London Property Matters // Issue 03 // Autumn/Winter 2022

kfh.co.uk •

Go with the flow

Conserve your energy: Why stock is a key issue in 2022

Issue 3 • Autumn / Winter 2022 FREE

ups and downs as KFH celebrates

Exploring the

its 45th anniversary Finding balance: boxes

Looking at how the London property market has evolved along the River Thames and the most in demand locations today

How north west London, from Belsize Park to West Hampstead, ticks all the boxesWhy the performance of our ageing housing

2 LONDON PROPERTY MATTERS kfh.co.ukDULWICHVILLAGE.SALES@KFH.CO.UK | 020 3993 6964 Five bedrooms | Three bathrooms | Three reception rooms | Gravel driveway Electric charging point | 3,237 sq ft | EPC Rating C | Freehold A stunning five bedroom semi detached family home which offers impressive open plan living space leading to a landscaped garden. £2,250,000 Half Moon Lane, Herne Hill SE24 kfh.co.uk

ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 3LONDONBRIDGE.SALES@KFH.CO.UK | 020 3993 8177 Two bedrooms | Two bathrooms | 24 ft private courtyard | Underfloor heating Skylight | 1,246 sq ft | EPC Rating C | Freehold An exquisite two bedroom detached house in a prime SE1 location within walking distance to the Tate Modern and Borough Market. £1,335,000 Rushworth Street, Borough SE1 kfh.co.uk

30 HANNAH HEYS

32 16 On the Cover OdessaLondonStreet,SE16

10 45 YEARS LATER

KFH's founder and managing director, Lee Watts, on a very special anniversary and a time capsule that's sure to throw up a few surprises

From Belsize Park to West Hampstead, north west London is full of vibrancy and village-like charm, with properties very much in demand

4 LONDON PROPERTY MATTERS · kfh.co.uk contents

Need a little colour in your home? Meet Hannah Heys, who is creating quite the eye-catching career with her textiles art

KFH welcomes some fresh faces and a sparkling new website, plus a trip to Poland like no other and a diﬀerent role for Richard Benson

Despite 45 years of success, KFH is never one to rest on its laurels and here are ﬁve team members who are a big part of the future

07 WELCOME

09 NEWS & VIEWS

KFH launched in 1977, making £138 proﬁt in its ﬁrst year. As Lee Watts recounts, quite a lot has happened since those early days

22 NW LONDON

16 MEET THE TEAM

42 RELOCATIONCORPORATE

32 COVER STORY

The EPC rating is something many of us are now familiar with, but what does this mean for London's ageing housing stock?

The River Thames has come far since being an open sewer. We explore its evolution and the developments that have sprung up around it

With workers returning to the o ce, we take a closer look at how businesses are tapping into the property market

66 EDUCATION

Blood orange is the colour that is sweeping across homes in London. Here are ten very diﬀerent ways to introduce it into yours

58 LEASE EXTENSIONS

ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 5

Made up of very distinct neighbourhoods, Putney has plenty going for it, from riverside views to large period properties

Just how important is a property's leasehold and how could this impact on its worth? We investigate what you need to know

At a time when the cost of living is reaching crisis point, KFH's charitable work is even more important. We look at some fundraising success stories

47 ISSUE 3 Autumn / Winter 2022 kfh.co.uk

“What I did know was that we wanted to be a bit diﬀerent and to look diﬀerent” p10

47 INTERIORS TREND

10

54 ENERGY EFFICIENCY

62 LONDON YOUTH

48 PUTNEY

How is a school catchment area calculated and what impact does it have on a property's value? Two KFH experts oﬀer their views

6 LONDON PROPERTY MATTERS kfh.co.ukFULHAM.SALES@KFH.CO.UK | 020 3993 9913 Seven bedrooms | Six bathrooms | Three reception rooms | Fantastic location 4,731 sq ft | EPC Rating E | Freehold An incredible Victorian townhouse, currently set up as a five bedroom home and a two bedroom maisonette, set on a quiet tree lined street. £4,600,000 Tournay Road, Fulham SW6 kfh.co.uk

employees and would sell more homes across London than any other agency brand. To say I am proud of all we have achieved is a major understatement. But enough about us. In this issue, we also dive into the life source of our ﬁne city – the River Thames. Its history, its secrets and why we want to live along it (page 32). We look at the increasingly symbiotic relationship between energy e ciency and the value of our homes (page 54) and break down the lease extension process (page 58). With the right professionals guiding you through, it’s easier than you think.

Lee Watts KFH Founder and Managing Director

Below: Future generations will enjoy uncovering what is in KFH's time capsule

KFH has come far in 45 years. Welcome to the latest issue of London Property Matters which features stories from a bygone era, the forward-thinkers at the company, and a time capsule sure to throw up a few surprises

This

Back to the Future

On page 48, we take a look at what makes Putney such a sought after patch of London. Given its enduring popularity, it was an auspicious choice for our ﬁrst branch location way back in 1984. To mark our expansion into residential sales, we put a time capsule into the wall of the branch. Now, I can’t quite remember what we put in it, but it certainly wasn’t a prediction that four decades later we would have more than 60 branches across the Capital, ten successful business divisions, over 900

I hope you enjoy the read. If you have any feedback, we would love to hear from you. Please email londonpropertymatters@k .co.uk.



I am very proud to be in our sixth year of supporting London Youth in their invaluable work championing the young people that are the future of our city. I am even prouder of the fundraising eﬀorts of our people, who year after year, put themselves (and their bodies!) on the line to raise much-needed funds for our charity partner. From hiking the highest peak in England to walking under water, read more about their eﬀorts on page 62.

year is a signiﬁcant one for KFH as we mark 45 years in business. When we opened our doors back in 1977 as a block management company, the London property market looked very diﬀerent. In this issue, we look back over our 45-year history (page 10) and meet some of the people who drive our success (page 16).

ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 7 WELCOME

8 LONDON PROPERTY MATTERS kfh.co.ukBATTERSEA.SALES@KFH.CO.UK | 020 3993 1622 Four bedrooms | Two bathrooms | Two reception rooms | Double height windows 1,608 sq ft | EPC Rating D | Freehold A stunning four bedroom mews house refurbished to a high standard throughout, set within a private gated development within easy reach of Clapham Junction station. £1,450,000 Plough Terrace, Battersea SW11 kfh.co.uk

NEW FACES AT KFH

More recently, Marc Faure has come onboard as land and new homes director. Bringing with him a decade of experience in the sector, Faure has been tasked with substantially expanding the KFH land and new homes operation in London.

Benson says: “In recent years, ARMA and IRPM have been working closely together and as such, this merger makes sense as it creates a stronger voice for the property management sector. I look forward to working and creating strong relationships with the rest of the board and other stakeholders to uphold and improve industry standards and to deliver better outcomes for all those involved.”

Kayleigh Sylvester

As part of its broader transformationdigital strategy to enhance and itshastheplatformstechnologymaximiseacrossGroup,KFHrelaunched website.

 Kayleigh Sylvester has been appointed to the newly established role of head of portfolio asset management. She brings eight years of property and portfolio management experience to the role and will oversee the company’s growing build-to-rent and corporate client portfolio.

 Lloyd Noblett, Streatham sales branch director (who until recently headed up the Southfields branch), embarked on a 1,100-mile drive to Poland to drop off essential supplies to those who have been affected by the crisis in Ukraine. Joined by local Southfields dad John Silvester, the pair visited two orphanages and dropped off toiletries, clothes, toys and baby items which they collected through donations from the generous Southfields community.

NEWS

The latest from across the KFH GroupCHARITABLEJOURNEY

IN THE NEWS

Meeting of minds

Marc Faure

ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 9

For Ukraine

 Richard Benson, managing director of KFH block management, has been appointed as a board director of The Property Institute (TPI) and chair of its financial committee. TPI is the amalgamation of two trade bodies, the Association of Residential Managing Agents (ARMA) and the Institute of Residential Property Management (IRPM).

Welcome to the team

45

10 LONDON PROPERTY MATTERS · kfh.co.uk years…

45 YEARS OF KFH

As KFH celebrates its 45th anniversary in business, founder and managing director Lee Watts discusses what it takes to build such a successful property empire and counting

ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 11

Kinleigh specialised in co-ownership management at that time and now moved into the management of private residential developments.

It was also the year that Lee Watts, then a fresh-faced 22-year-old, started a property management business in Brixton with friend and business associate, Philip King.

Little did he know at the time, but the property market was about to change dramatically.

“That’s where the name Kinleigh came from, a combination of my name and Philip King, who joined me at the beginning,” explains Lee, who made just £138 profit in his first year of trading. “I was 22, but looked about 16. Phil was eight or nine years older than me and first impressions count when you’re in business, so I needed somebody else to walk in the door first.”

Having previously worked for a housing association, Lee had seen a gap in the market to manage blocks of co-ownership ﬂats – similar to today’s shared ownership schemes. “It was a form of housing created by the government back in the early 1960s, which enabled tenants to build up a deposit for the purchase of their ﬁrst property,” explains Lee. “We started with 95 units across four blocks in Putney, Watford, Brentwood and Finchley – all small blocks dotted on the four compass points of London.”

The next step

Fresh faced approach

“What I did know was that I wanted us to be different, and to look different. We drove all over London for about two days until I found a shop in thecolour that I wanted”

T

12 LONDON PROPERTY MATTERS · kfh.co.uk

he Ford Fiesta went on sale, Star Wars hit cinemas and a pint of milk cost just 11 pence.* The year was 1977 and, as everyone took to the streets to celebrate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee and later mourned the death of ‘The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’ Elvis Presley, the average London house price was just £13,180.

When Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister in 1979, she brought with her a raft of radical changes including The Housing Act of 1980, which gave council house tenants in England and Wales the ‘Right to Buy’ their house from their local authority with huge discounts on the market value. Co-ownership properties were also included in the Act.

“There were quite stringent rules and an awful lot of hoops for people to go through, so we combined with a ﬁrm of solicitors to provide a nationwide service for tenants living in coownership schemes to purchase their properties. For most people it was a win-win situation. We were selling properties with an average value of £100,000 for a third of their value,” says Lee.

So, in the year dominated by the miners’ strike and the ﬁrst time we ever heard Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas?, the company expanded into residential sales, opening their ﬁrst o ce in West Putney. Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward, or KFH as it is now known, has since grown into a network of over 60 branches with

45 YEARS OF KFH

900 employees oﬀering specialist and impartial support across a wide range of property services.

But, Lee admits, he was somewhat ‘flying by the seat of his pants’ when he opened that first estate agency branch back in 1984. “I’d worked with a chap at the housing association, who had gone off to work in estate agency, and I got him to come in to run the first one because I hadn’t got a clue,” he says. “But what I did know was that we wanted to be a bit different – we wanted to look different. We actually drove all over London for about two days until I found a shop in the colour that I wanted. I suppose I could have just gone and got a paint card, but I wanted to see what it would look like as a shop front.”

While KFH had to navigate the pandemic the same as every other business, the company managed to retain all its staﬀ, paying them full salaries even when on furlough, with senior leadership making salary sacriﬁces to provide for others. “We probably could have

made more money by doing things a little diﬀerently, but that was the right thing to do,” says Lee. “We managed things properly and I think our staﬀ really appreciated that.”

Lee also decided to build a time capsule into the wall of that ﬁrst branch, which remains there to this day – although Lee struggles to remember what was put in it. “I’m not sure if or when we’ll open it, perhaps in another 45 years, although I’m not sure I’ll still be here then,” he chuckles.

The company has navigated a whole host of markets since, the recent coronavirus pandemic being one of the hardest.

Despite the di culties businesses have faced over the past couple of years, Lee says the most challenging time in KFH’s 45year history was in fact the 1990s when the property market took a nose dive following the dissolution of MIRAS (Mortgage Interest Relief At Source) arrangements in 1989.

The rollercoaster years

“There was a massive rush to buy property so we had an incredible year, but then the market literally fell oﬀ a cliﬀ,” he remembers. “The nineties were a real hand-to-mouth time. It was a matter of grow, grow, grow or disappear.”

