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About Fulham

Why everyone wants a house in Fulham

Home of two Premiership football clubs, site of Fulham Palace (former official home of the Bishop of London), close to the river and hotspots of Chelsea… it’s hard to believe that in the 18th century this safe, traditional area had the reputation for prostitution and gambling dens.
More recently, the terraces of property housed working-class families working in the heavy industry of Fulham’s riverside but since the 1960s the area has become what it is today: a safe part of London, cheaper than Chelsea but still on the doorstep for King’s Road shopping and eating out. Good bus and Tube routes to the West End and City attract young professionals to buy a flat there, while families appreciate Fulham’s green spaces.

The inexorable rise in property prices in central London – up 33% during 2006 and 2007– has largely been down to lack of supply, with huge demand from buyers of real estate pushing prices up, something sales manager Sally Gordon has experienced in Douglas & Gordon’s UK Fulham office. “A few months ago, trying to get a property was like guns at dawn: 20 people through the door on the first day and homes selling in one week!” Things have since calmed down though, with the possible introduction of HIPs and interest rate rises. “The market has changed totally: many people decided it was time to sell their flat or house so there is much more property available in Fulham.” Having said that, the price of accommodation is still impressive: a one-bedroom flat for sale will fetch £280,000 while the sky is the limit at the upper end.

Buying a house or flat in Fulham is popular with all types of client: because there is a good mix of houses and flats, there is also a good mix of buyer, from young first-time buyers to couples and families. Another local trend is that many people stay in the area long term, so parents will buy a flat for their son or daughter as an investment, choosing from Fulham’s many Victorian conversion apartments.

The dearth of houses for sale in Fulham also means that many families are converting their lofts or digging out the basement to give them more space, rather than try to find another home to move to. This then allows them to realise a higher price when they do sell.

A flat in Fulham?

The lettings market in Fulham is really buzzing, according to Lottie Heminsley, lettings manager for Douglas & Gordon’s Fulham office. “It’s much busier than last year,” she explains, “with houses going to sealed bids – something that’s unheard of for rental properties. Of course the landlords are delighted!” The cost of renting an apartment or house in Fulham has increased by 20% over the past year and there’s an acute shortage of larger houses to rent, especially in Fulham’s most sought-after areas of the Peterborough Estate, Hurlingham, Fulham Road and Fulham Palace area.

Most of the rental property available is flats, converted from late-Victorian houses – property that appeals to City professionals and corporate lets. Fulham’s schools attract families – if they can find a house! – and there is a sizeable French population. With accommodation to rent at £280 per week for a one-bedroom flat rising to the upper limit of £2200 per week for a six- or seven-bedroom house, it’s clear that Fulham is an area with a wide range of property on offer.

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