Tag: London

Is Buying for Children Still a Smart London Property Play?

Posted on by Rosalind Sack

Parental-led purchases have always formed a significant part of the prime London market. But right now, the logic behind them feels more persuasive than ever – and in some cases, more urgent. The fundamentals are as strong as they have always been, while the context around them has shifted in ways that genuinely favour buyers who are ready to move, write our Partner James Burridge.

Two teenagers looking at phone with father and smiling. Buying property for children.

Why the Case Remains Strong

Around 20% of my active requirements at any one time come from clients buying property for their children. That proportion has remained consistent, and the reasons families pursue these purchases are essentially the same as they always were: a desire to provide security, a long-term view on wealth, and a recognition that London property – the right London property – is a reliable store of value.

What has changed is the environment in which these transactions are taking place. We are in a period of genuine uncertainty. Politically and economically, there is a great deal of noise. And when the world feels uncertain, good bricks and mortar in a good location feels like a safe place to park significant capital, particularly over the long term.

A More Motivated Market

Another notable shift in the current market is the behaviour of sellers. Some properties have been on the market for a year or more, and many sellers have missed opportunities as a result. A family in Wandsworth wanting to move to the country, for instance, may have found that they couldn’t sell their London house quickly enough to secure the property they wanted elsewhere. That creates real pressure to transact.

For our clients – predominantly cash buyers who can move without a chain and without debt – this is a powerful position to be in. When the majority of competing buyers are in their mid-twenties to mid-thirties, first-time buyers, relying on mortgage offers, the ability to offer flexibility and certainty is a real advantage. We can negotiate on price, offer quick completions, or in some cases even allow a short leaseback period. In a market where sellers are more focused than they have been in years, buyers with firepower can find that the market rewards them.

That said, I wouldn’t suggest there are runaway capital gains to be had in the near term. The appeal here is not a quick uplift. It is quality, liquidity and location – and knowing that good property in the right part of London will always let well in the interim and serve the next generation well when the time comes.

Budget, Locations and the Long Game

I consistently tend to see families searching for properties within the £2 to £5 million price range. What continues to evolve is the conversation around which areas offer the best value at that price point.

I am currently helping a family buy the second of four properties in London, each for a different child. The choice of area is largely driven by the children themselves, not the parents. One wanted to be near where they grew up, another had a strong desire to live in a more central location. That is fairly typical.

It is a conversation I have regularly with parents: the relative value of one pocket versus another. Three million pounds in Fulham looks very different to three million pounds in Notting Hill. In Fulham, you are more likely to get a proper house with a garden. In Notting Hill, you are paying a premium for the postcode. The young person moving in rarely sees it that way, of course. They want to be in the thick of it. But in ten years, when they have children and need more space, the one who took the house in Fulham will be grateful they did not have to pay stamp duty twice.

Transport links also continue to be a significant factor in these searches. For young people in their twenties, connectivity matters enormously, and parents are increasingly attuned to that.

Why Freeholds Make Sense

The preference for freehold houses over leasehold flats has, if anything, become more pronounced in recent times. There are no service charges, no building management committees to deal with, no unexpected bills for lift repairs or communal area renovations. It is a cleaner investment in every sense.

That said, we have bought individual freehold houses for multiple children before, with both living in the property together. In one case, the elder sibling lives there with a friend, and the younger one collects rent from that friend until they are ready to move in. It is a practical arrangement, and it works when the family dynamic supports it.

Inheritance Tax Planning

Inheritance tax planning is increasingly in the background of these conversations – and in many cases it has moved firmly to the foreground. Putting a property in a child’s name removes that capital from the parent’s estate. For families with significant assets, that is a meaningful consideration.

The awareness that a £2 or £3 million property purchase can serve simultaneously as a home for their child, a rental investment, and an estate planning tool is something that sophisticated buyers are carrying into these conversations.

The Journey Takes Time

One point worth emphasising, and something I stress to every client at the outset: finding the right property takes time. The volume of genuinely good stock is smaller than it once was because fewer people are choosing to move. That means the search for a house in Fulham, for example, is not a three-month exercise. From initial brief to taking keys, twelve months is a more realistic expectation.

If parents are serious about this, the time to start the conversation is now – not when their child is six months from finishing university.

The Enduring Appeal

The emotional dimension of these purchases is as present as it always was. Parents want to know that their children are safe, that they are not renting from a landlord they have never met, and that there is some family oversight of where and how they are living. That instinct has not shifted.

Nor has the satisfaction of seeing it through. There is something particularly rewarding about returning to a property we bought for a teenager, years later, and finding them settled in a home they have made their own. When a family comes back to us for the next child, and the one after that, it says everything about the trust that this kind of work builds. It is genuinely rewarding.