And grow they did. Thanks to a partnership with and the financial support of Winterthur Life, the company acquired a number of estate agencies out of receivership, the first of which was Folkard & Hayward in 1992. The nineties saw the company create financial services, commercial, chartered surveyors, and land and new homes divisions, as well as opening 25 new branches. But while the

While the colour, a burgundy as Lee recalls, wasn’t quite the same as is seen on KFH’s branding today, it marked the start of the company’s journey to what has now become known as the ‘red estate agency’.

“It was probably the ﬁrst time that I’d ever wished I’d had a boss,” Lee admits. “It was tough when you didn’t know how long that lockdown was going to last for and there was a point where you would think that if it went on much longer, you wouldn’t have been able to continue. But, of course, we were in the same boat as everyone else.”

It turned out the early 1980s were a fortuitous time to start out in residential sales. Average house prices more than doubled from £25,000 at the start of the decade to £55,000 by the end of it, during which time the company also expanded into lettings, opening its ﬁrst lettings branch in Barnes, in 1987. “The property market was in a good position then. It had been in the doldrums, but it was a very buoyant market and, in fact, there was a real housing boom during the following couple of years,” says Lee.

ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 13

A ﬁnancial services division is created in partnership with Winterthur Life. A commercial division is also introduced

“I think it’s because we are – and have been since day one – service led,” says Lee. “When I started the business, it was all about property management and servicing each and every one of the ﬂats in a block – if one wasn’t happy, I wasn’t doing my job properly and that ethos has carried right through the business.”

property market was once again on the up. At the half way point of the decade, average property prices nationally had risen to £155,000 and a whopping £270,000 in London.

Indeed service, communication and results are the three pillars of the company – that and the culture of the business, which Lee explains sets it apart from other industry leaders.

“I had the bank threatening to close me down at one point but we got through it,” says Lee. “We basically expanded out of the recession and then, when we got into the early 2000s, the market turned for the better.”

years of KFH whistlestop tour of the company's key dates

So, what then is the secret to the company’s success? It perhaps helps that London has sat top of the country when it comes to property price performance over the last 45 years. Even after adjusting for inﬂation, London house prices have increased by a huge 13.5% per year on average. But that still doesn’t explain why KFH sells more homes across London than any other agency brand.

1992

By 2007, Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward (as it was now named) had established a new head o ce in Wimbledon and, a year later, was identiﬁed by the Sunday Times as one of the fastest growing companies in the UK.

A

company was growing at an exponential rate, the debt pile was also building.

1990

“I like to think we’re a very social company, because we want to be, not because we’re told we should be,” he adds. “I’m a great believer

14 LONDON PROPERTY MATTERS · kfh.co.uk

Even the ﬁnancial crisis of 2007 did little to dampen its achievements and KFH continued to grow steadily for the next decade, opening a corporate services department in 2014 and more recently, in 2021, entering a ﬁveyear partnership with Simple Life London that will see it let and manage over 3,000 new build-to-rent homes in the Capital.

1984 The opensresidentialexpandscompanyintosalesanditsﬁrstbranchinWestPutney.Theynowhave60+ 1977 Lee Watts (and Philip King) establish Kinleigh, a companymanagementpropertybasedinBrixton 1987 The residentialexpandscompanyfurtherbyintroducinglettingswhentheyopenabranchinBarnes

A new century

Folkard & Hayward is acquired with o ces both north and south of the river. New divisions swiftly follow

The early noughties brought about renewed vigour within the economy. The Millennium had come and gone with far less disruption than what had been predicted and the

that you need to enjoy what you do. When you employ 900 people, that’s not necessarily going to apply to everybody, but as the company has grown, I’ve employed what I like to think of as fairly like-minded people.

So, what would Lee say is the biggest change he’s seen over the past 45 years in property?

“We can always train someone to do a job, but we can't train them to have a personality, so that's really key. I'm sure our clients would be quite happy to have our agentsaround the dinner table”

Muswell Hill is the first KFH branch to hit £1 million as the property market in London really starts booming

2002

London Youth charity partnership is formed. In the years since, they have managed to raise over £320,000

Staff rewards and incentives, such as the annual awards party and trip to Verbier, have become part of the company’s DNA, while providing Lee with some of his most memorable moments, although he will not be drawn on exactly what those are. “Well I learnt to ski,” he says. “That I couldn’t do before my first trip to Verbier!”

“Transactions were a lot higher than they are now – people were moving far more frequently back then,” he says. “If you go back to 2007, there were over 90,000 sales transactions in London, but in 2019 it was around 37,000. So that’s a pretty big change and it’s been coming

1998

2007

down every year since 2015/16. On the other side of the coin, the increase in investment rental property in London has grown exponentially.”

“I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be able to hold onto that discipline, but it’s something that I feel is important to the business, to our brand. And, we sell more property than anybody else in London so if it ain’t broke, why try and fix it?!” 

*Reference: Land registry, landregistry.data.gov.uk

Period of reflection

Keith Cardale Groves in central London and Leven in north west Kent are acquired, adding a further 12 branches

KFH House, a new head office, opens in Wimbledon, which remains central to the operations to this day

It’s a philosophy that is not only reflected in the relationships KFH employees build with their clients – “I’m sure our clients would be quite happy to have our agents around the dinner table and I’m sure some of them do,” Lee says –but has led to brilliant levels of staff retention. Three in four of management staff have been with the company for more than nine years.

1999 The rebrandscompanytoKinleighFolkard&Haywardandacharteredsurveyorsdivisionislaunched 2021

Simple Life London partnership to let and manage over 3,000 buildto-rent homes is announced

“I’ve always had a ‘pint of Guinness’ interview process,” he adds with a smile. “I’ll have a pint on my side of the table and if the person on the other side has still got my attention by the time I’ve finished that pint, they’ve probably got a good chance of getting the job because they will have a personality that engages me. We can always train someone to do a job, but we can’t train them to have a personality so that’s really key for me. And it runs through the company.”

ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 15 45 YEARS OF KFH

1995 Ten acquiredbranchesCornerstoneareinLondonandseveralnewcoldstartsopenedacrossLondon 2017

Like all 21st century businesses, KFH embraces technology, but despite this Lee insists his lettings and sales negotiators use good oldfashioned pen and paper when registering any new client with the business. “Some of them hate me for it,” he jokes. “But I think it’s an important part of that first communication. If you’re trying to fill in a form on a computer you’re focusing on the screen, scrolling up and down and you lose that interaction with the customer.

Is there one innovation that showcases how forward-thinking KFH is? “The way we do customer communication,” Bryant says instantly.

The thinkersforward

Many people have contributed to making KFH what it is over the past 45 years. Here are five key staff members who offer a snapshot of the business today

“Desk phones have been replaced by soft phones on the Microsoft Teams platform, meaning our staff can answer calls in the office, at home, or on the move on a range of devices. Another major project we have embarked on is an ambitious reimagining of our legacy OpenHouse sales software as a next generation web-based platform with a focus on usability, mobility and security. It is due to roll out to the sales teams in branches over the coming months.”

“Odd as it may sound given the wider situation, I'm incredibly proud of the way the team dealt with the rapid onset of the pandemic”

16 LONDON PROPERTY MATTERS kfh.co.uk

Tom Bryant

Head of Technology

Bryant’s favourite KFH memory also links back to communication, of a different sort. “Odd as it may sound given the wider situation, I’m incredibly proud of the way the team dealt with the rapid onset of the pandemic in March 2020,” he says. “We had plans to become more mobile, introduce Microsoft Teams, and improve our collaborative toolset in the subsequent months, but to have to bring that forward several months and mobilise a majority desktop, officebased network with 60 geographically distinct branches and two main offices to work from home in a period of a

When looking at how a business has evolved, technology is always going to play a pretty hefty role – the internet didn’t even exist back when KFH launched. Tom Bryant, therefore, is a particularly interesting person to talk to. “It goes without saying that technology is by far the biggest force for change we have seen in our lifetimes,” he nods. “Communication patterns and consumer expectations have been reshaped with the advent of rapidly developing technology in the last couple of decades. This keeps everything fresh and interesting, and as soon as you think you’ve got a handle on the art of the possible, new technologies come along and open up new avenues. There’s never a dull moment!”

Tom Bryant

For career progression at KFH, Danielle Prescott is a wonderful example. “I started at KFH in June 2008 in the busy Kennington office as the lettings administrator,” she recounts. “In 2015, I was asked to join the new lettings branch in Brockley, and in 2022 I was promoted to south east team leader in the new tenancy progression division at our head office.”

Where is your favourite place in London?

Danielle Prescott

“You do receive a lot of support from those you report to. During the years of working at KFH, I have made some lifelong friends”

Where is your favourite place in London?

Beckenham. I have a house that I have my eye on!

Hampstead Village would be nice, but I’m really happy where I am, in E17. It’s really alright!

Anthony Wesley

you report to,” she points out. “During the years of working at KFH, I have truly made some lifelong friendships.”

Danielle Prescott

couple of weeks was nothing short of a Herculean effort from everyone involved. So, whilst the pandemic itself was something I hope none of us has to experience again, the response to it as a business makes me proud.”

Prescott manages six tenancy progressors and, as we talk, she explains that now is their busiest period of the year. “Lettings is so fastpaced,” she says, “which keeps me on my toes.” Running a new team must bring with it opportunity as well as pressure, but Prescott certainly seems like she’s taking it all in her stride. “You do receive a lot of support from those

ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 17 MEET THE TEAM

Talking about awards, Prescott herself has been recognised. “Winning The KFH Way award has been my career highlight,” she beams. “I was known as the ‘Google Review Queen’ by our south east regional director!”

What area would you most like to live in?

I enjoy rooftop bars, and boat trips around the River Thames. I have also just signed up to a local horse-riding school in Dulwich.

As a company, Prescott says KFH do everything in the right way, a reason why people join and stay for long periods. “They are really good with in-house training that helps to keep you up-to-date with all the new legislations,” she says, “and there’s the internal promotions too. There are incentive trips, prizes and awards, which all help to attract people to working here.”

at KFH in 2011, there were about 40% of the people we have today in block management,” says Anthony Wesley. “The portfolio was mainly small to medium blocks, and property managers were using notepads and, only a few years earlier, Dictaphones. There are now 65+ staff members in our ever-growing department, and the portfolio consists of large blocks that include gyms, swimming pools and tennis courts. Property managers

Tenancy Progressor, Team Leader

Accounts Portfolio Director, Block Management

As old as the company itself, KFH’s block management division has been there from the start – but just like London, its landscape has changed considerably over 45 years. Even in ten years much has happened with the division. “When I started

My wife and I live in Walthamstow, and I am yet to find somewhere better than Orford Road in the heart of the village on a summer’s day. Cafés, pubs, shops, all spilling out onto the pavement.

What area would you most like to live in?

18 LONDON PROPERTY MATTERS kfh.co.uk

Where is your favourite place in London?

now use multiple apps for site inspections and liaising with clients.”Itwas in 2018 that he was promoted to accounts portfolio director and, today, the department is responsible for 125 clients – but chatting to him, you wouldn’t think there was any pressure given his sheer enthusiasm for the job. “I have always been captivated by the different types of buildings in and around London, so this job was perfect for me,” he says with a smile. “At KFH, if you want a career that pushes you to develop your interpersonal skills and you have the ability to adapt to different situations, then block management is for you as every day brings a different challenge.”

Although she has stayed with the business 34 years and six months longer than planned, Mackenzie certainly has no regrets. “The people are amazing,” she says of her colleagues. “You make friends for life and it really is, for me, an amazing place to work.”

I currently live in Kingston and I am very happy there!

Anthony Wesley

Lisa Mackenzie Sales Director, South West London

Despite Wesley’s easy-going nature, his role is demanding, but it’s all part and parcel of what makes KFH what it is for employees. “KFH encourage a good work/life balance, which is important for mental health,” he says. “I believe people stay because they feel valued, recognised, respected and mentored. There are many great benefits and incentives, with each day bringing new excitement and challenges. KFH do a lot of little things to show how you are appreciated.”

