Five Takeaways from the Fulham Property Panel at Lighthouse Social

In late April, Beaufort Green brought together a panel of property experts to our first event, “Inside Fulham: Property, Place & What's Next.” 

Over Hugo spritzes at golden hour on the fourth floor of the members’ club Lighthouse Social, a full house of more than forty guests enjoyed lively conversation against a backdrop of glittering river views. 

Moderated by Beaufort Green’s Charlie Ince-Green, the panel included Nick Fancourt, Solicitor and Director at Thomas Legal, Max Skipworth-Button, Partner at Leufroy, Oliver Whitehead, Managing Director at Oportfolio, and Sam Tomlinson, co-founder of Beaufort Green. 

It was an honest, unfiltered take about what's really happening in the SW London market, and what's coming next, and covered everything from buying, selling, remortgaging, development works to increase the value of the property, and more. 

Guests had the chance to put their questions directly to the people who know this market best, and gained candid insights on recent regulatory changes to the rental landscape, best practices for securing mortgages in a fluctuating market, and more.

In case you missed it, here are five of our key takeaways from the discussion:

• From a legal perspective, preparation is key: appointing solicitors early in the process and keeping them well informed creates a smooth transaction timeline, and enables you to move quickly when the right opportunity presents itself.
   
• It pays to keep abreast of the evolving regulatory landscape around rental reform, particularly for landlords looking to manage and/or professionalise their property portfolio. As renters' rights increase and tenancies shift from fixed-term to rolling contracts, landlords will need to be even more strategic about everything from tenants to pricing.
  
  
• Start looking at your remortgage options around four to six months before your current deal expires, as many lenders will let you secure a rate in advance, protecting you if rates rise in the meantime. Use that window to compare your existing lender against the wider market, and to think about whether your broader financial goals have shifted since you last signed up.
   
• For such a huge financial and personal decision, having a high-calibre team of advisors to educate, support, and advocate for you throughout the transaction lifecycle is crucial to achieving desired results and creating real value over time. Property ownership is no longer necessarily viewed as a “ladder,” but instead a medium- to long-term strategy for those who know they want to be in the same place for at least five years.
   
• While the market remains complex, there is strong underlying opportunity in Fulham for those with the right approach and perspective, who are focused on long-term opportunities to capture value and build a home here.
  

It was a pleasure to welcome you to Lighthouse Social, and we look forward to the next event! To get on the list and be the first to know about future events, sign up to our newsletter here.