Savills residential success can be credited to the longevity of its relationships, local knowledge and understanding of client’s needs, and a testimony to that is Robin Chatwin, Director and Head of Savills South West London region. Having started his career in property in 1988, and having been with Savills since 1996, Robin now oversees all 10 Savills offices in the South West region and can be recognised as a fundamental part of the company’s presence south of the river.
“Having spent the last 33 years working and living south west of the capital, I know just how special the area is and what truly sets it apart from other areas of London. It’s important to feel part of the community and I truly believe that this is why clients approach us and come back to us throughout their property journey or when they need property advice. In fact, many of us have been there when clients bought their first home and are now several moves along with grown-up children – and that’s something we all find really special.” says Chatwin, who is also Deputy Chair of the Governors at Finton House School.
Chatwin continues, “Our roles are so multifaceted and we not only provide property advice, we can point people to the neighbourhoods that might best suit their lifestyle; the best coffee shops, the independent stores and even the local builders or designers who past clients have been impressed with. Essentially, there’s never an enquiry too small. Those long-standing relationships are valued hugely and it’s always a pleasure to bump into someone who you helped several years prior.”
However, Chatwin adds, “It’s also the access to green space, larger and multifunctional family homes, a sense of village living and top schools – both private and state - that draw in buyers to this area of London.” And with this, it comes as no surprise that the property market in south west London has performed so strongly. “Across Wandsworth and the south west, we’ve sold 100% more properties than during the same period in 2019, and we’re still receiving a high level of interest from potential buyers who want to make the local area their home, with 66% more buyers registering with us.”
When the pandemic hit, it’s unsurprising that there was a flurry of city based residents looking to escape to the country or to London’s more domestic locations like south west London - and this hasn’t changed. Chatwin explains, “18 months on, there’s definitely a sense that people want to be back in the city, but they want a hybrid of living where there is an ease of access to the city centre as well as private gardens or access to commons and parks. I feel this is really what sets the south west apart.”
Highly regarded schools have also long been a key driver for housing demand and we know that parents are willing to pay over the odds to live near state primary schools that are rated outstanding by Ofsted. With three children of his own, Chatwin can certainly attest to this. “It’s not unusual that we start marketing a property within a school’s catchment area and the phones start ringing, particularly for some of the highly rated local primary schools in the likes of Wimbledon, Barnes and Clapham.”
It’s not just the months before the new school year starts that this type of activity occurs, these parental preparations are ongoing. Chatwin explains, “Increasingly,
we are seeing young couples future planning and looking in a neighbourhood before having children, which they know has a good school. They double up on their move, so that they don’t have to relocate again later down the line.”
According to research conducted by Savills, 91.8 per cent of primary school applicants in England received an offer from their first choice for the academic year 2021/22, higher than the 90.2 per cent seen in 2020/21.
This figure varies from 95.1 per cent in the North East to 86.2 per cent in Inner London, where competition for school places is often more intense.
“It’s not unusual for a house in a catchment radius to go well over the guide price and seemingly this isn’t just the case here, the same can be said for many locations across London with good schools and a strong family friendly local lifestyle” says Chatwin. “It almost doesn’t seem to matter what condition a property might be in, as long as it’s close by, people are more than prepared to do work in order to hopefully gain a place at the local school.”
In fact, Savills research indicates that in London, buyers can expect to pay a premium of £189,000 (or 39 per cent) to be near the best primary schools, when compared with those that require improvement or are considered inadequate and a premium of
16% compared to a school rated just good.
“Catchment areas are often small and therefore there can be stiff competition and multiple competing bids for properties. When clients approach us looking to move to the area, we can lead them to properties off market, and even these are being sold at record speed.”
Robin adds, “As locals ourselves, we are able recommend other areas that perhaps clients hadn’t considered prior to their search. We recently had one couple who had centred their focus entirely in Battersea, but actually ended up buying in Putney, an area which also has some exceptional schools.”
And whilst local in its focus, Savills clients have the benefit of being connected to the brand’s 600 owned and associate offices in 60 countries across the world. “Whilst a lot of what we do is done on a local scale, the bigger picture and the global reach is key. London is home some of the world’s leading schools and universities, which is a huge driver for overseas buyers and we expect this market to pick up as travel restrictions ease.”
“For the remainder of 2021, we expect to see a continued growth in both demand and client registrations. With many families wanting to make south west London their home, we’re more determined than ever to help get them to their new front door – and to continue to achieve exceptional results for our clients