NU Cochrane is a boutique development and investment company working in the prime London residential market. We work with joint venture partners, using relationships with suppliers, private investors and property professionals to put opportunities together.
NU Projects was established in 2010 and has been involved in both on-market and off-market trades since. Under Nick Jeffries and Sean Cochrane, a designer, we assemble teams from our in-house architects, interior designers and project managers. Nick’s background is in the West London property market, on the construction side and on the packaging of opportunities.
The work is about raising property values through high-end renovation, in areas such as Fulham, Chelsea, Mayfair, Knightsbridge and Belgravia. That runs from the first drawings through development, investment management, project management and construction. Refurbishments, basements and new builds.
Cochrane Bespoke, founded in 2004, extends what we can do, with design, architecture and development services for private clients, developers, hoteliers and investors in the UK and abroad. Working together, NU and Cochrane Bespoke have delivered private houses across Chelsea, Kensington and Notting Hill.
How we work
We look for undervalued sites with development potential that others have not seen. That means designing a scheme for the site and engaging with the local planning authority early, rather than buying first and finding out afterwards.
Our contacts in property auctions mean we often see a property before it reaches the open market, which is usually where the margin is.
Due diligence, architecture, interior design, construction and project management are all in-house, so the operating cost of a scheme is lower than it would be with the same work outsourced.
We run a feasibility study on every potential investment. That covers financial modelling, forecasting against current market conditions, and testing several architectural options to find the one that makes most of the site.
Design quality is part of the commercial case rather than separate from it. A well-designed property is easier to sell, and it usually sells faster than the one next door.
Because the design and the construction are integrated, the two can progress at the same time. Using design and build contracts saves time and cost without dropping the standard.
We use photorealistic visualisations and virtual reality presentations to market a property before it is finished, which shortens the timeline and brings buyers into the process early.
Working with us
Every joint venture is structured for the specific project and the specific partner, so the terms, the split and the timeline are agreed case by case rather than taken from a standard sheet.
We are a development and construction company, not a financial adviser. Anyone considering an investment of this kind should take their own independent legal, tax and financial advice before committing to anything.
If you have a site or an investment opportunity you would like to discuss, fill out the contact form to arrange an initial call.
Published 18 May 2024. Written by the NU Projects studio, edited since for house style and accuracy.