Brochure draft final

Brochure Draft 19.01.17
What we do
Lake and Co are a privately owned property consultancy based in West London.
We provide a small number of high net worth individuals with a personally tailored service. Be it a
personal residence, commercial property, development and investment opportunity or property
management, Lake and Co go above and beyond to assist our clients achieve their goals.
With decades of London property expertise and a plethora of contacts, our company offers an
unparalleled level of personal service and abide by a strict sense of principles in the pursuit of the
highest professional standards.
Our ethos
We build our relationships on honesty, integrity and discretion. Almost all of our clients have been
referred to us by word of mouth and continue to engage with us after their initial purchase.
We ensure we only take on an optimum number of clients at any one time affording our clients the
focus and resource their transaction requires. We are a small, close knit team who stay in constant
communication and are fully aware of every update as and when they come in.
We are passionate about people and property and have an entrepreneurial determination to drive
each deal over the finishing line as efficiently as possible.
We take great pride in our success rates, and are equally proud in how we achieve them and the
manner in which we work.
We aim to always offer the most accurate and impartial advice for the specific situation, even if
sometimes it runs contrary to our own short term ambitions.

Private Acquisitions
The process of finding your new home in London has never been a smooth and easy one and is often
fraught with risk and disappointment. One often has to deal with young inexperienced agents telling
you to pay an ever-increasing number that is always beyond the amount you feel is reasonable for
that extra elusive bit of space. Typically they’ll be trotting out a company line on how the market is
doing and pushing you to transact at a break neck speed so as to beat the competition.
In truth you never really know how much of what you are being told is accurate, and how much is
strong or sloppy sales techniques employed to get you to pay the price being sought.
All this, on the largest purchase you’re likely to personally make! until you do decide to roll the dice
again..
Despite the increasing amount of available free information and internet data, educating ones-self
sufficiently, to enable making a truly informed decision, is still a tall order. To get the best out of the
market there is a string of ever-evolving micro and other markets forces that need to be grasped.
There is all too often a gaping chasm of price disparity between you and the ambitions of the
sellers/agents, leaving the potential purchasers not being able to see the wood for the trees.
We endeavour to bring you in from the cold and shoulder the stress you would normally have to
bare. From taking your initial brief, to carrying out all of the initial research, we limit your exposure
to agents and the tedium of irrelevant viewing after irrelevant viewing. We will only show you
property that will progress your search for your ideal home, enabling you to remain focused and
clear headed so that when we do find the perfect place you are able to recognise it as this, and are
galvanised and ready to transact.
Good preparation will always see you being more successful in any purchase, so we will coach you
on what this needs to look like for your chosen market and how best to help yourself achieve your
goals.
Once we have identified your chosen new home we will discuss with you what we feel is the best
strategy for obtaining it. From the structure of the offer, to the timing of exchange and completion,
(along with the professionals that are best suited for the particular purchase) we will guide you
every step of the way through your personalised plan, as there is no ‘one size fits all’.
Once under offer we will push and pull the transaction until exchange and completion to ensure it
runs as close to the timelines discussed and agreed with you at the point of offer.
Upon the eve of completion we will arrange a further inspection to ensure that the property is being
delivered in the manner anticipated. We will take final meter readings to arrange for the various
utilities to be put in your name, collect your new keys and welcome you to your new home.

