Brik Magazine, September 2014 by Ben Littlewood

SEPTEMBER 2014 05 A LEAGUE OF ITS OWN 16 INTEREST ONLY 25 WHAT’S IN A NAME?

brik.co.uk

CONTENTS

ISSUE 20 BRIK MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2014

a league of its own

www. Inspiration

Tell the Truth, the whole truth…

BRIKOLAGE

survey delay

The power of gearing

PROPERTY MARKET

GET INSPIRED

SELLER’S GUIDE

Marc Da Silva, Property Market Specialist

NEWS & INTERESTS

KNOW MORE

Roger Mullin, Dapital Chartered

LANDLORD’S GUIDE

INTEREST ONLY

What’s in a name?

SOFAS

MORTGAGE MARKET

BUYERS GUIDE

Alistair Hargreaves, John Charcol

INTERIOR & DESIGN

Magenta Pink Interiors

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14 INSPIRATION TRANSMISSION

22 PRETTY LITTLE THINGS

36 PROPERTY GALLERY

Brik Magazine is published by Brik Property Ltd (Brik) and the opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of Brik, the editor, publishers or their agents. Articles and other information in this magazine are as up-to-date and accurate as possible, at the time of publication, but no responsibility can be taken by Brik for any errors or omissions contained herein. Responsibility for any losses, damages or distress resulting from adherence to any information made available through this magazine is not the responsibility of Brik or their agents. All property descriptions and photographs contained within are for guidance only and are not necessarily accurate or comprehensive. All content Copyright © 2013 Brik Property Ltd. All rights reserved.

HOTEL

Château de la Resle DESTINATION

Burgundy, France ORIGINAL

Johan Bouman

04 brik.co.uk At Design Hotels™ we believe in the power of creative expression. That’s why each of our 275 handpicked independent hotels and their uniquely original interiors reflect the ideas of visionary hoteliers, people like Johan Bouman. His Château de la Resle is transforming Burgundy, France, with its genuine hospitality, cultural vitality, and thought-provoking design. Embrace the authentic. Express yourself. designhotels.com

Property Market

a league of its own

Words: Marc Da Silva Property Market Specialist

Some purchasers are now baulking at higher property prices in the capital, which leapt by a staggering 20.1% in the year to May, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), helping to push the national average increase to 10.5%. The average price of a UK home now stands at £262,000, as measured by the ONS’ index, but the boom in London considerably distorts the national picture. In May 2014, a home typically cost £492,000 in London almost double the national average and a jump of £7,000 from £485,000 in April.

Brakes applied on house price growth Determined to slow sky-rocketing values, the governor of the Bank of England (BoE), Mark Carney, has introduced tougher mortgage checks, as part of the Mortgage Market Review (MMR), placing greater demands on banks to ensure customers can repay loans. The move has had an impact since being implemented in April, with longer processing times for mortgage applications clogging up the mortgage market, delaying transactions and hence slowing the market marginally. Mounting speculation that the BoE will soon increase interest rates, currently at a record low of

Price increases but at a slower pace Research by property analyst Hometrack revealed that monthly growth in national property prices in July was the slowest since February 2013, with prices rising by just 0.1%, down from 0.3% in June and 0.5% in May. The property market traditionally experiences a seasonal tapering off over the summer months when levels of buyer activity tend to become more subdued, but this data suggests that ‘bigger forces’ are at work, according to Richard Donnell of Hometrack who recently said. “It is clear that there are bigger forces at work with a pronounced loss of momentum in the London housing market in the last three months.”

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Soaring house values in the capital has added to growing concerns among some commentators that London’s property market is in ‘bubble territory’ posing a risk to Britain’s economic recovery.

0.5%, is also weighing on sentiment causing overall demand from purchasers to fall. “It could happen sooner than markets currently expect,” Carney recently said. Talk of an interest rate rise, a possible housing bubble and the introduction of MMR have dampened the property market, with UK house prices growing at the slowest pace in 18 months in July, a survey shows.

Property Market

The housing survey has also showed that the proportion of new buyers registering with agents fell marginally in July, forcing sellers to re-consider their asking prices. The latest house price index from property website Rightmove reveals that asking prices fell by an average of £2,116 in July. But worries about a painful property price correction are probably overwrought, according to Deutsche Bank’s chief UK economist George Buckley, who does not believe that London’s housing market is in a bubble.

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London remains robust London’s property market may have slowed of late after completely parting course from the rest of the UK, but Buckley argues that there are reasons to believe that the capital will prove resilient. UK housing supply remains constrained, with the number of housing completions in 2010-13 the lowest since just after World War II, with London particularly weak, while there are growing indicators to suggest that demand from buyers may pick up in the coming weeks, supported partly by Help to Buy. The government-backed scheme, which enables people who qualify to buy property with a low deposit, has boosted activity in the housing market, with activity among first-time buyers at a seven-year high, according to Halifax. Help to Buy has not only encouraged first-time buyers, but has also freed up the market for richer buyers who could afford larger properties, according to Rightmove Director Miles Shipside. He commented: “The unleashing of this more affluent group, plus good supporting acts from first-time and second-time buyers, will mean that the musical chairs of trading up and down will continue in the

second half of the year having been kickstarted by Help to Buy in the first half.”

“It is clear that there are bigger forces at work with a pronounced loss of momentum in the London housing market in the last three months.” Shipside’s view is supported by the fact that despite the slight cooling in the market of late, conditions remain stable, with plenty of mortgages still available at attractive borrowing rates while there are still lots of people looking to buy property, especially as we enter into the busier Autumn period for the housing market. Autumn is typically one of the busiest times of the year as far as buyer activity is concerned, making it a potentially good time to sell property, as it is when vendors can typically expect to achieve the best price, in the shortest time. Positive signs There are already signals to suggest that demand from buyers is already rising, reflected by a recent upturn in mortgage lending. Having adjusted to lengthier advisory sessions and longer processing times caused by MMR, banks loaned £11.2 billion in gross mortgages in the year to June, up 24% year-on-year, and up £1.3 billion on the total for May 2014, according to the British Bankers’ Association (BBA). “These figures show that mortgage approvals are rising again after four months of decline,” said Richard Woolhouse, chief

Astronomical! The latest round of price increases have been boosted by the availability of affordable mortgages and government incentives such as the Help to Buy scheme.

