With the number of properties listed for sale in the UK at a 10-year high, it pays to be a price-sensitive, considerate seller and find opportunities to help your home stand out, Ruth Bloomfield reports for The Telegraph, with insights from our Partner, Katherine Watters
Sarah Frances Kelley for The Buying Solution
Finding a way to make your property stand out is crucial in the current market, writes Ruth Bloomfield in The Telegraph. While sensitive pricing and immaculate presentation are vitally important factors when there are a surfeit of properties for sale, good will can be another powerful factor, our Partner Katherine Watters shares.
Her favourite example is a £4m Sussex farmhouse that she found and secured for her clients in 2025. It was a sale that came together after the sellers offered to leave their ponies, plus horsebox) for the buyers’ daughters, who had fallen in love with them on the viewing. “While this is a unicorn example, being flexible when it comes to incentives and considering what might make the process smoother can be the difference between a healthy sale and something that falls flat. The market is such that ‘good will’ goes a long way,” says Katherine.
Relocating – whether from overseas to the UK or from London to the country – is about more than finding a property; it’s about redesigning your life. From schooling and commute times to budgeting for country living, the right decisions early on shape everything that follows. Drawing on years of on-the-ground experience, here are ten essential considerations for anyone planning a successful UK relocation.
1. Start with lifestyle, not property
Define your lifestyle before you look at properties. Rural vs. town, privacy vs. walkability, and whether London is a daily or occasional commute all matter more than the details of any single listing. You can change the house – you can’t change its location.
2. Treat home, school and office as one system
If one corner of the triangle of home, school and office is misaligned, everything else becomes harder to sustain.
3. Research schooling early
School choice will define your location more than anything else. Shortlist the schools you think would best suit your child before narrowing property areas.
4. Be honest about travel time
Always consider the full journey – home to station, train and onward travel – and what you want that to look like. Not just isolated segments.
5. Work with local experts
Online listings rarely, if ever, tell the full story. Micro-location, road noise, school run traffic and pricing nuance require expert local knowledge.
6. Be realistic about space and scale
British homes often differ from overseas properties in style, size and electrical systems so consider what truly suits your next stage of life. Shipping oversized items like a 20ft dining table or Texan barbecue may prove costly and impractical.
7. Budget for the reality of country living
Maintenance, staffing and security all add to ongoing costs and should be factored in early.
8. Be cautious about relying on renting outside London
Supply is limited. Renting to ‘try before you buy’ can sometimes introduce compromise rather than clarity.
9. Think long term, not transitional
The most successful relocations are rarely short-term experiments. A longer horizon tends to produce better decisions.
10. Make peace with trade-offs and define the gain
Every move involves loss. That might be climate, space, lifestyle, familiarity or proximity to other global centres. But it also involves gain: better schooling, more space, a different pace of life, and often a greater sense of stability. The key is to hold both in view at the same time.
For news, expert commentary and invaluable property insight, subscribe to The Insider, our quarterly newsletter, here.
With Andy Burnham tipped for Number 10, property market uncertainty is rising, Maya Wilson Autzen reports in The Telegraph. But as Will Watson, Head of The Buying Solution, shares in the article, for savvy buyers opportunity may be knocking.
With Andy Burnham’s anticipated arrival in Downing Street, the property market is already feeling the effects. The likely new Prime Minister’s long-standing advocacy for a controversial land value tax is raising serious questions about the future of property taxation – and the savviest buyers are taking note.
Will Watson, Head of The Buying Solution, speaks to Maya Wilson Autzen at The Telegraph on the market shifts he’s witnessing firsthand, and how buyers can turn this moment of political uncertainty to their advantage at the negotiating table.
To pay for private school fees, growing numbers of families are rethinking where they live rather than compromise on their children’s education, reports Alexandra Goss in The Telegraph. It’s a trend that our Cotswolds buying agent Georgina Neil is seeing first hand, as she highlights in the article.
Sarah Frances Kelley for The Buying Solution
Rising school fees, following the addition of VAT, are redefining property decisions – especially above £1.2m, reports Alexandra Goss in The Telegraph.
“The dream is over for many ‘upsizers’ as school fees and the cost of running these homes – and the transactional costs of buying them in the first place – have become prohibitive for many,” our Cotswolds buying agent Georgina Neil comments in the article.
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.
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.
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.
As increasing numbers of American buyers seek homes in the Cotswolds, CNN’s Business Reporter Anna Cooban reports on the region’s appeal, with insights fromour Partner and Head of the Cotswolds, Harry Gladwin.
Sarah Frances Kelley for The Buying Solution
In the past 12-18 months, the number of American clients registering with The Buying Solution looking for property in the Cotswolds has grown by around 30%, reflecting the ever-increasing popularity of the area. CNN’s Business Reporter Anna Cooban explores this trend and speaks to Harry Gladwin, our Partner and Head of the Cotswolds, about the region’s appeal.
