If you’ve been watching my Instagram videos, you probably know that I’ve recently been working with a couple to sell their flat on the Isle of Dogs. The apartment itself is fantastic– it’s a penthouse arranged over two floors, with a stunning view across the Thames to the City of London. Dockleys are currently refurbishing it – it will soon by back on the market. Here’s how it all came about:

The apartment had been on the Dockleys books for about six months, but it wasn’t selling. After a number of unsuccessful viewings, I noticed that the sellers and I were getting the same feedback time after time. The apartment’s décor and fittings were looking a bit tired and dated, buyers told us, so we decided to take action and improve the property to make sure it sold at the right price.

To do this, the buyers remortgaged their property to release some of the equity they’d put into it over the years. We then channelled the newly released funds into a complete refurbishment, project managed by Dockleys. Our team will be stripping the apartment right back, removing floors, the kitchen, the bathroom, even the stairs, and replacing them with more up-to-date fittings that a river-view penthouse apartment deserves.

Project managing the E14 refurbishment

I have seen literally hundreds of Canary Wharf apartments over the years, and I’ve built up a pretty good idea of what sells and what doesn’t. Armed with this knowledge, I’ve been able to advise on which improvements should be made and what can be left untouched. In this particular apartment, we’ve noticed that moving the kitchen units to the other side of the room will improve the flow of the open plan living space – that’ll be one of the first jobs.

When the project is finished, the property will be put back on the market. We will have addressed all the concerns raised by potential buyers so far, and I’m quietly confident it will sell.

Fund your renovation through remortgaging

Remortgaging can be a great solution if you need to update your home but you’re  property rich and cash poor. The couple I’m working with released equity from their old home and put it back into the property through remortgaging. Research from SunLife suggests that renovations can increase the value of property by one third. In the case of this Westferry Road property, I’m hoping we’ll see it sell faster and for a higher price than we had originally put it on the market for.

If you’re interested in remortgaging to cover the cost of improvements to your home before you sell it, act now. We can connect you with mortgage advisors, find builders for you and manage the project from start to finish, right through to selling your property. To find out more, talk to me, Adam Dockley, on 020 3633 4440.

PS – you can watch my video and see some pictures of the work so far here…

Do you have a property that is dated or that maybe you can release some equity and improve give @dockleys a call, see these videos of our latest refurbishment for one of our clients video 1 – strip out! #redevelopment #refurbishment #interiordesign #building #addvalue #owners #investors #londonsfinest #estateagents #london #unlockthevalue #sell #rent #buy #property #residentialproperty #docklands #canarywharf #eastlondon #e14 #penthouserefurb #refurb

A post shared by Dockleys (@dockleys) on Jul 3, 2018 at 12:07pm PDT