Property Market

PERIOD OF CORRECTION

PRICES

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-BUY HELP-TO

CHEAP M ORTGAG ES

DEMAND

Property Market

economist at the BBA. “That’s encouraging because those decisions are a leading indicator of what’s happening in the housing market.” Richard Sexton of e.surv chartered surveyors concurred: “The temporary logjam in the mortgage market [caused by MMR] is beginning to clear, and lending has returned to healthy sustainable volumes. Financial incentive We Brits are obsessed with homeownership for a various reasons, but a study by E.ON, conducted to explore people’s attitudes to home buying, revealed that the most important incentive for acquiring property is financial, with 67% saying the greatest advantage of owning a home is the longterm investment potential.

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While there are clearly plenty of potential risks for London’s ebullient property market, there are reasons to believe that London’s property market will continue to strengthen moving forward. The English capital has seen sharp increases in house prices in recent years because of a chronic lack of supply and intense demand, and despite the recent market slowdown those fundamentals broadly remain the same. This is fuelled by London’s powerful city economy, large inflows of foreign investment from wealthy rent-seekers and a rising population that is expected to outpace every other UK region by a sizeable margin and hit 10 million by 2030. This will almost certainly drive up demand for housing in the capital and in turn property prices.

Further room for growth Accounting firm PwC estimates that UK house prices will increase by around 35% by 2020, led by gains in London, on the back of a supply-demand imbalance. It also projects that the average price of a home in London could reach £500,000 by the end of 2014, following an annual price rise of 13% in the capital, compared to 8% nationwide. Rising property prices could be a major factor that cause interest rates to increase sooner rather than later, but until there are more measures introduced to boost housing supply, property prices will almost certainly continue to appreciate long term. Property market conditions may be improving in many UK regions, but the market in the capital remains in a league of its own.

Expected average price growth 2014 - 2020

750k

LONDON 500k

UK 250k

2014

2016

2018

2020

Property Market

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Tribeca sofa and coffee table - design Jean-Marie Massaud. Slego bookcase design Roberto Barbieri.

to find your nearest showroom

Poliform UK Ltd 276-278 Kings Road London SW3 5AW, tel 0207 368 7600

Design Centre Chelsea Harbour SW10 OXE, tel 0207 352 0064

Poliform North Victoria Avenue, Harrogate showroom@poliformnorth.co.uk

brik.co.uk

BRIKOLAGE RHINO, PART II

NEWS

The beginning of September saw the launch of our new website. We were inspired by how we could throw out all the previous estate agency web clichés whilst at the same time boosting the amount of useful content for the public. For too long agency web sites had been resting solely on ‘property search’, a job fulfilled by the property portals, rather than being the giver of their local market knowledge.

It always makes us a little warm inside when we try to do something good, and people respond to it so positively. For the July issue of the Brik magazine we used the cover to create awareness about how ‘geo-tagging’ Rhinos on social media gives away their position to poachers. In response to the cover we were approached by ‘Poached Rhino’, an UK-based charity dedicated to help stop the needless killing and slaughter of the South African Rhino by illegal poachers. Surprisingly, there is currently very little being done outside of South Africa. Everyday, 3 Rhinos are killed and harvested for their hornes, which will mean the Rhino could be extinct in just 10 to 15 years. Help us to help ‘Poached Rhino’ to stop this from happening by learning more on their website or considering adopting a rhino or just donating to the good cause.

From the first post-it-note that we stuck on the wall regarding functionality we felt our website shouldn’t be solely about finding property, but also a tool to learn about the areas we cover, their current market conditions and to publish inspiring ideas for your home. Feedback welcome! brik.co.uk

QOUTE

poachedrhino.org

“ It was fun to blow off a Porsche with a $3,900 donkey [the 1965 Shelby GT350 Mustang]” Carroll Shelby

The Chamber of Curiosity BOOK Get inspired by the incredible appartment interior designs from ‘the Chamber of Curiosity’ by Gestalten. The book showcases a collection of inspirational interiors made by designers, but also the interiors of the designer’s home as well. An amazing insight into the designers mind. Get is at Waterstones for £36.99.

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NEW WEBSITE

NEWS & INTERESTS

Predictably Irrational

Hats off to Coca Cola for doing an excellent marketing job!

GOOD READ If only we understood our cognitive limitations as well as our physical limitations, the world would be a more rational place.

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Behavioral Economist Dan Ariely thoroughly investigates the way we respond, the decisions we make and how they are affected by the context they are made within. Turns out: the world is full of placebo’s, not only in medicine but everywhere around us, as Ariely shows; the perceived quality of coffee can increase when you improve the environment it’s served in. This is great news for advertisers, as on a much larger scale it also works wonders. In blind tasting tests of Coca Cola versus Pepsi, the majority chose Pepsi, but when the tasting test was branded, the majority chose Coca Cola.

“Patients with chest pain felt the same immediate pain relief when they thought they’d been through surgery to those patients who had actually had the procedure.” This is a relatively innocent example, but it works closer to our hearts as well: especially when it concerns our health, something nobody would compromise on. Ariely explains how a group of patients with chest pain felt the same immediate pain relief when they thought they’d had Mammary Artery Surgery to the patients who actually did have the surgery. In fact the only thing the surgeon did was make a small incision in the chest and sew it back up again. In another

test, a team set up a bogus testing area of a new highend pain killer, “very expensive, very effective”. Where in fact it was only a tablet of Vitamin D. The test-subjects experienced less pain when given electric shocks while under influence of the drug, than when they weren’t. However, when the drug was advertised as ‘cheap’, but still ‘very effective’, the testsubjects, perhaps predictably, still felt less pain with the placebo drug than without, but more pain than when it was advertised as expensive. It seems our thoughts are governed more by expectations and context than by rationality. A truly fascinating read which will have you looking for your own potential irrational behavior in every decision you make.

OCEAN FILM FESTIVAL ADVENTURE FILMS Just open Google Earth and the whole explored world is documented in front of you. Or is it? Currently, less than 5% of the world’s oceans are explored, and as the oceans cover 70% of the earth’s surface that means less than a third of the world is actually discovered. The Ocean Film Festival illuminates the world’s oceans in a new light, with

a vision to inspire you to explore, respect, enjoy, and protect our oceans, a truly undiscovered world. The festival will be touring the United Kingdom and will be in London on Tuesday 16th and Wednesday 17th of September. Watch it at the Conway Hall in the West End. Sea it!