Where is your favourite place in London?

it was materially cheaper to move south of the river, with many areas – including Southfields, Balham and Battersea – being areas that were chosen for affordability reasons. These areas are now highly sought-after and the pricing gap between north and south of the river has narrowed considerably.”

My favourite places to go are the museums, rooftop bars or a boat trip along the Thames.

What area would you most like to live in?

Either a lovely house in Wimbledon or a penthouse flat in the City overlooking the river.

“I have always been captivated by the different types of buildings in and around London, so this job is perfect for me”

“I started in the ‘new’ Southfields branch as a very young negotiator with about two years’ experience,” Mackenzie looks back. “At the time

I love the South Bank and Richmond Park. In London, it’s hard to choose a favourite.

Mackenzie is also well positioned to reflect on why people want to work at KFH. “I am told that people join us because we have an excellent reputation based on looking after our colleagues, having fun, great career prospects – although very competitive – and fantastic rewards,” she says. “I personally have travelled to many cities, including Cape Town and Hong Kong for a long weekend with 40 other KFH colleagues.”

“My plan was to stay for about six months as the office was open on Sundays, which I was not keen on!” Lisa Mackenzie laughs at the memory: those six months have turned into nigh on 35 years, and she now oversees the KFH sales operation across the south west London region.

Mackenzie has developed a successful career at KFH and, property prices aside, has seen plenty of change over the years. “The sales department has evolved from three offices to around 60 today,” she explains. “That is amazing. I am especially proud that we sell more property than any other agency brand in London and continue to punch above our weight. I enjoy sales as I am extremely competitive, I enjoy the varied days and of course the rewards. Meeting people on a daily basis, being constantly challenged and retaining the number one position keeps working life exciting and fulfilling.”

really look after their staff,” Odukoya says. “I’ve been on so many trips –Miami, Los Angeles, Verbier – which are all rewards for hard work. The trip to Verbier in Switzerland with my Balham team is probably my favourite KFH memory. It’s one of the best work trips I’ve ever experienced!”

I would genuinely say Streatham. There are some amazing roads in the area with lovely, unique properties. After Streatham, it would have to be Dulwich Village. 

Lettings, says Odukoya, is fast-paced and a key reason why he enjoys his job so much. “It is never stagnant. It’s a busy, intense, and high-pressured role which often involves managing people’s expectations. I manage a team of four – three negotiators and a branch co-ordinator. Other responsibilities include visiting around three or four properties a day, booking valuations with the aim of increasing market share, troubleshooting, and dealing with tenants and clients.

He describes his role as “busy, intense and high-pressured”, so luckily it’s not all work, work, work. “KFH

Where is your favourite place in London? You can always find me in the West End or spending time with family and friends.

What area would you most like to live in?

Lettings Branch Director, Streatham

“Lettings is a great area to work in,” he continues, “forever seeing new properties and meeting new people. KFH do an excellent job of recruiting the best of the best and we have such a good support network in the company, with plenty of mentors across the business. At KFH, everything you do is transferrable. You may not come from a property background, but you can bring new skills to the business. Anything is possible.”

Abs Odukoya

Lisa Mackenzie

In five short years Abs Odukoya has experienced plenty through KFH. “There’s never a dull day,” he smiles. Odukoya is one of the rising stars of the company, starting out as a lettings negotiator in Balham in 2017. Several promotions have seen him rise up the ranks to lettings director at KFH’s Streatham branch, where things are currently extremely busy. “There is so much potential here,” he says on the area’s buzz.

ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 19 MEET THE TEAM

20 LONDON PROPERTY MATTERS kfh.co.ukBECKENHAM.SALES@KFH.CO.UK | 020 3993 0049 Three bedrooms | Two bathrooms | Two reception rooms | Off street parking Chain free | 1,301 sq ft | EPC Rating C | Freehold A charming three bedroom semi detached period home, well located between Clock House and Kent House stations. £850,000 Birkbeck Road, Beckenham BR3 kfh.co.uk

FOCUS ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 21CLAPHAM.SALES@KFH.CO.UK | 020 3993 4297 Five bedrooms | Four bathrooms | Reception room | Large garden | Off street parking 2,756 sq ft | EPC Rating G | Freehold An incredible five bedroom Victorian house located on a private residential road, set back from the hustle and bustle of Brixton’s restaurants and bars. £2,100,000 Raleigh Gardens, Brixton SW2 kfh.co.uk

22 LONDON PROPERTY MATTERS kfh.co.uk

“North west London, with its smattering of withoutseekingbecomeneighbourhoods,villagehasahavenforanyonetoescapethecityactuallyleavingit”

From the elegant villa-style housing and tree-lined streets of Belsize Park, to the Victorian, Queen Anne and Arts and Crafts homes of West Hampstead and the stately three and four-storey townhouses of Primrose Hill, property

Accessible and vibrant yet full of original village-like charm, north west London is a haven for those seeking the perfect work-life balance

North west London is home to a host of outdoorwonderfulspots

ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 23

he iconic cover of The Beatles 11th album made Abbey Road, in St John’s Wood, one of the most famous streets in the world. But, with its cultural landmarks, historic properties and impressive parks, north west London has been attracting creatives and intellectuals for centuries.

T

Accessible, vibrant and undeniably opulent, yet full of original villagelike charm, with the added benefit of good parks and excellent schools, north west London is one of those places that ticks a lot of boxes.

Best of both worlds

NORTH WEST LONDON

MUSWELLHILL.SALES@KFH.CO.UK | 020 3993 8161 Five bedrooms | Five bathrooms | Two reception rooms | Underfloor heating Landscaped garden | 2,296 sq ft | EPC Rating D | Freehold A striking five bedroom home, newly renovated to a high standard to create a stunning open plan living space. £2,350,000 Midhurst Avenue, Muswell Hill N10 kfh.co.ukSTJOHNSWOOD.SALES@KFH.CO.UK | 020 3993 8515 Three bedrooms | Three bathrooms | 28 ft reception room | Wooden flooring | 24 hour porterage Residents’ parking | 1,643 sq ft | EPC Rating D | Share of Freehold A remarkable three bedroom apartment set on the fifth floor of one of the most reputable mansion blocks in St John’s Wood. £2,695,000 Eyre Court, St John’s Wood NW8 kfh.co.uk

“The area has definitely benefitted from buyers returning to London postpandemic and wanting once again to be close to the action,” he adds. “The outside spaces of Hampstead Heath, Primrose Hill and Queen’s Park offer buyers the escape from city life that has increasingly become an important ‘must have’ for those looking for a better work-life balance. However, the transport links must still be there and so areas that can offer both are proving the most in demand.”

NORTH WEST LONDON

Robert McLaughlin, who heads up KFH’s north, north west and west London sales operations, says the market has been “busy all year with buyers looking for a leafy London suburb to call home”.

According to Land Registry figures, the average house price in this area of London increased by £141,383 (15.4%) over the last 12 months to June 2022. And while apartments, with an average selling price of £691,268, accounted for the majority of recorded sales in north west London during the last year, family

ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 25

homes are in increasing demand.

With its independent boutiques, craft brewery, yoga studios and a popular farmers’ market, Queen’s Park is an ideal spot for those priced out of the Hampstead Heath and Primrose Hill

“ The area has definitely benefitted from buyers returning to London post-pandemic and wanting to be close to the action”

here is among some of the most sought after in London for buyers and renters alike.

This part of London, with its smattering of village neighbourhoods, has become a haven for anyone seeking to escape the city without actually leaving it. With the landscaped gardens of Regent’s Park, views of London from Primrose Hill, and the wilds, ponds and pools of Hampstead Heath, north west London is home to some of the Capital’s most loved parkland, while its nature and conservation areas provide truly enchanting scenery. But it’s also centrally located, offering easy access to the city for those days spent in the office.

North west London is home to independentthrivingoutlets

Expect leafy streets in the likes of West Hampstead

Flask Walk in Hampstead is an example of a hidden away oasis of retailers

02 Cholmeley Park, N6 £4,300 pcm

areas that became so popular with the rich and famous in the 1990s. Nowadays media and creative types migrate to the streets around the pretty park, which became a conservation area in the 1980s.

With annual growth of 13.5%, London rental prices have seen their largest annual rise in over 20 years – even higher than the recovery seen following the 2008 ﬁnancial crisis – with growth being driven by central and north west London.

A charming three / four bedroom house situated in this quaint Belsize Park mews in close proximity to Belsize Park and Swiss Cottage underground stations. Belsize Park is in a highly desirable area in north London.

01 02 NORTH WEST LONDON

West Hampstead – London’s original West End – has also seen a renaissance in recent years thanks to its active local community, vibrant high street, abundance of period homes and exceptional transport links with multiple train line options across London in all directions.

“Queen’s Park is deﬁnitely increasing in popularity this year with a good selection of family houses and a growing identity as the place to be,” says McLaughlin. “This corner of north west London is closest to the West End and is increasingly becoming the ﬁrst-choice location for buyers.”

Insider view

Not considered quite as grand as its more expensive neighbours, West Hampstead oﬀers buyers and tenants more for their money and this area of London has recently been performing well with demand outstripping supply in both the sales and lettings markets.

JAMES BOAL Lettings Branch Director WEST HAMPSTEAD

The average price of properties let through KFH’s West Hampstead o ce increased from £1,541 last year to £1,933 in 2022, fuelled by a shortage in stock and unprecedented demand from o ce workers returning to the city following the pandemic, explains branch lettings director James Boal. “We oﬀer a lot more value for money whilst still being able to live in an upmarket neighbourhood,” he says. “Given the transport links, we attract a wide array of professionals from graduates all the way to families with the parents working in central London. “One noticeable trend post-Covid has seen renters from Zone 1 move further out to gain more space as they adapt to hybrid working. They pay the same money for a two-bed as they would a one-bed, but it allows for them to have a study as they no longer need to be a 10-15 minute walk from the o ce.” The demand for rental property in this area has also been driven by global media companies, such as Google and Meta, expanding into King's Cross with space for more than 13,000 employees. “Go the other way on the Thameslink and you’re at Elstree and Borehamwood where Sky is building new studios and planning to attract £3 billion worth of investment in the next ﬁve years,” adds Boal.

KFH Belsize Park Lettings, 020 3993 kbelsizepark.lettings@428.co.uk

KFH West Hampstead Lettings 020 7604 westhampstead.lettings@k5150 .co.uk

KFH Highgate Lettings, 020 3993 khighgate.lettings@1386.co.uk

01 Eton Garages, NW3 £5,200 pcm

It oﬀers a bright open plan reception room with direct access onto a private terrace, and large principal bedroom with en-suite.

Set within a stunning Grade II listed landmark development in the heart of Highgate is this luxury two bedroom apartment.

LETTINGS WEST HAMPSTEAD 1 bed flat £1,750 pcm 2 bed flat £2,100-£3,000 pcm 3 bed flat £3,250-£4,000 pcm Houses Circa £5,000 pcm+

ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 27

Simon Patton, KFH’s lettings director for north, north west and west London,

KFH West Hampstead Sales, 020 3991 sales@kwesthampstead.3391.co.uk

There has been some new development in the area, such as 164 apartments on West End Lane, however most of the property available to buy in the area is converted period property. “Some 85% of properties are converted ﬂats and mansion apartments, while the remaining stock are houses which are in high demand for young families,” he says. With its independent bars, cafés, restaurants and shops, Moreton says the main draw to West Hampstead is its neighbourly village feel coupled with its prominent position close to central London and simple rail and road access to London City and London Heathrow airports.

KFH West Hampstead Sales 020 7328

A beautiful, architect designed two double bedroom, two bathroom garden ﬂat for sale, intelligently designed for modern living to a high speciﬁcation. This stunning garden apartment is situated on a popular road.

westhampstead.sales@k2238 .co.uk NORTH WEST LONDON 02

01 Cromwell Avenue, Highgate £1,250,000N6

says stock levels have been light for the past nine to ten months and, with such a high level of tenants searching for homes in this area, properties are not hanging around for long.

