DISCOVERING ISLAND LIFE
Oliver Rodbourne, Partner and Head of the South East and Channel Islands teams, discusses why Knight Frank should be your agency of choice when it comes to this unique part of the world
WHAT MAKES THE CHANNEL ISLANDS SUCH A DESIRABLE PLACE TO LIVE? OR: They offer this idyllic version of British country life, mixed with distinctive flavours of French culture and elements of day-to-day life that are just intrinsic to island mentality. For instance, there’s incredibly low pollution and crime rates, as you would probably expect. Naturally, the islands really came into their own when the pandemic struck, with very few cases overall. They are self-governing and are therefore not subjected to the laws of the UK, with very beneficial tax arrangements, a stable political base, and ranking among the world’s most respected finance centres. Yet, they are still Crown dependencies and mirror elements of Britain, particularly in terms of landscape. The coastline, for instance, is similar to the Jurassic Coast, yet there is also a notable French influence, which perhaps isn’t surprising seeing as Jersey is only 14 miles from the coast of Normandy. The islands are also full of many little quirks – you can’t fly private helicopters during the day to any of the islands, for example, to help reduce air traffic, but you can at night.
HOW HAS THE MARKET FARED OVER THE PAST 18 MONTHS IN THE CHANNEL ISLANDS? OR: Since the pandemic, the islands’ market has been just as buoyant as we have seen elsewhere, with house prices seeing a 10% rise and stock levels consistently low, which obviously in turn continues to push up prices. There are generally two different types of buyers when it comes to the Channel Islands, either residents who are born and bred in the islands or buyers looking to invest their money from overseas. There are quite specific residential qualifications in order to buy on any of the islands, but Knight Frank is excellently placed to advise on this, with direct access to the authoritative bodies.
They offer this idyllic version of British country life, mixed with distinctive flavours of French culture and elements of day-to-day life that are just intrinsic to island mentality.
DO YOU HAVE A STAND-OUT PROPERTY CURRENTLY ON THE BOOKS? OR: Many of the properties we help to buy and sell on the islands are incredible, but we are currently instructed to sell The Maison de la Valette Estate, which is one of the most important private estates in Jersey and carries international recognition. It is a truly extraordinary property that we have acted on before, and since its last sale it has benefited from refurbishment under the design leadership of Ralph Lauren. It sits in 18 acres of land which is extremely rare for Jersey, and it is one of only two properties on the whole island that carries that amount of land. Our current interested parties come from all over the world, including England and the islands. FINALLY, WHY IS KNIGHT FRANK BEST PLACED TO ACT ON BEHALF OF CLIENTS IN THE CHANNEL ISLANDS? OR: The thing that makes Knight Frank stand out is its commitment to partnership. We have a local association agent on the island in the form of Wilsons Knight Frank, and we hope to expand further in the near future. Knight Frank’s global network and London HQ really comes into their own in this part of the world, where there are large amounts of business personnel looking to invest, not to mention the islands’ largest proportion of UHNWIs compared to anywhere else in the world. Knight Frank also has the unique facility of the Private Office, which is a key component to our relationship with the islands. The Private Office, including Sarah May-Brown who deals with trusts, banks and private clients to name but a few, is founded on discretion and integrity, offering clients the highest level of service.