NEWS & INTERESTS

With prices having risen astronomically across London and in particular Fulham over the last few years, it seems the game is now up, and sellers are left holding the best hand of all, provided they know how to play it! Let’s be clear, prices haven’t stopped rising it’s just that they’ve returned back to a state

COVER

of normality that has seen them take a significant chill pill. If you’re a seller, and bought a few years back, you can rest in the knowledge that the biggest increases, for the time being, have now passed. This leaves sellers in the comfortable position of being able to bank their significant capital gains whilst also being able to navigate the calmer waters of the market towards their next property. That said if you are considering

BLACK JACK

a sale, the most important thing now is to ensure you get it valued accurately. After several years of losing in a ‘sellers market’, buyers simply won’t stay in the game if the price is too high. Especially when there’s other options on the table.

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THE TRIUMPH scrambler VEHICLE A certain thing that definitely gets our adrenaline cooking is the beauty of properly build motor vehicles. Derick van den Bussche, the founder of VDBMoto, feels the

same way and build this beauty of a beast. Receiving so many compliments Derick decided to turn his passion for customising bikes into a business, which resulted in Brooklyn (NYC) based VDBMoto. The bike’s feel is of the Italian dirt-bike culture (in which Derick grew up), in a proper high-

end case. A striking feature is the tank, which was stripped down to bare metal and treated with a vinegar and salt solution to speed up the rusting process. A truly stunning, rough, tough beauty which is already on our Christmas ‘wish-list’.

ARCHITECTURE

INSPIRATION TRANSMISSION

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SAN FRAN’ LOFT San Francisco, USA Often it’s suggested that design is a personal choice. But time and time again it has been evident that time is the ultimate decider, with the power to strip away modern fads and leave just the purity of balance that is enduring. Created by Lineoffice this design appears to have that quality. Their aim was to streamline the apartment’s necessary domestic functions while retaining a sense of openness and unobstructed flow. An industrial beauty.

ARCHITECTURE

2.3m wide house LONDON, UK Space is a premium in the crowded city of London, but studio Alma-Nac knew exactly what to do with this 2.3 meter wide gem of a house in south London (yes it really is only 230cm wide). This former stable, wedged between two houses has been transformed to allow as much natural light in as possible, with a plethora of Velux windows, white walls and light woods. Proof that every space is valuable, especially when you couple it with a little imagination and a lot of design sense.

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MORTGAGE MARKET

INTEREST ONLY Words: Alistair Hargreaves Mortgage Consultant

I’ve lost count of the number of times that a client has asked me if ‘Interest Only’ is a thing of the past – and I always answer that no, it still exists, but only for specific clients and only in specific circumstances.

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Clearly before the recession interest only was horribly abused – clients who really should have been on repayment (or not bought at all) were out on interest only to help with affordability, but with no plan apart from the hope that the property will continue to increase in value before selling it. And we all know how that worked out. Therefore interest only was one of the first areas of criteria that was tightened up, and clients were asked to prove a viable repayment strategy. Previously a repayment strategy had been sale of the mortgaged property at any loan to value – this was reigned in and many lenders applied a maximum loan to value on sale of property, and over the last four years this has become tighter and tighter. Now, for those few lenders who still offer interest only with sale of the property the maximum loan has to be set at 50% of the value of the house. Not only this but often a lender will either apply a minimum income (usually £75,000 or above) or a minimum loan amount, which at present sits at £300,000.

Therefore for most clients if they want an element of interest only without a formal repayment strategy then they will need to have a house valued at £600,000, and a loan of £300,000. Clearly this shows that many lenders only want to offer interest only to medium to high net worth clients, so you would hope that for most of you in Fulham, Parsons Green and Notting Hill you should be quite well placed for this. There are exceptions to the above, especially with some of the smaller, bespoke lenders, but most of the high street banks have moved away from providing interest only with sale of the mortgaged property. But what else constitutes an acceptable repayment strategy if you do not have the required equity, or you do not want to borrow £300,000? Traditionally investments have been used, and lenders will still consider these. But whereas in the past most banks and building societies would take a projection on an investment plan or endowment policy increasing numbers are now just looking at the current value – fine if you are towards the end of your mortgage life and you have built up capital elsewhere – not so good if you are just starting out. And what about pensions? Well some lenders will still take them, but currently they are still restricting the lump sum provision to 25%, despite the changes that will take place over the next year. Some lenders will work off a projection for a pension, and then take 25% of that projected value; however there are a number who base it upon the value of the pension at the time of application. If a client has large bonuses then we maybe able to place the case using bullet payments; you make the monthly interest only payments, and then once a year a lump

MORTGAGE MARKET

BEFORE 2008

NOW

Interest only loan Standard loan

PROFIT

£900k

Cash deposit COST

COST 100%

£600k

100%

30% INTEREST REPAYMENTS

INTEREST REPAYMENTS

£300k

50%

CASH DEPOSIT 20%

20%

ON PURCHASE

ON SALE 10 YEARS LATER

ON PURCHASE

COSTS

LAONS

HOME VALUE

COSTS

LAONS

HOME VALUE

COST

LAON

HOME VALUE

COST

LAON

HOME VALUE

ON SALE 10 YEARS LATER

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Interest Only Back in the heydays you could purchase a property with as little as your solicitors fees and stamp duty cost. That worked fine when prices were rising but was a disaster for everyone during the crunch of ‘08. These days it costs a lot more hard cash up front to pick up the keys.

sum goes in to reduce the mortgage. But realistically you need to have a track record of bonuses for the last three years ,and confidence that they will continue because if you miss a lump sum payment your lender will switch you onto full repayment immediately. Finally we can use sale of background properties; so if you have a buy to let portfolio or a holiday home then we can use the equity in that with some lenders. Effectively lenders have removed the option for interest only unless you have enough equity in your home (or other houses) to cover the mortgage, or substantial assets to be able to repay the loan, both of which, I believe, are eminently sensible.

