William Ray

I specialise in providing property advice to charities. My knowledge and experience combine estate strategy, valuation and purchase and disposal advice on a wide range of properties including convents, care homes, schools and ecclesiastical property as well as more traditional property assets such as residential and development land, often held by charities. In addition, I am the firm’s lead on Further Education. My expertise includes valuation for loan security, financial reporting and estate strategy and due diligence for mergers and acquisitions. I provide strategic estates advice and advice on purchase and disposal of FE college property.

As part of a wider team, I provide specialist valuation advice to for-profit providers as well as not-for-profit organisations, including trading valuations of operational assets such as independent schools, care homes and student accommodation. I provide valuations for accounts, secured lending and bond issues, purchase and disposal and Qualified Surveyor’s (Charities Act) Reports.

I’ve worked with the United Colleges Group, Eurocentres Foundation services, Activate Learning, Barclays Bank Plc and Society of the Sacred Heart.

MY RECENT PROJECTS

• Sale of Queens Park Campus, United Colleges Group – I managed the sale of the 50,000 sq ft College campus which sold in May 2019 to an independent school.
• Valuations to facilitate loan facilities, United College Group – I valued three north London properties including two colleges and one office building. The College was in the process of disposing of its Willesden Green and Wembley Campus to facilitate the move into a former office at Wembley, which they intend to redevelop for a new replacement college. Our valuation included existing and alternative use. The valuations are required to secure part funding for the proposed move.
• Disposal of Surrey Care Home for a registered charity – We were instructed to undertake a valuation and provide advice on the disposal of a trading care home for a well-known charity. I advised on disposal strategy and preparation of marketing information including full trading information which was made available to the market following agreement to an NDA. We identified a suitably experienced buyer to take on the trading operation and completed the Qualified Surveyor’s Report recommending the sale to the Charity.