New year, old problems for the doer-upper
Alan Page was for many years an award winning advertising creative director and founder of his own successful agency. More recently he has served on the boards of various marketing businesses and acted as a property buying agent in the South of France. He has owned numerous homes in London, Paris and Saint Tropez and has now turned his hand to small prime central London property development.
The Doer-Upper goes bargain hunting in St Tropez
Buying a house in France is one thing, says Alan Page; owning it under Monsieur Hollande's regime is quite another. Which means that Riviera brokers' books are bulging with unsold second homes;
By Alan Page
The Doer-Upper Diary: A cracking party
It's not the neighbours that are driving doer-upper Alan Page up the (party) wall in Kensington; it's the surveyors...
By Alan Page
The Big Lemon: The Doer Upper’s letter from Amalfi
Surrounded by lemons on Italy's Amalfi coast, Alan Page reflects on what the EU Referendum result means for London...
By Alan Page
Most read
Lomond recruits Druce & Foxtons alumnus as new COO
Neil McGimpsey succeeds Lucy Jones, who is stepping down after a five-year stint.
Strutt & Parker brings in Madison for PCL expansion drive
Heritage estate agency recruits top-end operator -Â the latest in a run of high-profile hires - to extend prime market coverage as part of 'ambitious' growth strategy.
Investor-developer acquires 86-unit PCL portfolio for £28mn
'A few years ago, you simply wouldn’t have seen assets of this quality and in these locations pricing at that level,' said Leufroy, which has exchanged on a quartet of buildings in Notting Hill & Kensington.
Deal sealed on £17.5mn Cadogan Square restoration project
Rare unmod opp on the famous garden square could become one of RBKC’s finest residences, say agents.
Barnes joins UK Sotheby’s International Realty as Senior Director
Well-known dealmaker Simon Barnes has signed to George Azar & Alex Isidro's team in PCL.
By PrimeResi
Harding Green acquires boutique NW London agency
Laurence Leigh Residential has been running since 2007.
By PrimeResi
Prime London property market heading for ‘worst year since Covid’
18% fewer £5mn+ sales have been recorded in London this year compared to 2024, while no deals have gone through above £50mn.
By PrimeResi
Luxury brokerage flags tight supply & strong deal flow in Mayfair
UK Sotheby’s International Realty reports unusually competitive conditions in the historic neighbourhood after completing £172mn of transactions.
Agency lists 1/8th share of Mayfair penthouse for £1.05mn
Fractional ownership is catching on with PCL buyers, says Russell Simpson, as a share in a 'sublime' duplex on historic Queen Street goes on the market.
Prime London buyers resurface after Budget clarity – but vendors beat a retreat
Property sales spiked as uncertainty lifted in November, according to LonRes, though supply-side trends point to a cautious year-end.
LATEST ARTICLES
RBKC signs off on £10bn Earls Court scheme
Decision completes dual-borough backing for the transformation of central London's biggest cleared development site.
Branded Residences: Louis Keighley on what’s still missing from the sector
Savills' Global Residential Development Consultancy chief identifies three big opportunities in the rapidly expanding branded resi arena...
Forecast: Prime regional markets to rebound as ‘normality resumes’ in 2026
Jackson-Stops anticipates a more settled year for top-end property markets in the coming year.
By PrimeResi
Prime London Property Market Snapshot: Week 50, 2025
Our latest LonRes data confirms prime London's weakest year since the pandemic, with little sign of a post-Budget bounce in buying activity.
By PrimeResi
House price growth slowed in October, with London values down 2.4% on the year – UK HPI
'This October data captures the fridge rather than the freezer stage of the pre-Budget chill,' comments one top buying agent.
By PrimeResi