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 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.
Our Client
A French family relocating from Brussels to London
The Challenge
Our clients were a French family with 3 young children, relocating from Brussels to London for work and their children’s schooling. They required a minimum five bedroom house with a garden, close to schools, a park and the West End. This opened up a huge choice of potential locations and properties that might work for them. We spent time educating our clients on different areas, showing them properties in South Kensington, Kensington, Chelsea, Notting Hill, Primrose Hill and Hampstead. The family were restricted to visiting London just twice a month, so our weekly reporting was hugely important in helping them to understand the different areas, styles of houses and pricing.
The Perfect Conclusion
We successfully agreed the purchase of this grand semi-detached freehold period house. The property met our clients brief perfectly, measuring over 3,300 square feet, with 5 bedrooms, a 100 foot garden and the ability to extend the house by adding a further floor. The purchase was agreed the first week the property came onto the market, and we successfully negotiated a discount of £400,000, despite competition of a higher offer from another buyer. We have also assisted our client with the potential future works they will do to the property by arranging three separate specialist surveys and introducing and overseeing three building contractor and interior design quotes. We are also overseeing the removal and set-up of new utility accounts to ensure their move in process is stress free.
The Unfair Advantage
We move fast. We were first in through the door of this magnificent period house in Primrose Hill. Early negotiations meant we secured the property at a very competitive £1,399 per sq. ft., saving £400,000 from the asking price, and successfully exchanged contracts despite a higher offer from another buyer.
Our Client
A Nigerian family
The Challenge
Our clients were looking to sell their Knightsbridge apartment to reduce their property liability in London.
The Perfect Conclusion
Having seen transaction levels and prices dramatically decreasing in the area over the last 12 months Knightsbridge has become an increasingly difficult market to sell in. However, we managed to agree the sale at a very healthy £2,385 per sq ft to a cash buyer who we introduced via one of our private contacts.
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
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
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 English buyer.
The Challenge
Our client was looking to move from East London to a larger family home in North West London within a reasonable commute of the City and their son’s new school in Hampstead. Their preferred location was Hampstead but the client felt that with their budget they would be unable to buy a four bedroom house in that specific location.
The Perfect Conclusion
We identified a beautiful four bedroom house less than a minutes’ walk to Hampstead Heath, close to the train station, shops and crucially our clients son’s school. At 2104 sq ft the property was a significant upgrade from their previous home. We negotiated hard for our client, saving them £70,000 from the asking price and securing their ideal home for £2,125,000, or £1010 per sq. ft which represents very good value with similar houses trading at least 10%-15% more.
See what our client had to say here
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.
The Client
An English buyer.
The Challenge
Our clients were looking to move out of London into the countryside, whilst still being less than an hour’s commute from the city. Happy to be advised on location, our search covered multiple areas including Surrey, Kent, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.
The Perfect Conclusion
Following a detailed analysis of the most attractive villages, we focused on Kent, specifically the towns of Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks. We sourced a very impressive home, located within an easy commute of a train station into London. Set within 4.1 acres, the property boasted several attractive features including a large walled garden for privacy, swimming pool and tennis court. The impressive property totals 7100 square feet, equating to a sales price of just £242 per square foot, a bargain compared to Central London prices!
