Buying a house on a particular street

A young family came to us seeking help with their search which consisted of a very specific geographic area. They led very busy lives, so were short of time to look for themselves, and needed to secure a new home within walking distance of the school they had selected for their children.

The Search: The family had 3 children attending the same school but, as they were at differing stages, that often meant collecting them all separately over the course of an afternoon. The brief was to find a spacious, period home within walking distance of the school and within walking distance of the city centre amenities.

Soon after the search commenced it was established that, to obtain the type of property required within the right geographical area there was only one street that could provide the solution. Garrington immediately started proactive work on approaching relevant local contacts and were able to approach 5 properties on the street directly. This led to obtaining access to two suitable properties. A local agent also informed Garrington of a suitable property having just valued it. The property consultant viewed it that day and the client viewed the house 48 hours later. It was immediately obvious that this property fitted the brief perfectly and Garrington were instructed to secure it on behalf of their client.

Negotiation: Having exclusive access to the property meant a window of opportunity to secure the house with no competitive interest. Having carried out detailed research on the property the search consultant confirmed that the guide price was fair and that the house would sell well on the open market. The clients were very keen to secure the house and a strong initial offer was submitted along with evidence to support the excellent position the client was in. A counter bid was put forward by the agent and a sale price between the two figures was agreed.

Value delivered: A delighted client had a choice of property on an ‘off market’ basis and was able to swiftly and simply secure their ideal property which was only a few yards from the children’s school. As is often the case of buying a best-of-breed property prior to a full marketing campaign the opportunity for negotiation was slim but Garrington ensured that the price agreed represented a saving of more than the cost of the service which effectively made it self-financing.