International Clients
A service designed for clients acquiring, refurbishing or holding prime London property from abroad. Discreet acquisition support, remote reporting, time-zone-aware communication, and ongoing stewardship while the client is away.
Why international buyers instruct independently.
Buying prime London property from overseas is straightforward, until something is wrong with the building. The estate agent represents the seller. The mortgage valuation, where there is one, protects the lender. The buying agent is a commercial adviser, not a technical one.
Without independent technical advice, significant defects, future repair costs, alteration history and compliance gaps go unnoticed until after completion, at which point they become the buyer’s problem. Our entire engagement exists to surface those issues at the point they can still affect the deal.
During acquisition.
Independent inspection
We carry out the survey on your behalf, prepared to your timeline.
Plain-English report
A written report delivered as a PDF, suitable for forwarding to your legal and financial advisers.
Video walk-through
Where useful, a recorded walk of the property accompanied by a structured commentary.
Follow-up consultation
A video call with the inspecting surveyor, scheduled to your time zone.
During refurbishment.
Most newly-acquired prime London property is refurbished before occupation. For owners who are not in London, the practical challenge is straightforward: who is on site, in your interest, every week?
Client-side project management
We act for you, paid by you, against the contractor.
Weekly written reports
Photographs, progress, programme and spend, every week.
Variation control
Every change priced, approved and tracked.
Site visits
Weekly, more if required. Video walk-throughs alongside the written report.
Holding the property afterwards.
Once acquired and refurbished, prime property requires ongoing stewardship. Compliance items renew on a calendar. Maintenance items recur. Trades need direction. Our property and portfolio management engagement covers all of that, on a single annual fee, with quarterly written reporting.
Discretion as standard.
Many of our international engagements are confidential. We routinely act for family offices, private banks and buying agents on prime acquisitions, with non-disclosure as the default. Names, addresses and details are not discussed externally and are never used as marketing material.
Most of our international clients meet us in person only after completion, often during the refurbishment that follows. That is by design. The acquisition and reporting can be run end to end remotely.
Frequently asked.
Do I need to be in London to instruct?
No. The majority of our international engagements run from initial briefing to final report without the client setting foot in the UK. A video call at the start is sufficient.
Which languages do you work in?
Our reports are written in English. Working sessions can be arranged with a translator where useful; we routinely engage with clients who prefer to communicate via their advisers.
Can you coordinate with my buying agent or lawyer?
Yes, that is the typical arrangement. We integrate with your existing London advisers and report to them or to you directly, as you prefer.
How quickly can you respond to a new instruction?
For acquisition work, we can usually inspect within a week and report within a further five to ten working days. Where the deal is moving faster, we can compress that significantly.
Other services our clients ask for.
RICS Home Survey Level 3
The most detailed RICS survey available. A thorough inspection and written commentary on construction, defects, repair priorities and likely costs. Suited to…
Learn more →Pre-Construction Advisory
Independent, RICS-led review of a project before construction begins. Buildability, cost plan, programme, procurement and risk, interrogated at the point where changes…
Learn more →Property Buying
Independent, survey-led advice for people buying property in prime London. We act only for you, the buyer: appraising a property properly before…
Learn more →A trusted RICS surveyor in London, on your time zone.
Tell us the property, the timeline and your preferred call window. We come back within the working day with a proposal.