Buying a prime property in London, UK

In the prime London property market in England (properties valued at £2m and above) there are, at any one time, somewhere around 600 individual properties being sold by over 450 estate (selling) agents.

While Kensington, Chelsea and Belgravia stillremain the most highly regarded areas in the London property market, south-west London has experienced an increase in popularity over the last few years.

The most expensive and highly regarded areas of London are still in the south-west: Belgravia, Kensington and Chelsea top the list, in that order. This is because of their good stock of well-maintained and attractive period houses, smart shops and easy access to the City.

In central London, Mayfair and St James's are still sought after, although less so than they were in the past. Pimlico's elegant terraces have been largely restored, and are central yet reasonably priced; neighbouring Westminster has improved vastly during the past 10 years, but contains more mansion blocks than houses.

In west London, Notting Hill and Holland Park now rank as some of the smartest areas in London, and project a less conventional image than south-west London. Neighbouring Bayswater is improving, and Marylebone is becoming popular again. Hampstead, St John's Wood and Regent's Park are the most highly regarded areas in north London, although less popular with City buyers. Islington has experienced a surge of interest, and has some good period houses. In the east, a shift of businesses to the Docklands has resulted in the conversion of many riverside warehouses, and improving prices in areas such as Shad Thames, Wapping and the Isle of Dogs.

Outside the centre, south-west London is still favoured above other areas. Battersea, Clapham, Wandsworth, Richmond and Wimbledon have all experienced price rises and an increase in popularity during the past five years. In south-east London, Dulwich is highly regarded, but blighted by poor transport links. A number of areas just outside central London are reasonably priced, reasonably well-located and appealing to live in. These include Maida Vale and West Hampstead to the north-west; Highgate to the north; Hammersmith, Chiswick and West Kensington to the west; Fulham to the south-west; and Kennington to the south.

Unlike many international destinations, there is no multi-listing system in place nor one reliable database holding every available London property for sale. Therefore property buyers need to contact most, if not all, real estate agents in order to access all openly available properties.

The estate agents are only working on one side of the transaction i.e. that of the seller and they are generally interested in getting the highest price possible for the properties that they have specific instructions to sell.

A further problem for the property buyer is that the most sought after London properties are not on the internet, nor on the open market. These properties are usually discretely and confidentially offered for sale and most will sell privately to the best prepared & connected property buyers.

(Sands Home Search have access to over £1 Billion of confidentially available prime property throughout the UK which are not accessible via any public internet sites)

There is such variety of prime property within the London market that it is often a near impossible task for the unrepresented buyer to determine a market value. The fact that it is very common for a prime London property to realise a sale price in excess of the asking price, further complicates the issue.

Furthermore, the estate agent is contracted to achieve the right price for the seller and they are under no obligation to advise whether a property is suitable or whether it represents a fair price from the buyer’s perspective, meaning the potential for making expensive mistakes is large.

In reality the unrepresented buyer has very little chance of accessing all the most desirable property in that the most desirable is always the most sought after - it sells quickly and often well before ever reaching the open market.

To access and secure the best property requires time, dedication, inside knowledge and an extensive network of contacts - this is how Sands Home Search can help.

If you would like to receive impartial advice on acquiring a prime London property, please contact one of our Buying Department Directors on 01425 485 365 / +44 (0)1425 485 365 or use mobile numbers as listed below;

For Prime London Property:
Andrew Findley, 07950 822 801 / +44 (0)7950 822 801
Tim Sharp, 07787 828 670 / +44 (0)7787 828 670

Further Information about buying a buying a property in London

Transport links
Areas that have good transport links and may improve in the future include Shepherd's Bush, Southwark and Brixton, together with parts of east London.

Public schools
(some of the best London schools)

City of London School for Girls, EC2 (0207-628 0841 ). Girls only, age range 7-18, day. City of London School, EC4 (0207-489 0291 ). Boys only, age range 10-18, day.

St Paul's Cathedral Choir School, EC4 (0207-248 5156 ). Boys only, age range 7-13, day and boarding.

South Hampstead High School, NW3 (0207-435 2899 ). Girls only, age range 4-18, day.

University College School, NW3 (0207-435 3068 ). Boys only, age range 11-18, day. Associated preparatory school.

Dulwich College, SE21 (0208-693 3601 ). Boys only, age range 7-18, day and boarding. Associated preparatory school.

Alleyns School, SE22 (0208-693 3422 ). Co-educational, age range 5-18, day.

Westminster School (0207-222 5516 ). Boys only (co-educational sixth form), age range 13-18, day and boarding. Associated preparatory school.

St Paul's School, SW13 (0208-748 9162 ). Boys only, age range 13-18, day and boarding. Associated preparatory school.

St Paul's Girls School, W6 (0207-603 2288 ). Girls only, age range 11-18, day.

The Godolphin and Latymer School, W6 (0208-741 1936 ). Girls only, age range 11-18, day.

Leisure
London's sporting venues include:

Lords, St John's Wood, NW8 (0207-289 1611 ). Cricket.

The Oval, Kennington, SE11 (0207-582 6660 ). Cricket.
.

Wembley Stadium, Middlesex (0208-900 1234 ). Football.

Twickenham Stadium, Surrey (0208-8928161 ). Rugby.

All England Lawn Tennis Club, Wimbledon (0208-946 2244 ). Tennis.

Ascot Racecourse, Berkshire (01344 22211 ). Racing.