So what will make you more money – a new build apartment or a classic London house or apartment? The obvious answer is the one that you can buy at a bargain price, but that is easier said than done. My view is that, in general, you are better advised to buy a classic house […]
Negotiating Under Pressure
Pressure does funny things to people. The most competent and level-headed people can suddenly lose complete control of their faculties. The most obvious examples are often seen in sport. As you are probably aware by now, I am a huge Arsenal fan and the FA Cup Final was a wonderful demonstration of how pressure can […]
The Biggest Mistakes Couples Make When Buying A Property
Failing to listen to your husband, wife, partner, etc. is probably the number one reason why couples become so frustrated when buying a property. This may sounds facile, but it is the truth. Before I will agree to represent clients, I insist on meeting them to discuss their requirements in great detail. Sometimes the meeting […]
A Property Bidding War and How To Make Life Difficult
I received a call last night from a client. I had helped him acquire a house about 8 years ago. At risk of sounding immodest, I negotiated a very good discount on a exceptional house which included 5 underground parking spaces. In fact my client, who is a very successful financier was so impressed that […]
How To Win A Sealed Bid
I was involved in a sealed bid for clients last month. We lost the bid yet still bought the property. So what happened? I will get back to that but first. Most buyers hate sealed bids. There is the feeling that you are being bullied or effectively swimming with sharks. Although I can understand why […]
How Can You Spot A Bargain Property?
How can so many people overlook the best opportunities? How can a property like the one I mentioned in the last post stay on the market for so long? How can people miss it when it is clearly advertised on the main property portals? To refresh your memory, the apartment in question had been on […]
A Fantastic Opportunity That My Clients Missed
It is rare in this market for me to say that a property is a bargain. In fact I spend most of my time advising clients not to buy properties- either because they are overpriced or I think I will be able to find a better opportunity in the near future. However, I recently found […]
London Property: Ghost Gazumping
Ghost gazumping is the new hot phrase in London property or so I am told. It appeared in an article in The Financial Times recently and has led me to some rather feeble gags about haunted houses. But what is it and should you be worried. The phenomenon is nothing actually new. Ghost gazumping is […]
Don’t Be To Fixated With Off-Market London Properties
…Or you’ll stand miss out on some gems. At the end of 2013 I bought two excellent properties for clients. They were completely different and yet very similar. One was a house in Notting Hill that was wider than average. The other was a three bedroom apartment in Knightsbridge with exceptional views over Hyde Park. […]
Prime Central London Property Prices For the New Year
Help! Panic! Head for the lifeboats! Prices in prime central London property prices are falling. In January “Values in Westminster slid 8.3pc, while those in Kensington dropped 6.9pc”. this was the message I received today in an email linking to a report on the housing market. As it happens, these figures are based on asking […]