Media pimped homes for sale - monitor thread

dopester

Somehow I missed hearing the part where he said his £4m house was on the market. VT had switched from the depressing nursing/care home, to unexpectedly following them driving upto this huge mansion house of his.... and then it filled with expensive looking gear.

I was a bit knocked-out by the gulf in his personal gain/wealth and standards, to that of his employees and the lack of little extras for the distressed looking residents sat in the main day-room for hours and hours.

So:

@27:50:

Robin Cannon had started off in retail. Six years ago he bought a series of care homes off the shelf, at a time when rising property values and 30% profit margins made them a lucrative business to be in.

And now his heavy borrowing wasn't looking like such a good idea, and Thornfield had turned from cash cow into financial burden. Like many care home investors Robin now found himself in financial trouble and risked losing his business as well as his 4 million pound home. (VT switches to his exterior view of his manor house, with top end cars outside - then continues for a tour of it's plush interior he shows off proudly)

Immediately onto:

Robin Cannon: This is the great hall.

Gerry Robinson: Gosh. Super. An absolutely super room. Super house actually.

Robin Cannon: It is a fantastic house. We are very privileged to be here, but er, it has to be the casualty as well. It's on the market. We've got to sell it. We've got to put the funds into the business to keep the business going.

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fc123 wrote: »

It looked a bit like this. I have searched Kent and Surrey so far (how many expensive houses are there in Surrey?? I had to go to p11.:rolleyes:)

Close-ish on the ID there fc. I had to compare carefully from the documentary to the listing. It's close but I think I've identified the correct one (below). I'm going to enjoy monitoring this media (BBC) featured house in the market. This being his main personal home, and not one of his care/nursing homes.

With nursing homes/care homes meeting changing conditions in the economy (fewer people get top money for homes when selling to go into care - or increased reluctance to sell at lower prices therefore perhaps more empty beds in care homes - so thanks fc for bringing it to this thread.)

This owner guy isn't evil or deliberately cruel... his care home seemed to be run to a basic standard to get passably by. I just strongly got the impression so much reach for absolute personal gain, came well above just a little bit of extra investment back to the business which could have led to a big leap in improved standards for residents and staff. As well as for the benefit of the business itself, with demand for places as it hadn't been full to capacity for 2 years, and his own peace of mind. Instead he's got £4m own home and the cars and whatever else.

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Thus:







Rightmove link (Knight Frank): Guide Price £3,950,000
Rightmove link (Savills): Guide Price £3,950,000

PB Main Info: (As per earliest initial entry from the 2 RM listings)
30 October 2009: Price changed: from '£3,950,000' to 'Guide Price £3,950,000'
19 August 2009: Price changed: from 'Guide Price £4,500,000' to '£3,950,000'
26 April 2009: Initial entry found.
Other Info 1:

Newton House is Grade I listed.

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Update 18th December 2009: Just woke up to find a PM in my inbox regarding this house for sale from a lurker. Obviously they must know that I've got very limited knowledge of this area of the world. As they pm'd me in private I'm not sure they want their username associated with their overview on the main forum. There may be others who would take issue with their view of Yeovil and surrounding area. So I'll quote them anonymously.

I know exactly where it is. I've been to a party held there. Never met the owner though. Yeovil is locally referred to, fairly, as Y-awful, Yeo-vile or, less fairly, Yob-ville. It used to be beautiful but was bombed out in the war. Close to RNAS Yeovilton. Maybe that is why.

It's not a big town comparatively but it is a big rural town, in that you have a choice of supermarkets and a main line to London. No-one wants to live in Yeovil, but its convenient to live near. The centre is a could-be-anywhere post war build; some money has recently been invested in it.

That house is right near the site of another house called ''Alden,' which is where a large three day event runs. A few years ago that house was turned in to ''executive apartments''. There are a cluster of very similar beautiful homes around Yeovil. One of the Law Lords lives in one, about 3 miles away. Stoford is an ugly little village and a trap of cold.