As I said at the outset, the fundamentals have not changed in recent years. If anything, the combination of motivated sellers, experienced buyers with liquidity, and the enduring quality of prime London property makes the case for buying for your children stronger today than it has been for some time.

James Burridge The Buying Solution

James Burridge is our Partner and Prime Central London and South West London specialist

For news, expert commentary and invaluable property insight, subscribe to The Insider, our quarterly newsletter, here.

Security and the New London Property Brief

Posted on by Jessica Jonzen

As crime headlines reshape perceptions of life in the capital, security has become an integral part of the property brief for buyers in prime central London. Yet the most effective safeguard is not technology or patrols, but discretion – both online and at home, writes our Partner and London specialist Philip Eastwood.

Sarah Frances Kelley for The Buying Solution

For much of the past two decades, the brief given to a prime central London buying agent has been reassuringly familiar: lateral space, period architecture, a garden square address, perhaps proximity to the best schools. Security, when mentioned at all, tended to mean little more than a functioning alarm system and a sturdy front door.

Today, that brief has evolved. Increasingly, security – and perhaps, more accurately, the perception of security – forms part of the conversation when clients consider purchasing property in the capital.

The reality, however, is more nuanced than the headlines might suggest. According to new analysis from the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), many forms of crime in London are falling. In the first quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, residential burglary fell by 10 per cent compared with the same period the previous year, while theft from the person and personal robbery both declined by 13 per cent. These reductions follow increased investment in visible neighbourhood policing, including a significant uplift in officers on the beat in the West End and new town centre teams focused on tackling phone theft, shoplifting and antisocial behaviour.

Yet statistics rarely shape perceptions as powerfully as stories do. In an age of constant news alerts and social media feeds, a single incident can travel quickly through friendship circles and WhatsApp groups. Before long, everyone seems to know someone – or knows someone who knows someone – who has had a phone snatched or a watch stolen. The result is that security has begun to feature more prominently in property discussions, even as the broader data paints a more reassuring picture.

The Rise of the Discreet Street Patrol

One of the more visible developments can be seen in parts of Kensington and Chelsea, where residents of certain streets have collectively arranged private security. Typically, a security guard sits in a marked car overnight, occasionally walking residents from a taxi to their front door, keeping an eye on the street and acting as a visible presence and possible deterrent. Some patrols circulate periodically, sometimes with dogs, providing reassurance and peace of mind rather than enforcement. The effect is closer to the traditional “bobby on the beat” than to anything resembling private policing.

Fifteen years ago, such arrangements were uncommon. Today, they are increasingly familiar in prime neighbourhoods and in some cases, they are linked to large estates. Addresses on the Grosvenor Estate in Mayfair and Belgravia, for instance, benefit from long-established porterage and security systems – part of the discreet infrastructure that has historically made certain London squares particularly desirable.

Portable Wealth in a Digital Age

Part of the shift in how people think about security reflects something fundamental about how we now live. Twenty years ago, most people moved through London carrying relatively little of obvious value. A watch was simply a watch; a handbag was simply a handbag. Even if something was stolen, it was not always easy to sell on, nor was its value necessarily understood by the thief.

Today, however, we move through the city carrying what might reasonably be described as ‘portable assets’ as a matter of course: smartphones worth more than a month’s rent, watches whose resale values can exceed those of a car, handbags that prestigious auction houses now treat as investment categories.

The secondary market has expanded dramatically. Where once stolen goods required a discreet “fence” to sell them on, today a host of online platforms provide an immediate and global marketplace for resale. The economics of crime have changed.

At the same time, our digital habits have created an entirely new layer of exposure. Social media has normalised the public display of wardrobes, jewellery collections and travel plans to a global audience. From a security perspective, it is rather remarkable.

Announcing a two-week holiday on Instagram is, in effect, the modern equivalent of placing an advertisement that reads: Our house will be empty until the 14th. Posting photographs of newly acquired luxury items performs a similar function. With modest effort, someone inclined to do so can identify where photographs were taken, determine neighbourhoods and piece together patterns of movement.

For high-net-worth individuals in particular, managing one’s digital footprint has therefore become an increasingly important element of personal security. In many cases, it matters more than cameras or alarm systems. Discretion, therefore, remains the most effective safeguard of all.

Technology is No Silver Bullet

Clients may ask whether technology can offer a definitive answer. Smart doorbells, integrated alarm systems, remote monitoring, camera networks – the modern home can certainly be equipped with formidable security infrastructure. Many properties in prime London now include these features as standard.

Yet there is no technological silver bullet. Cameras may deter some criminals but are likely to just send determined ones next door. Alarm systems can reduce risk, but they do not eliminate it. Even the most sophisticated digital systems carry their own vulnerabilities. What’s to say they won’t be hacked? Security, ultimately, needs a layered approach, rather than a single solution.

