Our Client
Our clients were an Asian/Australian family looking to purchase their first family home in central London.
The Challenge
Since moving to London from Australia three years ago they had been in rented accommodation in the Holland Park area, and with a baby on the way, had decided they wanted to put down some proper roots and buy a permanent home. The market in Holland Park and surrounding areas for sensibly priced and well located properties in the £2m to £3.5m range is severely limited. Good properties often sell before coming onto the open market and competition is rife.
The Perfect Conclusion
Due to our excellent contacts with the right local agents, we were first in the door of this beautifully presented 3 bedroom freehold house, measuring almost 1800 square feet and with the added benefit of secure off street parking and south west facing garden. Abbotsbury Road is one of the most sought after roads in W14 and is located directly opposite Holland Park, making it an ideal family location. We managed to agree the sale during the first week of marketing, and also successfully negotiated a £205,000 discount from the asking price.
Our Client
British clients wanting to give their daughters their first step on the property ladder.
The Challenge
Our client instructed us to find her daughters their first London property. They were unsure whether to buy two separate or just one property, and whether to buy modernised or unmodernised. We showed them a number of options to help educate them on the market and what would work best. It was critical that the property be on a quiet residential street whilst still being close to shops and restaurants as well as being very close to the tube. It was also crucial that the property had two roughly equal sized bedrooms. We ended up securing a 4 bedroom terraced house on a prime residential road in Balham. The property was in excellent condition and the vendors were motivated.
The Perfect Conclusion
Using our network of agents and our knowledge of the area we were able to preview a prime house before it was officially launched to the market that matched our clients criteria perfectly. This gave our client an opportunity to act quickly in a very competitive domestic market. We were able to secure the house below the asking price on the condition that no further viewings go ahead and it was removed from the market. We ended up securing the property for £724 per sq. foot whilst the going rate on this road for similar properties can be in excess of £800 per sq. foot.
Our Client
A previous Black Brick client.
The Challenge
In 2015 we sourced this stunning 2 bedroom garden apartment for £975,000 for clients of ours who had relocated to London for work. In 2017 our clients decided that they were relocating away from London and so approached us to handle the sale for them. Market conditions had changed considerably since our client acquired the property, and so careful management of the sale and working with the right agents was crucial for a successful outcome.
The Perfect Conclusion
In a very challenging sales market we agreed terms with a first time buyer for £1,071,250. The buyer was nervous about the market and the deal required a lot of patience and handholding to ensure it went through successfully. With fall through rates being high, and properties sitting on the market for up to a year or longer, we were delighted that we were able find a buyer and conclude the transaction within 7 months of being instructed.
Our Client
Our client was looking for a three bedroom property with a garden suitable for pets.
The Challenge
The property had to be within walking distance of an apartment their staff were currently renting. This meant we were searching within a very small radius. In addition, finding properties with Landlords that are happy to allow pets can be a challenge.
The Perfect Conclusion
We successfully agreed the rental of this attractive townhouse on Chepstow Road at £600 less than the monthly asking price, saving our clients an impressive 7% from the asking price rent. As part of our negotiations, we also managed to get the landlord to agree to carry out a light refurbishment before our clients moved in, and arranged for a garden landscaping company to work on the garden. This involved speaking to relevant contractors, arranging quotes and securing the best price, all as part of our service.
Our Client
A British client looking for a family home.
The Challenge
Our client wanted a large, detached house in South West London. Their ideal property needed to be very private, not overlooked and with a secluded garden. With three dogs, access to open spaces within walking distance from the property was also an important requirement. They had previously been under offer on another property in Wimbledon for £6.5 million, but had lost confidence in both the property and the price being paid, and so engaged us as their buying agent to provide proper guidance and advice.
