diversity of investment and better rental prospects. The property is also two bed, two bath, a bonus considering most other new build or newly converted flats in the area at this price are one beds. We will be managing the properties on an ongoing basis, providing an end to end service from purchase through to management when the tenants are in-situ.

The Unfair Advantage

Knowledge is power – we successfully rented the property within a week of it coming to the market, resulting in a 3.5% gross yield.

Netherhall Gardens

The Challenge

Our U.S. client was looking for a secure pied a terre in London for personal use. They required a building in good condition, with a lift and porter that allowed dogs.

 

The Perfect Conclusion

We successfully agreed the purchase of this smart new build, two bedroom, 1,437 square foot flat, located in a boutique development of only 15 flats in Hampstead. Unusually for a new build the property has excellent ceiling heights, over 2.5m. We also successfully negotiated a £137,500 saving from the asking price which included underground parking and further benefits, like the installation of new electrical points and a full move-in demonstration with the developer.

 

The Unfair Advantage

We save you time – over 50 flats were inspected across North London as part of our search. Our clients were then presented with a shortlist of the very best opportunities during their short stay in the U.K.

Lillie Square

The Challenge

Our client was looking for a 3 bedroom apartment in a new build development to hold as a long term investment. The budget for the purchase was £2,000,000.

The Perfect Conclusion

We identified a rare opportunity to purchase a stunning, sub-penthouse apartment in the popular Lillie Square development from a distressed seller who could no longer complete. Lillie Square will be one of the most high-profile residential developments in London, transforming a 7.4 acre car park on Seagrave Road into 808 high-end new homes offering modern garden square living. The seller, having originally exchanged contracts at £2,074,000, wasn’t able to complete on the purchase and as a result we were able to agree terms on the contract at £1,700,000, some £374,000 or 18% below the original contract price.  Three bedroom apartments in this scheme and on this floor have traded at £1,714/sqft, we secured this for our client at at a highly competitive £1,352/sqft.

The Unfair Advantage

We buy below market value and can identify highly motivated sellers. At £1,352 per square foot, we acquired the property for 18% below the original contract price.

Red Lion House

The Challenge

Our client was a sophisticated investor, already owning significant commercial and residential real estate assets in London. He had been looking for some time to acquire a family home in London, and did not want to pay the huge premium that comes with buying new build properties. He needed 4 to 5 bedrooms and at least 3000 square feet in Marylebone or Mayfair.

 

The Perfect Conclusion

We identified a freehold house in Mayfair, measuring just over 8500 square feet which was being sold by receivers. The house had previously been sold in 2014 for £19.175m. Once a famous pub, The Red Lion was shut down in 2009 and sold to a luxury developer, and initially had asking price of £25 million. With 6 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, 2 receptions rooms, dining room, kitchen, media room, gym, swimming pool, roof terrace and an internal lift, the house met with every single one of our clients requirements.

The purchase price of £15 million, equated to a highly competitive £1748 per square foot. Unmodernised houses in Mayfair usually achieve over £2000 per sq. foot, and modernised houses often achieve well in excess of £3000 per sq. foot. Red Lion House was in almost new condition, so the price was extremely attractive. Of course, we were not the only potential buyers interested in the property, and we had to move quickly and demonstrate our ability to get on and do the deal in order to win the contract from at least two other interested parties.

The area immediately surrounding the property is interesting from a future investment perspective. On one side of the property business entrepreneur and billionaire John Caudwell is developing his own private residence of over 50,000 sq. feet, and on the other side he is developing a new luxury block of residential apartments – Audley Square which is due to be one of the most luxurious new build developments in Central London, with prices set to be in the region of £10,000 per sq. foot.

Finally, we are in discussions with our client regarding our Vacant Care Service to help look after and service our clients home for him when he is travelling.

 

The Unfair Advantage

Mayfair houses traded at an average rate of £2567 per square foot in 2018. We acquired Red Lion House at an astonishing £1748 per square foot, 32% below the market average.