“Family houses are very much in demand with tenants often getting in a bidding war, not just on price, but also pushing the guarantee of longer terms,” he comments. “After family houses anything with outside space is in big demand, as well as properties with additional space that can be used as an o ce. Despite many people returning to their o ces, there are a great deal of people working from home for some of the week and that extra space can mean separating your work and home life that bit better.”

“Houses and garden ﬂats are in high demand with prices ranging from £650,000 for a garden ﬂat to £5m for the most sought after houses,” says Moreton. “But we’re better value than some of the more expensive areas like Belsize Park, Hampstead, St John’s Wood and Marylebone.”

ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 29

The property, in a sought after part of Highgate, provides excellent access to Waterlow Park.

David Moreton heads up the sales team in West Hampstead, which like most areas of London has been faced with the challenge of high demand versus low supply.

KFH Highgate Sales, 020 7993 highgate.sales@k3288 .co.uk

Insider view

While there have been signs that stock numbers will increase for the foreseeable future, with tenant demand so high choice will come at a premium. “It’s not uncommon to come into the o ce to 20-30 viewing enquiries the day after a property is launched online,” says Patton. “The market is moving quick, and tenants often need to make snap decisions on a property with not much else to compare to.” McLaughlin agrees, saying that despite the recent political unrest and the cost of living crisis, the heat appears to be staying in the market. What’s clear is that north west London is very much one of the Capital’s most in demand areas. 

02 Greencroft Gardens, South Hampstead NW3 £1,150,000

An exceptional church conversion providing an abundance of character including a large stained glass window with three/four bedrooms and roof terrace.

DAVID MORETON Sales Branch Director WEST HAMPSTEAD

Moreton says the area is governed by local transport links into the city (the area is served by London Underground, National Rail and Thameslink services), which attract young professionals who tend to stay in the area, on average, for three to ﬁve years.

01 Studio £400,000-£600,000 1 bed flat £450,000- £800,000 2 bed flat £600,000-£1,000,000 3 bed flat £750,000-£1,250,000 4 bed house £1,250,000-£5,000,000 SALES WEST HAMPSTEAD

Heys began her textiles venture by making wall hangings, but has since added a range of rugs and cushions to her portfolio. “I love creating textiles art and tufting is a wonderful way to translate my designs into both homewares and wall art,” she explains. “I love the variety of textures you can create, how my pieces showcase the versatility of yarn and how textiles art can be used as a modern way of decorating and accessorising a space.”

Heys’ most recent textiles collection draws inspiration from her love of typography, particularly that found on circus and theatre posters, and features bold text, simple shapes and bright colours. It is these eye-catching designs and the fact she only uses reclaimed yarn and, where possible, British wool, that draw people to her designs, which range in price from £120 to £2,500.

Hannah Heys began using the technique alongside tufting (a similar skill, but which uses a machine called a tufting gun) and latch hooking to create textile art for the home around four years ago. While these techniques are incredibly popular on Instagram and TikTok right now, Heys has made them the focus of her business and believes highquality works created using the techniques should become a more permanent fixture in people’s homes.

“They’re great for people who want to add bright and bold contemporary pieces to their home

Hannah Heys is bringing ancient art forms back into London homes through her colourful textile art CIRCULARORANGEHANDMADEANDTURQUOISERUG HEYS'HANNAHCUSHIONCOLLECTION

“I’ve always only used reclaimed yarn, but since the pandemic it’s been harder to get hold of, so I

However, its popularity has blown up in recent years thanks, in part, to social media, which modern crafters have used to showcase videos of how they have adopted the technique to create beautifully-textured home décor using thicker yarn.

Punch needle embroidery, or rug hooking, has a long history dating back to medieval times – possibly even as far back as the ancient Egyptians –and was traditionally used to decorate clothing with fine embroidery floss.

Tales of texture

I

that will not only liven up any space, but add an element of texture and interest,” says the 34-year-old. “Every piece is an investment designed to adorn your walls and floors for many years to come – it’s very different from mass produced art.”

nterior trends come and go, but there are some age-old design techniques that buck the ‘fast fashion’ influences of today’s popular culture and instead have sustainability at their core.

30 LONDON PROPERTY MATTERS kfh.co.uk

hannahheys.com LIFESTYLE

PrestoHeys

“Every piece is an investment designed to adorn your walls and ﬂoors for many years”

HEYSWITHSTARTEDWALLHANGINGS

“It’s about creating pieces for people to love and cherish,” she ﬁnishes, “a statement piece and talking point for years to come, rather than fast fashion for the home.” 

2. Statement cushions add great textural interest to a room and can give it a great focal point, without committing to repainting or replacing the furniture.

3. Pull together an overall colour palette that you are working towards and stick to it. If you have a clear palette, all elements should complement each other perfectly, from your textural textiles to your curtains, they all have a part to play in pulling a room together.

1. I may be a little biased, but I think that textiles art is the perfect way to add texture and colour to the home. The texture and interest that can be created cannot be rivalled by other mediums. Wall hangings, whether as a part of a gallery wall or as a standalone piece, are always a great addition.

Hannah Heys’ top tips for adding texture to your home

started to explore using British wool, which is only spun in this country so not only is it more eco-friendly, but it’s a real selling point,” Heys explains. “Sustainability is at the core of my brand and so I strive to be as conscious as possible during every stage of the production process. This can limit my colour palette somewhat, as I am constrained by what’s available rather than just ordering whatever colours I want, but this forces me to think carefully about the designs I want to produce.

ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 31

Odessa

A lot of water has flowed under the Thames’ bridges since its days as an open sewer. We look back at the river’s long history and why it’s so popular with property hunters

This Docklands apartment features two bedrooms and two bathrooms, a reception room and a fully fitted kitchen, with large rooms throughout. Tenants have the use of leisure facilities including communal open spaces overlooking the Thames, swimming pool, gym and underground parking for one car.

D

irty old river, must you keep rolling, flowing into the night?” asked The Kinks a little unkindly, while admiring the sunset from Waterloo Bridge. Although the Thames can look brown – due to the muddy banks – it’s considered to be one of the world’s cleanest rivers. While the Thames in post-industrial Victorian London was virtually an open sewer, it’s made an impressive comeback; from being declared biologically dead in the 1950s to hosting 125 species of fish today. Street, London

32 LONDON PROPERTY MATTERS kfh.co.uk

River throughrunsit

RecentlySE16let

KFH lettings@kfh.co.ukcanadawater.020WaterCanadaLettings39936954

It’s also now a hotbed for in-demand properties with a view of those waters.

Its significance was cemented when the Romans developed the Port of London Londinium around 50AD, so that trading vessels could come into the safe river berths on the north bank and unload. Centuries after the Romans

“Up until 1750, London Bridge was the only crossing over the Thames, but when the Millennium Bridge opened in 2001, it took the total number to 35”

Progressing with the times

It was the Romans who first tackled the problem of getting large numbers of people mainly soldiers from north to

COVER STORY

south London, when they built the first bridge. Up until 1750, when Westminster Bridge was opened, London Bridge was the only crossing over the Thames, but when the Millennium Bridge opened in 2001, it took the total number to 35. These bridges are a vital part of the Capital’s infrastructure, offering a panorama of the city’s iconic views. However, for centuries, it was quickest and most convenient to get across London by water and you could hire a wherry a passenger rowing boat at the many stairs leading down to the Thames.

By 1576, London could boast that it was the world’s major trading port, and royal palaces at Windsor, Sheen, Hampton, Westminster, Bridewell, the Tower of London, and Greenwich were all sited on or close to the Thames, so that royal barges could ferry their regal passengers between them.

From gracing the EastEnders credits to Monet’s famous view of Westminster, the 210-mile long River Thames is indelibly stamped on our cultural consciousness.

packed up, the Saxons’ settlement of Lundenwic went on to become a major trading and ship building area for the Normans and Tudors.

ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 33

“Anything close to London Bridge or Waterloo is very popular due to to Canary Wharf and the city for work,” says London Bridge

There were many road crossings over the river, but none east of London Bridge, adds Stone. “To carry goods from docks or factories on one side of the Thames to a location on the other involved a long and torturous journey through narrow streets and over the congested London Bridge. It was said that to carry a cargo of skins from Wapping to the other side of the river cost more than bringing them across the Atlantic from Hudson Bay.”

New docks such as East India, Millwall and Royal Albert opened in the 18th century, followed by quays, wharfs and warehouses. But the Thames and its docks took a heavy beating during the Second World War and when these wharves closed down and residential areas fell into disrepair, thousands lost their jobs and squatters moved into empty warehouses.

By the late 1960s, containerisation was having a big impact on dock use and container ships began

carrying large amounts of cargo to Tilbury instead. After more docks closed, the London Docklands Development Corporation kicked off regeneration in 1981, starting with the Thames Barrier in Woolwich.

the links

“In the eighties, financial, investment and insurance industries exploded, along with a plethora of house and leisure facilities”

“These boats went along the river as well as across it, meaning that residents used to have a great knowledge of tides,” explains historian Peter Stone (thehistoryoflondon.co.uk). “Famous diarist and naval administrator Samuel Pepys used to whizz up and down, probably getting to places quicker than you could today if you were driving.”

34 LONDON PROPERTY MATTERS kfh.co.uk

Since the East End has had its overhaul, the south side of the Thames has been transformed from wharf wasteland into property hotspot, creating huge developments that now dominate the Thames skyline such as Greenwich Peninsula, South Quay Plaza, Royal Docks and Battersea Power Station.

Evolution of the Docklands

In that money-driven decade, financial, investment and insurance industries exploded, along with a plethora of houses and leisure facilities to service workers. The Docklands Light Railway and the Excel Centre followed, transforming the docks.

Kenilworth Court, Putney SW15 £2,950 pcm A truly outstanding top floor three bedroom apartment for rent enviably positioned within the sought after bathroomadoublebedrooms,twokitchenreceptionaThecommunaloverlookingCourtKenilworthdevelopmentthefabulousgardens.propertycomprisesstunningbayfrontedroom,fabulousdiningroom,largedoublefurthersmallbedroomandstylishthreepiecesuite. KFH Putney Hill Lettings 020 3993 kfh.co.ukputneyhill.lettings@8937

During the 1990s, thanks to the new Thames Path, the old docklands had an easy walking route to the Square Mile, prompting disused buildings along it to be converted into apartments, shops, restaurants and nightclubs for riverside residents from the South Bank to London Bridge, and out to Richmond and Kingston.

directprivatemanycommunalMendipofthegatedPlazainandmixonwharfexamplesone“NewHighandsetmoreriversideWharfThames,viewsHomesoriginallyan“CapitalimplementationTaylor,theareCrescentPageantWharf,Capitalcontractorsrecruitmentcompaniesmanagementandtheinitialofmaintenanceandstaff.NewCraneWharf,Wharf,CinnabarBlackwallReach,Steps,SovereignandRiversidePlazaallcurrentlymanagedbydivision,saysDominicKFHbusinessmanager.WharfinWappingis85-unitapartmentblockbuiltbyBerkeleywithoutstandingonthebanksofthewhileCinnabarnextdoorisapopulardevelopmentwiththan90apartmentsontheThamesPathway,nexttoWappingStreet,”saysTaylor.CraneWharfisofWapping’sbestofaresidentialconversion,righttheThames,withaofowneroccupiedletapartments.OverBattersea,Riversideisasmallsecuredevelopmentonriverside,madeupSherwoodCourtandCourt,builtaroundcourtyardswithhomesboastingbalconieswithriverviews.”

