How the prime central London market actually works: the off-market, flagship retail, buying through a family office, the tax and the neighbourhoods, and what an adviser does and does not do. Written by Aldo Attanasio d’Aponte.
What a buying agent actually does in prime central London, from the brief to the keys, why the best stock never reaches the portals, and how the fee is earned.
How an American buyer purchases a home in London from abroad, what differs from the US system, and why a buyer’s agent on the ground changes the outcome.
A buyer’s guide to Kensington, London W8: the streets and mansion blocks that matter, what homes cost, what to check before you offer and where the value is.
Leasehold and freehold explained for London buyers: what each tenure means, what a lease costs, how reform is changing the rules and what to check first.
How buying agent fees work in London, how Arbitrage charges (a success fee on exchange, no retainer), and why the fee is usually the cheapest part of the deal.
A buyer’s guide to Notting Hill in London: the streets and garden squares that hold value, what homes cost, and how to buy before a home is advertised.
What overseas buyers should know before buying a London pied-à-terre: where to look, stamp duty and surcharges, financing from abroad and running it remotely.
How Stamp Duty Land Tax works on a London purchase in 2026: the bands, second-home and overseas surcharges, company purchases and what a buyer can plan for.
Buying agent or estate agent in London: who each one works for, what a buying agent does that a seller’s agent cannot, and when it is worth hiring one.
A buyer-side guide to Marylebone in central London: the streets, the housing stock, what it costs against Mayfair, and how to buy in a discreet market.
A buyer-side guide to Mayfair, London: the streets, the building types, what prices look like, what to check before you offer and how homes change hands.
What the Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings is, who pays it on London property, the 2026/27 bands, the reliefs, and what it means for a company purchase.