Investment
The Lake & Co investment team’s sole focus is to ensure that client funds are utilised in the most
effective and efficient manner. This process starts with us gaining a full understanding of the
individual requirements. As well as the key yield or capital gain factors, there are a raft of other
drivers such as asset class, location, timeframes, risk tolerances etc. By spending a little time with
you and by knowing which questions to ask, we can quickly get a sense of the types of deal which
will fulfil your requirements.
We would then look to source a range of options, the number and nature of which will depend on
the criteria in place. Typically, our investment deals are secured off-market through our range of
contacts such as property-owners, surveyors, lawyers and bankers. The key advantages of buying
off-market is that bidding wars are usually avoided and the transaction is more controllable and
therefore less likely to result in a failed transaction.
We take a systematic and analytical approach to our investment analysis and this is reflected in the
projects we would present. This means focusing not only on maximising returns in isolation, but
achieving the ideal combination of risk and return. Particularly in the current uncertain economic
climate, too often emphasis is placed on the returns side of the equation without enough attention
paid to the associated risk. Something which differentiates us from the crowd is that we will often
recommend a client pass on an opportunity if all factors are not just right. This comes from a desire
to treat client money as if it were our own and a proven track record that we will source an even
more attractive deal.
Our investment appraisals contain detailed project proposals, further possible opportunities,
comprehensive financial analysis documenting key triggers and sensitivities, comparable evidence
for both purchase price and exit values, and a spotlight on the risks involved. The purpose of this is
to allow a client to succinctly have full understanding and comfort around the project, and leave no
queries unanswered.
Should you wish to proceed with one or some of the possible options, we would begin the delicate
process of negotiation. We are vastly experienced in property transactions, both from a sales side
and a purchasing side, and so maintain a precise balance of securing the property at the most
favourable terms and minimising the possibility of losing the deal. Once terms are agreed, we would
act as the main contact during the transaction and apply the correct pressure at the correct time to
ensure no delays or sticking-points. This is particularly important when there is no sales agent acting
for the other side as, much like a flock of sheep, transactions will wander and meander without a
shepherd in charge!
Should it be required, we are able to recommend a full scope of professionals from solicitors,
surveyors, bankers, insurers etc. Our years of dealing with experts within the industry allows us to
focus on using the right person for the specific task rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
Once a purchase is completed, our role as search agent comes to an end. It is then your choice
whether to retain us as project managers and employ us to seek the relevant planning permissions,
freeholder consents, manage any construction, reorganise leases or any of the other hundreds of
tasks which may be associated with an investment purchase.

Investment Case Study (Prob just for website)
We helped our client to develop a comprehensive investment criteria based around his appetite for
risk and desired returns. It was agreed that the suitable project was a multi-unit scheme with
minimal or no planning risk, which could be exited within 18 months, single unit exit values of sub-
£1m and up to £1,000 per sq ft, within zones 2 – 3.
We identified a 4-storey period building in Shepherds Bush which was currently used as offices. It
had a rudimentary Permitted Development consent for conversion to 4 x 1 bed flats. This was ideal
for this client as the planning risk was minimised but allowed for value to be added via an improved
consent (we identified a side extension, reconfiguration to create a 2 bed apartment, creation of
outside terracing and a parking space).
We secured the deal directly from the owners, even though we were facing strong bidding from two
other parties. Our success was down to three factors: 1) the relationship and trust we built with the
vendors; 2) our presentation of the client and the offer impressing to the seller that we represented
their most reliable and robust option; 3) our understanding of the market place and what competing
bids were likely to look like allowing us to be ahead of the curve without compromising returns.
After the usual waltzing with the local planners, construction was completed in 6 months to within a
couple of percentage points of our budgeted numbers. Whilst considering offers on individual units,
we received an offer for the entire building from a single investor. Not only was the price
competitive, but this presented an opportunity to transact swiftly with an experienced cash buyer.
The sale was completed without any hiccups for a 14 month turnaround, with our client achieving
returns of 33% profit on cost and 101% return on equity. The returns were the upper end of our
estimates due to our forecasted costs being accurate, successfully obtaining every aspect of the
planning and exit prices being as predicted.
For further case studies please contact us directly.

Managed Sales
Selling your house can be a time consuming and challenging process at best and knowing who to
trust to give you the correct advice is the key. This often runs contrary to one’s ambitions on
realising the highest price. The frustration is, selling agents are aware and rely on this and with some
flattery on their part, use a high price to convince us we should engage their services.
The average seller has little to no experience of this juxtaposition which often enables estate agents
to win the instruction at an overblown price. This inevitably ends with a series of brutal price
reductions week after week until the price is low enough to excite new or old buyers in a stale
marketing campaign. Typically the eventual sale price achieved ends up being below that of the true
market value.
Our role is to cut through the polished finish and flattery, to the nub of where the value lies, and
ensure the pricing and selling strategy are best suited for your property and the prevailing market
conditions. Pricing high and hoping to achieve a market-beating price rarely works!
Our aim is to provide a layer of sense and healthy pragmatism between you and the growing number
of estate agents to ensure you receive the right advice for your specific situation and not to help
achieve an arbitrary monthly sales target.
As with our investment and acquisitions, preparation is a vital part of the process. We will ensure
your property is presented both actually and legally in the best possible light and is ready for you to
be able to transact should the holy grail of cash buyers emerge and want to purchase on the same
day!