Update 19th October 2010: New Rightmove (Knight Frank) link: Guide Price £3,650,000
28th October 2010: 23 October 2010: Price changed: from 'Guide Price £3,650,000' to 'Guide Price £3,975,000'

Generali

dopester wrote: »

A few pounds more in pay + fair working conditions, can often get a lot more trust, staff productivity, shines out to prospective customers resulting in more orders ect (I'm thinking of those care homes particularly).

Sorry to pick up on this bit (and I realise it's not the point of the thread so tell me to butt out if you want) but my experience as both a low paid employee and as an employer of low-ish and highly paid staff is that the decent treatment matters much more than the money.

I used to work in a hotel many years ago and I often used to finish well after midnight and once at 6am! Staff dinner was 5.30pm I think so that was a long time to wait for the next meal and all there was for the staff was a vending machine selling crisps and chocolate which is hopeless.

We got a new manager who the first night he finished, leaving me to work on (as was usual) said to me, "Don't forget you mustn't help yourself from the fridge. The keys to it are hanging in reception", and smiled at me (before that the keys had been locked away). Being able to make a sandwich from a bit of cold roast beef or just to be able to grab an apple made a huge difference to how I felt about work and that was probably reflected in my attitude to the customers and it cost the company buttons. One repeat booking would have covered the cost over the course of a year.

kennyboy66_2

Generali wrote: »

Sorry to pick up on this bit (and I realise it's not the point of the thread so tell me to butt out if you want) but my experience as both a low paid employee and as an employer of low-ish and highly paid staff is that the decent treatment matters much more than the money.

Couldn't agree more

fc123

dopester wrote: »

Post edited/deleted by dopester. (Too lengthy and ranty about the owners of 2 of the care homes featured. The miserable conditions for residents and many low-paid caring staff. The comparison with the high rewards one owner pulled out during the boom). Thanks for the TV show link though fc.

It was good..should've kept it on despite being off topic (an MSE deadly sin).

Now my post won't fit into the thread....:o
But I'll do it anyway...

If you compare the passion and enthusiasm of the Dale Wintonesque care worker who set up his own home with Mr 4 million pound house Man, who bought the business 'off the shelf'', it really shows up the difference between running/owning a small business when the owner has a passion and belief in what he/she is doing and those that just do it for the profit. The ideal is a blend of both..the magic combination.

The best bit was that Dale Winton-esque man and his care home partner had a better, more profitable business. You could tell that they earn OK as she had had some very good yet subtle work done to her face.........check out the neck to see what I mean. A few thou at least.

Employed manager of council care home had a defeated, hang dog air about her......like she was just going through the motions, no passion, no connection (to her boss, Mr Patel nor her staff and residents)...the job seemed to be something to suffer to get the pay in her account each month.


Don't know if you watched the other Gerry Robinson trouble shooter progs that I posted onto Conrads pasty thread but this one was great. Pasty company (bought as going concern) and chair maker (4th generation to inherit business though I guessed a tragedy behind the scenes hence GR's involvement)....worth the time out.

You may be too young to recall John Harvey Jones progs in the late eighties..I have the book somewhere. Just looked on Amazon and no longer in print.....they were very informative/interesting esp if you want to run your own business.

And so true Gen about how to treat staff...I was appalled at the blousy (blowsy?) woman making out she was on top of her business by pulling them over half a loaf. It just showed her up.

Sorry to go off topic but it was on my mind today.

dopester

fc, the nice lady owner. I've since watched part2 of the documentary (even though it's a bit depressing) and that lady (Val) was on closeup @ 45minutes in for a while.

She obviously had a bit of money to spend on her hair-do and general appearance, but unlike you fc I don't know how to detect subtle work to neck or anything like that. It's not something I'd look for either, but when you're involved in fashion/beauty business I guess you'd be a lot more alert to it.

I'm not fussed what people spend a bit of their hard-earned on really, when they are providing a quality in-demand service which brings in their income. Maybe better her spending £10K from a substantial savings account balance on a nip-tuck (if you're comfortable with whatever risks are involved) if it makes her happy, rather than upsizing from a £1m house to a £2m house in the boom (guess), with loads more debt. Then later forced to try and sell top-end house at £4m when the bubble has really burst at the top, for homes like that in that location.

