Media pimped homes for sale - monitor thread

dopester

fc123 wrote: »

I was thinking, as you refferred to an ex poster...IF big inflation kicks in over the coming decade, won't these prices then seem quite cheap in real terms? Pobby wrote about buying to the max in the 70's as inflation wiped out some of the debt in real terms?

You know I'm not a believer in perpetual inflation fc. Unless you'd like to explain where the inflation is going to come from? I don't see much by way of inflationary threat upon us. Inflation could be forced of course, to bail out debtors, ruin creditors, ruin the economy - imo.

I'm absolutely convinced of deflation. There is no point my going over all my supporting deflationary evidence in this thread, because I'm sure many people are sick of my repeating deflation warnings.

We each have our own decisions to make and I've made mine.

That isn't to say that even if I'm correct I don't fear being punished for it. The deflationary abyss I believe we're looking into could see long-term savers who've waited take a big hit as well as causing problems for those dependent on high house prices, or who have run their credit to the limit for a whole-hog bet on further inflation.

dopester

Daily Mail
It's sale of the season time again when footballers kick start the property market
By Graham Norwood
Last updated at 7:46 PM on 10th December 2009
KT13 0LX

Surrey gem: This £7.5million mansion from John D Wood would suit a footballer

(New home)
Rightmove link: £7,500,000
PB Main info:
13 November 2009: Price changed: from '£7,950,000' to '£7,500,000'
07 March 2009: Initial entry found.Rightmove other EA link ('John D Wood': PB Initial entry found 13 Nov 2009):

(New home)
Rightmove link Blundellsands, Liverpool (EA: Savills): Guide Price £3,600,000
PB Main info:
11 July 2009: Price changed: from '£3,600,000' to 'Guide Price £3,600,000'
15 May 2009: Initial entry found.

Rightmove link Hyde Park house: £6,250,000
PB Main info:
29 June 2009: Initial entry found.
(Other EA listings for same house on RM: two and three)

dopester

Telegraph
Period property: Paramour Grange for sale
An unassuming exterior conceals a fascinating history – and decor that will never need updating, says Bernice Davison.
By Bernice Davison
Published: 7:00AM GMT 08 Dec 2009

For the past 14 years, the six-bedroom grange has been the family home of Angela and Andrew Hopper and their three children.

Paramour Grange is for sale at £980,000 through Strutt & Parker

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****Also this house has been media-featured for sale at least once before, in the Times, back in August 2009.

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From The Times
August 28, 2009
Historic homes: Paramour Grange near Canterbury
This medieval gem of a farmhouse has five bedrooms and beautiful gardens

The present owners, Angela and Andrew Hopper, bought the house 13 years ago in rundown condition. Today it is ready to move into, freshly painted, all repairs attended to and with a newly planted Jacobean-style knot garden, laid out with neatly clipped geometric box hedges. Angela Hopper says: “It’s my husband’s creation. He wanted to go to horticultural college but was swept into a career in office design.”

Ahh yes. Office design. Bet there is plenty of well paid opportunity in that sector now, or in horticultural work also.

The Hoppers are leaving because Angela wants to be nearer her mother in Rochester. They are moving to one of the early 18th-century houses next to the cathedral, where restoration is nearing completion.

Fast facts
What it is Grade II* listed farmhouse with five bedrooms and outbuildings in 1.25 acres.
Chesterton Humberts. £1.1 million

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Thus, as of today, 11th December 2009.
Rightmove link: Guide Price £980,000
PB Main Info: 10 November 2009: Initial entry found.
Update 24th May 2010: PB 15 May 2010: * Price changed: from 'Guide Price £980,000' to 'Guide Price £915,000'
Update 11th June 2010: PB 09 June 2010: * Price changed: from 'Guide Price £915,000' to 'Guide Price £850,000'

dopester

Telegraph:
Property in London's suburbs: welcome to Superbia
As we emerge from the recession, the suburban dream will be stronger than ever, says Caroline McGhie
Published: 7:05AM GMT 03 Nov 2009


The good life: this five-bedroom home in Hadley Wood is a welcome escape. Savills, £1.795m

The Warner family lives at the northern end of the Piccadilly Line in a five-bedroom house in Lancaster Avenue, Hadley Wood. The four children have been able to grow up in the hinge between town and country, in roads peopled by footballers and celebrities, close to a fine golf course and active tennis club. “We are lucky because we are in the green belt but on the edge of London and the schools are great,” Mario Warner says.