Discreet Measures

The most effective measures tend to be the least visible. A well-positioned safe. A cautious approach to exterior lighting to prevent advertising the superior finish or interior of the house. Careful vetting of contractors and staff, and sensible habits around the display – both real and digital – of valuables.

Sometimes it is as simple as having two safes rather than one, a precaution adopted in certain households in case of forced entry. More extreme measures do exist, of course. Panic rooms, private bodyguards and other forms of high-end protection are certainly present in London. But they remain the exception rather than the rule, and when they are used, they are handled with the utmost discretion. Indeed, the defining characteristic of those who invest seriously in security is that they rarely talk about it.

A City That Remains Remarkably Liveable

None of this should be mistaken for alarmism. London today is, in many respects, far safer than it was in previous decades. Areas once considered marginal or even dangerous have become some of the city’s most desirable addresses – Notting Hill is a case in point. Neighbourhoods that would once have raised eyebrows now command extraordinary property prices.

Crime has always existed in large cities. What has changed is the way it is reported, discussed and perceived. We now live in an era of continuous information. Every incident, however small, can appear instantly on a news feed. The effect is cumulative: a sense that problems are everywhere, even when the broader picture is more reassuring.

A salient lesson for how quickly perceptions of safety can shift can be learned from Dubai. For years the emirate was held up by many international buyers as the ultimate safe haven: low crime, strong policing and a lifestyle where valuables could be worn or left in plain sight without concern. Some London residents even relocated there in search of precisely that sense of security.

Yet recent geopolitical tensions in the wider region have served as a terrible reminder that no global city exists entirely in isolation from risk. For internationally mobile families, it has reinforced a broader truth: safety is rarely absolute. Rather, it is a question of perception, context and prudent personal judgement – whether in London, Dubai or anywhere else.

The First Rule of Security

For property buyers navigating this environment, the advice is surprisingly simple. Choose a well-run building or a well-organised street. Invest in sensible security measures. Be thoughtful and careful about digital exposure. Above all, practise discretion.

The most effective form of security is rarely the most visible. It is the firm decision not to advertise what one owns, where one lives or when one is away. In prime London property, that principle has become part of the modern brief. And, in truth, it always was.

Philip Eastwood, The Buying Solution, Partner, London

Philip Eastwood is our Partner in London

For news, expert commentary and invaluable property insight, subscribe to The Insider, our quarterly newsletter, here.

Britons Fleeing Dubai for London Rentals

Posted on by Jessica Jonzen

Britons who settled in Dubai attracted by its perceived safety are contacting luxury property agents to arrange emergency £5,000-a-week rentals in London, writes David Byers in The Times. Will Watson, Head of The Buying Solution, shares his insights.

Large pink blossom tree next to white period houses in London's Notting Hill

As property agents report at 15% increase in enquiries from the UAE, Britons who relocated to Dubai are anxious to return to the UK, reports David Byers in The Times. Will Watson, Head of The Buying Solution, and currently acting on behalf of three Dubai-based clients, offers his observations.

Read the article here.

A New Chapter for London’s St James’s

Posted on by Rosalind Sack

Long associated with aristocratic tradition, St James’s is entering a new chapter as major redevelopment projects transform a historic corner of central London. Head of The Buying Solution Will Watson discusses the appeal of the area with journalist Paul Carey at UAE newspaper The National

While known for its royal palaces and gentlemen’s clubs, St James’s has a more low-key history of innovation, including housing what is considered London’s first skyscraper. That building, the Grade I-listed 55 Broadway above St James’s Park station, is now being redeveloped by Blue Orchid Hotels into a luxury hotel designed by the architects behind The Ned and The Old War Office.

The project forms part of a trio of nearby redevelopments – alongside The Broadway and 102 Petty France – that are revitalising the district between Victoria and Westminster and helping it emerge from the shadow of neighbouring Mayfair. Will Watson explains more about St James’s appeal and the property prices it commands.

Read the article here.

What I’ve Learnt from 25 Years Advising on London’s Finest Houses

Posted on by Rosalind Sack

Head of The Buying Solution, Will Watson, has decades of experience navigating London’s property market at its highest levels, having held senior roles on the selling side before moving into buying. Here he shares what he has learnt about trust, success and managing risk

There is no such thing as a ‘perfect’ market

I cannot recall a more unpredictable market than the one we find ourselves navigating today. Domestic politics feels unusually fluid, global events continue to shock, and the six-month outlook is unclear – let alone the five-year view. Even the near-term leadership of the country is uncertain day to day.

In my experience, property decisions, at their best, aren’t driven by forecasts or speculation. They’re made based on your personal circumstances: your life, your priorities, and your timing. That has rarely felt more relevant.

