Examples of Flats We Have Purchased

Short lease flat

Clock Court, Wanstead

A flat in a Grade II listed converted building, with 72 years left on the lease and in need of modernisation. The lease had already dropped below the 80-year mark, the point where extending it starts to cost noticeably more, and any updating work that altered the character of the building, inside or out, would need listed building consent on top of the usual permissions.

The seller lived in Asia, so we worked around the time difference and completed within weeks.

London E11 · Cash purchase

Studio flat

David Close, Hayes

A studio flat very close to Heathrow Airport: you could see the runway from the window and hear the planes taking off. Aircraft noise like that puts some buyers off, and the seller had already tried to sell through an estate agent without success.

We bought with cash, giving the seller a straightforward sale with no fees to pay.

London UB3 · Cash purchase

Poor condition flat

Downs Park Road, Hackney

The seller needed a quick sale of a flat in poor condition, or she risked losing her onward purchase. We exchanged in 10 days, and she moved without delay.

Ten days is unusually fast for a leasehold flat, and it was only possible because the groundwork was already done. Her earlier sale to a first-time buyer had fallen through at a late stage, so the management pack and replies to enquiries were already in place. We picked up where the previous buyer left off rather than starting from scratch.

London E5 · Cash purchase

Very short lease flat

Westbourne Court, Paddington

An unmodernised flat with under 9 years remaining on the lease, sold by an executor who lived hundreds of miles away in the far north of the UK. With a lease that short, extending it before a sale would have meant a large premium and months of delay, and managing that from a distance was not appealing. Convenience mattered more than price.

We bought the flat as it stood, short lease and all, and provided a fee-free sale with no complications. That gave the seller peace of mind without needing to travel back and forth.

London W2 · Cash purchase

Micro-studio flat

Tournay Road, Fulham

At 16 square metres (175 sq ft), this was a really small flat. It had started life as a bathroom and was converted into a studio many years ago. Most lenders will not mortgage a flat this size, so the pool of buyers is limited to people paying cash.

The seller had used it as a pied-a-terre, a small base in town, and no longer needed it. After talking to estate agents and weighing up his options, he chose to sell to us for a hassle-free sale at a fair price.

London SW6 · Cash purchase

Rising ground rent

Torrent Close, Tamworth

A purpose-built flat with a ground rent that rose by £150 every ten years. A fixed step like that is milder than a doubling clause, but lenders still look at where the rent will end up over the life of a mortgage. The seller held a small portfolio of buy-to-let flats and decided to sell this one when the tenant moved out.

Tamworth is slightly outside our usual area (we mostly buy in London), but we are happy to consider flats across England and Wales for sellers who need a sale they can count on.

Birmingham B77 · Cash purchase

Missing lease

Boston Court, Sutton

The seller lived overseas and had come into this two-bedroom flat through an heir hunter: a firm that traces the relatives entitled to an unclaimed estate. The flat needed updating, and worse, the lease was missing and HM Land Registry held no copy. After two years of trying to sell elsewhere, the seller came to us.

We put the title right through a surrender and regrant, where the freeholder issues a fresh lease in place of the lost one, and exchanged within a matter of weeks.

London SM2 · Cash purchase

Short lease flat

Astra Court East, Hornchurch

A one-bedroom flat with 50 years left on the lease and in need of modernisation. The seller wanted a straightforward sale and that is what we gave them. Short lease flats that need work are the flats we buy most often.

London RM12 · Cash purchase

Section 20 notice

Osborne Place, Sutton

The seller lived overseas and approached us about her short lease flat. The lease carried some unusual restrictions, and a section 20 notice (formal notice that the freeholder plans major works and will charge leaseholders for them) only surfaced during conveyancing.

Even with a slow managing agent, we completed within 7 weeks of first contact: not bad, from a cold start, for a leasehold flat with complications.

London SM1 · Cash purchase

Doubling ground rent

High Street, Harborne

A one-bedroom flat in very good condition, but with a high ground rent that doubled at set intervals. Doubling clauses worry lenders, which shrinks the pool of buyers. The seller wanted a quick sale once the tenant had moved out, and we completed very soon after the flat was empty.

Birmingham B17 · Cash purchase

Could Your Flat Be Next?

The ten flats above are a small sample of those we have bought over more than 20 years. Many had short leases. Some needed a lot of work. A few could not be mortgaged at all.

If your flat has a problem like these, or any other complication that puts off ordinary buyers, we can probably help. The same goes if there is nothing wrong with the flat and you simply want a more straightforward sale. Call us for a chat, or request a free valuation online.