Apartments and houses in Chelsea are some of the most sought-after real estate in London as it is one of the most famous areas in the city.
The spine of Chelsea is the King’s Road which runs from Sloane Square to Fulham. The southern border of Chelsea is the river and the northern border is the Fulham Road which runs through both Chelsea and Fulham itself, which is directly to the west of Chelsea.
Chelsea was made famous in the swinging sixties and seventies by the King’s Road which became the fashion centre of London with Vivienne Westwood being probably the designer most associated with the area and her famous shop at World’s End.
Houses in Chelsea are particularly popular due to the proximity of the many shops and restaurants nearby but also because it has a very different atmosphere to neighbouring areas such as Belgravia and Knightsbridge, which are seen as a bit too conservative in the case of Belgravia while Knightsbridge is regarded by some as a bit “showy” and also much busier.
Meanwhile, real estate in Chelsea still retains more of a village feel. This is in large part because, in general, the houses are smaller than in Belgravia and there are few large offices, department stores or apartment buildings compared to Knightsbridge.
Indeed the contrast to Belgravia could not be starker: while Belgravia’s architecture is very uniform with white stucco-fronted buildings, luxury houses in Chelsea come in a wide range of styles reflecting the bohemian history of the area.
Consequently, there are the smaller, multi-coloured houses in Bywater Street and Markham Street to larger houses on the garden squares like Chelsea Square and Carlyle Square. These are then dwarfed by the largest houses in Chelsea like the Old Rectory on Old Church Street and houses on the river end of Tite Street.
And that is part of the charm of owning a property in Chelsea. There is an incredible variety of architecture including in “old” Chelsea where there are several listed houses and old churches not to mention the Physic Gardens if you want somewhere peaceful to walk around.
Of course, Chelsea is still incredibly central so if you do want to get into Knightsbridge, it is a short walk while Mayfair and the West End are a short taxi journey.
Having said this, there are parts of Chelsea that are less well connected and this does affect prices. So, the further west you go up the King’s Road, the further you are from an underground station. Indeed, once you go past World’s End, transport does become a bit of an issue although the houses on the “Ten Acre” estate are still very popular.
But what about luxury apartments in Chelsea?
This is arguably where Chelsea has seen the biggest change in the last 20 years. Historically, there were some large mansion blocks like Cranmer Court and Swan Court which were rather drab and nicknamed “God’s waiting room”. However, these have undergone a renaissance with the communal areas being improved, modern lifts installed and they are now highly prized luxury apartments in Chelsea to rent or purchase.
There have also been some new buildings developed although these tend to be on a much smaller scale than the larger developments one sees in Knightsbridge, the obvious exception being Chelsea Barracks (although some would argue that this is in Belgravia).
Luxury apartments in Chelsea do tend to be smaller than in Mayfair and Knightsbridge, but there are exceptions to this and if you wish to acquire real estate in Chelsea London over 3000 sq.ft. with 6m ceiling height there are a couple of boutique, discreet developments which have such luxury apartments in Chelsea to rent or buy.
How to Value of Properties in Chelsea
One of the questions I am often asked is what is the average price per square foot for a property in Chelsea? While there is obviously an average, it is an incredibly misleading figure because it is such a blunt way of determining the value of a property.
It does not take into account ceiling height, architecture, layout, views, quality of refurbishment, proximity to transport, parking, the size of the garden, the street and all of the other factors that you need to consider when looking to buy property in Chelsea.
So, if you aren’t sure about how to find the best properties in Chelsea, value them accurately and then negotiate the lowest price possible, then you need to be very careful as you will make an expensive mistake.
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