Westcombe Group is a leading family-run property developer, specialising in renovating beautiful Grade I and Grade II listed buildings that have fallen into disrepair, and repurposing them for the benefit of local communities. By repurposing relics of the past into homes for the future, Westcombe provides housing to meet the demands of tomorrow, whilst maintaining Britain’s historic identity through its buildings.
Westcombe Group has never forgotten its humble beginning. The Pankhania family relocated to the UK from East Africa in 1969, and in 1975 Vraj Pankhania founded the Westcombe Group. Using an initial loan of £5,000, he brough the company’s first property, a house on Westcombe Hill, South London.
Over the years, under Vraj’s stewardship, the company grew to where it is today – one of the UK’s most successful residential developers. From a young age, Vraj’s sons – Kamal and Sunil – were actively involved in the business, gaining invaluable experience and industry knowledge under the mentorship of their father. Kamal and Sunil now run the business as Managing Director and Operations Director respectively.
Westcombe Group’s business model is simple. The company purchases old, listed buildings which once had a social purpose but now have fallen into disuse. Westcombe then provides the necessary investment, and attention to re-purpose these buildings, converting them into useful spaces such as apartments, affordable housing, offices, and hotels. The design and materials are state of the art, while their projects’ locations and finishing touches are characterised by their thoughtfulness and precision.
Alongside this, Westcombe also runs the Dholak Partnership, an affordable housing association founded in 2019. The decision to set up the association was driven by the Pankhanias’ desire to help address the ongoing housing crisis. During the pandemic, it housed NHS and other key workers across London.