This is the modern suburb – smart, prosperous and number one choice for people like Amy Winehouse, who has just moved into the neighbourhood, as well as Mario, a former director of Warner Brothers. He is selling his big family house, built in the Fifties, with five bedrooms and an annexe through Savills (020 9447 4400) at £1.795m. Expensive it may be, but this is how successful some suburbs have become. “It is the dream place,” Mario says.

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Go on then. Don't let me stop you buying this dream place for £1.795m.

Obviously some people would still champion it as a dream place bargain (the "buy a house at any price" sorts - "renting is a waste" of money types, "If you have the money then why not" justifiers) when the seller wanted a mere £405,000 more for it, almost 2 years ago.

Rightmove link 1 (Savills): Guide Price £1,795,000
PB Main Info:
10 July 2009: Price changed: from '£1,795,000' to 'Guide Price £1,795,000'
27 May 2009: Initial entry found.

Rightmove link 2 (Statons): £1,795,000
PB Main Info:
21 May 2009: Price changed: from '£1,895,000' to '£1,795,000'
29 September 2008: Price changed: from '£1,999,950' to '£1,895,000'
15 July 2008:Price changed: Offers in Excess of £2,000,000 £1,999,950
29 February 2008: Price changed: £2,200,000 Offers in Excess of £2,000,000
05 January 2008: Initial entry found.

Update 20th April 2010: Price changed: from 'Guide Price £1,795,000' to 'Guide Price £1,695,000'
update 3rd August 2010: New Rightmove listing (Statons): £1,695,000

dopester

I have to keep tabs on this one. Want to see what the 35 year old ex-director of the HBOS-backed ("house prices treble every 10 years bank") Imagine Homes gets for it in the end.

What I don't get is, even if you accept those in the "property-game" who were backed by banks, did manage to pay themselves fantastic salaries during the boom years.... £13 million is still a great deal of money to acquire or be playing around with. Or rather, to be sunk into one big home to redevelop. I can't find out much about this director. His previous employment (City?) or whether he has family wealth ect. Then more £millions spent on top to do it up.

This house is not listed with any major EA or property portal. The website of Private Property Group don't feature it either (at least for the moment). Nevertheless I expect details will emerge if it does sell, especially if it sells towards the price which Mr.Taylor is expecting, after his improvements to the house, and given market conditions.

Maybe he could get lucky and sell it to a foreign government for an embassy residence or something. My guess would be he badly needs a few million over £13m as he's all-in, and is calmly fronting it as £25m good value 'because it's worth it' ect. That said, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to find HBOS lent his company all the wonga to buy/develop the property, with no comeback on him if it fails to sell, or goes deep into NE.

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From The Sunday Times
December 13, 2009
Grant Bovey partner spends millions to sell mansion

A former business associate of Grant Bovey, the failed buy-to-let entrepreneur, is selling London’s largest riverside private house for £25m — twice as much as the 300-year-old mansion was expected to fetch before the property crash.

James Taylor, 35, who was a director of Bovey’s Imagine Homes until the summer of 2008, is selling Gordon House, which he bought as a development opportunity in early 2007.

The mansion, in Richmond-upon-Thames, which has eight ensuite bedrooms and an underground car park for eight vehicles, is being sold by Private Property Group, Taylor’s investment and management company. Shortly before it was sold to Taylor, Octagon, the developer which then owned the property, valued it at about £13m. An adviser to Private Property initially said the price had risen partly because the renovation costs had exceeded expectations.

“The restoration that has been done to the house in the past two years has enhanced the value of the house,” said Taylor, who has shown it to four potential buyers

Standby for updates.