We appear to be bouncing along the bottom of the market, but cycles always turn. Consider the discussion around non-dom taxation. Italy’s flat annual regime has already drawn buyers to Milan, though many would have preferred to remain in London. Were a comparable policy introduced here, it would materially alter sentiment. For now, however, London presents unusually compelling value for domestic buyers with a medium-to long-term view. In some instances, properties are transacting at circa 30% below their listed price from just two years ago.

Writing at the tail-end of Winter, the market is seasonally quieter, and transaction volumes are lighter – but deals are still being done. In fact, we’re notably busy. Our clients recognise that thinner competition before the Spring market gains momentum offers a strategic window. Particularly where sellers who failed to secure a buyer in 2025 have become more pragmatic.

Ultimately, buying property is less about reacting to headlines and more about recognising when your own circumstances align with opportunity.

The best property isn’t about price per square foot

It is easy to get fixated on numbers and what you feel you should be paying per square foot. But comparable data is just a guide and, more often than not, it doesn’t give the full picture of a property. A truly special house is hard to repeat and rare to trade; we may only see its like once every few years at best. Therefore, if you find a property that you really want and you are trying to be too clever on pricing, someone will likely beat you to it – and you might never get that opportunity again.

One of my longest-standing clients, a seasoned international buyer with properties around the world, once told me his strategy. He buys the best available asset when he needs it. That might mean a one-bedroom apartment in Chelsea for a child at £2m, or a detached family house in Holland Park for £30m+. The price point is secondary, the quality is not.

He has never been preoccupied with pounds per square foot or comparable evidence. By focusing instead on rarity and quality, those acquisitions have consistently proven to be exceptional homes, as well as a reliable store of wealth. He is frequently approached about selling one of his properties, as demand remains strong for the best, despite the unpredictability of the current market.

He summed it to me up perfectly: “We’ll buy what we need to buy, and we’ll pay what we need to pay – if it’s rare.”It is advice I’ve carried ever since. Focus on the unique, the hard-to-repeat, and the rest usually takes care of itself. After all, whether it’s property, a car, a watch, or any rare asset, scarcity ensures there is always a buyer.

You can’t eliminate risk, but you can control it

Almost every buyer worries about overpaying. No one wants to complete on a house only to discover six months later that it might have been secured for 10% less. Yet waiting doesn’t guarantee a better deal. After all, a positive political shift or a surge in the market could just as easily result in you paying 10% more – and finding the right property will often take longer than you think.

I always remind my clients that we want to buy from someone that genuinely wants – or needs – to sell. Much of the prime market is made up of discretionary sellers with inflated expectations. As a result, agreeing sensible terms can be protracted or even unworkable, or simply take longer than most of our clients’ search windows allow. This is particularly true at the higher price points in both the London and countryside markets.

There are also practical risks to weigh. You may buy an immaculate turnkey home to avoid the disruption of building work, only for a neighbour to start a major three-year renovation. In Central London, almost every street has at least one ongoing project, so the risk is real. Our role is to conduct thorough due diligence – not only on the property itself, but on the immediate surroundings, neighbouring ownership and any pending planning applications – so that disruption is assessed before contracts are exchanged, not afterwards.

Security is another consideration. Headlines can be alarmist, but London hasn’t emptied out; rather, security has become part of the brief. Beyond aesthetics, we assess infrastructure – plumbing, electrics, access points – and, where appropriate, bring in specialist advisers to evaluate risk properly. The aim is proportionate protection, giving you peace of mind without letting fear drive your choices.

In short, concerns about overpaying, noisy neighbours and security are justified, but none are deal-breakers if you are well informed. That’s what separates a cautious buyer from a confident one.

Integrity is the real measure of success

The first transaction I completed as a buying agent was in Marylebone – an area I didn’t know well at the time.

The client came to me through a professional contact. He was renting locally and wanted to buy a house nearby. I was candid: I had not yet bought in Marylebone, but I knew exactly what made an exceptional house and I promised him my full focus. That honesty mattered. He trusted me, and I secured him a remarkable house just off Marylebone High Street, complete with a rare roof terrace. He is still there today – and over the years, he has become a friend and introduced me to many of his contacts who have become clients over the years.

Honesty, integrity and truthfulness aren’t buzzwords; they have guided me from day one, and are central to everything I do. The emphasis is not on completing transactions for their own sake, but on protecting our clients’ interests – we take that responsibility very seriously and have little tolerance for market noise, poor instructions and chronic overpricing.

I represent my clients as I would family or close friends. Success, for me, is not about money, off-market deals, or outmanoeuvring another buyer, it is measured by finding the house they have been dreaming of at a price they are comfortable with and knowing that we made that possible for them.

