*** Available Now ***

Extensive luxury refurbishment of a Grade II Listed Property in Marylebone Village with excellent local facilities nearby including shops, restaurants, gym & leisure centre and only a stone’s throw from the West End and Central London.  Superb transport links at Baker Street, Marylebone, Euston, Kings Cross & St Pancras Stations.

One, two and three bedroom apartments now available full of period charm and retaining all original features.  Work has been carried out to the highest standard, with Amtico hardwood floors, beautiful bathrooms and contemporary kitchens, some in the American style, all fully equipped with fridge freezers, oven, washer/dryer.

*** Rents from £410 per week ***

*** Viewing is highly recommended ***

BRODIE GROUP LTD
ROSEMARY HILL, BLACKHEATH, SURREY, GU4 8RB.
Tel: 01483 790003
Email: brodiegroup@btconnect.com

Lower Ground Floor

Two Bedroom Self Contained Apartment (£625 pw)

Part of an Extensive luxury refurbishment of a Grade II Listed Property in Marylebone Village with excellent local facilities nearby including shops, restaurants, gym & leisure centre and only a stone’s throw from the West End and Central London.  Superb transport links at Baker Street, Marylebone, Euston, Kings Cross & St Pancras Stations.

Beautiful Lower Ground Floor apartment with two double bedrooms, two bathrooms (one ensuite), separate kitchen and outside patio area.  This apartment has private access and is refurbished to an extremely high standard throughout.

The apartment includes fully equipped kitchen with fridge freezer, oven, washer/dryer.

Tel: 01483 790003
Email: brodiegroup@btconnect.com

Ground Floor

Two Bedroom Ground Floor Apartment (£595 pw)

Accessed through the beautiful Edwardian front entrance, this Ground Floor Apartment has two double bedrooms and one large bath/shower room.  The main living room includes and impressive American style kitchen and island unit, with wonderful high ceilings and original features retained throughout.

The apartment includes a fully equipped kitchen with fridge freezer, oven, washer/dryer.

Tel: 01483 790000
Email: brodiegroup@btconnect.com

First Floor

One Bedroom First Floor Apartment (£495)

Located on the First Floor, this beautiful apartment has a large double bedroom with separate bathroom, sitting room and large kitchen/dining room.  High ceilings and large windows make this a very light and airy apartment for modern day living.

The apartment includes fully equipped kitchen with fridge freezer, oven, washer/dryer.

Tel:  01483 790003
Email: brodiegroup@btconnect.com

Second Floor

2 x One Bedroom Second Floor Apartments (£435 pw)

Second Floor Apartment with one bedroom and separate bathroom with American style kitchen.  Beautifully finished throughout with high ceilings and light airy rooms.

Second Floor Apartment with one bedroom and separate shower room with American style kitchen.  Beautifully finished throughout with high ceilings and light airy rooms.

The apartments include fully fitted & equipped kitchens with fridge freezer, oven, washer/dryer.

Tel:  01483 790003
Email:  brodiegroup@btconnect.com

Third Floor

Three Bedroom Third Floor Apartment (£625  pw)

This Apartment is situated on the third floor and can either be set out as three bedrooms with kitchen/dining room or two bedroom and two reception room.  All of the original features have been retained with beautiful views over the surrounding area at both the front and back of the property.

The apartment includes fully fitted & equipped kitchen with fridge freezer, oven, washer/dryer.

Tel: 01483 790003
Email: brodiegroup@btconnect.com

I would anticipate that this will be my penultimate blog, as works are now finally drawing to a successful conclusion and the basis of this overview is to look at the project on a floor by floor basis.

Third Floor
Essentially, this three bedroom apartment is now finished with the heating working successfully throughout.  Minor works include completing the LCD Lighting to the kitchen and thoroughly cleaning the apartment which has a film of dust on every surface.

Second Floor
This floor is split into two one bedroom apartments with American kitchens.

As with the third floor, these have now been completed apart from a few snagging items that will be completed during the course of this week.  Again, there is a need for a thorough cleaning throughout both of these apartments.

First Floor
We have established a beautiful two bedroom apartment with two ensuite bathrooms and independent kitchen with eating facilities.

Works as directed by the Building Control Officer have now been completed, which included fire protection within the cupboards in the ceiling voids.