As a client if you want interest only there has to be a good reason for it. If you want to protect your lifestyle by reducing your outgoings, but you can afford full capital repayment then I think that is acceptable (as long as you have a repayment strategy); if you can only afford the mortgage on interest only maybe you should consider borrowing less, as it may not be sustainable. Part of my job as a mortgage broker is to assess whether you are suitable for interest only or not, to make sure that you have a viable and sensible plan to pay off what you owe. And if interest only is suitable and right for you then because of the strong relationships that John Charcol has built up with high street and bespoke lenders I will be able to find the appropriate product for your situation.

GET INSPIRED designhunter.co.uk

www. Inspiration The internet is good for a lot of things: Shopping, music, movies, cooking, dating and even buying a home have all been revolutionized by the online world...

theblogonthebookshelf.blogspot.co.uk

brightbazaarblog.com

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awaytogarden.com

GET INSPIRED

...And interior design is no different, with professionals and amateurs alike taking to the web like a fresh coat of Little Greene. Pinterest boards, blogs and websites make for the perfect portfolio whether you’re shilling for business or just want to show of your own handy work. So if you’ve just moved and you want to put your mark on your new home, or perhaps you want to renovate ahead of sale, the internet provides an endless supply of inspiration from the brilliantly simple to the bizarrely beautiful. Here are five of our favourite interior design sites with something to suit all tastes…probably.

The Selby www.theselby.com Satisfying all of our voyeuristic urges, The Selby started as a project from photographer, director, author and illustrator Todd Selby, in which he aimed to offer ‘an insider’s view of creative individuals in their personal spaces with an artist’s eye for detail.’ The website rather took off and since then Selby has collaborated with the likes of Louis Vuitton, American Express, FENDI, Nike, Microsoft, Sony, and Airbnb. But the core belief that it’s fun to see how other people live still drives the whole enterprise.

Bright Bazaar www.brightbazaarblog.com Mr. Bazaar, aka Londoner, Will Taylor is a man obsessed with colour - more specifically, bright colour. Finding inspiration in everything from a cocktail dress at a party, to the bright facades of seaside sheds, Taylor has turned his passion into a lucrative and inspiring empire which encompasses a beautiful website and a recently released book, Bright Bazaar: Embracing Colour For Make-You-Smile Style.

A Way To Garden www.awaytogarden.com Granted this isn’t technically an interiors blog, but we like to think that the garden should be an extension of the home, so it’s valid, okay? New Yorker, Margaret Roach has some of the greenest fingers around, and she’s keen to show them of through a series of excellent posts that take in organic gardening, garden design, vegetable growing, and plenty of recipes to try out on your freshly grown veg.

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Bookshelf www.theblogonthebookshelf.blogspot.co.uk A wonderful blog that’s been doing exactly what it says on the tin since 2007. Founded by Alex Johnson, a staffer at the Independent and the author of Shedworking: The Alternative Workplace Revolution, Bookshelf curates a blog filled with the most beautiful, bizarre, fun and plain old practical bookshelves found in the world’s most stylish homes.

Design Hunter www.designhunter.co.uk Freelance writer, editor and blogger, Helen Powell started her popular blog as a place to share ideas and inspirations, but it has evolved into a much bigger proposition which has a team of talented contributors writing about interiors, architecture, fashion, travel and all the other elements that make up a stylish life.

KNOW MORE

survey delay

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Dragging over from last year into the spring and early summer there has been a considerable problem for buyers in obtaining timely mortgage valuations. In a recent mystery shopping exercise, carried out by Mortgage Strategy magazine, three of the biggest surveying companies – Colleys, E.Surv and Connells were contacted for a HomeBuyer report and separately for a valuation for a property in London SW15, with a mortgage from Halifax. Connells and e.surv were not accepting new instructions and Colleys had a waiting time of over a month. Residential property sales have recently been at their highest volumes for over three years and, whilst the market is undoubtedly drawing some breath over the holiday period, this problem will inevitably arise again with some sales derailed as vendors lose patience with purchasers who take a long time to have their mortgage approved because of a delay in the valuation. According to the larger surveying companies and lenders, surveyors have left the profession in their droves and there are just not enough

Words: Roger Mullin www.capitalchartered.co.uk

people to do the work. There are various unsubstantiated figures bandied around as to how many have left but although some surveyors have sought pastures new, almost everyone we know who was a surveyor last year or the year before is still a surveyor (and we know plenty of them). One of the main reasons for past delays has been that (regardless of substantial valuation fees charged by lenders) the fees being offered to surveyors to conduct valuations for mortgage purposes are so low that most can make a better living doing other work. Fierce competition amongst “major national” firms bidding for “panel management” positions (the right to allocate work to surveyors and retain part of the fee for doing so) has cut the fees to local surveying firms to whom much of the actual work has traditionally been allocated.

Unfortunately, rocketing professional indemnity insurance has left many valuers with no alternative but to withdraw from mortgage valuation work. Premiums for many mortgage valuers have doubled over the last year.

Since April, lenders and the mortgage industry as a whole have been grappling with tighter rules and regulations introduced following the Mortgage Market Review (MMR) which was a comprehensive review of the mortgage market, instigated by government following the lending excesses of the past and which started with a Discussion Paper in 2009 and culminated with tighter rules, many of which came into force on 26th April this year. Ironically, mortgage valuation delays have decreased but delays for buyers have continued because processing of mortgage valuations has taken longer as the tighter rules bite hard. At Capital Chartered Surveyors, our advice to buyers is to keep the mortgage application as simple as possible. Remember that a mortgage valuation is prepared for the lenders benefit, not yours. You should obtain your own advice to rely on, but don’t introduce the potential for further problems by instructing the mortgage valuer to conduct your Building Survey or RICS HomeBuyer Report. Obtain your own advice from an independent Chartered Surveyor not linked to the mortgage process.

World Champions are Made in Germany. Germany are World Champions again! To celebrate we’re offering a £500 saving on Loewe Connect ID 40”, 46” or 55” televisions. Offer ends 31st Sept 2014. For more information ask your participating Loewe Galerie in Harrods, Kensington High Street, Selfridges and South Hampstead and leading Loewe dealers The Hi-End in Barnes and Robert Taussig in Marylebone.

