History

Our Company was set up in June 1994 to invest in commercial property.  Our first shareholders were successful IT pioneers who wished to re-invest their capital in office parks and individual office buildings.  Despite our French name, the first investments were in Hampshire and Buckinghamshire - LaForet was a restaurant in Hampshire that proved a convenient place for the shareholders to meet.

As the founding shareholders neared retirement age, they wished to realize their investments.  First, the Hampshire business park was sold and then the Company including its remaining ownership of the Buckinghamshire office building was sold as a going concern to the current Managing Director, Keith Baker and his family.

Under it’s new owners; LaForet has embarked on an expansion plan that combines property ownership with developing properties for sale.

Our Approach to Property Investment

LaForet will always be a specialist, niche company in the property world.  Our projects are often those that require patience and imagination to bring to fruition.  Given the often cyclical nature of the Property business, we believe the best organizational structure is a lean one.  We have a management team of just two people but our resources are augmented, as needed, by the trusted relationships we have built up over the years by professionals in our field.

Our very strong financial background allows us the luxury of waiting for the quality acquisition opportunities that surface relatively rarely.  Once we have made an acquisition, we then use our long-term relationships with Architects, Surveyors, Engineers, Planning Consultants and Estate Agents to design a project that is aesthetically pleasing, attractive to the market and profitable for LaForet.

In the other sections of our website, you will find details of both completed and current projects.