Most Expensive Streets in London: What the Prices Really Mean for Buyers
Every year, a new list names the most expensive streets in London, and every year the lists disagree with each other. One ranking puts a quiet square in Belgravia at the top with an average price near £30 million. Another puts a road in Barnet at the top with anContinue Reading
Annual Running Costs of a Luxury London Home: The Full Bill, Line by Line
Buyers of prime London homes negotiate hard over the purchase price, then discover that the price was only the first bill. A luxury London home keeps charging every year: council tax, service charges, insurance, utilities, upkeep, and, for many owners, staff and management. None of these is large on itsContinue Reading
High-Value Home Insurance and Rebuild Cost for Luxury Homes
High-Value Home Insurance and Rebuild Cost for Luxury Homes Insure a £500,000 house for its market value and the error is usually small. Insure a £5 million house the same way and the error can be catastrophic. Market value and rebuild cost are two different numbers, and on a luxuryContinue Reading
Buying Off-Plan Luxury Property in London: The Risks, and How to Manage Them
Buying off-plan means buying a home that does not exist yet. You choose it from floor plans, a brochure and a show apartment, you exchange contracts months or years before completion, and you pay the balance when the developer says the building is ready. For a prime London buyer, especiallyContinue Reading
How Much Does a Luxury Interior Designer Cost in London?
A luxury interior designer in London does not sell a single product with a single price. One studio quotes by the hour, the next quotes a fixed fee per room, and a third charges a percentage of everything spent on the project. All three can be describing the same livingContinue Reading
Lease Extension Cost on a Prime London Flat: Marriage Value, the 80-Year Line and What to Pay
Lease Extension Cost on a Prime London Flat: Marriage Value, the 80-Year Line and What to Pay A prime London flat is rarely bought for the bricks alone. It is bought for the address, the building, the floor, the light, and, quietly, for the number of years left on itsContinue Reading
Total Cost of Buying a Luxury Property in the UK: Every Fee Beyond the Price
Ask a buyer what their new London home cost and they will quote the purchase price. Ask their solicitor the same question a month after completion and the answer will be several hundred thousand pounds higher. At prime price points the gap between the headline price and the true costContinue Reading
Double Taxation on UK Rental Income for Non-Residents: The Complete Guide
If you live outside the UK but earn rental income from a UK property, one question comes up again and again: will I be taxed twice on the same income? It is a reasonable fear. You are dealing with two tax systems, two filing deadlines and two sets of rules,Continue Reading
Monaco Residency Requirements for Property Buyers: The Complete Guide
Monaco combines one of the most expensive property markets in the world with one of the most discretionary residency systems in Europe. For overseas buyers, the two are closely connected: a Monaco address is a condition of residency, and the property you choose shapes the strength of your application. ButContinue Reading