A stunning two double bedroom, third floor apartment set within a popular modern riverside development ideally located for Clapham

ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 35

Room with a view

Many of the apartment buildings that line the glittering banks of the Thames are run by, or with the help of, KFH via its block management team. As well as overseeing managing agent transfers, board meetings and inspections, resident meetings and a company secretarial service, it also advises on building design and service needs, creation and implementation of residents’

firstaspropertymoderndoublekitchen,fittedforsufficientreceptionincludesAccommodationJunction.anopen-planroomwithdiningspaceentertaining,newlycontemporarytwolargebedroomsandbathroom.Thiswouldbeidealaninvestmentortimepurchase.

It means that someone looking for their slice of river life should get more choice in areas such as Canary Wharf with its plentiful apartment blocks than in the stretch between South Bank through to Shad Thames where residential properties are less numerous.

Feel the power

Lombard £525,000BatterseaRoad,SW11

lettings branch director Ben Rayner. “Also, anything near Borough Market or Bermondsey Street always gets a lot of interest due to the well-known and loved locations. Delving further into the postcode you’ve got a lovely pocket called Shad Thames that is next to Tower Bridge and my favourite street is Trinity Street in Borough – a quiet area full of Georgian houses surrounding an old church square.”

COVER STORY

As with most developments, apartments usually command a premium for height, with the priciest often near the top, boasting the best and most exclusive views.

KFH Battersea Park Sales 020 3993 sales@kfh.co.ukbatterseapark.9298

Fulham is one of the Capital’s most sought after postcodes, but add in a direct view of the Thames and you’ll be paying an extra 10-15% compared to a similar property facing inland, perhaps just a street away. In fact, most Thames-side properties demand a premium. For example, anything in Shad Thames near Tower Bridge or along the river usually adds 10% onto the rent. These homes near the Thames are always in high demand and with

only so many waterfront sites, they’ll generally retain their value. With a proliferation of new developments, more homebuyers and renters are being given the chance to join this exclusive riverside club.

Known as Nine Elms, the area between Vauxhall and Battersea is the largest regeneration zone in London and includes the last remaining industrial stretch of the South Bank.

Who runs the apartmentriver’sblocks?

36 LONDON PROPERTY MATTERS kfh.co.ukSTREATHAM.LETTINGS@KFH.CO.UK | 020 3991 2206 Four bedrooms | Three bathrooms | Two reception rooms | Open plan kitchen | Private driveway Annexed studio | Council Tax Band E | Furnished or unfurnished | EPC Rating C Well located for amenities and schools, this beautiful four bedroom house showcases elegant interiors complemented by natural light throughout. £3,300 pcm Hassocks Road, Streatham SW16 kfh.co.uk

Twickenham is known for its peaceful 1920s and 1930s roads, while in next-door Richmond, you’ll find smart Georgian and Victorian houses along Richmond Hill and neighbours in the shape of deer herds at Richmond Park, London’s biggest enclosed space. Putney boasts Victorian terraces near the river, and is only a short commute into central London.

In east London, renovated warehouses sit surrounded by dockyards slapbang on the riverbank and new schemes on both the north and south banks are also quite literally a stone’s throw from the water’s edge.

£7,000Avenue,Apartments,RavensbourneCentralSW6pcm A well presented three double bedroom, two bathroom apartment in a popular withandoutfullyreceptionadevelopment.riversideItfeaturesspaciousopenplanroomwithafittedkitchenleadingtoaprivatebalcony,amasterbedroomitsownen-suite. KFH Fulham and Chelsea Lettings 020 3991 kfh.co.ukfulham.lettings@2582 COVER STORY

A new town centre is springing up around the power station, adding 20,000 new homes to the 10,000 existing households where public walkways draw young professionals who make the most of the integrated café and restaurant culture.

Within Hammersmith, Fulham Reach, Queen Caroline Estate and Rainville Road are all flagged up by the local KFH branch as some of the most sought after areas. Hammersmith sales branch director Robert Hayllar explains that Fulham Reach’s luxury development offers residents a superb concierge service, spa, cinema, gym, snooker room, wine tasting and virtual golf – all while overlooking the river.

From east to west

Over the water in Wapping, residents can kick back in some of the

On the Queen Caroline Estate, a collection of ex-local authority blocks

Greater Reach

It’s no less desirable over on the north bank of the river, where commuters and young families make

Neighbouring Kennington is already a diverse area, full of pretty Georgian squares, a strong community spirit and green spaces. With the Northern Line extension from Kennington to Battersea Power Station and Nine Elms station, this area’s location and improved transport connections are making Nine Elms even more sought after.

Lettings branch director Gareth House adds that for renters, the areas that are most popular are anything within a 10-minute walk of Fulham Broadway Tube station, along with the newer developments down by the river such as Chelsea Creek and Imperial Wharf, which also has its own train station.

the most of city living in Chelsea, Hammersmith, Chiswick and Fulham. In Fulham and Chelsea, sales branch director Alistair Kidner reports: “The area known as Sands End is particularly popular with its beautiful period houses on quiet residential streets which are close to the river and are walking distance to the Kings Road.”

ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 37

oldest pubs and smartest warehouse redevelopments, notably the grand Oliver’s Wharf. Stretching through the Isle of Dogs and into Canary Wharf, these ex-industrial docks are a popular postcode. While along the river in Greenwich, you’ll find elegant buildings and maritime history drawing tourists and students it’s also a great place to call home with plenty of green spaces, riverside pubs and a popular market.

There are many other areas in which to find a riverside des-res including on the south-east stretch of the river, at the Rotherhithe Peninsula, which includes Rotherhithe, Canada Water and Surrey Quays, with its Victorian streets, pubs and 19th century warehouse conversions.

Families love the eye-catching houses, parks and good schools in south west London, in Barnes, Kingston upon Thames, Mortlake, Putney and Richmond. Barnes and Kingston are on particularly pretty stretches of the Thames, with riverside restaurants, bars and cafés providing a real village atmosphere.

A tastefully renovated two double bedroom apartment, moments from the amenities of Crouch End. £725,000

Russell Road, Crouch End N8

kfh.co.uk

A tastefully renovated two double bedroom apartment, moments from the amenities of Crouch End. £725,000

Two double bedrooms | Elegant reception room | Premier location 940 sq ft | EPC Rating D | Share of Freehold

38 LONDON PROPERTY MATTERS kfh.co.ukCROUCHEND.SALES@KFH.CO.UK | 020 3993 6609

Two double bedrooms | Elegant reception room | Premier location 940 sq ft | EPC Rating D | Share of Freehold

kfh.co.ukCROUCHEND.SALES@KFH.CO.UK | 020 3993 6609

Russell Road, Crouch End N8

COVER STORY

020

KFH Putney Hill Sales 020 3993 kfh.co.ukputneyhill.sales@6662

BridgeminuteandexcellentTheparkingfromfurtherdevelopmentbenefitsundergroundandalift.locationofferslinksbyroadrail,justafivewalktoKewStation. KFH

chiswick.sales@kfh.co.uk0389

A beautifully presented Victorian terrace house located close to Wandsworth Park and the River Thames benefitting from a stunning modern kitchen, double reception room, and four bedrooms. Sudlow Road is a quiet residential street, and the house is ideally situated for transport links.

Kew Bridge Road, Brentford TW8

Where cargo ships and trade once defined the Thames, waterfront living has created prime areas of real estate along its banks, revitalising the Capital’s property market and status.

Sudlow £1,100,000WandsworthRoad,SW18

Guide price £650,000

Meanwhile, the perennially popular Chelsea, particularly Sloane Square and Kings Road, offer sophisticated shopping and nightlife, not far from the water.

Rainville Road, backing directly onto the Thames, has a few mews houses as well as some spectacular properties, one of which is a new-build riverfacing freehold townhouse in Palace

ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 39

A modern two double bedroom apartment with direct south facing river views from the private balcony. This gated Chiswick Sales 3991

“There are also some very attractive mansion blocks around the currently closed Hammersmith Bridge, which are highly sought after owing to their curb appeal and the fact these blocks are generally considered to be better built than a conversion flat,” adds Hayllar.

Seamus Stanbury, lettings assistant manager at the Canada Water office, explains that renters particularly appreciate anything directly outside the Canada Water station due to its location and the local amenities. “We also find that houses within a 10 to 15-minute walk from the station are very popular with families, attracting strong demand,” he says. “The riverside developments especially Globe Wharf and New Caledonian Wharf, along with Marine Wharf and Greenland Place, are where tenants want to be.”



offer buyers an affordable river home, he says. “Not all the blocks have river views, but those that do command a premium and are sought after. While ex-local authority properties are not as desirable as a Victorian conversion per-se, this is often forgotten about when the river comes into view.”

Wharf, a boutique gated development with direct river path access, on-site concierge and 24-hour security.

40 LONDON PROPERTY MATTERS kfh.co.ukWIMBLEDON.SALES@KFH.CO.UK | 020 3993 2017 Four bedrooms | Two bathrooms | Two reception rooms | Landscaped south facing garden Off street parking | 1,768 sq ft | EPC Rating C | Freehold A stunningly presented and fully extended four bedroom house set on a desirable residential road in Wimbledon. £1,050,000 Buckleigh Avenue, Wimbledon SW20 kfh.co.uk

FOCUS ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 41KENNINGTON.SALES@KFH.CO.UK | 020 3993 8339 Four bedrooms | Three bathrooms | Two reception rooms | Roof terrace | Rear garden Iconic location | 1,932 sq ft | EPC Rating D | Freehold A quintessential Georgian townhouse located on the prestigious Cleaver Square, adorned with a contemporary finish throughout. £2,350,000 Cleaver Square, Kennington SE11 kfh.co.uk

their o ces, and companies are able to attract international candidates who can now move to the UK for o ce-based roles. “That’s why demand for corporate relocation properties is ramping up so fast,” Blakelock says. “Organisations want their valuable and/or senior staﬀ to be working face to face.”

he market for corporate rentals in London has never been directorKFHcompetitive,moresayslettingsforcentral

To a degree the surge in demand for corporate relocations is due to the varied range of people and companies involved. These include a uent graduates, C-suite executives and other seniors, civil servants and NHS staff, high-flying artistic creatives such as theatre and film stars, as well as some other more surprising categories.

London is once again open for business, seeing a rise in demand for properties for corporate tenants. We take a look at how corporate relocation works and why corporate tenants are an appealing proposition

Sherard James Head

42 LONDON PROPERTY MATTERS · kfh.co.uk

T

CorporateofServices|

With lockdowns (hopefully) a thing of the past, people are returning to

This has created huge demand for corporate relocation services, similar in many ways to the postCovid spike in demand that created booms in the property sales market.

|

BlakelockDuncan CentralDirector,LettingsLondon

“The activity in this sector is very strong and the competition is fierce. But due to a lack of stock, we are getting a lot of searches coming back four or five times because they are struggling to find what their clients want – so that’s the challenge, a lack of stock.”

London, Duncan Blakelock. He says that following the Covid lockdowns, which largely closed down the corporate rentals market, the sector is now booming again. “Our corporate relocation division has seen a huge peak and is currently up 40% year-on-year,” he adds.

relocationrelocation,Relocation,

CORPORATE RELOCATION

“Traditionally, demand was always prime central London high-end houses and large apartments for executives,

“Since the tech revolution and London’s increasing role as a hub for companies such as Google, Meta and a plethora of lesser-known technology giants, we’ve also seen more and more requests to help ﬁnd accommodation for ‘techies’,” says Sherard James, KFH’s head of corporate services.

“These can be relatively junior people in organisational terms but, because they possess in-demand skills and are paid well, also need help ﬁnding somewhere to live in London when they’re brought over to work in the Capital.

but that’s been changing. Consequently, our Clerkenwell o ce does a roaring trade in corporate lets for this kind of market because the area has so many tech companies based around the famous ‘silicon roundabout’.”

