Featured property
Hampton Hall, Queens Drive, Greater London, KT22 0PB United Kingdom - £29,000,000 ($40,110,650)
Key details
Property is the new frontier in the space race, a trend reflected in changes to London's 10 most affluent postcodes.
When it comes to London, it certainly doesn't get much more spacious than Hampton Hall, a 29,116 sq ft mock Georgian mansion with more than 70 rooms, internal and external leisure facilities and a two-storey garage. If its 1.3-acre plot feels a tad claustrophobic, prospective buyers have the opportunity to purchase another two plots – giving so much space even Brian Cox would be satisfied.
Don't be fooled by the property's bucolic setting either; it is a mere 12 miles from exclusive boutique shopping in Knightsbridge, Mayfair and Bond Street, as well as world-renowned concert halls, galleries, fine dining and nightlife.
International airports Heathrow and Gatwick are both accessible in under 30 minutes, as are a host of private airfields offering exclusive access to London’s global financial centre.
What's the story?
Hampton Hall will be on one of the largest plots on the Crown Estate and is influenced by the stately architecture of 16th century English county mansions. The Crown Estate is an independent commercial property business which belongs to the monarch for the duration of their reign, but cannot be sold by them and profits go to the Treasury. A share of its profits go to supporting official royal duties.
The manor house is yet to be constructed but will be presented in Cotswold stone, flanked by Corinthian, fluted columns with a 380 sq ft frontage. The architect has submitted interior designs but these serve as a guide and buyers have the opportunity to design the property in whatever way they wish.
Period houses in the locale tend to be razed to the ground and so the development provides a rare opportunity to purchase a mock Georgian mansion in one of the most prestigious estates in the country.
While imitation period properties may not be to everyone's taste, they offer "all of the fantasy and none of the maintenance" the broker Sotheby's Realty International says.
Who would Hampton Hall suit?
Sotheby's say the potential purchaser is likely to be someone who has done well in the City and has multiple properties.
If access to the City of London is a prerequisite, Sotheby's estimates it is quicker to get to there from Hampton Hall than it is from parts of Fulham. So buyers get all the perks of the City in a rural setting. You get "to breathe fresh air", Sotheby's says.
Air quality is a concern for everyone and particularly for those with young families. Another of their needs is education and any buyer with school-age children will get to pick from an array of top-tier establishments such as ACS International, Danes Hill, Charterhouse, Reeds and King’s College Wimbledon.
Those with a penchant for sport will be thrilled by the location. Surrey has more golf courses than any other county in England and is ideally suited for some of the UK's most renowned racetracks, including Ascot and Sandown.
The mansion's amenities include a fitness centre, indoor swimming pool and even a bowling alley.
If shopping is sufficient enough as a sporting pursuit, then Hampton Hall has everything needed for day-to-day living with nearby Esher, Cobham and Weybridge offering independent shops, boutiques and award-winning restaurants.
Windsor Castle, Hampton Court Palace, Richmond Park, the North Downs and Guards Polo Club in Windsor’s Great Park are all nearby and provide the traditional Englishness that Love Actually director Richard Curtis has bottled and sold by the gallon in his cinematic oeuvre.
Meet the neighbours
Naming the illustrious denizens of the Crown Estate is not within Sotheby's remit but the owner of Hampton Hall can be assured of rubbing shoulders with luminaries from the world of business and sport, as well prominent members of Gulf royal families.
Wimbledon's lustrous grass is currently being pounded by the world's top tennis players – and one particularly noteworthy star calls the Crown Estate his home.
Hampton Hall amenities
- Library
- Walk-in closets
- Bowling alley
- Indoor pool
- Fitness centre
- Staff quarters
- 70 rooms including 11 bedrooms
Hampton Hall is available and on the market with Sotheby's International Realty
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Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
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Date of launch: November 2018
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”