This is no ordinary village; this is an M&S village

• Marks & Spencer set to open 150 new Simply Food stores in next 3 years
• New Simply Food store announced for Virginia Water, Surrey
• Presence of M&S food store set to positively impact house prices reports estate agent
• 55% of M&S turnover is from Food, some £5.1 billion per annum

It is little surprise to know that all major supermarkets spend great sums of money on market research.  Entire departments carry out in-depth research into potential new locations in which to open and it appears that for some higher end brands, it’s more about the quality of an area than its quantity.

A prime example of this is high street favourite, Marks & Spencer, which has announced the opening of 150 new food stores nationwide over the next 3 years. With 55% of Marks & Spencer’s turnover from Food, some £5.1 billion per annum, it’s essential the company makes the right choices.

And it appears they have correctly identified the affluence and opportunity present in the north Surrey village of Virginia Water as a new M&S Simply Food store is due to open in the near future.

Indeed the announcement of the new food store, which could occupy the former site of Barclays Bank, next door to multi award-winning estate agency, Barton Wyatt, has been well received by local residents.

As James Wyatt, Partner at Barton Wyatt and Virginia Water resident, comments,

“Virginia Water might have a population of less than 6,000 but those residents pack a mighty punch in terms of wealth. The village is the first outside London where house prices average more than £1 million yet the area is underserviced in my opinion when it comes to higher end supermarkets.

“The nearest Waitrose is in Sunninghill and the nearest M&S is housed within a petrol station in Egham, both a drive away. There has been much speculation about the change of use of the former site of Barclays Bank with talk of a Sainsbury’s store coming into the village but with the well-known “Waitrose Effect” on property prices, the news of a similar grade supermarket in M&S Simply Food has gone down very well.”

Indeed the Waitrose Effect on house prices has been well documented. According to a Yahoo survey, a Waitrose is one of the top five most desirable things to live close to with Savills reporting that the presence of a Waitrose store can push up house prices by some 25% or more in certain locations.

James Wyatt continues,

“In some areas the presence of a Waitrose on house prices has been undeniable but I do not think impacts such as this are restricted to this brand alone. Property prices in and around Virginia Water have always been high compared to the national average with a number of factors driving them ever higher so whilst I believe the presence of the new M&S food store will contribute to future growth, it won’t be the only driving factor.”

“I am also looking forward to a positive effect on my waistline! Currently if I step out the door I could be lured by the bakers on my left.  If I have a choice to turn right into M&S I could choose mango over a sausage roll!”

For more details on some prime property available close to Virginia Water High Street contact Barton Wyatt on 01344 843 000 or visit www.bartonwyatt.co.uk.

• Need a private jet to fly you to dinner?
• Want some help organising a gastronomic luncheon for 100 guests?
• Too busy to do your Christmas shopping and gift wrapping?

Then help is at hand!

Barton Wyatt, the prime multi award-winning Surrey estate agency, has been offering a concierge service to their clients since 1965, designed to fulfil the needs of international royal families, non-doms, celebrities and high net worth individuals who wanted more than “just an estate manager”.

Over the past five decades, Barton Wyatt has further honed and developed this incredibly discreet and specialised service and today they launch their service under the name of Private Office as more and more clients seek this type of assistance.

James Wyatt, Partner of Barton Wyatt and Head of Private Office explains,

“We have been fulfilling a concierge facility for clients for fifty years but as demand has risen, we felt it was time to give the service a separate identity and more credence.

“Our clients include those who hold properties all over the world but may only use their Surrey homes for one or two months of the year, whilst others may visit at weekends.  Some live here all the time but want to enjoy their own time to the maximum. We sit in the background of these luxurious lifestyles ensuring that homes and households continue to run seamlessly whilst the client is here or away.”