“Our Clerkenwell o ce does a roaring trade in corporate lets because the area has so many tech companies”

ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 43

But rising demand and a shortage of stock is changing the relocation market in other ways. Companies and the people they’re moving to London are being forced to widen their search and, for example, where once they would only accept properties in Marylebone or South Kensington, they are now looking as far as Finchley in the north, Kingston in the south, Ealing in the west and Lewisham in the east. “Also,

44 LONDON PROPERTY MATTERS kfh.co.ukFULHAM.SALES@KFH.CO.UK | 020 3993 9913 Three bedrooms | Two bathrooms | Reception room | Courtyard garden 1,041 sq ft | EPC Rating D | Leasehold A beautifully presented three bedroom flat set within a Victorian house on a premier Fulham road. £1,250,000 Acfold Road, Fulham SW6 kfh.co.uk

“Overall, there is a squeeze on lettings stock, and the Airbnb short-lets market, as always, is competing for properties too,” adds Blakelock. “Despite that, many of the apartment blocks we deal with have had leases that restrict the use of apartments for short-term lets, but allow the kind of longer-terms lets that corporate relocation clients are looking for.”

This shortage of stock can be attributed to a variety of factors, but the key one is the government’s clampdown on landlords, which has made property investment less attractive than before. Others include rising mortgage interest rates, which are squeezing some landlords’ proﬁt margins, while increasing property values have persuaded others to sell up and cash in.

James says the biggest challenge is ensuring the client company, the employee being relocated as well as the relocation agent

What is c relocation?orporate

 CORPORATE RELOCATION ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 45

“We get asked to search for high rollers who can have budgets of £10,000 a week three or four times a month and it's hugely exciting when you land one”

involved all understand the realities of the market and what it can provide at the outset. “Otherwise, you get clients who give you an unrealistic list of ‘must haves’,” he adds.

CASE STUDY

“Relocation agents oﬀer a full package – goods storage, property search, setting up all the utility bills and so on, so all the person needs to do is arrive with their luggage – it’s a VIP treatment scenario,” says Sherard James. “Relocation agents use KFH to source the properties – it’s how a signiﬁcant majority of this market works.”

Some come direct to KFH via their HR departments, while others use the small army of relocation experts who work in the Capital to source appropriate accommodation. These in turn use retained and trusted estate agencies like KFH, which search their database of properties and liaise with their branch network to ﬁnd suitable dwellings.

organisations are having to sign longer leases and pay higher prices to make their terms more attractive to landlords in order to secure the best locations,” adds Blakelock.

A light touch

The average corporate spend is around £560 a week for a one- or two-bedroom apartment, between £600 and £700 for a three-bedroom and then anything with four bedrooms or more is between £800 and £1,000 – rising to much more for the upmarket properties in prime central London.

Landlords are usually keen on ‘corporate lets’ because companies often pay a premium to secure a property that meets their requirements, for example close to the o ce, and landlords have the choice of short or longer-term rentals. Also, landlords like the professional tenants involved because, usually, they tend to take extra care with the property as they are representing their employer.

“We had a corporate tenant move out after 18 months in the property. Afterwards, we noticed that the manual was still in plastic, sitting in the brand new oven,” he says.

“The main challenge is that these kinds of properties are relatively scarce now compared to before Covid. Nevertheless, we had a property in Marylebone recently that we found for a very high-end executive, which was £10,000 a week and they wanted a long-term tenancy, which is unusual.

“It took time. We spent four months searching for them. I don’t get excited about these kinds of deals until they have the keys, but it's very rewarding once it's all done and dusted.

“Our average term had been 23 months, but that has risen to 25 months recently because many clients want to lock everything down ahead of a potential recession or increase in rents driven by inﬂation,” he adds.

KFH Corporate and Relocation Services 020 3993 5767 sjames@k .co.uk

UK and international companies looking to move staﬀ to their London operations rely on a variety of diﬀerent ways to accommodate them.

But that’s not the only property search work that KFH competes for. “We work with large London-based organisations like the NHS, Transport for London and others looking to move staﬀ within the Capital, and we also have an international desk that deals largely with Chinese students arriving in the UK looking for a corporate relocation-style service,” says James.

What’s the average rent?

And then there’s the market for high rollers such as Hollywood actors and ﬁlm directors, who can have budgets of £10,000 to £20,000 a week. “We get asked to search for that kind of property three or four times a month and it’s hugely exciting when you land one,” says James.

A few years ago Fergus Ryan, who at the time was KFH’s Clerkenwell lettings branch director, found that corporate tenants tended to create less wear and tear on properties, largely because their employer provides such good facilities at their o ces.

kfh.co.uk

Ladbroke Grove, Notting Hill W11

kfh.co.ukHOLLANDPARK.SALES@KFH.CO.UK | 020 3993 6233

A stunning split level three bedroom flat, with a private courtyard situated near the fashionable Portobello Road. £1,250,000

Ladbroke Grove, Notting Hill W11

A stunning split level three bedroom flat, with a private courtyard situated near the fashionable Portobello Road. £1,250,000

46 LONDON PROPERTY MATTERS kfh.co.ukHOLLANDPARK.SALES@KFH.CO.UK | 020 3993 6233

Peel back TREND 1. THE RUG RETAILER, Muse rug, £71, therugretailer.co.uk 2. CULT FURNITURE, Heather dining chair, £109, cultfurniture.com 3. AROUND THE HOUSE, Rusty orange velvet shell armchair, £849, aroundthehousefurniture.co.uk 4. THE HAPPY BLOSSOMS, Origami vase, £33, thehappyblossoms.com 5. ASHLEY JAY KITCHENS, Orange splashback, £POA, ashleyjaykitchens.co.uk 6. VARIER, Ekstrem chair in orange, £2,699, backinaction.co.uk 7. WATERS BATHS OF ASHBOURNE, countertop basin, £425, watersbaths.co.uk 8. TALKING TABLES, Orange glass candle holder £10, talkingtables.co.uk 9. COLLAGERIE, vase, £90, conranshop.co.uk 10. LOLA & MAWU, fan, £28, lolaandmawu.com Burnt orange is a top trend for colour in the home in AW22. Here's ten ways to implement it 1 5 6 TREND 2 4 7 10 3 Ellipse Orange glass candle holder Dipped Decorative 8 9 ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 47

“Few postcodes in the Capital offer such a wide range of large Victorian and Edwardian homes, leafy mansion blocks and riverside apartments”

onBankingit

View of Putney Bridge from the Thames Path (north of the river looking towards Putney)

KFH has a long-standing presence in Putney and, four decades on, this riverside area has evolved into offering something for everyone

48 LONDON PROPERTY MATTERS kfh.co.uk

R

DirectorBranch|

Rohan Alleyne Putney Lettings Branch

Director|

“Putney is unusual because, unlike many areas of south west London, it’s never been ‘up and coming’, but instead has been an a uent and popular area for years,” she says. “Some of the houses here are huge with big gardens – something most Fulham or Clapham Common homes can’t oﬀer –while many of the roads have that almost boulevard feel. Those factors, together with the Thames, have always made it special.”

|

Lisa Mackenzie Sales Director, SW London

owing enthusiasts will know Putney Bridge as the dramatic starting point of the annual Oxford and Cambridge University boat race. But what many of the well-oiled revellers egging on the teams each year probably don’t realise is the area’s long-standing appeal as one of London’s most established districts.

Fusing an urban, suburban and sometimes even rural feel, the area attracts a varied mix of residents, such as City and West End legal and ﬁnancial commuters and their families, a uent younger apartment buyers and renters, and a spattering of rock stars and well-known actors. But like many popular areas of London, Putney is all about community, an appeal that persuades many people to stick around for decades to move up the property ladder rather than moving out, KFH’s sales director for south west London, Lisa Mackenzie, says.

Wedged in between Wandsworth and Richmond, Putney is 15 minutes by train from central London (Waterloo) and only a bit longer by tube if you rattle and shake your way into town via the District Line. It’s also a short distance to both Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park, and a walk over the bridge to Fulham.

Esmee Jones Lettings Director, SW London|

ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 49 AREA FOCUS

Sally Playfoot West Putney Sales

Where you live in Putney will depend on your age and budget. Younger home movers will ﬁnd themselves house-hunting mostly in Putney Hill or East Putney, while those buying family homes for £1 million to £2 million go for West Putney, although prices for larger homes often hit £3 million to £5 million or more.

Few postcodes in the Capital oﬀer such a wide range of large Victorian and Edwardian homes, leafy mansion blocks and riverside apartments, while at the same time enabling access to several commons, the Thames, the A3 out of London, and miles of riverside embankment paths.

“We have a good selection of period garden flats, conversion flats and period maisonettes, which attract first-time buyers, many of whom tend to fall in love with West Putney and, when they need more space, upsize here rather than move out.”

East Putney

A stand out feature of this area is its rectangle of roads bordered by the Thames, Roehampton Lane, the A3 and Putney Heath. It’s the area’s most sought after address with prices to match and has easy access to the Heath, the river and Richmond Park.

“But it’s also because ‘the hill’ has more purpose-built blocks, which is a legacy of WWII when the area was bombed and, subsequent to that, a lot of postwar blocks were built,” she adds.

But what really makes West Putney a hot favourite with families is its schools,

Her office, which is on the Lower Richmond Road near the river, was the location of KFH’s first residential sales branch during the early 1980s (see more about this on page 10). “West Putney has a completely different feel and vibe compared to East Putney and Putney Hill, which is partly down to our location nearer the river and access to the wide-open spaces of the common bordering Barnes.

“Putney is very different to the rest of south west London including places like Clapham, Balham and Battersea, because here it really feels like a small town in its own right,” adds Mackenzie.

and healthy. Leisurely breakfasts or queuing for coffee keep residents and visitors well fed and watered, and our dog friendly pubs are a hit with everyone,” says KFH West Putney sales branch director Sally Playfoot, who has lived and worked in the area for over 20 years.

“The riverfront has a long association with rowing, giving this part of Putney quite a sporty feel. The tow path and commons are popular with dog walkers, runners and cyclists as well as the local tennis clubs, which keep the locals fit

“Putney is very different to the rest of south west London because it really feels like a small town in its own right”

Rohan Alleyne, who runs KFH’s lettings operation across its two Putney branches, says the area also benefits from the significant redevelopment of Wandsworth, which has seen dramatic changes since the Ram Brewery closed and many of its former industrial premises have been turned into upmarket homes and shops – now known as the Ram Quarter.

“As well as houses, there are some iconic mansion blocks on the river such as the Star and Garter mansions and Kenilworth Court, located close to Putney Bridge, which offer elegant lateral living.

WestneighbourhoodsDistinctPutneyanditsriverfront

Signage for the KenilworthmansionEdwardianblock,Court

which include a clutch of ‘excellent’ public primary and nursery establishments. “The most popular roads are those that run down to the river, offering conversion apartments and terraced houses, while there are plenty of other pretty tree-lined streets offering larger terraced and semidetached properties nearby,” adds Playfoot.

Thames view through the avenue of trees in Park,WandsworthPutney

This is a triangular area of more urban streets wedged in between the A3, Wandsworth, the A219 and the Thames, but not including its waterfront. Until very recently, East Putney was not as popular because of its less leafy feel due to its proximity to industrial Wandsworth, but as the areas surrounding it have become more sought after, East Putney, helped by its tube station, is now becoming increasingly in demand. In addition, high specification new build developments have sprung up on the Upper Richmond Road close to East Putney station, such as London Square, Plaza Gardens and, most recently, Carlton House by Fabrica.

50 LONDON PROPERTY MATTERS kfh.co.uk

“If they want to go for a night out, there are plenty of options along Putney High Street and the Upper Richmond Road. In addition, there are now so many places to go in Wandsworth – which has seen a huge redevelopment of many areas including the old brewery site and Southside shopping centre, and which is only a few minutes away by train or bus – and there’s also Fulham and Battersea nearby too.”

1 bed flat £270,000-£600,000

ON MARKETTHE

The PutneyThamesalongbar,restaurant‘Boathouse’/locatedtheRiverinWharf

AVERAGE PRICES

Drive through Putney along its High Street and you’ll soon be in the patch known as Putney Hill, which straddles East Putney on one side, and upper West Putney on the other. The roads are leafier, and boast mansion blocks, a number of 1930s Art Deco developments as well as 1960s purpose-built blocks that often have great views over Putney Heath or the London skyline. According to Alleyne, Putney Hill is a hugely sought after area among more affluent professionals. “It feels very leafy and safe in Putney Hill and that reassures those looking for their first rented home in London, often with their parents in tow during the viewings,” he says.