Totally agree with you on the other points. And agree with Generali and Kennyboy. I did say pay + fair working conditions. £4m houses full of nice gear, Merc with private plate, holidays... but trying to squeeze everything out of the people who actually are deeply involved in running your business? It was ridiculous.

I'll check out that other link re the pasty company documentary later, and have a search for JHJ's book (I didn't see any of the TV business involvement progs he did, but do know about them.)

dopester

A year before this Daily Mail story ran in October 2009, revealing the house below as having been selected to be the home for the contestants in the next series of The Apprentice - NDG brought it to our attention on the forum.

Unless there is an even older Rightmove entry, from NDG's link to it's old Rightmove link (now inactive - was via Knight Frank), we know it started off with a £15 million asking price.

On that listing there was only one change in price: PB logs it at: 23 January 2009: Price changed: from '£15,000,000' to '£12,500,000'

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

That's nothing, have a look at this terrace in WC1 up for £15 million!

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-23096393.rsp?pa_n=1&tr_t=buy

dopester wrote: »

The blue fluorescent lighting in the kitchen reminds me of a barried-up Nova.

Thus:

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Daily Mail: Sell this or you're fired: The
£11m townhouse that next year's
Apprentice hopefuls will call home
By Fred Redwood
Last updated at 9:31 AM on 16th October 2009




Andrew Meikle and Alexandra Eavis in the kitchen of their £15m renovated Georgian property

When the next series of The Apprentice is broadcast in March 2010, a really challenging task would be to see whether the contestants can sell the house they are all living in.

Over the previous five series of the hit BBC1 show, the would-be entrepreneurs have been accommodated in some of the swankiest houses in London.

The Apprentice house for the 2010 series has just as much 'wow factor' as any of its predecessors.

But the story of this Bloomsbury house, near the British Museum, is far less serene than its classical exterior would suggest.

Once priced at £15million, it is now on the market for £11.25million.

Its owners are Alexandra Eavis, 31, and Andrew Meikle, 50, proprietors of a financial services company.

They paid £5million for the house in December 2006, before spending another £3.5million on the most lavish renovation imaginable, taking out a £4million bridging loan to do so.

' My idea was for us to create a house in Bloomsbury that you would pay £20million for in Mayfair or Kensington and I think we succeeded,' said Meikle last year before the couple signed a confidentiality agreement which prevents them speaking about the house.

'It hasn't sold yet but so what? I'm used to living my life by the turn of a card.'

Key Facts:
Price: £11.25m

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>> 'My idea was for us to create a house in Bloomsbury that you would pay £20million for in Mayfair or Kensington and I think we succeeded<< :rolleyes:

Rightmove link (Savills): Guide Price £11,250,000
The only PB info for this one is the initial entry (04 August 2009: Initial entry found) , but we know it's previously been tried via KF on Rightmove for £15m.
Update 20th April 2010: Relisted on Rightmove (Savills): Guide Price £11,250,000

dopester

Daily Mail:
Our 25-year restoration drama in the Cotswolds
By Emma Mahony
Last updated at 4:15 PM on 26th October 2009
GL56 9AE

Not many couples would dedicate 25 years to restoring their family home to period perfection. But for Richard and Monique Paice of Bourton House in the Cotswolds it has paid off.

The couple have turned their seven-bedroom property, which dates from the Tudor period, into a thriving business with three holiday-let cottages in the grounds, a tithe barn they hire out for weddings and other events and an idyllic garden that is open to the public six months a year.

'We thought we had bitten off more than we could chew,' says Monique, 63, of the long transformation from neglect to splendour. 'And then we decided that we just had to keep chewing.'

The couple, who have a daughter, Adriana, 32, are now downsizing and moving 'three miles down the road' to a smaller property in a wing of a period house in the village of Blockley.