Will Watson, Head of The Buying Solution

Will Watson is Head of The Buying Solution

For news, expert commentary and invaluable property insight, subscribe to The Insider, our quarterly newsletter, here.

The Buying Agency for Busy People

Posted on by Jessica Jonzen

In prime central London, the process of securing the right home has become increasingly complex and fragmented. For high-performing professionals and internationally based clients alike, the challenge is no longer simply finding property; it is navigating the noise with confidence and efficiency.

Employees walking to work in the city at sunrise

In the world of prime central London property, time has become the most valuable currency of all. Increasingly, the clients who come to me are not short of means – they are short of hours, headspace and tolerance for the sheer administrative drag that accompanies a London property search.

Roughly 75 per cent of our clients fall into two distinct camps. About 40 per cent are domestic family buyers; the remaining 35 per cent are overseas buyers. On the surface their circumstances differ, but their core problem is identical: they are time-poor, information-overloaded and in need of someone to cut through the noise. That, in essence, is where The Buying Solution comes into its own.

The Domestic Family Buyer: high-flying and time-poor

The Domestic Family Buyer is typically a professional couple – often in law, finance or tech – who have been renting in London for several years while careers accelerated and life became incrementally busier.

They are usually thoughtful, analytical and perfectly capable of conducting a search themselves. Indeed, many begin that way. But somewhere between their 47th Rightmove alert and their third collapsed chain, the process starts to fray. What they lack is not intelligence or motivation; it is bandwidth.

We often meet them at the point of fatigue. One client we worked with recently had been searching independently for more than three years. They had viewed over 100 properties – a number that would test the patience of even the most enthusiastic house-hunter – and had narrowly lost out on a home they loved. By the time we were introduced, they were disheartened and, more importantly, had lost confidence in their own decision-making.

Our first task was not to find a house. It was to reset the process. We spent time together walking the streets they were drawn to, discussing not only what they liked but also what they did not. We always begin this way. The brief on paper is rarely the brief in practice, and early face time is invaluable in building a three-dimensional picture of how a client actually wants to live.

One of the first houses we viewed together would ultimately become their purchase. But we did not rush. We continued to test the market, using that property as our benchmark: how does this compare? What is genuinely best in class?

Within eight weeks of formally instructing The Buying Solution, we had agreed terms on the right house. For clients who had spent three years circling the market, the contrast was stark. What changed was not the market, it was the filtering.

The Overseas Buyer: rarely on the ground

If the Domestic Buyer is time-poor, the Overseas Buyer faces an additional handicap: distance. These clients – often international professionals or families seeking a London pied-à-terre – may only be in the city every month or two. They simply do not have their feet on the ground. The London market, with its patchwork of micro-locations and opaque practices, can feel particularly impenetrable from afar. For them, the risk is twofold: wasted trips and expensive mistakes.

We work with many overseas clients who will only spend part of the year in London, and time is of the essence. In our very first viewing tour, often compressed into a single, tightly planned visit, we will endeavour to narrow their search to the exact postcodes that genuinely suited them.

Should they attempt this alone, they will likely be fielding calls from upwards of 50 agents, attempting to triangulate neighbourhood nuance remotely and booking scattergun viewings during short visits. Instead, we offer clarity. Speed, in this context, is about precision.

Why the modern market overwhelms buyers

Part of the growing demand for buying agents stems from structural change within the London property world itself. Seven or eight years ago, a focused search in an area such as Chelsea or Fulham might have required conversations with five or six estate agencies. Today, the landscape is far more fragmented. Many experienced agents have left large corporates to operate independently in a broker-style model.

The result is a more dispersed, more opaque marketplace. Where once a £4 million search might have involved speaking to eight to ten key players, we are now routinely in contact with north of 40 intermediaries for a single brief. For private buyers attempting to manage this alongside demanding careers, the volume alone can become unmanageable.

Increasingly, clients arrive saying the same thing: ‘we started looking ourselves, but we’ve become overwhelmed.’ Our role as buying agents is to absorb that noise. We review and preview everything that crosses our desks. By the time a client steps into a car with us for a viewing tour, every property has been pre-vetted against their evolving brief. They have one point of contact, one curated schedule and – crucially – confidence that their time is being used efficiently.

Chelsea townhouses ©Sarah Frances Kelley for The Buying Solution
Sarah Frances Kelley for The Buying Solution

The power of relationships and off-market access

Relationships remain the engine of the London buying world. Because we are in constant dialogue with agents, brokers and intermediaries, we are often able to access opportunities before they reach the open market.

Approximately 60 per cent of what we buy at The Buying Solution is off-market. For busy clients, this is not simply about exclusivity; it is about efficiency. If you are only viewing the most relevant opportunities – many of which never appear online – the search becomes markedly more focused.