Essentially, the works within this apartment are the same as the upper floors but will take a few more days to complete.

Elsworth & Bond have completely refurbished the wrought iron metalwork but we still have to complete some structural work and finishing to the external floor of the balcony.  This can be completed from the outside when the front elevation is decorated.

Ground Floor
This is one of the feature apartments within the building, having created a two bedroom apartment with a stunning kitchen and bay window to one of the bedrooms.

Over the next two weeks, Elsworth & Bond will be completing the decorations as most of the preparatory work has now been completed.  The bathroom required completing and tiling and Cranleigh Flooring will be commencing the floor finish on Monday 1 March 2010.

As stated in previous blogs, this area was always designated where most of the rubbish was stored for collection and all of the materials delivered and stored.

Lower Ground Floor
I think this will be the most desirable two bedroom apartment with two bathrooms and triple sliding glass doors out onto an open terrace adjacent to the large sitting room.

Works are being completed to both the outside rear terrace and front lightwell to ensure satisfactory drainage and the laying of natural stone tiles within both areas.

Everything apart from the final snagging will be completed by Friday 26 February 2010 as Cranleigh Flooring will be laying the concrete screed at the beginning of the following week.  Once this has dried, the final flooring will be laid which will enable Elsworth & Bond to finish the skirting throughout the apartment.

From today’s inspection, final decorations also include the final coat to all woodwork and a final finish to the walls.

Common Areas
Having decided to replace the front door due to the state of the original, we have also refurbished the internal wrought iron semi circular window above the internal double doors.  Philip Bradbury Glass will be reglazing this and the internal doors.

All of the emergency lighting is now in place apart from the ground floor which will be completed this week.

Decoration has now been completed down to the first floor and we will be concentrating on the ground floor within the next week.  Strengthening to the ground floor common area has now been completed and one of the last jobs will be laying of the new marble floor when the decorations are complete.

External
The rear courtyard has now received its final concrete layer and the drainage has been completed.  Decorations need to be finished and external lighting units fitted to the walls.

The front elevation and lightwell have been re-rendered and all of the preparatory works for final decorations are being carried out.  Again, the natural stone to the floor needs to be completed and final paintwork to the cast iron railings.  This will be one of the last areas to complete, together with retiling of the front steps to the property.

Freeholders: P R & G J Brodie
Bankers: Adam & Co
Accountants: Haslers
Architects: Michael Phillips Associates
Contractors: Elsworth & Bond

We are in the midst of the worst winter weather conditions for the last 30 years and this has resulted in the depletion of our workforce and non delivery of goods and materials required to finish the contract.  Notwithstanding the short term difficulties, Richard Sugarman of Elsworth & Bond is working with his team to complete many of the outstanding items.  These include the fitting of ceiling and wall lights, together will all of the bathroom fittings throughout the property.  Now that all of the internal doors have been delivered by the Door Gallery, they have been fitted on the first, second and third floors.  We are waiting for the delivery of the suited mortice locks from Guildford Lock and Safe Ltd which will enable us to secure the apartments on all of these floors.

As mentioned last month, most of the work is being concentrated on the ground floor, which includes the levelling of the front lobby and ground floor common area which also needs to be subtantially strengthened to receive new marble flooring being delivered on 13 January 2010.  The bathroom is being completed, together with the kitchen with the unique island unit feature in the main living room.  It is certainly a very busy place to be with carpenters, plumbers and painters all working together in a confined space. 

We are also finishing off the basement which includes a complete rebuilding of the front entrance and lightwell, which will require re-rendering and decorating up to ground floor level.  We are very mindful of possible flooding from both the front and rear of the property and our Architect, Michael Phillips, is designing specific cill details to minimize any possible water penetration from outside.  There has been a delay of the delivery of the rear sliding doors until 22 January 2010, which in turn delays the finishing of the floor throughout the basement as we must be weather tight to avoid any future problems.

Clearly our objective now is to complete the contract and obtain the appropriate Certificates from EDF Energy (Electricity), Building Control (Westminster City Counci) and final Architects Certificate (Michael Phillips Associates).  Our target date for these inspections to be completed is the beginning of February 2010 and at this time we will apply for Energy Performance Certificates to be completed by an independent inspector.