The Barton Wyatt Private Office offers a fully bespoke and customised service for clients although typical services include:

• Recruiting and managing household staff, ensuring they are fulfilling their role both within the house and the grounds
• Handling the utilities, ensuring best value and arranging maintenance of household equipment – this could be anything from swimming pools to whirlpools, kitchen and / or gym equipment, Wi-Fi, electronic gates and even internal lifts for both people and cars!
• Undertaking basic “running of the house” errands from the dry cleaning through to servicing the cars, cleaning windows and chimneys
• Arranging private transportation from limousine airport picks up through to private jets for national and international travel
• Organising social gatherings from lavish children’s birthday parties through to gastronomic luncheons for 100 guests plus
• Assisting with finding suitable schools for off-spring – from pre-school to seniors, traditional English schooling and international schools, day or boarding
• Re-opening the house upon a client’s return includes a deep clean, fresh flowers and filling the multitude of fridges and freezers with food that is often quite specialist and pertains to country and culture
• Closing the house upon a client’s departure including once again a deep clean, laundering bedrooms, replacing any broken items during their stay and ensuring the house is safe and secure whilst they are away

James goes on to say:

“Wentworth and the surrounding area has a unique set of families who live here; many are from overseas, often of high standing or famous but almost exclusively they are all very wealthy.  With wealth comes very high expectations and offering the Private Office is not something that we have taken lightly. Our staff must have exemplary customer service skills and an in-depth knowledge on how to make things happen seamlessly.  Thankfully I have no hesitation in stating that we hold these skills and are looking forward to taking on more clients to assist them with running their households.”

Needless to say the sky is the limit when it comes to the services on offer to members of Private Office.  Time is often short for the rich jet set and despite an army of staff, having someone on the ground at the Surrey country mansion enables better planning and organisation.  It is hard to organise dinner for 20 from Malibu or a champagne reception with a string quartet from Dubai.  But with Private Office no job is too hard, the team have the know-how and the savvy to be on hand to make things happen on time and as requested.

Wyatt says:

“Clients sometimes need assistance with interior design which will all come under the Private Office banner.  We are highly experienced with applying for planning for new extensions, assimilating quotes and ensuring work is carried out to the highest standard.  We create new bathrooms and kitchens, re-design any room in the house, select new curtains, carpets and often furniture for our clients.  No job is too big or too small.”

The Private Office is available to client’s who live in the vicinity of the Barton Wyatt Wentworth office in Virginia Water, Surrey. Prices are available on request but are generally calculated on the size of each property.

For more details of this luxury service please contact James Wyatt at Barton Wyatt on 01344 843 000 or visit their website at www.bartonwyatt.co.uk.

The announcement of the acquisition of The Wentworth Group in Surrey by a large Chinese Investment company, Reignwood Group, spells good news for Surrey’s Wentworth and Virginia Water.

The Wentworth Club is one of the world’s finest golf and country clubs set in an oasis less than an hour from central London.  Consisting of a famous castellated Clubhouse, three championship golf courses, a Tennis & Health Club, an active social calendar and dining inspired by The Ivy and Le Caprice also owned by Richard Caring.

Leading estate agency in Virginia Water, Barton Wyatt are delighted with the news.  James Wyatt, partner of the firm explains:

“Rumours have been flying around for months about the sale of The Wentworth Club.  Richard Caring has been open about his ambition to sell this part of his empire and release capital for other ventures.

“It was all just a case of who had the money for this hugely expensive slice of Surrey.  We are delighted it is now settled and we are most excited by having internationally renowned Chinese owners at the helm.

“This purchase by a major Chinese group will undoubtedly expand the Wentworth Brand globally.  This in turn will open new doors, bring new markets to our estate and of course more wealth outside of London to the Home Counties.”

The Reignwood Group has purchased Wentworth for a jaw dropping sum of £135m. Dr Chanchai Ruayrungruang, founder of The Reignwood Group in 1984, commented,

“Reignwood has a long history in golf development, a profound respect for excellence in every form and deep interest in East-West cooperation.

“As a world famous golf institution, Wentworth is a key strategic acquisition for our rapidly growing luxury lifestyle division, whose unique culture we are dedicated to preserving and whose exceptional expertise will inform our golf operations across Asia.”

Dr Chanchai Ruayrungruang is also known more familiarly as Yan Bin andhas a multitude of feathers in his cap including being the man who brought the energy drink Red Bull from Thailand to China. Three years later, he started building the Wonderland Amusement Park, not dissimilar to Disneyland near Beijing.

In 2000, he built China’s largest golf resort, the Pine Valley Resort in Beijing, which caters to a luxury crowd: in 2009 the course was awarded the Multimillionaires’ Most Favourite Golf Course in Beijing.

