Savills’ associate director for the Home Counties Helen O’Riordan has joined its country house department.

Helen will work across Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Hertfordshire – supporting offices in Henley, Marlow, Amersham, Beaconsfield, Rickmansworth, Harpenden, Banbury and Summertown.

She will be based in the firm’s head office in London where she will be working alongside country house director Hugh Maconochie.

Helen, a chartered surveyor and former RICS registered valuer, joined Savills in 2023 as part of its London-based rural valuation team.

She specialised in the valuation of traditional rural estates, prime country houses and farms – mostly for taxation, secured lending, annual accounting or succession planning purposes.

Helen said: “The move to the country house department feels like a natural step and I’m excited to get started.

“As a rural valuer I was fortunate to work on some of the UK’s best country estates and I was always drawn to those with a beautiful residential property.

“I’ll be responsible for managing the full lifecycle of a sale and I’m looking forward to meeting our existing clients and building new relationships.

“The Home Counties is an area I know extremely well. I went to sixth form in Marlow and rowed competitively throughout that time – training on the Thames and competing at Henley Royal Regatta several times throughout my rowing career.

“My parents still live locally and many of the villages I’m now covering are places where I spent a lot of time when growing up. It is a real advantage to have that familiarity, not just with the geography, but also with the character of the area and its communities.”

Phillippa Dalby-Welsh, head of Savills’ country department, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Helen on board. She fits our dynamic brilliantly and her skillsets underscore our commitment to strengthening our team and enhancing the offering to our clients.

“Helen’s valuation background gives her a clear understanding of market value and pricing strategy – something that’s critical when advising both clients and buyers – as well as an appreciation of the complexities that are sometimes associated with country homes.

“I’m confident her experience and enthusiasm will see her thrive and ensure we continue to provide the very best service to clients, old and new.”

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