As detailed on my January 2009 blog, we were applying to change the name of the property to Beverston House.  This has been turned down by the Post Office and we have decided to refer to the property simply as 11 Upper Montagu Street.

Freeholders: P R & G J Brodie 
Bankers: Adam & Co 
Accountants: Haslers
Architects: Michael Phillips Associates 
Contractors: Elsworth & Bond

It was good to see that the scaffolding to the front and back of the property has now been struck and a meeting with the residents of Beverston Mews on Monday 30 November 2009 was concluded successfully as we have been particularly careful to minimize both the disturbance and damage to their property.  We have now repaired and rebuilt the railings to the front of the property but still have some structural work in repairing the balcony to the front of elevation.  This will be done once we have had this inspected by our Structural Engineers, Stoddard Associates.

All of the external work was finally completed by EDF Energy on Wednesday 25 November 2009.  Independent supplies to all of the apartments are in place and our Electrician, Greg & Co, will shortly have all of the mains lighting, emergency lighting and power points up and running. 

Second and Third floors - Cranleigh Carpets and Flooring have prepared and laid the oak type flooring throughout.  This has been laid within the finished bathrooms and kitchen areas providing a real feeling of space in the apartments.  The decorations have also been completed and once the individually made front doors have been delivered by The Door Gallery, we will be able to seal these areas off from any builders dust, etc.

First and Lower Ground Floors - We are now working to have the floors laid in these areas on Monday 7 December 2009 as the kitchens and bathrooms have been fitted in both areas.  Decorations on the first floor are now completed and over the course of this week we will be completing the decorations in the Lower Ground Floor.  The purpose built sliding doors to the rear Courtyard are being delivered and fitted on Monday 14 December 2009.

From the beginning of next week, Elsworth & Bond will be concentrating on finishing off the Ground Floor apartment which to date has been used for the storage of rubbish and delivery of goods on site.  We are therefore progressing swiftly with the plastering to the ceiling especially, which has had a great deal of remedial work carried out on it.  This was due primarily to the collapse of lath and plaster and would have been a health and safety hazard if not now, then at some point in the future.

We have exposed a beautiful art deco half moon detail above the new double doors in the Ground Floor entrance, which will be refurbished and painted.  Furthermore, we are also stripping off all of the paint and dirt to the solid stone staircase and proposing to reinstate the stair rods within the existing eyelets for a central carpet up to the Second Floor.

All of the door knobs and internal light fittings have been ordered and will be delivered to site later this week with small items such as toilet roll holders and door stops still to be chosen and ordered for fitting.

I am now getting a real appreciation of how the finished property will appear and look forward to showing agents and prospective tenants around the property in order that we can secure lettings and generate rental income during the early part of 2010.

Freeholders: P R & G J Brodie
Bankers: Adam & Co
Accountants:Haslers
Architects: Michael Phillips Associates
Contractors: Elsworth & Bond

We have completed replacing the coping stones at roof level and have some minor jobs to do with completing the window cills and joining up the last few waste pipes to the rear.  One of the last jobs will be replacing some of the slate roof tiles and installing the new oversized roof light which will provide us with access for maintenance purposes.  All of these last few works can be done from the inside over the next week or so.

With Cranleigh Flooring & Carpets coming on site on Monday 9 November, we are now finishing off the second and third floor in anticipation of the first floor following shortly afterwards.  All of the woodwork has been painted and we are just finishing off the second coats of paint to the walls throughout these floors.  We only need to purchase and fit door and window furniture as all of the second fix electrical fittings are now in place.  

Therefore, the works are being concentrated on both the kitchens and bathrooms.  It now becomes abundantly clear how irregular the surfaces are throughout this property as this is now being emphasized by fitting the kitchen units on both the floors and walls.  This has resulted in a lot of packing out so that everything is plumb and square to receive the worktops which will be fitted once the templates have been completed. 

Tiling to the bathrooms is 85% complete and when these have been grouted, the basins and toilets will also be connected up to the water supply and waste.  To provide maximum space to the bathrooms on the second and third floors, we have decided to mirror one entire wall, which we believe will give the desired effect of showing maximum space.

