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About Notting Hill

Buying a property in Notting Hill

The old adage of not judging a book by its cover is never more apt than when talking about Notting Hill property, says Dominic Hamilton, sales manager of Douglas & Gordon’s UK Notting Hill office. ‘The Hill’ may be home to many of the country’s movers and shakers, politicians and writers, but his patch has much more to offer than the stereotype of achingly hip restaurants, happening designers and organic food shops.

“The area we cover stretches from Kensington High Street in the south to the Westway in W10, and Paddington to Shepherd’s Bush, which is huge and much more diverse than simply the streets of W11. This makes our job very exciting as we happily deal with everything from studios to houses.”

Property available is made up of 75% flat conversions and 25% houses and, as with other areas of London, Dominic has seen prices go “up and up and up. We recently sold a one-bedroom flat in W8 – admittedly in a highly desirable street – for £600,000. Generally, though, you can pay anything from £295,000 for a one-bedroom flat right up to £3 million for a house in Kensington Park Road.”

The area attracts everyone, “from young City boys to families”, with more than a smattering of film stars, actors, music industry supremos and BBC employees. This diversity extends into the local population, with Europe’s biggest mas, or carnival, celebrating the area’s cultural differences too. Dominic believes it’s this mix that gives the area its unique atmosphere: “Notting Hill is much more laid-back than, say, Kensington or Chelsea, and that’s what people like about it.”

It’s hardly surprising that so many people want to buy a house or flat in Notting Hill – and no surprise that many people stay for many years. Apart from its gastropubs, farmers’ market and organic food outlets, garden squares, plus countless restaurants and eclectic, one-mile-long Portobello Road market, there is a great choice of parks, with Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens and Holland Park all within easy reach.

People who want to buy property in Notting Hill might also be interested in a trend Dominic has spotted. “Lots of bedsits and hotels are being sold off and converted in W2. Anywhere west of Edgware Road is in huge demand, especially with developers, as that area offers great transport links into the West End, and is very close to Kensington Gardens as well as being only a short cab ride from the bars and restaurants of Notting Hill.”

Want to rent in Notting Hill?

It’s hard to believe that after the war, Notting Hill was epitomised by cheap lodgings and the racketeering landlord Peter Rachman. Nowadays, the area boasts flats and apartments of all types and price brackets, from one-bedroom flats to huge family houses. Lettings manager Amanda Powell says, “There’s huge demand for rental property, which is pushing rentals back up to the level they were at a few years ago. Accommodation in Notting Hill ranges from £350 per week for a one-bedroom flat right up to £5000 per week for the grandest house on a road like Kensington Park Road. Property is going for the asking price, or higher.

Tenants include expats, who like being near the Central Tube line into the City, young bankers and families. “We have spacious mansion flats and good-quality flat conversions, plus large houses, which are ideal for families as they’re wider than average with bigger gardens and fewer floors. Having said that, larger houses tend not to come on the market very often as people stay put. There’s also less of a buy-to-let market round here than, say, Chelsea, although that is now changing.”

So what attracts people to rent a house or flat in this lively, bohemian area of West London? “They love the quirky nature of Notting Hill, with its small boutiques and fashionable restaurants and are attracted by the parks and communal gardens – something you don’t get in other areas such as Chelsea.”

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