The Sherwood

The Challenge

The brief was to find an immaculate one bedroom apartment, in a secure apartment block close to our client’s university at Regents University College.

 

The Perfect Conclusion

We were able to secure a large, off market, one bedroom apartment in the Crown Estate’s newest development, the Sherwood which is just off Regents street. The building has just under gone a complete renovation and has been fitted out with both a concierge and 24hr security. Through our long standing relationship with the estate agent we were able to gain access to several one bedroom apartments that weren’t on the open market, this being the best.

 

The Unfair Advantage

We have the inside track – not every property is listed on websites… this ideal one bedroom apartment was sourced entirely off market.

Neo Bankside

The Challenge

The brief was to find a large, modern, two bedroom rental apartment in great condition, within a portered block with a lift, private gym and private gardens in South West London. Our client also had plans to move most of their large furniture from Canada to London and so careful planning on our part was needed to ensure larger items of furniture would fit into the apartment.

 

The Perfect Conclusion

We identified a large two bedroom apartment on the 4th floor of one of the best new developments South of the river, Neo Bankside. The development has all the private resident facilities that were required– including the 24 hour concierge, gym and private gardens. We managed to save our client money – they originally had given us a budget of up to £5,200 per month to work with, but we managed to secure this apartment for £4,460 per month a 6.4% saving from the asking price.

 

The Unfair Advantage

We are expert hand holders – relocating to London can be a daunting experience. We managed and oversaw our clients move from Canada to London, seamlessly, and negotiated them a 6.4% saving.

Luxborough Street

The Challenge

The brief was to find an immaculate one bedroom apartment, in a secure apartment block between Baker Street Station and Marylebone High Street. From the point of instruction we only had 7 days to research the market, view options, organise a tour, negotiate and schedule the client to move in.

 

The Perfect Conclusion

We were able to secure a large, one bedroom apartment in a well-known mansion block right between Baker Street Station and Marylebone High Street. The apartment was renovated only 12 months ago and remains in fantastic condition. This flat had been on the market for less than an hour before we had organised a viewing for our client to see it. Leaning on our experience our client had the confidence to negotiate decisively and secured the apartment below the asking price in record time.

 

The Unfair Advantage

We personally wrote letters to every resident living in the building, making them aware of the sale. As a result we were contacted by a resident who had a friend interested in purchasing the apartment. We then conducted viewings with their representative and negotiated the subsequent offers agreeing the sale at £1.8m, just £50,000 below the asking price.

Ebury Street

The Challenge

Our client was looking to sell this two bedroom, two bathroom apartment in Belgravia which they no longer used. The biggest challenge we faced was the competition from other apartments in the area for sale. There were five other similar units for sale in the same building alone, and many more in the wider area.

 

The Perfect Conclusion

We personally wrote letters to every resident living in the building, making them aware of the sale. As a result we were contacted by a resident who had a friend interested in purchasing the apartment. We then conducted viewings with their representative and negotiated the subsequent offers agreeing the sale at £1.8m, just £50,000 below the asking price.

 

The Unfair Advantage

We go the extra mile. In addition to sending the property details to our extensive list of property agents and private contacts, we wrote letters to every single resident in the building, over 100 people in total. This enabled us to quickly identify a suitable buyer, whilst other similar flats remain for sale in the building.

Fordham Court, De Vere Gardens

The Challenge

Our clients were looking to sell their London pied-a-terre which they were no longer using due to relocation. The property was a newly refurbished two bedroom apartment, measuring 828 square feet on the third floor with a lift located on a highly desirable street, just off high Street Kensington. There is a shortage of motivated, credible buyers in the current market, so negotiating a high sales price can be extremely difficult, and our clients, understandably wanted to achieve the highest sales price possible.

 

The Perfect Conclusion

Through our network of introducers we were able to find a buyer who already lived in the area and wanted to buy an apartment for their mother. We successfully agreed the sale at £1,760,000, which is premium rate for the building, equating to £2,125 per square foot. As our clients were overseas, managing the deal process on the ground was crucial. We liaised regularly with solicitors, surveyors and valuers on both sides to ensure a smooth and successful sale.