Work is also progressing on the lower ground floor with new cornicing now being fitted to the ceilings and all doors fitted throughout.  We are still waiting for St Albans door company to arrange a second site visit to measure up the V-folding doors to the courtyard as they will be fitting them on our behalf.  The internal doors to each of the front doors of the apartments have now been chosen and agreed with our architect, Michael Phillips, and an order placed with St Albans Door Company.  These will be six panelled Victorian raised and fielded painted, with oval satin finish door knobs.

John Lewis in Oxford Street have been appointed to supply and fit blinds and curtains throughout the property and a survey was carried out on Tuesday 3 November 2009 for them to provide a comprehensive quotation.

Whilst we are still on target to finish the apartments by Christmas 2009, there will still be the outstanding job of finishing the common areas throughout the property. There has undoubtedly been an overspend due predominantly to the structural issues and problems we have encountered over the last twelve months. The exact figure will become clear towards the end of this year, but I do not anticipate it being over 12% of the overall cost of the contract originally quoted for last year.

Freeholders: P R & G J Brodie
Bankers: Adam & Co
Accountants:Haslers
Architects: Michael Phillips Associates
Contractors: Elsworth & Bond

We have been concentrating on 1, 2 and 3rd floors and it is anticipated that Elsworth & Bond will be in a position to hand these back completed by the end of October 2009.  Cranleigh Carpets and Flooring will then start work in preparing the floors and laying the Karndean spring oak flooring throughout each apartment.  Bathrooms for these floors are being delivered this week for installation and the delivery of kitchens has been agreed on 20 October.  Our objective is to complete works on these floors and then concentrate on the lower ground floor and ground floor respectively.

The majority of the windows have now been completed and part of this process was the removal of all of the beadings in order that the draught excluders can be routed into the timber between the window sashes.  We have had to discard some of the original weights as the glass is now 4mm thick rather than the original 2.5mm which has lead to heavier sashes and the need for heavier weights as a result.

We have now negotiated the bay window design for the ground floor and the 7 x 3 design has been approved by the Conservation Officer as shown in the drawing.  This is presently being produced by our carpenters and will be fitted in the next few weeks.

Bay options

You can download a PDF file of the bay options here:
bayoptions.pdf

Richard Sugarman has ordered all of the window cills required for the windows and roof which will be installed shortly.  Apart from some minor works to the rear elevation, we are close to having the scaffolding struck initially to the access road in Beverston Mews within the next two weeks and the rest of the rear elevation by the beginning of November.  A quotation from Thomas Contu for £4,345 plus VAT has been accepted to carry out full restoration to all of the railings on the balcony to the front of the building, the main entrance, security window bars, internal balustrades and railings leading down to the lower ground floor.

We are now specifying door furniture and window details and will be placing an order for the Victorian type doors to the front of each of the apartments.

Due to the nature of this contract, we are leaving the ground floor as the last apartment to be completed.  To date, the whole area has been used to collect rubbish (which has been immense on this contract) and storage of new materials that have come on site for use throughout the whole property.  Likewise, the common area will be dealt with towards the end of the contract and we anticipate laying new Travertine type floor tiles to the ground floor with carpets to the stairs and upper landing areas.

Although it has been some considerable time since works commenced, we now have to concentrate on detail and final finishes as this is what prospective tenants will notice, rather than all the work behind the finished floor, wall and ceiling surfaces. 

Project Information:

Freeholders: P R & G J Brodie
Bankers: Adam & Co
Accountants:Haslers
Architects: Michael Phillips Associates
Contractors: Elsworth & Bond

The forward planning of this development has been an important part of its success to date.  However EDF Energy continues to cause problems.  Even though an order was placed 6 months ago to replace the existing power supply with new independent suppliers for each flat, the works are still outstanding.  After repeated requests we expect the work to be done before the end of next month which is critical to complete all of the connections to the apartments.

Another important element is the supply of new sash windows and boxes which are now on site.  Elsworth and Bond are replacing all the boxes where necessary each floor and installing the new sashes throughout.  Due to the bad damp, decay and neglect in the basement there is quite a lot of repair work to be done to the window frames and side panels which we are doing on site.  Fitting of the window frames is an interesting and difficult process as all of the boxes are cut perfectly square, which we are trying to fit into irregular shapes due to the age and nature of the property. 