The Perfect Conclusion
We spent time educating our client on various desirable areas in South West London, working out what was important to them and what wasn’t. We identified Putney as a suitable location, and one that would offer our clients better value for money than more expensive Wimbledon. Through our network of contacts we identified an off market house in Heathview Gardens. The front of the house had uninterrupted views across a cricket pitch with a stunning, private 90 foot west facing garden to the rear. Heathview Gardens is located on Putney Heath, surrounded by woodland with Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park easily accessible. Crucially we managed to save our client £300,000 or 5.1% from the asking price concluding the purchase at £5,500,000 or £935 per square foot.
Our Client
An Indian client looking for a two bedroom apartment to rent in central London.
The Challenge
Our client instructed us to find his daughter a two bedroom apartment between her University at St Martins and Marylebone. It was critical that the property be within a modern, secure development with 24 hour concierge, security and be very close to the tube.
The Perfect Conclusion
Our knowledge of the area enabled us to shortlist those developments which would provide the accommodation and services our client required. The best property we identified was located within Fitzrovia Apartments which is a small development of apartments next to Great Portland Street tube station which benefits from 24 hour security and concierge. The property was listed at £850 per week (and had been previously let for £900 per week unfurnished) but we agreed terms with the landlord at £800 per week furnished – a saving of nearly 6% for our client.
Our Client
British clients looking for a London pied-a-terre.
The Challenge
Our client was an extremely time-poor senior executive, living with his family outside London but seeking a pied-a-terre to use during the week and on children’s holidays. The flat needed to be a secure lock-up and leave, providing easy access to our clients office in the City and local transport links
The Perfect Conclusion
We successfully sourced this off-plan 2 bedroom apartment measuring 907 square feet on the 2nd floor with views over an internal courtyard garden. The apartment also benefits from a balcony and is due for completion at the end of 2017. Bart’s Square is a new-build apartment block in a vibrant mixed-use development around the corner from Smithfields Market, with residents’ gardens, a bar, meeting room and cinema, and offering secure, lock-and-leave properties. Although the developer had sold the best apartments, we worked our contacts to secure one second-hand, off-market. The development is ideally located next to the new Farringdon Crossrail station.
Our Client
Northern Irish ex-pat clients looking for a London pied-a-terre.
The Challenge
As a second home, our clients wanted something in a central location, with easy access to amenities and transport. The property was also required to provide good value for money as a long term investment.
The Perfect Conclusion
Black Brick successfully sourced this spacious two bedroom apartment measuring over 1,000 sq ft with lift access and a porter. The flat is located on the best garden square address in South Kensington, and was bought for £1,600 per sq ft, with properties selling on the same square for as much as £2,800 per sq ft in the last 12 months. We have introduced the client to a trusted building contractor to assist with renovation works. The apartment had over 15 viewings within the first week of marketing and we successfully secured it against competitive bidding from another party.
Our Client
Swiss clients looking for a London pied-a-terre.
The Challenge
As their second home, our clients were looking for something with a wow factor for the family to enjoy, in a safe area that was also close to amenities and transport.
The Perfect Conclusion
We successfully sourced this special and rare third floor floor flat, benefiting from direct lift access and with triple aspect views directly overlooking communal gardens. The flat has a near perfect layout and is situated in one of the best run buildings in South Kensington. Importantly, we saved the clients a substantial £255,000 from the asking price, paying just £2,242 per square foot.
Our Client
A previous Black Brick client.
The Challenge
In 2009 we sourced this stunning freehold house located in a prestigious Kensington development for £5,440,775 or £1752 per square foot. In 2014 our clients bought a larger, unmodernised property in Belgravia through Black Brick which, once completed, would become their primary residence. With the new home ready for occupation we were instructed to sell the Kensington house.
The Perfect Conclusion
In a very challenging sales market we agreed terms with an Italian buyer at £6,5000,000 or £2093 per square foot which equated to a 20% increase in capital value for our client during the period of his ownership. The transaction was very complicated and eventually took over 9 months to reach a conclusion during which time the buyer sought to renegotiate the price which had been agreed. We successfully managed to avoid the price renegotiation and contracts were exchanged at the agreed level.