Yan Bin has grown his fortune on the back of a strong performance in sales of Red Bull energy drinks in China, and with sales expected to hit US$800 million this year, it is estimated that his personal wealth is $8.17 billion.

James Wyatt says:

“In my mind golf and the Chinese sit in harmony together.  Asia has become golf mad over the past few decades and are already regular visitors to Wentworth.  Hopefully now they will move into leafy Surrey and become part of our rich and diverse international tapestry.

“I for one would be thrilled to see some dim sum on the menu at The Wentworth Club!”

For more details contact Barton Wyatt on 01344 843000 or visit www.bartonwyatt.co.uk

Editors Note

Homes that would suit Chinese buyers include:

The Glade, Spring Woods, Wentworth, Surrey                                                  £4,950,000

A brand new house set in private wooded grounds at the end of a cul de sac, on the main island of Wentworth. This modern home amounts to approximately  8,374 sq ft and is finished to a very high standard.

The property comprises a large entrance hall, 3 receptions and a magnificent kitchen/breakfast.  A large utility room, study and cloakroom complete the ground floor.

Master bedroom suite with large dressing room and en-suite bathroom,  a guest bedroom with dressing room and en-suite shower room and 3 further  bedroom suites on the first floor.

The second floor has bedroom 6 with en-suite bathroom.

Externally there is a detached annexe/studio,  Integral double garage, landscaped grounds and approximately 1 acre.

For more details contact Barton Wyatt on 01344 843000 or visit www.bartonwyatt.co.uk

September Song,  Wentworth                                   £4,150,000

September Song is situated on one of the most prestigious roads on the Wentworth Estate, West Drive, being on the ‘Main Island’ of Wentworth with the golf courses and clubhouse nearby.

September Song was built in 2008 for the current owners to a very high level of specification and finish. The house is totally unique having been designed by Lewandowski Willcox Architects. A contemporary design with interesting shaped rooms and split levels gives the house an abundance of character and charm all of its own, ideal for entertaining and contemporary family life. The choice of bathroom fittings and the kitchen are all of a contemporary nature and flow consistently through the property. Of particular note is a fabulous glass staircase as you enter the house.

The house boasts 4 reception rooms, a master bedroom with en-suite dressing room and bathroom, two further bedrooms suites,  a further two bedrooms with a shared jack and jill bathroom.  The house also has a laundry, study, a lift from the garage which houses 5 cars and landscape gardens of 1.86 acres.

For more information contact Barton Wyatt on 01344 843000 or visit www.bartonwyatt.co.uk.

• Forecasts say that expat numbers will reach 56.8 million globally by 2017 (Finaccord)
• 20% of estate agents agree that the top priority of house hunters is good schools (Move with Us)
• Virginia Water in Surrey is within 6 minutes of two world class international schools – TASIS The American School in England and ACS International.

According to international market research company Finaccord, the number of expats is continuing to rise globally at a SOLID rate, forecasting that by 2017 the total figure will reach 56.8 million (compared to 46 million in 2009). Finaccord statistics suggest a compound annual growth rate of 2.4% per annum.

Whether relocation is required due to employment, family reasons or simply a new adventure, it is of little surprise that top educational facilities are important to expats. Indeed a new survey from Move with Us suggests 20% of estate agents think living close to good schools is a top priority for UK house hunters.

With education at the forefront of so many parents’ minds, choosing a family home within reasonable commuting distance of a school of choice is a must for many expats moving from abroad.

Selling homes in Virginia Water, the exclusive international nucleus of north Surrey, is James Wyatt, Partner of Barton Wyatt estate agency, who has been working in the locality for 30 years. He mulls,

“At least 65% of our customers moving into the area, many from overseas, are looking for new schools for their children. Fortunately the team here at Barton Wyatt, being from the local area, are experts in the choices available – which are extensive!

“Here in Virginia Water we are blessed in with having two exemplary international schools nearby and global businessmen and women are very grateful that their children can continue to be taught the same curriculum that they have already started within these educational institutions.”

Whilst some top public schools in the UK are now offering the IB (International Baccalaureate) as an option to UK and expat students, this alone does not fulfil the definition of an international education. Schools that have a diverse student body, provide language support, and are completely dedicated to international teaching methods are few and far between, yet highly desirable to global students coming to the UK from around the world.

