Famous for hosting the iconic annual flower show and home to Sloane Square and the King’s Road, affluent Chelsea remains one of London’s most desirable postcodes. Local experts Eleanor Bowers and Hugh Daunt explain why buyers and tenants from across the globe continue to flock to the area.
Who are your typical buyers and tenants?
Eleanor: We deal with lots of young professionals and corporate tenants who are attracted to the lively social atmosphere of the area and central location. Many of these tenants come via our Corporate Lettings and International Relocation team who deal with enquiries from blue-chip companies from around the world.
Hugh: Our clients tend to be young families moving locally and from further afield. Buyers love the prestige of a Chelsea postcode, as well as the excellent independent and grammar schools.
What do you love the most about Chelsea?
Eleanor: For me it’s the hustle and bustle of King’s Road. There is a lovely contrast of high-end boutiques and exclusive restaurants.
Hugh: I love that the style of property in the area is so diverse, from impressive developments overlooking Chelsea Harbour to grand white stucco fronted townhouses on Eaton Square. My favourite are the red brick mansion blocks. We recently sold a three bedroom apartment in Carlyle Mansions with an asking price of £3,995,000. Also known as the 'Writers' Block', previous residents include T.S. Eliot and James Bond author, Ian Fleming.
What is the market like at the moment?
Eleanor: Demand for London property remains high. Dexters carry out 50,000 viewing appointments every month which equates to a viewing every 15 seconds during our working week. This appetite creates a lot of competition, especially for lettings properties and encourages longer term tenancies which is our speciality.
Hugh: The sales market is seeing similar activity and buyers are jumping in where they see good value, location or both. There aren’t any signs of this slowing down so now is a great time to consider putting your property on the market.
What advice would you give sellers and Landlords?
Eleanor: Presentation is key. Properties need to be well-presented to attract the best tenants at the best price. Our in-house Design & Refurbishment team specialise in getting properties ready for the market with an excellent track record of increasing rental yields.
Hugh: It's important to gain as much exposure as possible so it's crucial that you work with an agent that can deliver. Dexters has 12 offices in prime central London and over 80 across the capital which gives us access to 200,000 registered buyers and tenants looking for their next home.
Why do clients choose to work with Dexters?
Eleanor: We have 12 strategically placed offices in the most desirable locations including Mayfair, Marylebone, South Kensington, Fitzrovia and Westminster. We're well positioned to meet our clients' needs and have a selection of fantastic properties available to rent across prime London.
Hugh: We take pride in giving the best customer service to our clients. Word of mouth recommendation is our most important form of advertising and we come highly recommended. Just take a look at our Google reviews, we have over 45,000 with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5.
Finish this sentence: you know you’re in Chelsea when…?
Hugh: The Royal Motorcade passes on its way to the Chelsea Flower Show. It's my favourite time of year - the whole town blooms with colourful and creative floral displays.
