Family Hub To Relocate To In The Future

Our client got in touch when she and her husband decided they wanted to have a home in London. They had lived abroad for over 25 years but were making regular trips back to visit parents and children in the UK and wanted a base to visit their family that could become their new home when they returned to London in a few years for good.

They had grown up in the UK but living abroad meant they had become used to a tremendous amount of space and in London, even with a very generous budget, space is still hard to get, comparably. It became obvious early on that they would either need to compromise on space, or on location, or increase their budget. They loved London had lived here and knew it well therefore the real issue was trying to track down a beautiful house that, for reasons not a compromise too far, could give them the space they wanted but be in a location that felt right.

They had a great attitude and we had an exciting and fun time looking. I looked forward to every call and every outing with them when they flew over to see their favourites first hand. I took many detailed videos in preparation for their visits and looked forward to our always upbeat and enlightening feedback. They always scanned the on-line sites and would send me links with a note like ‘what about this one’ or ‘this looks good’ but normally they were on-line as a marketing tool for the selling agent and not actually available anymore. Other times there was something significant about the location or the building that meant it was not a good investment. There was one that was almost right and we even offered with the offer being accepted but it became clear the sellers were not trustworthy and we were back on the hunt again.

With a bit of an increase to the budget I was able to preview and recommend larger homes and one came on that, although on a road that felt a bit busy for me initially, seemed to fit the bill. They loved it from the details and the video and raced over to view in person. The buzz of the location uplifted my clients. They liked the illustration of life and activity of the location and the perfect home came in the form of a 1930’s house that had been recently refurbished in the latest finish and style. Having toyed with central London but being disappointed with the relative size of property there, a little shift to outer prime, to Kensal Rise, felt right. It happened to be an area where their family and friends were already settled which was a bonus – coffees and chats, a short walk away! The era of the house meant the dimensions were better than older (and newer standard build) houses and the road was a bit busier than may be perfect for some but at a bustle rather than a cacophony of noise, it was a compromise that made sense for them.

Some of the renovation was not conventional and raised a concern with the surveyor and the conveyance was not straight forward as there was initially some poor communication from the agent which resulted in some stressful dialogue between the seller, agent and us but with a seasoned selling agent stepping in and a useful direct video call between me and the seller, we were able to resolve the concerns and lack of information within a short time and the situation regarding, use of building methods and materials all becoming more clear and, in turn, acceptable by J&D.

A large and fabulously stylish house was acquired for this upbeat and warm family that would be their London base and sanctuary, within a short distance of family and friends.

If you’d like our help finding your own sanctury in London, get in touch.