One such school is TASIS England based in Thorpe, Surrey. Maybe better known for the thrill seeking Thorpe Park amusement park than for international education, TASIS England’s Thorpe village location is perfectly situated close to London, within easy reach of both Heathrow and Gatwick airports and the international community at Virginia Water.

Mary Mitchell of TASIS England comments:

“TASIS has been in operation since 1956; first opening in Switzerland and then here in the UK in 1976.  Offering both the IB Diploma and an American curriculum, we have expertise in teaching children from all over the world who find themselves resident in the UK. Our decades of specialist experience ensure that virtually all of our graduates go on to further education, with about 60% choosing to study in America, Canada, Asia or Australia.

“Almost as important is the support our international community gives, not only to the students, but also to the entire family as they settle into expat life in the UK.  We have extensive resources which we encourage the entire family to use; we have found this sort of support helps them settle quickly, this all goes to making happy families which in turn makes our school and our community a better place to be. ”

James Wyatt adds,

“When it comes to international home seekers and the international schools that we are blessed with close by, it’s like the chicken and egg quandary – I often wonder which came first? We have two first class schools on our doorstep – TASIS and ACS International – both of which are popular with expat parents, so much so that sizeable waiting lists are sometimes in place.

“For our international customers, both buyers and tenants, it is a dream come true to have a choice of schools on hand. I don’t believe there is another spot in England (bar central London) that is blessed with two such fine International schooling options.”

Wyatt continues,

“Property in the surrounding Virginia Water area can be almost harder to find than a place at one of these two prime schools but that is where we come in! We really are experts at knowing who is moving out, who is moving in and who might be on their way soon, so finding the right home for each client becomes a much easier task.

“We are fortunate to have a choice of some of the finest properties to let in the UK on the Wentworth Estate and in Virginia Water, as well as in gated communities such as Virginia Park or St Anne’s Park; many international clients love these environments as they can enjoy the security and privacy of the 24-hour patrolled gates and CCTV systems, as well as a whole host of leisure facilities”

Currently Barton Wyatt has a large selection of properties available to buy or to rent that would be highly suitable for an international family. Homes with large open plan areas which will feel homely to Scandinavians or Americans alike, double door American fridge freezers, top loading washing machines, drinks fridges and huge TV’s are all high on the list of ‘wants’ for international travellers.  For those stuck doing the school run though, the commute is paramount, and from the heart of Virginia Water, both TASIS and ACS are just a 6 minute drive.

For more details on properties available in the Virginia Water area please contact Barton Wyatt on 01344 843 000 or visit www.bartonwyatt.co.uk.

For more details on TASIS England contact their admissions department on 01932 582316 or visit www.tasisengland.org.

By

James Wyatt of Barton Wyatt

Wentworth has been called many things over the years: ‘Exclusive’ ‘Estate of the stars’ ‘World renowned’ and so on, but the story of Wentworth has changed over the years, since it was first developed by Walter Tarrant in the early 1920’s.  Wentworth continues to evolve today with nearly 50 new houses currently under development, it’s clear that Wentworth has lost none of its appeal.

Tarrant has often been called a visionary, as the first developer to construct golf courses with houses dotted around them. His marketing was aimed at City gentlemen looking for weekend homes not too far from London with the added lure of a golf club close to your house. This recipe has since been repeated all over the World.

St George’s Hill in Weybridge which he started developing in 1911 was a resounding success and Tarrant set his eyes on an even larger prize by purchasing Wentworth in the early 1920’s.  The Wentworth Estate covers 1,750 acres – almost twice as big as St George’s Hill and Tarrant set about instructing Harry Colt to design the first golf course – now the East Course and started building houses, albeit slightly smaller than some of the enormous piles he had built in Weybridge.

Tarrant also designed and constructed the early parade of shops in Virginia Water where my office is now.  The original plans which I have show the bank to be where Barclays Bank is, a furniture shop where Barton Wyatt is, an estate agent where the Wentworth Patisserie is now, a butcher where the Viceroy Indian restaurant is, a fishmonger where the Glasshouse is now and beyond that, a greengrocer which is now an estate agents.  All of these modest sized shops came with residential accommodation behind and above the shop.