All of the architraves, skirting and dado rails have arrived on site for fitting over the next few weeks.  These are all made from Tulip wood and include 12 different types and sizes to match the existing designs at the property.  This has been carried out by a specialist company and all of the finishes have been approved by the conservation officer at Westminster City Council.  The doors however are a different matter as we have to supply and fit on a like for like basis.  We have therefore used door blanks on all of the internal areas and will fit more elaborate Victorian panel doors to the front entrances to each of the apartments.  These need to be half hour fire rated and due to the complicated construction cost in excess of £500 each whereas the door blanks are only £80 each providing a substantial saving on the project.

We have elected to change all the radiators from an electric cast iron design to an electric aluminum design but will have to wait until November for the delivery of these therma panel radiators.  The cost and output of the aluminum radiators is identical to the previous specification but are much lighter and due to the nature of the walls and under window timber panels will be much easier to fit.

Turning to the external works, we have now completed the lead roofing, external pointing and lead guttering and downpipes throughout.  We will not be able to drop the scaffolding until the windows have been completely installed and repairs or renewals made to the window calls both to the front and back of the property.  We are also obtaining quotations for the repair of the metal work to the staircase and external balconies which have unfortunately rusted and decayed over a long period of time.

We anticipate that the fittings of the bathrooms will commence during the later part of September 2009 and the delivery of kitchens are expected during the middle of October 2009 which I am looking forward to as it shows that the project will be in its final phase.

Project Information:

Freeholders: P R & G J Brodie, Bankers: Adam & Co , Accountants: Haslers, Architects: Michael Phillips Associates, Contractors: Elsworth & Bond

Flat E, 17 Grange Park, Ealing, London W5Two Bedroom Flat Available to Rent in Ealing, London W5
Ealing is a popular residential suburb to the west of central London. Ealing Broadway provides a good range of facilities including Ealing Broadway underground station, providing good links to central London. The M4 motorway is a short distance to the south, providing access to the west and the M25 orbital motorway

The property is situated on the east side of Grange Park approximately 100 yards south of Grange Road. Ealing Green (B455) is approximately a quarter of a mile to the west and this provides access to the Uxbridge Road (A4020) with associated multiple shopping facilities and the Broadway about half a mile to the north with associated shopping facilities and station. There are numerous schools and green areas in the vicinity..

Flat E (Third Floor): Kitchen/Diner 12′9 x 17′8 with wall and base units, Bedroom 1 9′8 x 11′, Bedroom 2 9′7 x 11′ with walk in cupboard, Bathroom/WC comprising panelled bath, low level WC suite, wash hand basin in vanity unit.

Flat A, 32 Denmark Road, Ealing, W13 8RG
Three Bedroom Flat available to rent in Ealing, London W13
Ealing is a popular suburb to the west of central London. It is within short driving distance of the M4 Junction 2 to the south and the M40 via the A40 to the north. Denmark Road is located just to the north of the A4020 Uxbridge Road and is within a short distance of Ealing Broadway and West Ealing stations and the extensive retail facilities provided in Ealing Broadway. It is primarily a pleasant residential road and the property is surrounded by similar semi-detached and detached houses.

The property is a semi-detached former single residence, with later additions, originally constructed at the end of the 19th Century. The property is arranged over ground and two upper floors. The construction is brick, part painted and part rendered, under pitched and tiled roofs, with secondary areas of flat felt covered roof. The windows have been replaced with double glazed units. The property has been converted to provide a ground floor self contained flat and a maisonette over the first and second floors. There is a shared entrance at ground floor level. The front garden has been surfaced to provide 2-3 car parking spaces. The rear garden is for the sole use of the ground floor flat and includes a patio and lawn area with two large sheds.

First & Second Floor Maisonette
Comprises ground floor entrance hall, half landing leading to bedroom, landing, living room, kitchen/breakfast room, bathroom/wc, stairs to two further bedrooms on the second floor. Electric storage heating. Gross internal area approximately 86.90 sqm (935 sq ft).