Our Client
A high profile member of a Middle Eastern royal family.
The Challenge
Our clients were specifically looking to acquire a significant family residence in prime Central London. Specifically, they would only consider Belgravia, freehold houses measuring over 14,000 square feet, and houses that represented good value and had not previously been done up by a developer.
The Perfect Conclusion
We thoroughly researched the market, considering both on, off and pre-market houses. Through our network we were finally able to identify an entirely off market house that met with our clients very specific criteria. The owner had decided to sell off market as they had a very expensive private art collection inside the house, and only wanted serious, vetted buyers in through the door. The house measured over 20,000 sq. feet and we were able to negotiate an impressive rate of £2700 per sq. foot. Fully modernised houses in this part of London can achieve up to £5000 per sq. foot.
Our Client
A Russian client looking for a one bedroom apartment to rent in central London
The Challenge
Our client instructed us to find a one bedroom apartment in Kensington. The property had to be within a modern, gated development with 24 hour concierge and security. His budget was £750 per week.
The Perfect Conclusion
There are a limited number of gated developments in Kensington. Our knowledge of the area enabled us to shortlist those developments which would provide the accommodation and services our client required. The best property we identified was located within Wycombe Square which is a boutique development of apartments and town houses benefitting from 24 hour security and concierge. The property was listed at £850 per week (and had been previously let for £900 per week) but we agreed terms with the landlord at £725 per week- a saving of 15% for our client.
Our Client
A time poor US client living in London and wanting to upsize to a larger more centrally located property.
The Challenge
Our client was looking to sell his apartment in Islington having already upsized to a bigger flat which we had sourced him. We advised him on the best way to present his apartment in order to attract the highest quality buyers. We introduced a suitable home staging company and arranged for cosmetic works to be carried out in preparation for bringing the property to market.
The Perfect Conclusion
We worked jointly with an agent in the local area to source a buyer and agreed a price at only £50,000 less than the £1.35m asking price. The transaction exchanged contracts the day before the Brexit vote result.
Our Client
A Jordanian client relocating to London with his family.
The Challenge
Our clients were relocating to London from the Middle East with their entire family for work reasons. Before committing to an expensive house purchase, and also due to time constraints, they wanted to rent first in order to get to know the area better. They needed to be within a half hour drive from the children’s school in Surrey but also within 45 mins to 60 mins commute to the City. They had limited time to fly over and view potential houses with a small window to see a shortlist of the best options across a number of areas.
The Perfect Conclusion
In advance of our clients visit to London, we previewed in excess of 25 properties across Wimbledon, Roehampton, Putney and Coombe so that by the time our clients visited London we could make best use of their time and the two days they had set aside in order to find their perfect rental property. Our thorough search process meant that we saved our clients a huge amount of time, cancelling out properties that did not come up to the standard of their requirements, and ensured they saw the very best selection available. We identified an immaculate 5 bedroom new build house, spanning 3642 sq. feet with the added benefit of having had only one previous tenant since new. The property is located in the highly sought after Wimbledon Village area, in a quiet position with a garden and off-street parking. We also negotiated a £2,000 discount from the monthly rental price.
Our Client
Three sisters, looking to up-size to a larger four bedroom apartment in South Kensington.
The Challenge
Our clients, a family we have worked with for a number of years, were looking to upsize to a four bedroom apartment with high ceilings in the South Kensington area. Four bedroom apartments are rare and difficult to find in this location.
The Perfect Conclusion
Due to the architecture and make-up of properties in South Kensington, four bedroom flats with period features are very hard to find. Through our network we successfully identified a suitable 4 bedroom apartment, measuring some 2000 sq. feet and the only 4 bedroom apartment on the market in a period building at this price level. We also managed to negotiate and saved our clients £1300 per month from the rental price.