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.
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.
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.
With speculation mounting around a potential ‘mansion tax’ on properties valued above £2 million in Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Autumn Budget, our Partners Harry Gladwin and Mark Lawson offered their insight to The Times for their tongue-in-cheek feature exploring the many (and often surprising) ways to devalue a home.
From artificial grass and indoor swimming pools to gaudy interior decoration and botched DIY jobs, David Byers reports for The Times on the myriad ways in which the value of a property can be reduced.
With a so-called ‘mansion tax’ on properties worth £2 million expected in the Budget on 26th November 2025, our Partners Harry Gladwin and Mark Lawson shared their tips on the home improvements which can actually devalue your home.
The move from London to the Home Counties is a well-trodden path, and for good reason. With beautiful countryside, vibrant market towns and excellent schools and connectivity, the region offers balance. Our Partner Katherine Watters shares how she helps clients to navigate this journey, turning overwhelming property searches into clear, confident decisions about where – and how – to start their next chapter.
The Surrey Hills
Leaving London has long been a rite of passage for many families. The search for more space, cleaner air and stronger community ties draws buyers outwards each year, tracing familiar paths along the commuter lines that fan into the Home Counties. Yet, for all the talk of good schools and train times, the success of such a move often hinges less on geography than on guidance.
Our Partner Katherine Watters has built a powerful reputation for helping clients navigate this most emotionally charged of transitions. “We often meet people who know they need to be within an hour of London, but they have no idea where to base themselves,” says Katherine. “That’s when we’ll take them on orientation tours – two or three days of exploring different counties, villages and schools. It’s about helping them understand how each area feels before they commit.”
The approach is as much about education as it is about property. Clients are introduced not only to houses but to lifestyles – bustling market towns and quiet hamlets, the realities of rural broadband, the subtleties of train routes. “We’re not selling anything,” Katherine adds. “We’re guiding, helping people imagine the reality of their new life, and then gently making that vision real.”
The Enduring Appeal of the Home Counties
The reasons for moving to the Home Counties remain remarkably consistent. For most families, it comes down to schools, commutability, and a sense of belonging. People want their children to have space and a great education, but they don’t want to feel cut off.
The Home Counties are incredibly diverse. You can have 1930s family houses in one village and 17th-century cottages two miles away. That variety means there’s something for everyone – the key is knowing where to look. Surrey’s gated estates, from Cobham to Oxshott, offer privacy and proximity for those making their first step out of London. The Surrey Hills and villages south of Guildford appeal to buyers seeking a more rural way of life but still within a 45-minute train ride of Waterloo. Northwards, the Chilterns and Thames Valley blend riverside life with market-town sophistication.
For many clients, familiarity plays a decisive role. “It’s amazing how often people return to where they grew up,” Katherine observes. “You hear, ‘My parents lived here’ or ‘My best friend has just moved there.’ That sense of connection gives people confidence to move and means that they will often find like-minded people who have made a similar move themselves.”
Chiddingfold, Surrey
The London Connection
Although working patterns have evolved, London remains the gravitational centre for many of Katherine’s clients. Some need to be in the office two or three days a week; others just want to be close enough for dinner, theatre, or the airport. Either way, the Home Counties keep them within reach.
“A lot of clients come to me feeling overwhelmed,” explains Katherine. “They’ve got property alerts from half the Home Counties and no real direction. We bring focus. It’s about saying: if you need to be in Holborn, and you love countryside walks, let’s look at the Guildford line, not the South Downs. We turn the noise into a plan.”
A Market Maturing Gracefully
After the feverish years of 2021–22 and the pandemic premiums, both Katherine describes the Home Counties’ current market as steadier and, in many ways, healthier. “Buyers are more measured,” says Katherine. “They’re asking questions, doing due diligence, and taking advice. Gone are the days of throwing money at anything with a garden.”
People who overpaid in haste are discovering the importance of context: flight paths, road noise, village amenities. Sensible pricing and good research are back in vogue.
This shift plays perfectly to our strengths as buying agents. “We’ve always taken a forensic approach,” says Katherine. “We’ll check planning histories, school catchments, infrastructure changes – all the details that can make or break a property’s value. That’s where clients see real return on advice.”
The Human Side of the Search
Beyond logistics and market data lies the human dimension. Katherine has spent years working face-to-face with clients, often over months of searching and decision-making. “We’re often with clients at quite pivotal life stages: moving from London with young children, returning from abroad, or downsizing after decades in one place. It’s not just about finding a house. It’s about helping them visualise the life they want next.”
That sensitivity allows The Buying Solution to deliver a service both personal and pragmatic, making that search for a home smoother, smarter and far more enjoyable.
Katherine Watters is our specialist Partner for the Southern Home Counties
For news, expert commentary and invaluable property insight, subscribe to The Insider, our quarterly newsletter, here.
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