Grange Mews, 15 Guildown Road, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 4EW
Three Bedroom Semi Detached Mews House available to rent in Guildford, Surrey GU2
Beautiful three bedroom semi detached Mews House (extension of Grade II Listed building) in premier road in Guildford with large garden and detached studio/home office. This property was sympathetically refurbished in 2007 to a very high standard with top quality fixtures and fittings, including AGA. Minutes from Guildford Centre and excellent transport links provided by Guildford Station, and the A3 providing easy access to the M25 and motorway network. Ideal for Professional Couple, or Family. A really special property which must be seen.

A great deal of work has now been completed to the external fabric of the property, which has resulted in additional structural work to both the front and rear of the building.  A number of cracks have been exposed close to the window reveals and we are replacing bricks where necessary and re-rendering.  Smaller cracks will be repaired in situ.  Our structural engineer, Robert Stodart, has provided us with instructions on how to repair cracks near corners and openings and we are fitting Helifix bars to a number of areas, especially at the back of the property.  These are effective and permanent, introducing substantial reinforcement to the structural integrity of the property.  New coping stones will be supplied and fitted to the roof to replace the existing York Stone surrounds.

Elsworth & Bond are now in the process of cutting and fitting the cast iron down pipes and soil pipes, replacing all of the old defective plastic pipework.

It is good to see that Renderseal have now finished all of the Sika waterproofing to the walls and floors in the basement area.  The floor is now covered with a black bitumen layer, with 75mm of insulation, which has now been covered and protected with solid plastic sheeting.  Once all of the cables have been run and insulated, the builders will lay a 75mm concrete screed, forming the finished floor level throughout the basement.

The under pavement storage areas have also been completed by Renderseal Ltd and are now partially painted.  Elsworth & Bond are in the process of building platforms for the two cold water storage tanks with pumps, which will include TV and video distribution points, and a separate area for all of the water meters.  We are having to glue all of the panels to the wall surface in order to protect our guarantee with Renderseal Ltd.  The other area will be used for storage of rubbish and dustbins allocated to each apartment in the building.

Further work includes the removal of all plaster in the rear courtyard, which has also been scrubbed with wire brushes and is now prepared for rendering and painting.  This will provide maximum light to the well area for the basement flat in particular.  We are proposing to supply and fit triple opening doors which will open out from the sitting room. 

All of the specialist lime plastering has been completed on the upper floors and the new cornicing completed on the second and third floors.  The task that now needs to be completed by our specialist plasterer, Jim Briscoe, includes making moulds of the existing cornicing on the ground and first floors and making good where necessary.  There are a number of places where the complicated cornicing has been damaged or removed over the years and this is something that we wish to replace in accordance with our Listed Building Approval from Westminster Council.  The fireplaces throughout the property are also being boxed out in order to provide a decorative feature for each of the rooms.

After receiving a quotation from the Door Gallery, I was surprized that Edwardian period doors (½ hour fire rated) would be as expensive as £500 each, which does not include the door furniture or fitting.  After discussions with Richard Sugarman, we have decided to use door planks at a cost of £80 each and we will design our own beading, which should bring the total to around £120 per door exclusive of door furniture and fitting.  I have seen a similar approach adopted by the Portman Estate, and it is our intention to copy their concept.

You will note from the photograph that all of the floors between the rafters are thoroughly cleaned and either one or two layers of rockwall insulation has been fitted to decrease sound transmission between the apartments.  The floors on the second and third floors are now ready to receive the Isocheck floor covering and 12mm ply on top for extra rigidity.

The discussions concerning the windows continues with the Conservation Officer, and in order for us to alter the designs to the original windows that would have been installed in 1810 requires Planning and Listed Building Consent.  This will result in a substantial delay, both in the construction of the windows and scaffolding that we presently have in place.  Therefore, I have made the decision to repair those windows that can be economically saved and replace those windows and doors that cannot be repaired.  This has verbally been agreed with the Conservation Officer.

Our focus now is to complete most of the works on the upper floors and for Elsworth & Bond to work their way down to the lower ground floor, where the site office will be located for the duration of the contract. 

Whilst there has been a substantial amount of additional work carried out, we are still optimistic that the property will be available for occupation by Christmas 2009.

Project Information: Freeholders: P R & G J Brodie, Bankers: Adam & Co , Accountants: Haslers, Architects: Michael Phillips Associates, Contractors: Elsworth & Bond