A confidential property advisory business - why and how?
Why we do this? We have a simple goal - to help our clients with their property issues so that they can focus on their own business goals. Any project or commission we take on is designed to align with our client's objectives.
How we do it? The service we offer is user-friendly, individually tailored to each client and fast-responding. We aim to take the stress out of any property related problem.
With every assignment we aim to find neat, commercially viable solutions in the ever increasingly complex property world.
We generally operate out of the spotlight - putting boards on buildings or taking out advertisements is not what we are about. We don't do press releases. We don't seek to win awards* (although we are delighted if our clients do!) The service we offer is usually beneath the radar and accordingly confidential.
We have a small client base, ensuring personalised attention and a tailored service for each client.
What we do...
The vast majority of our business is based around offering strategic property advice - which sounds rather grand - it's not and we're not. But we do look at property as an asset and want to consider aspects we advise on in a wider property context.
At the forefront of advice tends to be 'valuation' - and we are RICS Registered Valuers. We can produce formal reports for acquisition and disposal (we don't do 'secured lending' reports though). We can look at, develop and deliver a property strategy based on valuation advice and the commercial market. Most reports we produce don't fit into a template format; they are usually bespoke looking at a specific circumstance and offering solutions to issues.
We can advise on landlord & tenant matters - acting for either side. This can be in respect of rent reviews, lease renewals or end of tenancy dilapidations claims. We can agree lease re-gears during their term.
We specialise in mitigating tenants obligations at the end of a term in dilapidation claims and have saved clients tens of thousands of pounds from the landlords initial claim.
We can advise on service charges and other general matters of legal interpretation in leases.
On an agency basis we can acquire and dispose of property, albeit that the latter tends to be relatively specialised - commercial or residential land. We have relationships with other agencies for more 'mainstream' agency work.
We have advised as part of a wider professional team in due diligence matters where businesses or companies are being acquired. We can examine leases and establish potential liabilities.
We have advised on a number of property disputes of all types. If there is one thing we aim to do, it would be to find pragmatic solutions to property problems.
In over 40 years in the property world there is little that we have not come across or been involved in previously.
Our Clients
We act for a small number of clients - ranging from Corporate clients, Public Bodies, SME's, Institutions and high-net worth individuals. We work all over the UK, but practically the majority of our work is in the east midlands.
It is important for us to have aligned values with our clients as we want to have long-term relationships. In one instance we have acted for a client for over 40 years. The aim is to become the trusted advisor and someone who can resolve problems and issues. We are well used to advocacy, furthering the clients best interest at all times.
We are happy to offer references from clients. All of our work is from recommendations from existing clients or referral from fellow professionals. We do not advertise or do press releases. We don't enter awards or attempt to be in the 'Top 10' of anything. Growth is a business strategy best left to other firms.
Tim Garratt FRICS
I have been in the property industry for 45 years - initially 'client side' but the majority of my working life has been working for clients - getting the best deal or outcome for them.
I started my professional life as an Architectural Technician in the Estates Departments at Home Brewery & then Kimberley Brewery (both long gone), completing a ONC and HNC in Building Studies at Basford Hall College and Trent Poly. I then switched to a Degree in Urban Estate Surveying and graduated in 1988 at Nottingham Trent University (NTU). I did my degree part-time whilst working at Walker Walton Hanson, where I became a Partner. Then, after we sold the business in 1994 to Savills, I became a Director there with responsibility for property asset management. I left Savills to join FHP as Partner and then spent the next 21 years as Director, Managing Director and finally Chairman at Innes England. I left the business in December 2020 and set up Blackstar Advisory.
I am a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and an RICS Registered Valuer.
I now value, acquire, dispose, lease and let commercial property and residential land. I deal with rent reviews, lease renewals and dilapidation claims - for both landlord and tenant. I can be forensic or strategic as the task requires but I always have an eye for the commercial deal. I am tenacious in finding solutions.
I lecture (part-time) on the final year Corporate Real Estate & Planning and Design under-graduate courses at Nottingham Trent University - where I graduated - a very long time ago. I teach practical surveying skills - around Landlord & Tenant, analysing markets, considering the future of real estate, negotiation skills and general presentation skills. I love seeing the students grow in their final year as we prepare them for the world of work.
For fun I play golf (badly), squash (equally badly) and latterly Padel (still learning!). I enjoy travel, photography, sketching buildings and music (you might have realised the business name comes from the last album from my all-time music hero - David Bowie). My new favourite person is my Granddaughter, Fenn (born September 2022) - she keeps me on my toes! I live between Nottingham and St Boswells in the Scottish Borders. My favourite travel places are New York City and Sevilla in Andalusia.
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