SAVE £500

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Made in Germany

INTERIOR & DESIGN

PRETTY LITTLE THINGS

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INTERIOR & DESIGN

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West End Fulham Islington Notting Hill Richmond Cheltenham Guildford

020 7297 6220 020 7736 7362 020 7704 8260 020 7229 2123 020 8744 9993 01242 521 900 01483 573 584

Made in Britain, Built to Last

www.roundhousedesign.com

British Design

DESIGNER

AWARDS

2013 WINNER KITCHEN DESIGNER OF THE YEAR

BUYER’S GUIDe

What’s in a name?

HACKNEY

FULHAM PECKHAM

WANDSWORTH WIMBLEDON

Whether you acknowledge it or not, most of us aspire to the safety and security of the familiar. Being with like-minded people makes for a more pleasant and peaceful existence. And seeking out friends and colleagues with similar interests and aspirations can pay dividends in the future too, as you’ll have a shared pool of experience that you can all draw on to answer the regular conundrums that life tends to throw at us. One of the most public displays of this mentality is where we choose to live, especially if you call London your home. From the wealth in the West, to the ever-expanding creative and technology industries in East London, Londoners know what they want and will defend it with passion. The young families of South London, for example, would never trade their lives with their peers in the North, despite the many, many similarities in the quality of life. It’s just one of the millions of quirks that makes London such an entertaining, challenging, and rewarding place to live. But if you’re buying a new property, and against all odds have found yourself sitting on the fence, we’ve compiled a list of five of the hottest areas to live in London right now. Showing the range of culture, property, and prices, it will also be useful for anyone looking for a quality buy-tolet property, and those who have found themselves priced out of their preferred postcode but want something similar.

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With more and more investment pouring into London from the fields of technology, media and finance, it’s still the place to be for affluent young professionals looking to build a life. Whether you’re one of these young upstarts or a landlord looking to capitalise on the market, here are some areas that are holding their own in the competition to be the most desirable place to live in London, and a couple of upstarts vying for poll position…

BUYER’S GUIDe

FULHAM

Flats v’s Houses on the market now

SOUTH WEST

Destination for young professionals that tend to have university qualifications” A recent survey from the Lloyds Banking Group names Fulham as the number one destination for ‘young aspiring urbanites’ that the paper describes as ‘young professionals that tend to have university qualifications, are in well paid occupations and like to take full advantage of living in or close to the city, either for work or leisure purposes.’

And Fulham delivers, serviced as it is by decent public transport to get into town and on to work in a decent time, while maintaining a selection of beautiful green spaces, a decent nightlife, plenty of restaurants, and spectacular properties. And the range of properties means that although the competition is fierce, there are properties that are regularly available, with flats fit for first time buyers going for between £550 and 700 thousand, depending on the quality and

flats 76%

houses 24%

location. As for buy-to-let Landlords, the rental market is alive and well in Fulham, catering to a mixture of those who haven’t quite got the capital for a deposit yet, along with plenty of young professionals from abroad who want a taste of city life, but aren’t sure it will be a permanent situation.

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Wimbledon

Flats v’s Houses on the market now

SOUTH WEST

“Wombles, wide-open green spaces, well-heeled, intelligent families, good schools and the village” Aside from a certain annual sporting competition, Wimbledon is famous for it’s wombles, wideopen green spaces, well-heeled, intelligent families, good schools and the village - It as a beautiful place that manages to balance the atmosphere and warmth of a small community with a defiantly cosmopolitan edge. Well serviced by overground rail links at Wimbledon Station,

Wimbledon Park and Raynes Park train stations, there’s also South Wimbledon that sits on the Northern Line, one of the London’s main arteries. You can be at Waterloo station in 25-minutes, or stay at home and explore the golf course, stables, or numerous picturesque pubs. Wimbledon Town, is where first time buyers will find themselves looking, probably at flats located in classic Victorian terraced houses. South Park Gardens, for example, features some wonderful three-bed terraces that have sold for around the

flats 50%

houses 50%

£700 thousand mark. Journey half a mile away to Wimbledon Village, however, and you’re looking at a very different, and much more expensive picture, with huge houses featuring basement conversions, home theatres, that will easily hit eight figures, Wimbledon has two very distinct sides to it.

BUYER’S GUIDe

On the market now

Fulham

Wimbledon

Wandsworth

Peckham

Hackney

£4.0m

£3.5m

£3.0m

£2.5m

£2.0m

brik.co.uk

£1.5m

£1.0m

£500k

Price Range

3 BEDROOMS

BUYER’S GUIDe

WandswortH

Flats v’s Houses on the market now

SOUTH WEST

“Wandsworth has it all going on. Packed with a beautiful Victorian properties, close to everything a young professional could want.” House prices in Wandsworth Town have risen by around 13% in the last year, adding an average of £90,000 on to the value of people’s properties. Nice work, if you can get it. Due to its location, Wandsworth really does have it all going on. Packed with a beautiful Victorian

properties ranging from two and three bed flats, to much larger family homes. It’s also close to everything a young professional could want. You’re within walking distance of the pubs and bars of Balham and Battersea, as well as parks, the common and some excellent schools. At the higher end of the market, you’ll find people talking about Spencer Park, a very desirable area of detached Victorian houses set around a private park, with some houses boasting views of the common. Unsurprisingly, these house rarely come to

flats 75%

houses 25%

market, but Homes and Property recommend advice that Lyford Road and the Toast Rack roads (Baskerville, Dorlcote, Henderson, Nicosia, and Patten), where there are large, red-brick semi-detached and terrace Edwardian houses, might prove more fruitful. These properties usually sell for between £1.5 million and just under £3 million.

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Peckham SOUTH EAST

“The place for switched on young professionals making their first steps in the property market, boasting culture to rival Hackney.” Put aside any clichés and unfounded opinions, because Peckham is here to steal your heart. The district I South East London is fast becoming – which means it will have fast become a nightmare to find a property – the place for switched on young professionals making their first

Flats v’s Houses on the market now

steps in the property market. Boasting culture to rival Hackney, and property to match the likes of some areas in South and South West London, Peckham is a place where you can leave your charming two-bed flat you bought for just over £400,000, walk past bollards designed by Anthony Gormley, and head to Frank’s Campari Bar on the top of a carpark for some delicious BBQ squid and one of the best views in London. Thanks to the arrival of the Overground, transport is far more efficient, and you can be in London or the City within 40-minutes. The most desirable roads, according to the Evening

flats 49%

houses 51%

Standard, include Lyndhurst Grove, Lyndhurst Square, Lyndhurst Way, Holly Grove, Elm Grove, Blenheim Grove, Highshore Road, Talfourd Road, and Denman Road. Those looking for a bargain, and with it a project, would be advised to look at the properties around Queens Road where a three-bed terrace would sell for around £650,000. Charming.