Management
Looking after your home and keeping your family safe is one of the corner stones of life. But with
our ever-busy lives and general lack of time it is something that a lot of us are either ill equipped for
or just simply don’t have the time or inclination.
The most efficient way to ensure your home is kept in optimum condition is ensuring nothing ever
breaks…! Easier said than done.
With the use of highly skilled professional tradesmen and by creating ongoing schedules for all areas
of your home or building, you significantly reduce the risk of costly, inconvenient and potentially
damaging emergency work.
One often only appreciates things when they don’t work. Our aim is that everything works so well
you don’t even notice it’s there.
To ensure continuity we have dedicated single points of contact for our clients who have an intimate
knowledge of each property we manage.
Whether it’s your family home, a pied-a-terre, or a buy-to-let investment, our services are available.
Though the specific service offering changes from property to property, the basic tenant of our
offering remains; to ensure everything runs as smoothly as possible and retains its integrity allowing
you the time to relax and experience the more enjoyable aspects of life.
Services covered: (Prob for website only – services to be extended)
• Tenant or Second home management
• Principle residential Management
• Interior design and Refurbishment
• Vacant Home Management
• Gardening and Landscaping design
• Security

Interior Design and Refurbishment
As it is extremely rare to find the perfect home that includes all of the perfect finishes inside it, we
can also continue to guide you through any refurbishments you may wish to undertake.
One of the benefits of this in-house service is that we will be involved from the very beginning of
your purchase, therefore we’ll have a head start on any works that need doing, and will be able to
ensure a smooth transition and keep efficient time lines.
It can be a simple as wanting some minor redecoration and dressing of rooms, through to rebuilding
the entire house and digging basements.
Our service can be as light touch or autonomous as you would like it to be. This applies to all areas
of what we do, and so a plan can be ever-evolving or can be set out as a road map from the very
beginning.

The Team (Prob website only)
Dewey – Owner and MD
I started my property career in 2003 after answering an advert in the Times for a London estate
agency. I rose quickly through a variety of roles and offices in central London, eventually finishing as
a manager in Holland Park and Notting Hill for 2 established London agents.
Despite obvious success within my roles I was left feeling there was something missing. As a strong
individual, the corporate world failed to support my ethical view on how to engage with my fellow
man and so in the depths of recession and financial turmoil my wife and I set up Lake & Co with a
view to offer something different and more holistically complete. We have been successfully
growing the company and the services we offer ever since.
Natasha – Director and Interior Designer
Still to be written
Jason - Associate
Having graduated from Bristol in Economics and Accounting, I spent several years in investment
banking as a risk analyst. It was over this time I established a strong understanding for risk and
reward, financial modelling, capital preservation and wealth management. Simultaneously an
interest in property was developing as I began to make small investments into student
accommodation and residential development. Therefore, the move into property investment
analysis in 2013 was a natural one.
I often joke that I spend more time with Excel than my wife! I enjoy testing and refining our in-house
finance models, and pride myself on using all available evidence to draw robust and compelling
conclusions regarding investment decisions. My favourite projects are interesting and unusual
development sites which require a certain flair to envisage the end-game, a skill which is being
increasingly honed as the demand for housing requires ever more difficult and constrained sites to
be unlocked.
Kayee – Research Analyst
With a BA Law and Business and LLM International Commercial Law degree, I naturally dedicated a
lot of time at university to research. This continued into my first profession in the insurance industry
where I gained further experience in research and analysing large quantities of data from a range of
sources for solutions. I enjoy working on different cases and learning through research which is
reflected in my current position as a Research Analyst at Lake & Co.
Tracy – Property Manager
The first part of my career was in the financial sector working as an operations manager for a
prestigious wealth and investment management company. A move abroad prompted a career
change into property and I have been managing various property portfolios since 2010.
When not at work I love spending time with my family and riding my horse.

Claire – Executive Assistant
I have enjoyed working as an Executive Assistant for 2 luxury businesses and prior to that I was in
television. With a BA in Dance Drama and Theatre Arts I consider myself an outgoing personality
with high energy and excellent communication skills. I’m a real people person. I like keeping busy
and developing new relationships. I love London with a passion and am infatuated with its history,
specifically the Tudor era.