Update 3rd August 2010: Found listing.
Rightmove link (Featherstone Leigh): £15,000,000
Rightmove link (Knight Frank): Guide Price £15,000,000

fc123

dopester wrote: »

I have to keep tabs on this one. Want to see what the 35 year old ex-director of the HBOS-backed ("house prices treble every 10 years bank") Imagine Homes gets for it in the end.

What I don't get is, even if you accept those in the "property-game" who were backed by banks, did manage to pay themselves fantastic salaries during the boom years.... £13 million is still a great deal of money to acquire or be playing around with. Or rather, to be sunk into one big home to redevelop. I can't find out much about this director. His previous employment (City?) or whether he has family wealth ect. Then more £millions spent on top to do it up.

This house is not listed with any major EA or property portal. The website of Private Property Group don't feature it either (at least for the moment). Nevertheless I expect details will emerge if it does sell, especially if it sells towards the price which Mr.Taylor is expecting, after his improvements to the house, and given market conditions.

Maybe he could get lucky and sell it to a foreign government for an embassy residence or something. My guess would be he badly needs a few million over £13m as he's all-in, and is calmly fronting it as £25m good value 'because it's worth it' ect. That said, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to find HBOS lent his company all the wonga to buy/develop the property, with no comeback on him if it fails to sell, or goes deep into NE.

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From The Sunday Times
December 13, 2009
Grant Bovey partner spends millions to sell mansion



Standby for updates.

I can't believe that there is a customer out there for the above right now....esp one with 25 million spare.

dopester

fc123 wrote: »

I can't believe that there is a customer out there for the above right now....esp one with 25 million spare.

For logic, I agree with you fc, but I'm not going to rule out them finding a big money buyer either.

From what I gather, the area around this house (Gordon House) was to be developed with many new homes. Apartments and townhouses, but I've no idea whether they were all built. Imagine Homes/Imagine Private Clients were involved with 33 family homes or plots there. Priced between £2m-£4m (at the time).

As part of my research I followed up suspicions Imagine Homes having activity focussed around 'Gordon House' (London’s largest riverside private house). The two links below seemingly lead to blank imaginehomes news-archive pages. You can just highlight and drag into the black page to reveal what they've now blacked-out.

Before the crunch, I can 'imagine' some people believing that once such a new big-money development was completed, the centre home it was built around (Gordon House) would gain a lot more in value. So why not buy that early, do it up, and sell it on at a big premium to someone who'd be willing to pay insane money. That is my guess.

Snippets below.

imaginehomes Newsroom Press Coverage
28th January 2008

Luxury Living
Imagine Private Clients has built a property portfolio of more than £210 million since April 2007. Due to the increased demand for luxury property in London, the company has enjoyed rapid growth within its first year and the properties for sale on its books include some of the most exclusive in the capital. From high - end apartments to graded townhouses, Imagine Private Clients has the experience and expertise to find the ideal residence to suit each clients individual needs. Here are some of their most exciting addresses.

"Our acquisition of over £210 million worth of property in such a short period of time symbolises both the strength of the luxury residential sales market and our belief in it."
James Taylor, MD of Imagine Private Clients.

RICHMOND LOCK
Thirty three plots at Richmond Lock have been acquired from Octogon as part of a scheme in which 100 houses and apartments are to be built around grade two listed Italianate Gordon House. Attracting a mix of families and property investors, the Imagine Private Clients phase will comprise thirty three superior family homes. With prices ranging from £2 to £4 million, over a third of phase one has been sold and interested parties will need to be quick off the mark to purchase one of these properties.

imaginehomes Newsroom Press Coverage
4th November 2007

Mail on Sunday: Perfect Homes for Housewives from Anthea?

Whatever you may think about perky television presenter Anthea Turner, she is certainly versatile. The star of the domestic BBC show Perfect Housewife has now turned her attention to creating the perfect show home. The 47-year-old wife of property developer Grant Bovey has evidently been enjoying life as an interior designer - and claims she has more than 1,000 projects to her name.