BUYER’S GUIDe

Hackney

Flats v’s Houses on the market now

NORTH EAST

“Silicon Roundabout is home to some of the countries most forward thinking technology companies, and while the people who work there aren’t quite in the same league as their colleagues in California, there is some serious money being earned by some young and increasingly powerful people.”

The problem, however, is that Shoreditch and the immediate area has a derth of properties that are suitable for anyone looking for something beyond a shared flat that isn’t a heartless warehouse conversion. And besides,

Well connected by overground train services, Hackney Central and the surrounding area is quickly shedding any form of bad reputation, which is helped by the influx of popular brands including Burberry and Aquascutum, who have both recently opened shops there, and a crowd of some of London’s coolest creatives. Property prices vary hugely across the area, which means you can pretty much find something to suit everyone’s needs. From beautiful two-bed flats to stunning converted Victorian townhouse which sniff around, and sometimes above, the £1 million mark. Some of the most desirable locations are the quiet terraced streets around London Fields, which is situated a short walk from the brilliant Broadway market. This area recently leapfrogged nearby De Beauvoir to become more valuable, and it

flats 82%

houses 18%

“Property prices vary hugely across the area, which means you can pretty much find something to suit everyone’s needs.” shows no signs of showing down. And contrary to popular belief that East London is to be experienced and then left in favour of somewhere more suburban, families are now staying.

London Area Guides Find out more about London’s varied areas on our brand new website at brik.co.uk where you can find a plethora of area guides with a wealth of information. *Data based on all properties via Zoopla and The Land Registry

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Get of the tube at Old Street station and you’ll find yourself in a world of ones and zeros. Just a stones throw from the City, Old Street and nearby Shoreditch has been quietly building its own multi-billion pound industry for the last few years. Nicknamed ‘Silicon Roundabout’ the area is home to some of the countries most forward thinking technology companies, and while the people who work there aren’t quite in the same league as their colleagues in California, there is some serious money being earned by some young and increasingly powerful people.

Shoreditch is still something of party area, featuring streets lined with late night pubs and bars. So those seeking to balance the East London aesthetic with a bit of peace and quiet are journeying further into Hackney.

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bulthaup Mayfair 37 Wigmore Street London W1U 1PP T +44 (0)20 7495 3663 F +44 (0)20 7495 0139 www.bulthaup-mayfair.co.uk

Seller’s GUIDe

Tell the Truth, the whole truth… Originally introduced in 1991, the Property Misdescriptions Act is described, in the official tongue of the government, as ‘an Act to prohibit the making of false or misleading statements about property matters in the course of estate agency business and property development business.’

However, that law was actually repealed at the end of 2013, but don’t worry, because buyers

So what does this mean for those who are selling their properties? Sadly, some more work, although it will be the responsibility of the agent to make sure they are in possession of all the facts and pertinent information surrounding a property. If, for example, you have previously applied for planning permission and been denied, you need to report this both to the agent and prospective buyers. And the same goes for any activity in the area. Perhaps you are aware of a new build going up in the area that may affect things like parking, noise levels and other elements in the area. Prospective buyers should be made aware if several sales have fallen through on a property and why this is. If there have been a series of burglaries in the area, or there is a nightmare neighbor

nearby, all of this needs to flagged up. Thisismoney.co.uk uses an interesting example that shows how careful you have to be. The governments Green Deal program lets you take a loan out on improvements that will improve the energy efficiency of your home. Great! But remember that if for some reason you don’t pay off the loan, it passes on to the new buyer. The website says, ‘sellers must tell buyers if the property has a Green Deal loan attached to it. When you sign up for home improvements, such as loft insulation, under the Green Deal, you repay the money through your electricity bill. If you move, the loan stays with the property and is taken over by the new owner.’ If you don’t make the new buyers aware of this, you’re breaking the law.

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Which basically means that if estate agents and property developers put a house on the market, which they want to do, they can’t make any misleading statements that might mislead a buyer. Going back to the spiel briefly the scary official wording says: ‘where a false or misleading statement about a prescribed matter is made in the course of an estate agency business or a property development business, otherwise than in providing conveyancing services, the person by whom the business is carried on shall be guilty of an offence under this section.’ Which, we can all agree, is fair enough.

now have even more security. Consumers will now be protected by the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 act, which covers everything in the Property Misdescriptions Act of 1991, and much more. Agents, developers and anyone making a private sale must now include all information that may affect the value or future sale of a property, and that includes advertising.

LANDLORD GUIDe

The power of gearing

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With the outlook for savers looking grim, growth in the buyto-let sector looks set to continue, despite mounting speculation that interest rates will soon increase.

Lenders now perceive buy-to-let to be less risky than standard mortgage products and are currently offering over 650 different buy-to-let mortgage products, with record low interest rates being charged for both fixed and variable deals.

While the average easy access savings rate is currently paying under 0.75%, landlords are receiving an average rental yield of 6.2%, according to Paragon Mortgages.

Many people feel anxious and uncomfortable when getting themselves into debt and understandably this is why many of us strive to pay off our mortgages as quickly as possible. But financially, this is not always the best decision, especially when long-term debt is used as a tool to create wealth. Effective use of gearing - a term to describe the ratio of mortgage debt to the total value of your property portfolio - is the key to getting the most from your buy-to-let properties.

Greater yields are being supported by higher average UK rents, led by London where rents rose by an eye-watering 11.2% to £1,412 per month in the year to May, according to the latest Homelet Rental Index. With housing supply falling short of rental demand, rents will almost certainly continue their upward trajectory; it’s a ‘landlord’s market’, which explains why many existing landlords are actively looking to add to their rental portfolios. High returns Aside from high yields, buy-to-let investor appetite is also being fuelled by attractive mortgage borrowing rates and rising property prices. Research shows that landlords in the PRS are enjoying high annual returns from property in England and Wales, with capital growth and rental yields combined - both important components of a rental property investment - producing an average return of 12.2%.