01 02

2 bed flat £325,000-£1,000,000

1 bed flat £1,700-£1,900 pcm

02 LOWER RICHMOND ROAD, PUTNEY SW15

3 bed flat £500,000-£1,400,000

AVERAGE£800,000-£7,000,000RENTS

01 DISRAELI ROAD, PUTNEY SW15 £875,000

2 bed flat £1,900-£3,000 pcm

A beautifully presented two double bedroom split level period apartment located moments from Putney High Street. The property benefits from an abundance of period features, shared freehold and stunning roof terrace. Disraeli Road is conveniently located just moments from Putney High Street, and it is just 0.2 miles away from Putney mainline station with its overland link into London Waterloo, and 0.2 miles from East Putney tube station with access to the District line.

4/5 bed house

4/5 bed house £4,000-£5,000 pcm

3 bed house £700,000-£2,000,000

Centre point

ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 51 AREA FOCUS

KFH West Putney Sales 020 3993 westputney.sales@kfh.co.uk9007

3 bed house £1,950-£4,500 pcm

The KFH Putney Hill branch is one of the busiest and most successful within

A spectacular two double bedroom, two bathroom split level apartment for sale, which has been recently refurbished to a high standard to offer a great living space including an open plan kitchen/reception and a private terrace. This property is exceptionally located, just moments from the Thames and many local amenities including bars and cafes, and just half a mile from Putney station.

KFH Putney Hill Sales 020 3993 putneyhill.sales@kfh.co.uk3960

OIEO £600,000

52 LONDON PROPERTY MATTERS kfh.co.ukCLAPHAM.SALES@KFH.CO.UK | 020 3993 4297 Six bedrooms | Four bathrooms | Double reception room | Roof terrace Large garden | 3,037 sq ft | EPC Rating C | Freehold A magnificent six bedroom semi detached house situated on a tree lined street, moments from Clapham Common and Abbeville Road. £3,250,000 Northbourne Road, Clapham SW4 kfh.co.uk

“That’s because, in part, there’s a wide range of rental property on offer,” she explains.

01 UPPER RICHMOND ROAD, PUTNEY SW15 £2,900 pcm

“West Putney has lots of houses, while Putney Hill has a lot of maisonettes and flats, and many of the people enquiring tend to be corporate relocation employees – the area has a big reputation among overseas business people, particularly South Africans. I asked my team to explain this unusual concentration, and many said it was the area’s green spaces and proximity to the river, which reminded many of them of their home country.”

Putney Hill lettings: 020 3991 putneyhill.lettings@kfh.co.uk4487

A stunning two double bedroom duplex apartment in Putney's newest development moments from East Putney station. The property offers over 1,000sq ft of luxurious living and entertaining space.

Newbuild riverfront

KFH Putney

Putney Hill sales: 020 3991 putneyhill.sales@kfh.co.uk2586

westputney.sales@kfh.co.uk6558Peoplesitoutsidethe 79 Collective coffee shop on Lower Richmond Road 01 02

RECENTLYLET

A phenomenal four double bedroom split level apartment in sought after West Putney. This property has been beautifully presented throughout to provide a wealth of stylish living and entertaining space including a fabulous reception room, modern integrated kitchen and a private roof terrace.

KFH Putney Hill Lettings 020 3993 putneyhill.lettings@kfh.co.uk4205

“For those with bigger budgets there are plenty of riverside flats in this tower and other buildings by Putney Bridge to be snapped up, or in the Riverside Quarter along the river nearer to Wandsworth,” adds Alleyne. 

the company’s network, and has been consistently for many years, says lettings director for south west London, Esmee Jones.

The riverfront east of Putney Bridge running alongside Deodar Road, Wandsworth Park and on to Riverside Quarter includes the bustling area of restaurants and pubs around St Mary’s Church, known as Putney Wharf. This area, at the bottom of the High Street, is dominated by Putney Wharf Tower.

West Putney sales: 020 3993

ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 53 AREA FOCUS

KFH Putney Hill Lettings 020 3993 putneyhill.lettings@kfh.co.uk4205

02 LOWER RICHMOND ROAD, PUTNEY, SW15 £3,500 pcm

One way or another, our homes will be judged in the future as much for their energy performance as anything else. Even now, most properties in estate agency windows are bestowed a notion of value by the declaration of an Energy Performance Certiﬁcate (EPC), eﬀectively allowing would-be buyers to know if and what they should expect to pay for upgrade works in the future.

Green shoots

A

The cost-of-living squeeze and inﬂation busting rise in energy prices have meant there is an added incentive to understand what our future liabilities on a property will be and assess its value accordingly.

Policy makers are already pulling as many levers as they dare for now to encourage investment in our homes to make them better for the environment. The Committee on Climate Change, which advises the UK government on its legally binding climate targets, recently recommended that all homes for rent or sale should have to achieve a C rating by 2028, and that all homes should be aiming for this by 2035. Last year the National Housing Federation released a report that calculated for the ﬁrst time that England’s 25 million homes – which produce 58.5 million tonnes of CO2 every year – are emitting the equivalent of the average annual use of cars. There are 27 million cars in use in England, emitting 56 million tonnes of CO2 annually. Emissions from our homes are so high thanks to a combination of gas

er a summer of record breaking temperatures across the UK, for many the prospect of rising energy bills, insulation, triple glazing and cold winters seems a long way o . Our housing stock, built in a di erent age for colder and wetter weather, is woefully unsuited to the higher temperatures and experts are already saying that retro t work will be necessary in the coming years if our homes are not to burn energy on air conditioning.

54 LONDON PROPERTY MATTERS · kfh.co.uk

Weathering change

How eco-friendly is your home? Understanding how energy e ciency is impacting our notion of value

Of course, until recently, energy e ciency was framed more in terms of how our houses eﬀectively retained heat rather than neutralised it. What the current about-turn proves is that the impact of the climate upon our homes and the impact of our homes upon the climate is a complex one. It is one which, for good reason, is starting to impact our concept of property value.

Home energy use accounts for nearly a ﬁfth of the UK’s total emissions and much more in lockdowns and working from home. Some 36% of UK homes were built before the end of the Second World War and at least 75% is predicted to still be in use by 2050. This ageing stock will need huge amounts of work if we are to reduce its energy demand.

ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 55 ENERGY EFFICIENCY WINDOWS heatwindowsDouble-glazedcanreducelossorheatgainbyalmost30% INSULATION Wall insulation can cut the amount of energy you need to cool and heat your home by 25% PANELSSOLAR Today, most solar panels provide an energy e ciency rating11-15%between BOILER A high e ciency, gas-ﬁred condensing boiler is one of the mostwayseconomicaltoheatahome CARELECTRICPLUG Electric cars are 85-90% more energy e cient than combustioninternalcars MutibyIllustration

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Easy as EPC

It’s impossible therefore to reﬂect on the value of our properties and not understand that big changes are on their way. Of course, back in the day it was easier. Location was the primary factor in a purchase followed by location and then… location. But now the performance of our ageing housing stock is a key issue. It already is a challenge for the nation’s landlords and will be for residential homeowners, who even if they are less willing to embrace the change, will be encouraged by property professionals and mortgage lenders who are being told by policy makers to do so.

A rating grade like an EPC might be handy for informing decisions if it is accurate and measuring the right things, but it still makes it di cult for buyers and homeowners to really know what problems they have and in which order to sort them out. Thankfully, there are surveyors who can help. 

Location, location, energy?

56 LONDON PROPERTY MATTERS · kfh.co.uk

Ratings of any kind appeal to us instinctively. They short-hand how we might apportion value. But we should take care when we do this. The EPC is far from perfect and yet it is now becoming the recognised starting point for understanding what can be done to a property in terms of energy e ciency and how we measure it. It is valid for ten years, which is too long as a lot can happen to a property in that time. That timeframe needs to be shortened to reﬂect a property’s reality more accurately. In the Government’s progress report on the ‘Improving EPCs Action Plan’, it has undertaken to review this as part of the upcoming consultation on Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations.

KFH Surveying and Professional Services 020 3991 9933 surveyors@k .co.uk

way we, as buyers and sellers, can really be equipped to make sound decisions and, crucially, measure our collective progress, is through data ratings like the EPC.

central heating and poor insulation that the average household in England is currently producing more CO2 every year just by living in their home than they are by driving.

EPCs are a work in progress. As the Government continues to review their e cacy and sharpen their eﬀectiveness, their impact on our understanding will further evolve and complement other behavioural elements – for example how a resident uses energy. They are the start of something we

Work is already underway to understand what must be done to address this. In November 2020, the UK Government launched its consultation, ‘Improving home energy performance through lenders’. Lenders, according to the government, have a role in building a market for energy performance improvements. The Government is currently considering feedback and will publish their response in due course, but the consultation suggested that lenders will need to report publicly on the average EPC rating of their mortgage loans. They would also be expected to target an improvement to a portfolio average of EPC Band C by 2030, in line with Government ambition for as many homes as possible to be EPC Band C by 2035.

“Location was the primary factor in a purchase, but now the performance of our ageing housing stock is a key issue”

If the value we attribute to a property is being made on the evidence of its energy performance and homeowners’ roles in this, then it is little surprise we are turning to the one measure that ostensibly measures it – the EPC – which is quickly becoming the universal starting point that people are relatively familiar with and which appears to measure the thing that we need to improve.

The rating matters because, as a measurement, it’s about all we have. It is now appearing in estate agents’ windows up and down the country and consequently informing our value assessment of and appetite for the properties for sale. It’s not surprising because in the end the only

If you have any questions, or need a survey conducted on your property, get in contact with the surveying team.

can all hang our collective hats on when assessing the value of a property. But we should recognise many elements of energy e ciency are already informing value. In a recent survey, property surveyors remarked how features like electric car charging points are aﬀecting buyer’s perceptions of a house value – as are more conventional issues like insulation, triple glazing and solar heat panels. However, not all of these things are part of the EPC and not all of them are technologies that will stand the test of time (or they may evolve).

FOCUS ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 57NEWHOMES@KFH.CO.UK | 020 3993 9598 Set in a prime location in the heart of Acton, boasting an abundance of amenities only moments away. Selected units available through the Help to Buy Scheme* A collection of one and two bedroom apartments set within the stunning art deco architecture of this old aviation factory. £455,000 - £675,000* Hangar 16, Acton W3 Computer Generated Image kfh.co.uk

“There will always be a premium payable to extend, but with marriage value kicking in when a lease falls under the 80 years, the premium to extend becomes much, much more expensive – so that’s why leaseholders should always be advised to extend before the lease falls below that ﬁgure,” says Amber Krishnan-Bird, a solicitor who is part of the Londonwide conveyancing panel working at Osbornes Law.

The cost of extending a lease for the leaseholder is generally 50% of the ‘marriage value’ of the property – deﬁned as the increase in the value of the property following the completion of the lease extension.

|

Emma Munday ConveyancingManager

58 LONDON PROPERTY MATTERS · kfh.co.uk

OperationsGroupDirector|

Being a leaseholder means you own a right to live in a property for a long time, usually with plenty of T&Cs. And while pets and sub-letting can be a no-no, the most important condition is the lease length and the consequent repercussions of it dropping below the minimum period that most lenders will accept before oﬀering a mortgage – usually 80 years.

Marriage value

Earlier this summer, ground rents for new leases for new builds or lease extensions were swept away by

n London, it is estimated that 60% of ﬂats and 3% of houses are leasehold, so every year thousands of the Capital’s homeowners must extend their leases as the clock ticks down and leases get shorter. Some look on with trepidation, but extending your lease can be one of the best things you can do – and it’s not something to be nervous about either.

