Manor House in the Home Counties
A substantial country house set in 100 acres in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The house was recently purchased by overseas owners who are carrying out an extensive restoration of the interior of the house, cottages, outbuildings, gardens and grounds including a substantial new garden and landscape design.
The Brief:
Savills were instructed to provide advice on the selection and appointment of the architect, interior designer and landscape designer, the project structure, strategic objectives and day to day management of the property, recruitment and ongoing supervision of staff, as well as cost benchmarking.
The Client:
Confidential.
Our Solution:
Savills took immediate responsibility for the management of the property from the completion of the sale, which included the use of house sitters, dealing with the insurance brokers, advice on security, transfer of utilities, payment of invoices and production of detailed budgets and a financial forecast. An initial review of expenditure led to immediate savings of £15,000 in operating costs.
We then advised on the team structure for the restoration, including the Outline Brief for the architects and designers, their terms of business and fees, project management and advised on an overall VAT strategy. The effect of this advice was to save the client a substantial six figure sum.
As no staff were present at the point of sale, we advised on the optimum staffing levels, then arranged advertisements, interviews and eventual recruitment of a Senior Housekeeper, Housekeeper and Head Gardener.
How we added value:
Our advice resulted in substantial six figure savings on capital expenditure as well as immediate five figure savings on the operating costs. We anticipate achieving better value for money whilst continuing to deliver the client’s objectives.
We understand large country houses and the expectations of their owners. We know what needs doing, how it should be done, what it should cost and who is best placed to deliver. We usually find that our advice saves substantially more than it costs, but also results in a more efficient, timely and enjoyable experience for the client.
Our approach is bespoke, and we can do as much or as little as the client may require, depending on the circumstances.