“...buy-to-let investor appetite is also being fuelled by attractive mortgage borrowing rates” Gearing The following two examples demonstrate a different gearing approach with a seed fund of £100,000. Example 1: If you used £500,000 cash to purchase a flat costing £1,000,000, with the aid of a £500,000 mortgage, you would effectively be 50% geared through borrowed money. If the value of the property then appreciated by 10%, or £100,000, after one year, you would have made a 20% gross profit on your initial investment, in addition to rental income.

LANDLORD GUIDe

Capital Leverage

£100k Cash £100k Mortgage £100k Profit

£100k 20% profit on a £500k investment

Property Value £1m

£100k 40% profit on a £250k investment

+10% Property Value £1.1m

Cash £500k Cash £250k

Year 1

Year 2 Example 1

Year 1

Year 2 Example 2

33 Example 2: However, investors can increase their level of borrowing and use gearing to generate higher returns. For instance, if you’d purchased that same property with a £750,000 mortgage (75% geared through borrowed money), then the actual profit on your initial investment of £250,000 would be 40%, assuming the capital value of the property appreciated by the same 10%. Furthermore, you would still have £250,000 (half of your initial £500,000 cash budget) to invest in buying another buy-to-let property, enabling you to start building a property portfolio. Historical analysis To truly understand how influential gearing can be, you only need to refer to a recent study by buy-to-let specialists BM Solutions which revealed that the average buy-to-let landlord now owns a portfolio of eight or

nine properties with a total value of £1.2 million, and could typically expect to receive an annual rental income of almost £60,000, more than twice the average UK wage of £27,174. However, beware. Although gearing is a great way to make money, the heavier geared you are, the more risk you run; while property prices can rise, they can also fall, potentially leaving you in negative equity. But buy-to-let returns have significantly outperformed every other asset class for investors - including equities, bonds and saving rates - since lenders launched the first property investment mortgages 18 years ago, according to Paragon Mortgages, and there is no reason to suggest that history will not repeat itself.

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Gearing Up By ‘gearing up’ their initial cash investments with mortgages, landlords can make superb levels of returns on their cash. As the capital increase on the property runs across it’s total value (including borrowed money) and not just the value of the cash they put into the deal.

INTERIOR & DESIGN

SOFAS Smile

The Hughes Sofa

The Lady May

£1,144 | sofasandstuff.com

£5,071 | nest.co.uk

£1,339 | sofaworkshop.com

A 1950s inspired small two seater sofa will be a very stylish addition to any small space and especially when in a bay window.

The extravagant design of the Hughes sofa from Portuguese company Munna has a vintage touch in velvet brass and wood.

The traditionally styled timeless Lady May is a perfect blend of classic styling and lovely comfort. Available in any fabric.

The Newton

Tufty Time Modular

The Descartes

£1,575 | conranshop.co.uk

from £2,000 | bebitalia.com

£1,440 | sofa.com

The Newton is a lovely leather sofa and perfect if you don’t want anything as traditional as a Chesterfield. It’s sumptuous and comfy and comes in several leather finishes.

Tufty-Time is an informal system, with free and versatile composition possibilities. The modular system is made up of a basic unit, which can be matched with other central, corner and end units.

Standing on solid oak legs, this elegant classic sofa has properly crafted deep tufted and pleated buttons and is available in any fabric. A classic statement to a classic interior.

Chambery

The Mackintosh

Barber & Osgerby

£1,650 | johnlewis.com

£3,345 | parkerandfarr.co.uk

£4,059 | skandium.com

For a more traditional sofa try the Chambery. Its got classic scroll arms and loose covers, which are great if you have pets or small children and it’s very comfortable whilst the Pier Coastal Red gives a warm feel.

Parker and Farr have produced a really stunning sofa which is almost a piece of art. Shown here in a teal fabric by Wemyss. The two seater would fit beautifully into a bay window but also comes in a three seater and chair.

A very relaxed and contemporary sofa designed by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby. The range includes four different sized sofas and three ottomans. The cast aluminium legs can be chrome or painted finish. Removable covers.

Demi LUne

The Fleure

The Judge

£2,085 | thesofaandchair.co.uk

£ 2,800 | stuartscott.co.uk

from £1,590 | oldbootsofas.com

This is a truly elegant and striking piece which would make an amazing centre piece in your sitting room. Available in loads of sizes, fabrics and wood finishes.

This stunning sofa is made from a solid beech frame with a fluted seat and back. Can be made in any fabric and is handsigned and numbered. Very stylish indeed.

A beautiful rustic leather chesterfield in ivory. Very comfortable with extra deep cushions and seat depth. All handmade in England.

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Compiled by Magenta Pink Interiors, magentapink.co.uk

INTERIOR & DESIGN

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MOORE PARK

An impressive, newly refurbished, two bedroom maisonette, arranged over the ground and lower ground floors of an end-of-terrace Victorian house.

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The lower ground floor features a superb open-plan living and entertaining space with a bespoke kitchen (including Siemens appliances), bi-folding doors leading onto a private patio, separate W.C and additional utility area with wide plank wooden flooring and floating staircase juxtaposed against a slate clad feature wall. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also a double bedroom and modern en suite shower room, with separate access to the front of the property.

1,367

ÂŁ1,500,000

BEDS

sq ft

For sale

PARSONS GREEN An outstanding four storey Victorian family home, built on an unusually wide plot, very close to Parsons Green itself.

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This large house has excellent entertaining space with an unique ‘L’ shaped entrance hall, formal dining room and large reception room on the ground floor, with double doors leading out onto a very private, beautifully maintained garden.

2,613

£2,795,000

BEDS

sq ft

for sale

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VERA road A stylish and modern family home with four bedrooms and two bathrooms in a quiet residential road in the heart of ‘Munster Village’. The house has been extended to in excess of 1,500 sq ft (140 sq m), and is in great condition both internally and externally. The house has an impressive open plan entertaining space that runs across the ground floor and looks out on to the garden beyond.

1,500

£1,595,000

BEDS

sq ft

for sale

LANGTHORNE STREET

An outstanding and fully extended Victorian family home, finished to the highest specification, located in the desirable Bishopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Park area.