Indeed, when my grandfather bought the old estate agency practice of Gosling and Milner in 1965, the offices still had a two bedroom flat above it which my parents moved into. My bedroom as a small baby is my office today!

Tarrant went on to construct the West Course, often known as the Burma Road, which is now used for the BMW PGA Championship in May.

War time bought a huge change to Wentworth with the Clubhouse being requisitioned at the outbreak of the war.  Soon after, the infamous but little known tunnels were constructed underground next to the Clubhouse, for the General Headquarters (GHQ) Signals.  The tunnels were constructed in cast iron in the same style as the London Underground and were designed to be the Signals headquarters if there had been a devastating invasion of London.  At the same time, the Clubhouse was occupied as the GHQ Home Forces who also lived in many of the houses around the estate. I do wonder whether golf matches carried on as normal?

The tunnels are well guarded these days, although in the 1970’s my friends and I would often visit them as someone had thoughtfully chiselled out a hole in the back of the concrete entrance.  It is rather fitting given Wentworth’s story during the war that our current local MP is the Rt. Hon. Phillip Hammond who was until recently Secretary of State for Defence.

The estate has seen various changes in the type of homeowner over the years that I have lived here.  In the 70’s glamour, pop stars and entertainers poured into the estate with Elton John, a couple of Bee Gee’s, Bruce Forsyth, Chris Squire of the rock band Yes and Diana Dors all living on the estate.  A frequent sight was seeing the blonde bombshell of Diana Dors driving through the village in her open top azure blue Rolls Royce with the flowing locks of Barry Gibb next to her.  Similarly, I would think nothing of bumping into Elton John in film producer’s Brian Forbes’ book shop in the shopping parade.  Yes, it was perhaps a strange place to grow up.

During the 1980’s the estate filled with a large number of Scandinavian buyers – particularly Swedish families who had been hounded out of their country through high taxes.  Another resident was pop star Gary Numan who was fond of shag pile carpet in his house, not only on the floor but up the walls too.  He also had a private plane that he had crashed parked on his driveway.

During the 1990’s Wentworth was taken over by a number of golfers, Nick Faldo – who had the slightly unnerving practice of standing at the far end of the Wentworth driving range with his instructor David Leadbetter, firing golf balls towards us less able golfers at the correct end.

Other golfing residents included multiple major winner Sandy Lyle, Ernie Els, Thomas Bjorn, Wentworth Pro and Ryder Cup Captain Bernard Gallagher and Sam Torrance.

In the late 1990’s, Chile’s ex-dictator General Pinochet found himself under house arrest on Wentworth in a house I managed. By that time, he was a doddery old chap, but could still manage a game of badminton. The modest four bedroom house was occupied by at least 12 people – mainly police on three shifts, 24 hours a day, so it isn’t surprising that our main management issue was the cess-pit which struggled a bit!

After 2000, we saw the inexorable rise of the overseas buyer with Wentworth becoming ever more highly sought after.  The Clubhouse itself had been transformed by property tycoon Elliot Bernard with a new tennis, health, indoor swimming pool and spa complex being built ensuring that Wentworth was fast becoming the place to live. Larger houses were built and we saw the first inflow of the oligarchs from Eastern Europe particularly Russian, Ukrainian and Kazakhstanis.  At the same time, a second international school opened locally which boosted the number of American’s living locally by 100%.  We also saw a number of Far Eastern royal families buying locally, drawn not only by the golf but by the Guards Polo Club and the nearby Farnborough Private Airport.

However, it is worth pointing out that of the less than 600 houses that line the private roads of Wentworth, the vast majority are UK owned and occupied.

Today, Wentworth has a wide variety of property in varying sizes of gardens from well under half an acre to over 10 acres – the houses being worth anything from £500,000 to over £50,000,000.  The area has a vibrant shopping parade with all the shops currently occupied – not a scenario that applies to many high streets around the country at the moment.

This is all a far cry from the days in the early 1920’s when Walter Tarrant had his vision, and we have him to thank for that.

For more information about buying or letting a property on the Wentworth Estate contact local resident and estate agent, James Wyatt of Barton Wyatt on 01344 843 000 or visit www.bartonwyatt.co.uk.