FAQ

Have a read of our guide for homeowners, which has everything you need to know about preparing your home for sale.

The process can feel confusing, particularly if you’re a first time buyer or haven’t moved for a number of years. Have a read of our guide for buyers, which should answer all of your questions about each stage of the process.

We represent houses and apartments of all sizes and across all price ranges, in both rural and urban locations. At the less expensive end, we might offer a small apartment in an ex-local authority estate in London, while at the higher end we might market a significant new-build house set in extensive land. Whereas estate agencies conventionally confine themselves to a certain postcode, we look everywhere, focusing instead on the quality of the home itself.

Each of the homes we represent displays our passion for design and meets our buyers’ desire to be excited and surprised. The homes on our website aren’t confined to a particular architectural period. Some were built in the early years of the Modern Movement in Britain, while others are period buildings with outstanding conversions or extensions. We also sell homes with interior-design pedigree, as well as plots of land with planning permission for imaginative new-builds.

Homes can take many forms. We are as inspired by a well-conceived studio flat with a thoughtful interior as we are by penthouses, warehouse conversions or loft apartments. We look for uplifting homes that harness design to create better environments for living, whether that’s a rural retreat, a school conversion or a lofty barn space. For more about the types of homes we sell, see our piece on ‘What makes a modern house?’. If you’re unsure if we can help, please get in touch with our friendly team who would be pleased to talk to you about how we work.

If a property is of sufficient design merit, we will represent it! In the past, we have offered for sale properties ranging from £100,000 to £20,000,000 and everything in between.

We sell houses and apartments throughout the UK, from our central offices in London. Having represented properties in just about every postcode in London and every county in southern Britain, we have an intimate knowledge of the specialist market for design-led housing.

We represent more than 70% of our properties as Sole Agents. At The Modern House, we like to do things properly, which means maintaining control over the whole sales process and providing a seamless experience for our clients. However, we have strong working relationships with many agents across London and nationwide, and will consider a Joint Agency if we feel that this is beneficial to the client.

Our main offices are in central London, but these are not walk-in premises. Due to the broad geographical spread of our properties, we try not to define ourselves by a high-street presence in a particular location. However, we are always delighted to travel to meet prospective sellers, and we welcome clients to our offices by appointment.

Our properties are featured daily in print and online media, both in the UK and internationally. This is one of our great strengths as an agency. Editors contact us because we are guaranteed to have what they need: superior houses and outstanding photography. Our founders have backgrounds in the press, meaning that we have a bulging black book of personal contacts within the industry. This coverage comes at no cost to the client and is a highly effective marketing tool.

We subscribe to Rightmove, Zoopla, On The Market and Primelocation, giving our homes total visibility across the whole market.

We sometimes advertise in selected publications, and we are always happy to discuss advertising options with our clients. However, we believe that our regular editorial coverage in national and international newspapers and magazines represents the best marketing tool. Our properties can also be found on a huge number of architecture and design websites, as well as across all forms of social media.

We send a ‘property alert’ by email whenever a new property comes onto the market, and also email out a regular newsletter. To receive this, please click on ‘Subscribe’ in the navigation and fill in your details.

Due to the significant level of enquiries we receive, we regret that we cannot fulfil requests for location hire. Please contact a dedicated locations agency.

All properties represented by The Modern House have been built as the result of careful consideration by a particular architect and designed for the exact setting in which they sit, giving them a true relationship with their surroundings. The qualities of space and light are at the heart of all of the buildings we sell. Like an investment in a good work of art, substantial gains can be made by purchasing houses of architectural distinction, which are increasingly sought-after among design-literate buyers.

Please do get in touch. We are always pleased to hear from skilled and passionate architectural photographers.

Please email us via the Contact page and we will be happy to provide high-res images and any other information you require.

The vast majority are, but we do sometimes email off-market opportunities to our registered buyers. This is why we stress the importance of signing up for our email alerts (go to Subscribe), so that you never miss out on the opportunity to find the property that’s perfect for you.

We strive to ensure that the process of buying and selling is as smooth as possible. However, in what can be a stressful transaction, occasionally things may not always go according to plan. With this in mind, we have a rigorous process to ensure any grievances that may arise are resolved as quickly as possible.

All employees take customer satisfaction very seriously and we will endeavour to resolve the issue swiftly and professionally.

If you wish to make a formal complaint, please put this in writing to our Head of Sales. On receipt of your letter of complaint, the Head of Sales (or a colleague if the Head of Sales is out of the office for any reason) will acknowledge your letter within three working days. We will then undertake a proper investigation and respond to you with a formal written outcome within 15 working days from the date of receipt of your written complaint.

Please write (by letter or email) outlining the specific details of your complaint to:

The Modern House
St Alphege Hall
King’s Bench Street
London
SE1 0QX

Email: complaints@themodernhouse.com

If you remain dissatisfied with this formal written outcome, you can further pursue the complaint and it will be reviewed by another senior staff member not directly involved in the transaction. This further review will be sent to you within 15 working days and will include a written statement of our final view.

We genuinely hope that all concerns can be settled amicably between us. However, if you remain dissatisfied with our final view you may seek redress through The Property Ombudsman, which provides a free, independent service for dealing with unresolved disputes. The Property Ombudsman will not consider your complaint until you have exhausted our internal procedure. Any referral to The Property Ombudsman must be made within twelve months of the date of our final view statement.
Their details are as follows:

The Property Ombudsman
Milford House
43-55 Milford Street
Salisbury
Wiltshire SP1 2BP

www.tpos.co.uk

Should you wish to discuss your complaint at any stage of the process, please call 020 3795 5920.