It also allows us to move quickly when the right property surfaces. One of the most valuable outcomes of our early work with clients is the refinement of the brief. Through repeated viewings and conversations, we develop a very clear sense of what “right” looks like. When it appears, we can act decisively.

When the brief evolves

One of the most interesting aspects of this work is how often initial assumptions shift. We can have clients who begin their search adamant they want a flat. Through the process, it becomes clear that what they would truly value is their own front door and a certain sense of privacy. We will ultimately secure a house.

Similarly, buyers frequently begin by insisting they want a turnkey property. Yet when presented with the best property on their favourite street but which requires modest cosmetic work, priorities can recalibrate.

Part of our advisory role is helping clients understand where compromise is sensible and where it is not. How often does this type of house become available? What is genuinely scarce? What can be improved later? These are the judgements that protect both lifestyle and long-term value.

Beyond the property: assembling the right team

Particularly for overseas buyers, the purchase itself is only one component of the process. Many international clients are unfamiliar with the nuances of the London system: leasehold structures, share of freehold arrangements, tax considerations and the choreography of the conveyancing process for starters. Education, delivered quickly and clearly, is essential.

But just as important is team assembly. A smooth purchase requires the right solicitor, sometimes tax advice, occasionally immigration support, and – for relocating families – school consultants. If a property requires work, we introduce trusted builders and designers. The goal is always the same: to create a seamless experience that would be extremely difficult for a time-poor buyer to replicate independently.

Handled correctly, this does not add cost. More often, through careful negotiation and risk management, we save clients multiples of our fee.

Cutting through the noise

At its heart, modern buying agency is as much about clarity as it is about access. For busy professionals, whether London-based or overseas, the property market has become noisier, more fragmented and more time-consuming to navigate alone. The value we provide is focus: one point of contact, whole-of-market coverage and rigorous pre-vetting that ensures every viewing has genuine potential.

In a city where time is increasingly precious, that clarity is often the difference between a draining search and a decisive, confident purchase. And for our clients, that is precisely the point.

Meet The Buying Solution’s London team here. For news, expert commentary and invaluable property insight, subscribe to The Insider, our quarterly newsletter, here.

How London’s Wealthiest Home Buyers are Rethinking Security

Posted on by Rosalind Sack

Despite reports that Tom Cruise has left his London home over security fears, Spear’s magazine suggests that rising crime in the capital is not prompting a mass exodus. Instead, it is influencing how buyers in London’s wealthiest postcodes assess both property and personal security when choosing a home. Featuring insight from our London Partner, Philip Eastwood.

Exclusive Central London homes close to Regent’s Park.

Whether prioritising homes on secure streets or collectively funding private security, crime levels in London are influencing high-value property searches, reports Christian Maddock in Spear’s magazine. Featuring insight from our highly experienced Partner and London specialist, Philip Eastwood, the report explores why rising crime rates in the capital are prompting HNWs to seek enhanced security options rather than leave the city altogether.

Read the article here.

A Post-Budget Boost to the Property Market

Posted on by Jessica Jonzen

With the Chancellor’s so-called ‘mansion tax’ in her Budget less severe than anticipated, wealthy buyers are returning to the London market, Emma Haslett reports for The Observer, with insights from Will Watson, Head of The Buying Solution.

Prime central London townhouses ©Sarah Frances Kelley
Sarah Frances Kelley for The Buying Solution

After months of sluggish growth – fuelled in part by uncertainty over what Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Budget might contain – the property market is beginning to stir again, writes Emma Haslett for The Observer. Will Watson reflects on clients’ reactions in the days since the announcement and sets out his expectations for 2026.

Read the article here.

Budget 2025: A Shot of Clarity for a Market Desperate to Move

Posted on by Jessica Jonzen

With Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Budget now unveiled, Will Watson, Head of The Buying Solution, assesses its implications for the property market – and specifically what it means for buyers.

Clarity in policy underpins everything in our industry, and after weeks of fevered speculation, Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ second Budget has at last delivered it. Within minutes of the OBR’s unprecedented “technical error” that leaked the headlines before she had even taken her place at the despatch box, my phone lit up. One long-standing client messaged simply: “Good news, let’s get going.” Moments later came another: “Let’s make this deal happen now.” The deal in question is just shy of £20 million.

For all the noise surrounding this Budget, the immediate reaction from clients suggests one thing above all: they have not been spooked. In fact, in several cases, the announcements appear to have provided precisely the sense of direction they have been waiting for.