Arranged over three floors and extending to 2164 sq ft( 201 sq m), the bedroom and living space has been well implemented and balanced. The ground floor has a double reception room, separate W.C and superb extended kitchen breakfast room with an integrated utility area. The kitchen is exceptionally light and spacious with bi-folding doors leading out onto a 39 ft south west facing garden.

2,164

ÂŁ2,150,000

BEDS

sq ft

for sale

Bishopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s road An extended, five bedroom Victorian family home, in an excellent location only a short walk from Parsons Green. This freehold house is arranged over three floors and extends to just over 1,550 sq ft (144 sq m). The property has an impressive entertaining space with a family friendly open plan layout spanning the ground floor, featuring a modern and stylish kitchen, dining area, and reception area with large bi-folding doors that lead out to a well maintained private garden.

1,562

ÂŁ1,750,000

BEDS

sq ft

for sale

St. Dionis road An truly outstanding and fully extended Victorian family home, which has been renovated to the highest specification throughout, in the very heart of Parsons Green. Arranged over four floors this four bedroom house is just under 1,800 sq ft (167 sq m), offering a spectacular reception and entertaining space across the ground floor.

1,787

ÂŁ2,100,000

BEDS

sq ft

RECORD sale

BLOOM PARK ROAD A stylish and substantial three bedroom, Victorian terrace house in a great Fulham location. The house offers generous entertaining space, with a large, new modern kitchen and open plan dining area on the lower ground floor. This floor also benefits from having an additional front door, cellar, utility room, WC shower room and private southwest-facing patio garden.

1,442

ÂŁ1,495,000

BEDS

sq ft

for sale

BRADBOURNE STREET A rare opportunity to create a bespoke family home within a beautiful Victorian terraced ‘Lion House’, in a highly sought after location and with a larger than average west facing garden. Currently arranged over two floors spanning a total of approximately 2,226 sq ft (206 sq m), there’s enormous potential to extend the property and convert it (like the majority of houses on the street) into a substantial modern family home.

2,226

£2,850,000

BED

sq ft

for sale

Crookham Road A bright one bedroom flat occupying the raised ground floor of an attractive Victorian terraced property. The flat has a good size double bedroom with plenty of built in storage, a well proportioned, open plan reception room and kitchen with wooden flooring, and a separate modern bathroom.

549

ÂŁ600,000

BED

sq ft

for sale

DANCER Road A traditional five bedroom Victorian terraced family house superbly located just off the Fulham Road in Parsons Green. This family home offers 2,150 sq ft (200 sq m) of space and is arranged over four floors. On the ground floor is a large double reception room with high ceilings and original features, a spacious entrance hall, and a modern kitchen with doors leading out onto a private rear garden.

2,141

ÂŁ2,200,000

BEDS

sq ft

for sale

NEW KINGS Road A stylish and bright one bedroom flat located on the top floor of a Victorian terrace house. The layout has been planned to maximise available living space and light, with a good sized reception room with enough space for a dining area, a modern kitchen and a double bedroom located to the front of the property, with views over Eel Brook Common.

527

ÂŁ585,000

BED

sq ft

SOLD

MIRABEL Road A spacious three double bedroom split level Victorian maisonette, close to both Parsons Green and Fulham Broadway. The whole top floor of the apartment is dedicated to an impressive entertaining space, with a large open plan reception room, well equipped kitchen, dining space and bi-folding doors leading out on to a large South West facing decked roof terrace.

1,044

ÂŁ999,000

BEDS

sq ft

RECORD SALE

NOVELLO STREET

An exceptional family house on one of Fulham’s most unique and best located roads. This very well looked after four bedroom house has a large open plan reception area with wooden floors on the ground floor leading through to a modern fully fitted kitchen.

1,265

£850 pw

BEDS

sq ft

TO LET

St. MAUR ROAD A beautifully refurbished, five bedroom Victorian terraced family house, superbly located just off the Fulham Road in Parsons Green. This incredibly stylish family home offers in excess of 2,120 sq ft (197 sq m) of space and is arranged over three floors.

2,120

ÂŁ1,500 pw

BEDS

sq ft

LET

WARDO AVENUE A beautiful and bright four bedroom family home on one of the most popular roads in ‘Munster Village’. As you enter the property there is a sizeable reception area with space for a large dining table with wooden flooring that leads through to a larger than average kitchen with ample space for a breakfast table and a large amount of storage (including a pantry).

1,647

£1,150 pw

BEDS

sq ft

TO LET

REPORTON ROAD An attractive, four double bedroom house with great storage space, located in a very popular area of ‘Munster Village’. The house has wooden floors, a 2 bathrooms and modern kitchen with gas hob. There’s also a useful outdoor space at the front and a small decked patio leading off the bedroom to the rear.

1,278

£770pw

BEDS

sq ft

TO LET

BROOKVILLE ROAD This superb one bedroom, first floor flat is located on an extremely popular tree-lined street only a short walk (9 minutes according to Google) from Parsons Green underground station (District Line, Zone 2). The flat includes a large reception room, double bedroom, separate kitchen, bathroom and great storage space in the loft.

570

ÂŁ365 pw

BED

sq ft

TO LET

Hartismere Road An attractive two bedroom garden flat located on Hartismere Road very close to Fulham Broadway, the centre of Fulham. The property is laid out across the ground floor of a period Victorian building with a good sized reception room at the front, with bay window, storage and a traditional fire place.

658

ÂŁ499pw

BED

sq ft

TO LET

GET IN TOUCH 020 7384 6790 hello@brik.co.uk brik @briklondon brik.co.uk 77 Parsons Green Lane, Fulham, SW6 4JA

WE BELIEVE

MEET BRIK Mike Horne Co-founder NFOPP qualified

Chris Littlewood Co-founder NFOPP qualified

Ben Littlewood Co-founder NFOPP qualified

James Sims Sales Manager NFOPP qualified

Ben Francis Sales Associate

Tyrone Olivier Lettings Manager MARLA

Holly Jennings Lettings Associate

Coen van Leeuwen Brand Coordinator

Call us for a free valuation: 020 7384 6790

Alex Weldon Sales NFOPP qualified

Tegen Montgomerie Front Desk

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Like many people we believe estate agency is in need of improvement. We started Brik to challenge the status quo and our reputation has grown by delivering record breaking prices and quick sales with minimum fuss. Our formula is simple, sound advice plus friendly approach equals good result.

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