Flat H, 180 Holland Road, Kensington and Chelsea, London W14 8AH

Description

A vacant third-floor studio flat within a period building on Holland Road. The auction listing describes accommodation including a reception/sleeping room, kitchen and bathroom and offers the property with a new 125-year lease from completion. The catalogue summary labels it as a one-bedroom flat, while the individual property page describes it as a studio; the individual listing description should therefore take priority for appraisal.

Location

Holland Road is in west London between Kensington, Holland Park and Shepherd's Bush, with access to local shops, restaurants and major transport links. Shepherd's Bush Underground, Overground and rail services are nearby, and Holland Park is within easy reach.

Investment Analysis

Investment Snapshot

Property & Refurbishment

The flat appears to require relatively modest investor works unless inspection identifies hidden issues. I would allow £5,000–£12,000 for decoration, flooring, kitchen/bathroom refresh, electrical or heating items and contingency. The building's common parts, service-charge position and any planned major works are potentially more important than the internal refurbishment budget.

Rental Analysis

Recent Holland Road studio asking evidence includes approximately £1,495 pcm and £1,560 pcm. I would therefore test £1,450 pcm conservative, £1,550 pcm target and £1,650 pcm upper case. That gives £17,400–£19,800 per annum, or 9.2%–10.4% gross on the guide. At a midpoint project cost of £198,500, £1,550 pcm gives about 9.4% gross before service charge, ground rent if any, management, maintenance, voids and finance.

GDV / Resale Analysis

Holland Road has a wide spread of flat values because units differ dramatically in floor area and configuration. Recent examples include Flat 6, 114 Holland Road at £188,000 for a very small approximately 18 m² unit, Flat 5, 47 Holland Road at £412,000 for a larger one-bedroom flat and Flat 6, 145 Holland Road at £360,000. Given the subject is described as a studio, I would use a broad £300,000–£380,000 appraisal range until exact floor area and service-charge information are confirmed.

Properties Sold Within Approx. 5 Miles

The £188,000 sale is especially relevant if the subject is similarly compact; the larger flats demonstrate the upside available to larger one-bedroom accommodation but should not be applied without confirming size. Exact floor area is therefore critical to the GDV.

Potential BRRR Position

At a £340,000 midpoint GDV, a hypothetical 75% LTV refinance would be approximately £255,000 versus a midpoint guide-plus-works basis of £198,500. This suggests potentially strong capital recycling, but a lender may value a very small studio conservatively and may impose minimum-size criteria.

Flip Analysis

The guide-to-comparable spread makes resale potentially attractive, but the investment hinges on exact floor area, lease terms, service charge and lender acceptability. A small studio may have a narrower mortgage market. All acquisition, finance, service-charge, legal and selling costs must be deducted from the headline uplift.

Investor Risks & Due Diligence

• Confirm the exact floor area and whether the property is legally/configurationally a studio or one-bedroom flat.




• Review the new lease, service charge, reserve fund and any planned major works.




• Check lender minimum-size requirements before relying on refinance or resale to mortgage-funded buyers.




• Verify current achieved studio rents on Holland Road rather than asking prices alone.

Recommendation

Preferred strategy: Buy-to-Let / Resale, subject to floor-area and lease checks. The guide is low for the location, but the wide same-street value range shows that size is decisive. If the flat is mortgageable and materially larger than the smallest comparable, the investment case could be strong.

Strategy Rating

BRRR: ★★★★☆

Buy-to-Let: ★★★★☆

Flip: ★★★★☆

Development: ★☆☆☆☆