At the centre of the property debate, of course, is the introduction of a so-called ‘mansion tax’ on homes valued above £2 million. It is a politically charged policy that had been hotly debated in the press, and now that it has arrived, its design is both predictable and consequential. The surcharge is structured to mirror council tax bands: £2,500 per year for properties valued between £2 million and £2.5 million, rising in stages to a maximum of £7,500 for homes worth £5 million or more. Implementation will not begin until April 2028, following a revaluation of high-value homes.

It is no surprise that this measure disproportionately affects London and the South-East. In many central postcodes, £2 million buys not extravagance but a decent, if unremarkable, family home. The threshold captures a broad and complex picture – from global investors to retirees who bought their property decades ago and have seen their local markets soar far beyond what their incomes reflect.

Yet for our clients purchasing at the upper end – £5 million and above – the annual levy of £7,500 is unlikely to be a deterrent. To be candid, many had been bracing for more severe measures. In this sense, the Budget may even be received as a relief. But while some buyers may take this in their stride, the behaviour of sellers remains the greater unknown. Some may feel newly emboldened to hold their price, reasoning that the long run-up to implementation removes any inclination to negotiate.

And that long run-up raises another question – one several clients have already put to me directly: has the Chancellor been bold enough? By pushing implementation of the surcharge to 2028, Reeves has given herself and the market time, but she has potentially also created a two-year window for uncertainty to accumulate. If revenues fall short, or if political winds shift, she may be forced to revisit property taxation in next year’s Budget, potentially with sharper measures. The market absorbs a single shock far more cleanly than a series of speculative tremors.

We should also expect some behavioural shifts. Owners of high-value homes who had been weighing whether to downsize may now see clear motivation to transact before 2028, avoiding a recurring annual levy that might otherwise chip away at their financial planning. A wave of such sales could release supply at the top end and, in turn, cool prices that have remained stubbornly insulated from the broader market slowdown. For buyers seeking large family homes or prime assets, this could finally unlock opportunities that have been scarce for several years.

But there is a less discussed and potentially overlooked group: asset-rich, cash-poor owners who cannot or do not wish to sell. For them, the so-called mansion tax may land less like a wealth surcharge and more like a second inheritance tax. While the option to defer payments until a sale provides relief in the short term, it shifts the burden onto heirs, altering the long-term economics of holding high-value property. This group forms part of the “squeezed middle”: owners whose homes have risen dramatically in value, often through no strategic decision of their own, but whose incomes do not match their postcodes.

Despite these complexities, the Budget’s broader impact on market sentiment should not be underestimated. Our economy depends on a housing market that moves – one that allows people to change jobs, start families, downsize, invest and plan. Transactional activity stimulates dozens of industries: construction, architecture, design, removals, retail, finance and more. When sales volumes rise, developers build more. When developers build more, the ladder becomes climbable again.

It is worth remembering, too, that the top end of the property market contributes disproportionately to the wider economy. Encouraging movement here is not an indulgence of the wealthy; it is an economic strategy. High-value transactions generate tax receipts, but they also create liquidity and confidence – two ingredients the housing sector has been sorely lacking.

The Reeves Budget is not radical. It is not without flaws. But after a year defined by hesitation and speculation, it offers clarity – and for many buyers and sellers, this will be enough for them to re-enter the market with purpose. The Chancellor may yet find that her mansion tax has done more to energise the market than to inhibit it.

For now, the early signals are encouraging. Clients who had paused are now progressing. Negotiations have restarted. And if sentiment continues to stabilise, 2026 may be the year the prime property market regains its momentum – not in spite of the Budget, but because of it.

Will Watson, Head of The Buying Solution

Will Watson is Head of The Buying Solution

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Where to Find a Village Way of Life in Central London

Posted on by Jessica Jonzen

It may seem like an impossibility to discover a slower pace of life and a strong sense of community in the heart of one of the most vibrant cities in the world. Yet here, our London Partner, James Burridge unearths some of Central London’s most charming village-like pockets

Sarah Frances Kelley for The Buying Solution

Among the world’s leading capital cities, London’s framework is arguably unique. Unlike Paris or New York, London has no underlying grid or clear hierarchy. It didn’t grow from a single centre, but from a scatter of historic settlements. Riverside hamlets, market towns and hilltop parishes were gradually absorbed as the capital expanded with the arrival of the railways and, later, the Underground in the 19th century.

Today, the city remains a mosaic of neighbourhoods, many still echoing their village roots. These ‘villages’ offer community, green space and a slower, more considered pace of life – and have become some of the city’s most sought-after residential addresses. In North West London, you’ll find the closest thing to a village in London in historic Hampstead, leafy Highgate and charming Belsize Village. While in South West London, Richmond Park, Wimbledon Common and Barnes Common Nature Reserve feel almost rural in parts and the surrounding neighbourhoods absorb this sense of calm from these large open spaces.

