West End Properties and the Home Information Packs

MDA a Canadian firm who have cornered much of the Home Information Pack (HIP) supply chain have announced that “More than 50% of the buyer's solicitors are continuing to replace the searches in the HIP, and adding extra searches as standard, such as environmental and chancel searches to maintain due diligence for their client.”

This follows an announcement earlier this month by the Government that the 1st day marketing of HIPS will be moved from June 1st to 31st December 2008.

London West End estate agents LDG comment that it is not just the solicitors who don’t find HIPS useful. So far they have had only one purchaser ask to see the a copy of a HIP since their mandatory introduction in December.

Ben Everest of LDG says that “First day marketing will make no difference as buyers are still primarily concerned about space and price rather than how energy efficient a flat is. LDG sell flats in Soho, Covent Garden and Fitzrovia and most of our stock tends to be flats. When you only have a few outside walls to a property it is difficult to see how you can make a property more efficient.”

One other change to the property market involving energy reports will be affecting the letting market from the autumn.

Javier Carillo of LDG’s central London lettings department says that “due to new Regulations from October 2008 any residential property when a landlord rents out a property they will have to provide the tenant with an Energy Performance Certificate.

Again, we expect that as the sales department have experienced applicants who are looking to rent out a property in central London will be more interested in finding the right space than an energy efficiency home. Especially as the average tenancy is between 12-24 months. The real motivation for these energy reports is for the eventual banding of council tax to have a direct relationship with energy efficiency certificates. ”

Central London Property Investments

The potential for income, appreciation and possible tax savings makes investment property especially attractive.

It is important for you to get professional advice before you decide to buy investment property.
You may want to start with a personal financial advisor who can help you set your investment goals.

We can help you select a competitively-priced property that meets these goals and can answer questions about why a particular property would be a solid investment.

What features would make it easy to rent?

What kind of maintenance expenses are you likely to incur?

What will your cash flow be, and how will the tax savings affect your bottom line?

While we cannot predict how much a particular property will appreciate, we can give you the history of price trends in our market area.

Soho and Covent Garden West End Focus

In the 17th century they were worlds apart: one a hunting ground for London's aristocracy; the other a farmers market. Times haven't changed a lot in almost 400 years. Even now you're bound to pass the odd queen in Soho; while Covent Garden's Italian-style piazza has long been a hive of activity.

These two eclectic districts of the capital still draw a diverse populous to their pulsating pavements. Soho's narrow mosaic of streets and hidden alleyways are the epitome of London cool, where artists, tailors, media workers and musicians collide, allured by the area's creative, edgy nature.

And while soulful Soho is synonymous with style, Covent Garden's leafy quarter is a cosmopolitan village of culture and colour. Crowds of tourists, theatre-goers, caffeine junkies and market traders pack themselves into 'Theatreland' each day, where the area prides itself on being the nurturer of the newly renovated Royal Opera House and a string of prestigious theatres.

These vibrant neighbourhoods, however, have never lost their hardy residential community.

Property is at a premium and everything is within an easy stroll of the sights. Those that can afford to live in Soho and Covent Garden have the West End and all that it offers right on their doorstep, including über-trendy clothing stores, funky jazz clubs, cutting-edge production houses and a throng of bars, pubs, open-air cafés, restaurants, cinemas, theatres and art galleries.

Well-served by public transport, Soho has set the trend for London loft living. A large cross-section of potential tenants, from celebrities to city high-flyers, are moving into prominent locations (such as Wardour Street's Soho Lofts and above the Soho Theatre) as well as the quieter back streets.

Hidden away in Covent Garden are fabulous innovative penthouses with roof terraces and converted period buildings in quaint streets. Easy to navigate and with a consistently strong rental market, the area is within close proximity to The City offering convenient access to London's financial district.

LDG West End: Past, Present and Future

With 20 years experience and a wealth of West End knowledge, we've witnessed many changes over the past two decades, in both the local property market and our own personal growth as central London's bespoke estate agent.

Mobile phones were the size of bricks when it all began back in January 1987 and Clare Moll left her life as an opera singer to join forces with Laurence Glynn and found LDG.

Originally established at 57 Queen Anne Street, LDG resided there until 1989 before moving to the nearby 70 Marylebone Lane location until 1995. 50 South Molten Street was home until 2001, and then in 2002 we relocated to our current corner at 39 Foley Street, Fitzrovia.

Over the years LDG's opinion has been sought by various prestigious publications including The Telegraph and Home and Property, with several featured articles personally penned by partner Laurence Glynn.

We are also regularly requested for our opinion by LBC and various London radio stations, and have featured in television interviews and all aspects of the media.

We have an extensive client base which includes celebrities, royals, property developers and investors, and much of our business is by personal recommendation.

West End Housing Associations and Planned Communities

If you are considering buying a home in a planned community, be sure that you understand the owners' association rules.

These covenants usually cover a wide range of subjects, including exterior paint, parking or where you can walk your dog, and sometimes even the kind of shrubs or flowers you may plant.

Such restrictions are attractive to many home owners because they don't have to worry about their neighbors doing things that they find offensive.

If you are an individualist, however, and don't want community interference in your lifestyle, such restrictions could cramp your lifestyle.

