When selling directly is the cleaner option
LDN Properties has been buying houses and flats directly across London since 2003. Several situations tend to come up regularly when homeowners look at a direct cash sale as an alternative to the open market.
Divorce and separation are among the more difficult situations homeowners face, and the practical demands of selling through an estate agent — repairs, viewings, chain delays — can be hard to coordinate at a time when both parties typically need the matter resolved cleanly. A direct sale to LDN Properties usually completes within a few weeks of an accepted offer, with a fixed completion date and no chain, and we are typically happy to consider properties in any condition.
Other personal circumstances bring sellers to us in similar numbers. Relocation for work — whether across the country or abroad — leaves homeowners coordinating a sale at distance, and a direct cash buyer removes the risk of a chain collapsing after the move. Financial difficulty, including the risk of repossession, is another situation where a known buyer and a known completion date can make a material difference.
We are also typically happy to consider probate sales, flats with shorter leases, and properties that need refurbishment. In each case the priority for most owners is completion certainty rather than chasing the very top of the open market.
The St Giles property market
The property landscape in St Giles is shaped by its position at the junction of the West End and Bloomsbury, with stock concentrated along streets such as St Giles High Street, Denmark Street, Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road. The area was largely rebuilt during the late nineteenth century slum clearances and the construction of the Charing Cross Road and Shaftesbury Avenue, leaving a stock of late-Victorian and Edwardian mansion blocks above ground-floor retail. Twentieth century redevelopment added post-war office buildings, several of which have been converted to residential use, and the more recent Central Saint Giles scheme on St Giles High Street brought new-build apartments to the area.
This mix brings several considerations that are worth understanding when selling. Many of the older mansion blocks above commercial premises carry leases granted in the post-war decades that are now sitting between 60 and 95 years remaining, and anything below 80 years brings the property into marriage value territory under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993. A number of buildings carry Grade II listed status, particularly along Denmark Street, which may require listed-building consent for internal works that affect historic fabric. Our guide to selling a short lease flat covers the options. Section 20 major works notices and EWS1 cladding requirements can also surface during the conveyancing process on larger blocks.
Recent Land Registry transactions across the WC2H and surrounding postcodes typically show studio and one-bedroom flats clearing between £450,000 and £700,000 depending on aspect and floor, two-bedroom flats commonly between £800,000 and £1.3 million, and larger period flats above £1.5 million. Pricing varies considerably depending on listed status, lease length and whether the property sits above retail or in a purely residential building.