The expectation of what constitutes a village way of life in Central London may differ yet, just a few streets back from the bustle, there remain neighbourhoods with a unique charm. More and more, people want to feel connected to a local community in what can feel like a big and intense city. They might be looking for a village green or a park, a handful of independent, thoughtfully-sourced shops, a good local pub – a quiet pocket within a busy city.

Sarah Frances Kelley for The Buying Solution

Chelsea Green

Until the Georgian era, areas like Chelsea and Marylebone were considered on the edge of town. Today, there remains a strong sense of local community and independent character here.

Chelsea Green, tucked behind the King’s Road, feels a world away from the nearby flagship stores and traffic. The Chelsea Fishmonger is just yards from the local cobbler who has worked on the Green for decades, a few doors down from Jago’s family butcher – it’s a charming pocket of old Chelsea. Streets like Markham Street or Bywater Street showcase classic pastel-coloured Georgian homes, with such examples trading between £3m-£5m.

There’s a real quaintness to Chelsea Green, while still being in central London – it’s part of the city but not consumed by it. It’s an area that’s very popular with international buyers as well as downsizers because everything is within walking distance.

We recently worked with a family whose main residence was outside of London, but they wanted a London base. We secured a best-in-class flat on one floor, overlooking one of London’s most sought-after communal garden squares. The flat was in great condition (hard to find in the current market) and within easy walk of Sloane Square for the Tube, and Chelsea Green for the community, village feel and the independent shops.

Sarah Frances Kelley for The Buying Solution

Notting Hill

Central London’s most famous ‘village’, Notting Hill still delivers a strong sense of community. Beyond Portobello Road’s weekend crowds, areas like Westbourne Grove and Clarendon Road have a neighbourhood feel, supported by myriad independent businesses and elegant stucco-fronted houses that regularly fetch over £10 million.

Notting Hill also has easy access to the M4 for Berkshire, the Cotswolds and Bath, as well as Heathrow, making it well-placed for international buyers and those with primary residences outside of London.

Some parts of Central London can feel more transient, but Notting Hill is consistently popular and for good reason. It’s vibrant and individual, a melting pot of cultures. We recently acquired a lovely house off Westbourne Grove for a Spanish client who had lived in the area for many years. She was focused on staying within walking distance of all that Notting Hill has to offer.

Westbourne Grove and Portobello Road have touch points of the mainstream, of course, but they also feel more humble and friendly, with a village-like connection. You will find that a lot of people who live in or around Elgin Crescent during the week decamp to their country residence near Soho Farmhouse in the Cotswolds at weekends.

Indeed, the organic produce that locals know and love from Daylesford Farm near Kingham in the Cotswolds at weekends can also be picked up at their local Daylesford outpost on Westbourne Grove during the week.

2025 saw a host of new restaurant openings in Notting Hill, firmly cementing its status as a culinary destination. Here, you can enjoy food from all over the world; from Juno’s Japanese/Mexican fusion food in its intimate six-seater restaurant, to Swedish bakery Fabrique and neighbourhood pub The Pelican. What unites them is their sense of community.

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Marylebone

Marylebone remains a hugely popular neighbourhood of Central London and people who choose to live here are led by the lifestyle that it offers, rather than the size of their space or proximity to good schools – although there are several close by. For that reason, it tends to attract a marginally older demographic.

Marylebone offers a slightly different proposition. It feels more sophisticated than Notting Hill and Chelsea Green, yet you will find a strong sense of community here, as well as tree-lined streets and historic architecture.

Just five minutes from Oxford Street, Marylebone High Street offers a vibrant selection of international luxury brands. Yet, just off it, you will still find quieter cobbled lanes, traditional pubs and St Marylebone Parish Church and gardens.

With its butcher, cheesemonger and chocolate shop, Moxon Street has become a leading foodie destination. Lita Mediterranean restaurant on Paddington Street is a favourite of renowned chef Raymond Blanc, who moved to Marylebone from Oxford. While The Hart pub on Chiltern Street – the most recent opening from the Public House group – offers a seasonal British menu with ingredients picked from its kitchen garden in Oxfordshire.

If you’re craving green space, the 410-acre Regent’s Park – a former royal hunting ground, later leased to tenant farmers – is just a 15-minute walk away.

Marylebone’s residents are proud of its status as a ‘village’ and there is a busy calendar of community events here, including Christmas carol performances and concerts, an annual Easter egg hunt and a Summer Festival, complete with a tombola and dog show.

We have bought a number of very good flats in prime Marylebone over the last 18 months, from period mansion block apartments – 3,000 sq ft lateral spaces overlooking Regent’s Park, through to some of the finest flats in recently built blocks, including Chiltern Place and The Chilterns.

James Burridge The Buying Solution

James Burridge is our specialist Partner in Central and South-West London.

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