Musings of the Mayfair London Property Finders

With the plethora of Winter auctions upon us with another company releasing their catalogue day by day, we were expecting to have seen more larger ticket  houses on the auction market by now, but what there is is few and far between.

Barnard Marcus have a terraced family house in Hurlingham Road just north of Putney Bridge next week and it may be of interest to some.   Houses in that road generally go for £1.1 – £1.2m but the guide on this one is £900K however it needs to be totally refurbished, so there isn’t much room for manoeuvre or profit if it makes it’s guide.

Other than that there is nothing whatsoever in the November auctions for more affluent owner occupiers or developers wanting a bigger ticket project. 

It is however investor and first-time buyer city, with many lots not quite reaching their reserve prices in the room but being snapped up afterwards.  Everything from little flats in St Leonards for £38K to Hampstead period wonders for £500K and in need of work are going and there has been a good supply of stock between £200,000 and £350,000.

In our view as Property Finders, it seems that the big ticket properties are again being offered privately rather than suffering the ignominy of being offered to the world at auction.  Rather like the market as a whole really.  And while some parts of London and the South East are still in the doldrums, other parts are flourishing – and it’s all due to lack of stock.

Technorati Tags: London Property Auctions, London property finders, property auctions

Tags: London Property Auctions, London property finders, property auctions

Musings of a Brighton Buyers Agent

Clive Emson is having an auction next week with some interesting development opportunities in Kent.  

In Gravesend there is a detached rent office in Dickens Road/Rose Avenue Junction.  With a  guide price of £18-£20K, I expect there will be considerable interest.   In a residential area it may be possible to obtain permission for housing.  Terraced housing in the area are likely to fetch between £120,000 and £150,000, taking into account a drop of 15% since last year.  If wholly residential development is not permitted, a live/work unit  may provide a suitable compromise.  The Ebbsfleet express domestic service  to London King€™s Cross opens in November so now is the time to capitalise on weaker prices along the East Kent corridor.

Another interesting site is a 1 acre site, former a waterworks plant, at Halden Lane, Rolvenden with a guide price of £80-£100,000.  Property in the village does not change hands often and achieves a good price partly because it is a stones throw from Cranbrook Grammar School, a co-ed school with 750 pupils, a boarding house and a long and distinguished history.  The process of gaining planning permission may be prolonged and require skillful negotiation and an exciting design but it has good access , some services and is close to the village as well as being secluded. 

Finally there is a house and attached shop and garage in the High Street, Ramsgate with a guide of £170-£180K but planning permission for a four storey building was been granted in 2006.  The price may appear high but families are now beginning to consider the coastal regions of Kent  as a desirable option, in view of the plethora of good grammar schools in the area. 

The area is becoming busier for Buyers Agents like us as a sharp rise in London commuters is predicted, as the fast services through Ebbsfleet become a reality at last.

Technorati Tags: Brighton Buyers Agents, Buyers agents, development bargains, development property, Ebbsfleet, Kent Buyers Agents, Kent development bargains, property auctions

Tags: Brighton Buyers Agents, Buyers agents, development bargains, development property, Ebbsfleet, Kent Buyers Agents, Kent development bargains, property auctions

A Property Finders auction property picks

With the buying season in full swing, we are getting several calls a day from first-time-buyers looking to engage us as Property Finders to help them make their first purchase.  With their deposits in hand, auctions are a good way for organised first time buyers to find their first property, as long as they know what they are doing are well advised and extremely well-organised.  Here is our pick of the property at Allsops sale in two weeks time. 

For first-time buyers hankering after a zone 1 pad or city workers who want a bolthole close to the office, 43 Roupell Street might be the answer.  Roupell Street is a quaint street of period cottages originally built for railway workers.  The houses are essentially 2 up 2 downs, tucked behind Waterloo East railway station and generally sell for in excess of £650,000.  Number 43 has a guide of £400 – £450,000 and presumably needs complete refurbishment.  A purchaser with change from £550,000 would have bought a bargain in our mind, although the refurbishment costs could be high – we’ve not been inside.

22 Longmoore Street in Pimlico may be a good option for those seeking an SW1 address.  This four floor 3 bedroom period home is on a quiet residential street, but this house is blighted by it’s proximity to the Prince of Wales pub, which will mean noise outside your bedroom window as smokers enjoy their pint outside.  For those who can put up with the disturbance, the guide is £700-£750,000 although we would estimate it will reach £800,000 maybe more.

Parents of first year Cambridge undergraduates may be interested in 86 Gwydir Street, another Victorian 2 up 2 down workers cottage in the centre of Cambridge.  The guide is £165+ although property here has been achieving £280,000+ for the last two years.  This house needs total refurbishment, including new windows and a new front door.  This should go for over £200,000 but anything under £250,000 wouldn’t be too bad a buy, and by the time you complete in early July – the offspring will have finished their exams and can get started honing their DIY skills ready for a paying house mate or two in late September.

For new parents keen to escape the rat race and buy more space for their buck, there is a large 4 bedroom detached 50s house on the outskirts of Pembury, between Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells.  It’s not very pretty and needs a complete facelift, but it sits on a large plot and increasingly the planners are allowing front and rear extensions which will make the house easier on the eye.    In our view a new set of Barratt style windows, a coat of coloured render and rebuilding the hideous porch would make a big difference.  The guide for this house is £225,000 – £250,000 which is about right in our view.

An alternative is Little Greystones, a new development of 5 3 bedroom town houses on the outskirts of Crowborough in deepest darkest Sussex.  The town is well known for fantastic schools in both the state and private sectors and each house is for sale with a guide of £140,000 to £150,000 although there is only one house vacant and the auctioneer will try to sell all five as one lot to an investor, before selling individually.

The next Allsops auction will be held on 2nd and 3rd of June at the Great Cumberland Hotel in Great Cumberland Place London starting at 10.30am.  If you need advice from someone who knows how to buy at auction then we are one of the few Property Finders who will be able to help you.

Technorati Tags: allsops, buying at auctions, Cambridge Property Finders, Crowborough Property Finders, First time buyers, Kent Property Finders, London Property Auctions, London property finders, property auctions, Sussex Property Finders, UK Property Finders

Tags: allsops, buying at auctions, Cambridge Property Finders, Crowborough Property Finders, First time buyers, Kent Property Finders, London Property Auctions, London property finders, property auctions, Sussex Property Finders, UK Property Finders