“Marriage value is where the proﬁt in the additional market value the extension will bring is split 50/50 between the freeholder and leaseholder – so the leaseholder must pay that ‘uplift’ share to the freeholder.”

Long andshort of it

Paul Masters

“Some look on with trepidation, but extending your lease can be one of the best things you can do – and it's not something to be nervous about either”

I

Do you know how many years your lease has to run? If it’s too short, it will aﬀect the value of your property. Here is some advice on how to extend your lease

And even if you’re not selling, it doesn’t mean the length of the lease isn’t important. If you want to re-mortgage, you might struggle to find a lender who will offer you competitive terms and those that will lend may charge a higher interest rate or demand a certain level of equity in the property.

“Homeowners don’t always realise it as it’s not something you can see, but as the lease gets shorter, the value of the asset can be affected,” she explains. “That’s why some properties on the market are cheaper than others in the same building.”

LEASE EXTENSION

The process can take a long time so if a lease is short, buyers might want to factor in the cost of extending the lease when they take ownership, advises KFH conveyancing manager Emma Munday.

Serving a Section 42 Notice starts the formal lease extension process that entitles you to add 90 years

the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act. But the new law doesn’t help those who already have a lease, and although the government has talked about bringing in further potentially game-changing reforms, it’s likely to be during the 2023/24 parliamentary session, and a lot could happen to delay the reforms before then. It can’t come soon enough for many, as sales can fall through when buyers discover a lease is too short to get a mortgage, while leaseholders struggle when looking to extend or vary their existing leasehold.

to the length of your lease and automatically reduce any ground rent to zero. On top of the premium of the lease extension itself, you’ve got your own solicitor’s costs and your valuer’s as well as your freeholder’s legal and surveyor’s costs. You’ll also need to have been registered as the owner of the property with the Land Registry for at least two years.

Krishnan-Bird adds: “Once you serve a Section 42 Notice, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and

ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 59 MORTGAGE LENDING

“The KFH team of chartered surveyors and our specialist panel of solicitors have an exceptional track record of successful outcomes for our leaseholder clients,” he adds. “As we have outlined here, it’s not an exercise an unqualified person is likely to navigate easily, but leaseholders should not be put off starting the process as will it protect what is likely to be their most valuable asset.” 

Paul Masters, KFH’s group operations director, says although the costs of lease extensions should ease once the government introduces its muchanticipated reforms, extending leaseholds will remain an area where expertise will be required.

Does a short lease affect saleability?

60 LONDON PROPERTY MATTERS kfh.co.uk Londonwide Conveyancing 020 3991 enquiries@londonwideconveyancing.com4390

Urban Development Act 1993, the ‘clock stops’ while the statutory procedure is then followed. This means if you serve the notice the day before the lease falls below 80 years, the clock stops for the purposes of the 1993 Act and the lease extension application.”

“In turn, this will then reduce the number of buyers who can purchase it and ultimately decrease the market value. Any potential buyers who are in a position to purchase it – mainly cash buyers – will also want to take into account the cost of the lease extension when putting in an offer.”

 It means the property may take longer to find a buyer and your home may not sell at its true market value. “If you are looking to sell your property, with a lease less than 80 years to run, it would affect its value and saleability because many mortgage lenders will not lend on a residential property with a lease this short,” says Munday.

“It’s important to say while most freeholders are often open to voluntary lease extensions because they are quicker and involve less legal costs, a freeholder can’t be forced to agree to a voluntary extension or forced to agree to a shorter extension although they may be open to it,” says Munday. “With short lease extensions it’s important to consider whether you are receiving good value for money.”

What to be aware of when buying a leasehold property

In the know

“In one recent case where the seller had a lease of about 85 years and wanted to assign the right to a buyer to extend it on completion of a sale, they still had to pay additional legal fees for their lawyer to serve a Section 42 Notice,” Emma Munday says.

Not everyone needs 90 years. By going down a more informal route, it’s not unusual to negotiate, say, a 30-year extension with a different ground rent, although this route is less certain, as until the lease is completed either party can normally walk away and adding a short extension may impact on the property’s value in the future, especially when the term falls below 80 years.

Buyers should ask their agent how long the lease is on a flat and, if it seems short – 100 years is the cut-off used by some legal firms – query whether the value reflects this or if the seller would consider serving a Section 42 Notice, which can be assigned to the buyer, so they could extend the lease from day one of ownership, rather than waiting the usual two years after completion.

They are a useful way to gain an idea of the likely cost, but in no way are they likely to reflect the actual final bill. One to try is lease-advice.org/calculator

LEASE EXTENSION

Your leasehold queries answered

How to calculate the cost

 There are several online lease extension calculators to give you an indication of the premium you are likely to have to pay to extend the lease.

“It transpired the premium to extend the lease would be a lot more than expected, so the seller completed the lease extension themselves so they could put it back on the market with a long lease. They were also able to achieve a higher price.”



Sellers should find a copy of their lease and check the length; if it’s 85 years or below, they should consider extending it as a priority. “We would advise this even if someone isn’t selling as the longer they leave it, the higher the premium payable to the freeholder,” Munday adds.

ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 61CRYSTALPALACE.SALES@KFH.CO.UK | 020 3993 9509 Three bedrooms | One bathroom | Reception room | High ceilings | Landscaped garden 945 sq ft | EPC Rating D | Share of Freehold An exceptional three bedroom Victorian conversion flat, just moments from the amenities of the Crystal Palace Triangle. £700,000 Hamlet Road, Crystal Palace SE19 kfh.co.uk

Peak, KFH sales director for south east London, is particularly close to the partnership with London Youth. “We wanted to support a London charity that staff could fully immerse themselves in,” he explains. “We chose London Youth because 100% of the money goes to the charity and the cause is aligned with our DNA of diversity and developing youngsters’ soft skills and confidence. Some of our staff have met young kids in the London Youth centres who have never left their local borough, and now they are getting involved in canoeing, paddle boarding and Go Ape. It’s amazing that they have been given these experiences.”

down the ArcelorMittal Orbit, the highest freefall abseil in the UK. It was scary seeing my feet dangling down. I also cracked two ribs doing a Tough Mudder!” Our concern slowly dissipates when Julian Peak laughs about his experiences raising money for London Youth, KFH’s charity partner. In the last two issues of London Property Matters, we have spoken to London Youth’s CEO Rosemary Watt-Wyness about the valuable work they do, and how important their partnership with KFH is – so it was time to find out more from the boots on the ground (or off it, as the case may be).

Julian Peak took on the ArcelorMittal Orbit and won

Above and beyond

01

62 LONDON PROPERTY MATTERS kfh.co.uk

Iabseiled

London Youth’s work is vital for youngsters across the Capital – and KFH staff are doing their bit to help aid the cause

That they have these opportunities is, in part, thanks to KFH. “Since 2017 we have raised over £320,000,” Peak smiles. “That’s unrestricted fundraising, which is like gold dust. We don’t dictate how London Youth spend that money, it’s

Mission completed on the London to Brighton bike ride

Watt-Wyness says: “Because KFH really see the need about everything we do, their support has helped across all the different activities for young people. Frankly, I can’t overstate how important KFH’s support is. A partnership like that really underpins what you are able to do.”

“Our community ‘team leaders’ across our business have already had hundreds of staff sign up to raise funds in different ways. It’s such a great demonstration of the core of who we are at KFH, and what we stand for as individuals,” Peak says. “As well as supporting their vital

londonyouth.org 02 03 04 05

Underwater walk

Muswell Hill lettings assistant manager, Danica Macnab, negotiated a 60m underwater walk in one single breath at Ware Lido, Hertfordshire, raising £1,205.

In June 2021, several members of KFH’s block management team completed the Chase the Sun 10km, raising over £800.

A well deserved water break after Chase the Sun

Conveyancing manager, Emma Munday, ran the London Marathon back in October 2021, the third time that she had tackled the Capital’s streets in aid of London Youth.

In September 2021, 12 keen KFH cyclists completed a 100km off-road trek from London to Brighton on their mountain bikes, raising over £3,000.

Ronke Maye, Catford sales branch director, set herself a challenge last year and walked 300km, raising an amazing £2,544. This earned Maye the title of the top fundraiser for the year. 

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work, we use our extensive network across the Capital to raise awareness for London Youth. We hope that the more people learn about their work, the more support they will receive.”

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For now, Peak is currently limbering up for an autumn challenge. “We have an event where every member of KFH is invited to walk between our 17 south east London offices, which is 26 miles, a marathon in one day. A lot of what we do helps to push us out of our comfort zone.” And here’s a snapshot of KFH staff members who have done just that…

Chase the Sun

The team set off to tackle Scafell Pike

300km challenge

Climbing high

In addition to the fundraising events, KFH have also pledged to donate £1 to London Youth for every residential property valuation undertaken. The scheme, known as ‘Pay a Pound Forward’, will contribute up to £30,000 towards KFH’s fundraising target.

01 Emma Munday will be running the London Marathon again this year

London to Brighton

ISSUE 3 AUTUMN / WINTER 202 2 63 CHARITY

Weights kept Danica Macnab underwater as she completed her challenge

On 2 July, 13 KFH staff took on the brave challenge of hiking up Scafell Pike (the highest mountain in England) to raise over £3,350.

entirely up to them. We have an annual fundraising target of £60,000 and our best year was £80,000. It’s brilliant to get our teams together, have some fun, put a smile on people’s faces, and enjoy time with colleagues and friends while raising money and making a difference.”

London Marathon

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66 LONDON PROPERTY MATTERS kfh.co.uk

"Properties within a sought after school catchment will have a higher demand, so having a catchment area is the fairest way of applications"assessing

WHY EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT…

We sold two detached houses on Yester Drive in Chislehurst last year, both sold pre-launch with one selling over the asking price. This buyer already lived in Chislehurst, but fell just outside of the catchment for Bullers Wood girls’ school, so he paid

That’sand overwitharea school’s catchment area, youwithinlookingat20+viewings,theseleadingto 5+ offersaskingpricetoo.themarketwearein.

Global appeal

London boasts some of the best schools in the UK, but when it comes to moving to a new property, how key are catchment areas?

When it comes to young people planning on having a family in the future, they want to check out the area. If they

a premium to ensure his daughter was offered a place.

Preparing for the future Properties within a sought after school catchment, whether nursery, primary or secondary school, will have a higher demand, so having a catchment area is the fairest way of assessing applications. Most parents strive to give their children the best possible education and therefore are often assessing the standard of schools, looking at the Ofsted reports and facilities on offer, well before the child is of school age.

There are a number of varying criteria that schools use to determine catchment areas, but essentially each school will have a proximity measure calculated ‘as the crow flies’ in a straight line. Distances can also vary year to year depending on level of intake for that particular year – a higher number of applications can reduce the catchment distance. There will also be other deciding factors where certain groups of children are given priority, such as children of staff and siblings.

SUSAN TARY Sales Branch Director CHISLEHURST

In the current market, for a property

Each market is different, but Kingston has so many excellent schools. We have a lot of families that move into the area, especially from overseas. For example, there are plenty of families relocating from Hong Kong to Kingston, there’s a real community here. For many their number one criteria is a property in a school catchment area.

Education

Paying a premium

had been renting in London, they want to come out this way for schools because there is so much choice in Kingston, be it primary or secondary schools. They will come here, rent for two to three years, not necessarily in a catchment area for schools, just to get to know the area before they then commit to buying.

ALEX ATKINS Lettings Branch Director KINGSTON

Testing the waters

In demand

Calculating the catchment

Capital gains

According to research by Zoopla, UK parents pay an average of £83,000 more to buy a home close to a good school. In London, that figure can rise up to £200,000 more for a property near the school of their choice.

WeProperty.London.getit. As London’s leading property services group, we put service at the heart of everything we do and stop at nothing until we deliver the right result for you. Residential Sales Residential Lettings and Management Land and New Homes Block Management Surveying and Professional Services Property CorporateCommercialFinancialSolicitorsServicesPropertyBuildtoRentandRelocationServices kfh.co.uk

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