Be sure that you read and understand the rules and regulations governing a planned community before you make an offer on a property

West End Apartments: Best West End Apartmnet Blocks

MEDIA HAVEN:
West One House Apartments
Address: Wells Street,
Fitzrovia, London W1
Porter: Weldhu

This modern purpose apartment built block by Berkeley Homes resides on the original site of ITN. Steeped in television history West One House has maintained a huge attraction in media-friendly Fitzrovia, offering a broad variety of regular flats, duplexes, penthouses and town residences. With high security parking and within a short stroll of Oxford Circus, West One House is the ultimate pad for prime West End living.

IN GOOD CARE:
York House Apartments
Address: Berners Street, Soho,
London W1
Porter: Brian

A former nurse's home, York House has been craftily converted by Berkeley Homes into a luxury block of 47 one, two and three bedroom apartments. This reincarnation was completed in March 1997 and what was originally predominately a foreign investor's market has now grown to accommodate a broad-spectrum of buyers. Located near the flamboyant design hotel The Sanderson, York House is also close to the Italian coffee houses and ethnic restaurants of Soho.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK:
Soho Lofts
Address: Wardour Street,
Soho
Porter: Frank

London's über-hip Soho abode boasts modern Manhattan-style loft apartments in this historic West End quarter. Sold as serviced shells each unit boasts stripped wood floors, halogen lighting and exposed brickwork providing a blank canvas for the influence of individual panache. Situated in the heart of Soho with its vibrant night life this is the perfect property investment for the professional purchaser seeking a bespoke London habitat.

BOHEMIAN GRANDEUR:
Bedford Court Mansions
Address: Bedford Avenue,
Bloomsbury
Porter: Colin

Centrally located in a charming tree-lined avenue nearby to Bedford Square, this immensely popular mansion block is within striking distance of all of the attractions of the West End. Bedford Court Mansion's prestigious portered red brick building emulates elegance and character and always achieves strong market prices. This exclusive Victorian residence is situated close to the British Museum in Bloomsbury, an area rich in literary associations, academic institutions and refined Bohemian character.

PARAMOUNT PICTURE:
Paramount Court Apartments
Address: University Street,
Fitzrovia / Bloomsbury borders
Porter: George

This classical and prominently situated 1930s block in the heart of the West End's medical and academic centre is extremely popular. Located on the corner of Tottenham Court Road this is a truly distinctive building and a local landmark in this eminently respectable district. The entrance lobby dictates period tones and is serviced by two lifts leading to common areas which provide a bonus of laundry rooms. This is a charismatic apartment block full of character which wouldn't look out of place in Alfred Hitchcock's spy-chase thriller '39 Steps'.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT:
Harlequin House Apartments
Address: Tavistock Place, Covent Garden
Porter: Patrick

Adjacent to the packed performance zone of Covent Garden's piazza, Harlequin House resides in London's vibrant Theatreland amidst a hive of activity. What was once the largest fruit and vegetable market in England is now the capital's premier entertainment district, and this atrium style portered apartment block is in a prime location to live and invest in the West End.

LDG: top 10 letting agencies in southern England

“Busy West End residential lettings specialists LDG

(http://195.157.208.237/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.ldg.co.uk) have found success in being nominated by their clients to be placed within the top 10 letting agencies in southern England” says Ben Everest of LDG, “We are an independent agency who are constantly competing against some large chains, but with a successful and proven reputation, due to our positive results, our client large base has voted for what they see as a smooth and successful central London lettings operation.”

The competition, The Estate Agent and Letting Agent Awards 2008, was a national competition that was backed by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, RICS. Unlike many of the competitions that are judged by a panel of so called experts success in this competition relied solely on the confidential feedback of clients and applicants.

Property Sales: Fitzrovia, Soho, Covent Garden, Bloomsbury and Marylebone

When you are involved in the process of buying a home, it is safe to assume that you will probably find one that you like, make an offer, and purchase it.

There are many steps along the way, and more and more buyers in the market today want guarantees.

Inspections by structural engineers and environmental specialists often turn up something wrong with the property you want to buy.

Many sales have been halted or delayed because asbestos or lead was found on the property.

If a problem has been found with the property you want to buy, ask yourself two questions:
1) Can the problem be fixed?
2) If so, what will it cost to repair it?

Other problems could keep you from purchasing a property, such as the house is located under electro-magnetic power lines.or a Night Club is to be built next door.

We can also give you any information you need about nearby public transportation, schools, shopping, and recreational facilities.

Fitzrovia:Colville Place, London W1T

Lined with charming houses all graced by ornamental stone pots and urns filled with greenery, this secluded Georgian court of about 1765 links Charlotte and Whitfield Streets and was laid out by a carpenter named John Colville.

Today its grassy picnic area is packed in the summer months by West End workers soaking up the sun, or shoppers seeking a place of quiet repose from nearby Tottenham Court Road. Rarely do properties come on the market in this picturesque passageway. The last to do so sold for £1.2 million, and today it would easily exceed this value.Middleton Place, W1W

This quaint and quiet pedestrianised thoroughfare is neatly tucked away between Great Titchfield and Great Portland Streets in the heart of enchanting Fitzrovia: an area which is being hailed as 'the new Notting Hill'.

Lying just off Langham and Riding House Streets, Middleton Place is characterised by attractive, Georgian townhouses overlooked at its Langham Street entrance by the charming Victorian tavern The Yorkshire Grey. A three bedroom house has been on the market recently for £1.4 mill.