This time, with a budget of £100,000, she is dressing the show home for one of the five-bedroom houses at Richmond Lock for her husband's company Imagine Private Clients. It is up for viewing today. This latest phase at Richmond Lock is part of a riverside development set in 14 acres of mature gardens in Richmond, West London, and built around the Grade II listed Italianate mansion Gordon House, once the home of Lord Kilmorey. [Dopester: And funnily enough, now belonging to James Taylor, or his side-controlled-company, or perhaps forced to take this obligation with him when leaving Imagine.] The four and five-bedroom townhouses don't come cheaply though - with price tags between £2 Million to £4 Million.

And just what has Anthea created? A home with a traditional feel - in keeping with the rest of the development with chic but comfortable bespoke British-made furniture and French fabrics in a neutral tone. While Anthea's efforts won't set the world on fire, she could easily give Linda Barker a run for her money. 'I wanted it to be both homely and stylish,' says Anthea, 'with chic comfortable furniture and contrasting textures and stylish accessories.'

Keith Scarratt of Imagine Private Clients says Anthea was their prefect choice 'not only because she has such a flair and individual style for interior decor, but she also has a wealth of experience in this field. And what happens if you would like Anthea to work her magic on your own home? 'If there were a client who wanted Anthea to dress a new home or holiday property, she would definitely be happy to consider,' says Scarratt.

dopester

Daily Mail: Hothouse property gossip: The £6.25m house with the X Factor
By Rachel Reilly
Last updated at 10:44 AM on 01st December 2009

Devotees of The X Factor may think they have died and gone to heaven when they hear that 15 West Heath Avenue, the modern house that this year's TV song contest finalists are sharing in Golders Green, North London, will soon be up for sale.

Until they hear the price. The luxury property will go on the market in January - after the competition has finished - for a whopping £6.25 million.

But despite the petty pop 'n' roll antics, the North London property is remarkably sophisticated. The sixbedroom house has a gym, media room, a suspended walkway from the kitchen out on to a landscaped garden, and a fingerprint entry system.

Robert Kramer, of Glentree Estates, said: 'It's a stunning property and before it was let to X Factor we had interest from a wide range of people - from footballers to families. It has many great features - I bet the contestants are using the meditation pool a lot.'

EA/Rightmove link: (Not yet found - awaiting listing details for the "X-Factory" house, and will update this post accordingly.)
Other info. Daily Mail: Builders lose thousands on glitzy X Factor house

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Update 15th December 2009: Extra info, but still awaiting proper sales listing details.
snippet:

Telegraph: What price for the X Factor house?
The owner of the X Factor house in Hampstead hopes publicity from the show will help it to sell next year.
Published: 11:56AM GMT 12 Dec 2009

Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that 15 West Heath Avenue in Hampstead, North London failed to sell 2008. It appeared on the market in the midst of the financial crisis when property prices were in free-fall, so it was hardly surprising that no one bit at the £6.25 million price tag. But almost as soon as developer Matthew Frayne took it off the market, it was talent spotted by Talk Back Thames, who asked if it could be used to house the contestants of ITV’s X Factor. Frayne jumped at the chance.

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Update 17th June 2010: X Factor house Rightmove (Knight Frank): Offers in Excess of £5,000,000
PB data: First found by PB with RM (Knight Frank) on 29th May 2010: £5,750,000
30 May 2010: Price changed: from '£5,750,000' to '£5,650,000'
08 June 2010: Price changed: Offers in Excess of £5,000,000
Update 10th September 2010: According to houseprices.co.uk, this property last sold for (to be redeveloped): 15, West Heath Avenue, London, Greater London, NW11 7QS = Sales Date: 06/09/2005 Price: £1,730,000 URL="http://www.houseprices.co.uk/e.php?q=West+Heath+Avenue%2C+london&s=11&n=10"]houseprices.co.uk linky[/URL
Update 28th Sept. 2010: New Rightmove (Knight Frank) link: Offers in Excess of £5,000,000

silvercar

Hadley Wood house is much better value at 1.75m than X-factor one at 6.25m.

Plus no risk of X-factor fans screaming at your door all night.

lostinrates

I used to really love Gordan House, but I had always thought it was apartments! I wouldn't say no to it, and despite distance/zones I'd rather live in Richmond than N. London equivalent personally.