Case Study: Stoke Newington, North London

The Story

Our client was looking at a number of areas including Hackney, Walthamstow, Forest Gate, Peckham, Brockley and Camberwell, so the initial focus was on finding as big a house as possible. After viewing the perfect house and initially being very excited about it, the client had reservations. We discussed it and concluded that the house was too far out, and that location must be more important to them than they initially thought. The search then pivoted from finding the biggest house, to finding the biggest possible house in the most central location. This meant searching in the highly competitive Hackney market, where the best houses were selling at open houses, with multiple offers over the asking price. We were there to advise and temper the chaos of the market, while fighting for the client every step of the way. It was our view that most houses were selling for significantly more than they were worth. The perfect house – reasonably priced – finally came along. It was in a great location, close to Stoke Newington and Highbury, and there was scope not only to pay a reasonable price, but to add value over time. During the bidding process, our understanding of the area and of values gave the client the confidence to offer a figure that was competitive, but still a sensible price that he wouldn’t regret when he sold it in the future.