Monique's diagnosis with the progressive illness MS prompted them to move before they are forced to and the house is on the market for £4.5million.

Before the Paices arrived in 1984, the estate, with a main house, a 3,500 sq ft tithe barn, two stable cottages and a brewhouse, set in 11 acres, had been neglected.

It had been auctioned, with its contents, in 1953 and the subsequent six owners had moved on quickly, but not without leaving a mark on the house.

EA/Rightmove link: Standby for update. Not yet found any listing links, nor record of any transaction to suggest it has since sold.

dopester

Another bunker house, a bit like the Cheltenham GD spot-the-Frisbee competition couple built - who have enough people tracking their bunker house and won't be overlooked for update info or any sales transaction price discovery if they ever sell. Begin the education.

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Daily Mail: The £7.2m dug-out: Luxury basement beneath
a Chelsea garden that critics say undermines the neighbourhood
By Ross Clark
Last updated at 3:29 PM on 26th October 2009




Brave: Developer Robin Lister has invested £6m in the property

Developer Robin Lister then gave the house a luxurious finish, filling it with acres of walnut flooring and silk wallpaper - the latter costing, square metre for square metre, more than the marble in the bathrooms.

'With this sort of renovation project you either commit to doing it wholeheartedly or not at all,' says Lister.

Having paid £4.1million for the then tired old house in September 2007, Lister has since invested a further £2million in it.

If he gets close to the £7.25million he is now asking for the four-bedroom property, then - taking into account estate agents' and legal fees - he should just about manage to scrape a profit.

It would have helped, of course, if he hadn't chosen a year when the world's banking system nearly collapsed, taking with it the availability of cheap credit and sending property prices crashing.

'The figures don't add up to the same degree as I was hoping, I can't pretend that,' he says.

'But this scheme should still be profitable.'

KEY FACTS
Price: £7.25million

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Rightmove link (Knight Frank): £7,250,000
PB Main Info: 13 September 2009: Initial entry found.
Update 01 March 2010: PB logged price change on 19th Feb 2010 = Price changed: from '£7,250,000' to '£6,950,000'
Update 21 March 2010: PB logged price change on 03rd March 2010 = Price changed: from '£6,950,000' to '£6,750,000'
Update 03 May 2010: Additional Rightmove link (Strutt & Parker): £6,750,000
Update 15th September 2010:Price changed: from '£6,750,000' to '£6,450,000'

http://www.houseprices.co.uk/e.php?q=Paultons+Square%2C+Chelsea

fc123

dopester wrote: »

Another bunker house, a bit like the Cheltenham GD spot-the-Frisbee competition couple built - who have enough people tracking their bunker house and won't be overlooked for update info or any sales transaction price discovery if they ever sell. Begin the education.

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Daily Mail: The £7.2m dug-out: Luxury basement beneath
a Chelsea garden that critics say undermines the neighbourhood
By Ross Clark
Last updated at 3:29 PM on 26th October 2009




Brave: Developer Robin Lister has invested £6m in the property
KEY FACTS
Price: £7.25million

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Rightmove link (Knight Frank): £7,250,000
PB Main Info: 13 September 2009: Initial entry found.

Dear me...who does he think he is? James Bond? This man needs a stylist pronto. Tuck in only works if the tummy is young and flat...only my shallow humble opinion of course.:o

I think he's going to lose a few quid on this venture.

lostinrates

fc123 wrote: »

Dear me...who does he think he is? James Bond? This man needs a stylist pronto. Tuck in only works if the tummy is young and flat...only my shallow humble opinion of course.:o

I think he's going to lose a few quid on this venture.

Tuck in of shirt? I disagree, I think an untucked shirt can really highlight a man's pot belly, I think its generally pretty unflattering TBh, unless the shirt is fitted, which can look a bit try hard. I think a belly can diappear in the ''blouson'' bit of a properly tucked then arms lifted shirt. If you mean the jacket pockets I agree.

But most of all, that ....pose...I dipped my hands in the water and it was too cold...or.....holding in the BO smell....eitherway...no good. Sorry if he's reading:o