 

The Unfair Advantage

We know how to hunt out the best buyers. Even in a challenging sales market, quality properties still sell well.

Rathbone Square

The Challenge

Our client had recently relocated from Hong Kong to take up a new senior management position in the UK. The brief was to find a modern two bedroom rental apartment in good condition, located in a portered building in central London with good views. The property was also to provide easy access to Euston station for his daily commute.

 

The Perfect Conclusion

We identified a brand new two bedroom apartment on the 4th floor, measuring over 1,000 square foot, located in one of the best new developments in Fitzrovia. The development boats some of the most impressive private resident facilities in central London – including 24 hour concierge, swimming pool, gym and cinema room. Having only recently completed, the apartment has never been lived in before, benefitting from air-cooling, underfloor heating and an attractive balcony overlooking the central courtyard garden. We managed to secure the apartment at very short notice – when a previous tenancy agreement had fallen through, and managed to negotiate additional furniture items our client wanted prior to moving in. We also managed to save our client money – they originally had given us a budget of up to £9000 per month to work with, but we managed to secure this apartment for £6500 per month.

 

The Unfair Advantage

We work fast – we secured the apartment at short notice when a previous tenancy agreement had fallen through. We also negotiated additional furniture items.

Blenheim Road

Our Client

An English family looking to move from an apartment to a family house.

 

The Challenge

Our clients had lived in the Little Venice/Maida Vale area for many years. The combination of lower house prices combined with cheap lending gave them the motivation to upgrade to a larger family house, St Johns Wood being an area they had always dreamed of living in. With two older children living and working in London, the house needed to have the right balance of good bedroom and living space in order to give adults and older children the space to live under the same roof. The house needed to have at least 4 bedrooms, and be walking distance from the tube. Whilst initial research threw up around 30 potential houses, in reality, decent houses that were sensibly priced were far and few between.

 

The Perfect Conclusion

After an abortive transaction on a Grade II listed house where we discovered that the owners had failed to obtain the necessary planning consents, we finally managed to identify a much better alternative house within 3 months of being retained. We were the very first people in through the door to view a special house located on Blenheim Road. The house had been meticulously refurbished by the current owners who were relocating abroad and therefore extremely motivated to sell. With 4 bedrooms, all with en-suite bathrooms, ample entertaining and reception space, outside space and off street parking, the house met with every single one of our clients requirements. Our early viewing resulted in a week of negotiations and a price being agreed at well below the planned asking price of £4.75 million. We saved our client £350,000 or 7.3% from the asking price, equating to a very competitive £1600 per sq. foot. Recent house sales in the area have been achieving as much as £1865 per sq. foot. We also managed to get the seller to agree not to bring the property onto the open market, allowing our client the necessary time needed to exchange contracts without the pressure of another potential buyer coming along.

 

Castle Lane

Our Client

A family from the Middle East, looking for a second home in London.

 

The Challenge

Our clients were looking for a second home in London, as they spend considerable time in the city during school holidays. With 5 children, we were tasked to find a large 4 bedroom apartment in a secure modern or brand new build development. Proximity to the west end for shopping was also very important. The budget for the purchase was between £3 million to £3.5 million. Due to planning laws and the price of high quality new build in Prime Central London, 4 bedroom apartments are extremely hard to find at this price point.

 

The Perfect Conclusion

We identified an opportunity to join two apartments on the same floor in a brand new development, Castle Lane. Nestled in the historic Birdcage Walk Conservation Area of Westminster, Castle Lane is a rare, new boutique development of 28 meticulously crafted apartments and 3 townhouses.  By joining two apartments together, we were able to create a lateral 4 bedroom 4 bathroom apartment measuring almost 2000 sq. feet. As well as negotiating for the developer to carry out the work to join the apartments together, we also managed to save our client £250,000 from the asking price, equating to a purchase price of £1,962 per sq. foot. New builds regularly achieve in excess of £2000 per sq. foot in this location.