Record temperatures this week but with the help of some of the best solicitors and surveyors I’ve exchanged contracts on three houses for three separate clients!
A 3 bed house in West Drayton, minutes from Cross Rail and in a lovely residential street this will be a super home for a young client who has been looking for the right thing for nine months. With the legal work carried out by Simmons Stein solicitors, a survey undertaken by Now-Surveyors (on my list of great surveyors) and support from a pragmatic selling agent we exchanged on Tuesday and completed on Friday.
On Tuesday we also exchanged contracts on a family house between Highgate and Muswell Hill. Clients returning to London from LA have bought a super home with the help of Dee Aylward (on my list of great solicitors) and Scott Davidson (again, on my list of recommended surveyors). The selling agents did a great job keeping their client grounded. We had looked at over 20 other properties starting in three different parts of London but this was the dream home.
Yesterday, once again steered by Dee Aylward a third client exchanged on a £2.7m home in Clapham. Savills had taken the sale to Best & Final Offers, we were the underbidder which was frustrating but then as often happens the top bidder pulled out leaving us with the chance to pounce. The survey was quickly done (again by Now-Surveyors) and despite a mortgage lender who insisted on 3rd party representation by another legal firm we got there – just!
There is a market. You can buy and sell, rent or let. There are just enough transactions for us to be confident about prices but they may not be what sellers thought they might get two years ago. I have three other properties currently in solicitors hands, I’m making offers on two more this weekend so people are prepared to buy Brexit or not if they feel that they are getting a deal that reflects the risk they think they are taking.
Here’s hoping that next week isn’t as hot but is just as busy!