Top 10 homes in Britain's best postcodes

1 Somerset
Location: Bath, BA1
Guide price: £395,000
Agent: Knight Frank 01225 325999 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting FREE 01225 325999 end_of_the_skype
Bath’s Royal Crescent, designed by John Wood the Younger, is one of the most recognisable streets in Britain, if not the world. But you don’t have to be a millionaire to set up in BA1. Formerly a dance studio, this architect-designed apartment would be a perfect pied-à-terre for those wanting to explore the West Country. Alternatively it would make a great buy-to-let.

 

2 London
Location: Victoria Road, W8
Guide price: £8.75m
Agent: Henry and James 020 7235 8861 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting FREE 020 7235 8861 end_of_the_skype
W8, in Kensington, West London, is officially the most expensive postcode in the country. The average home comes in at £1,873,866, with many going for far more than that. This double-fronted period house has five bedrooms, parquet floors and high ceilings, as well as a stunning kitchen with state of the art fittings. One of the reception rooms is so large that it is known as “the ballroom”. Perfect for showing off your swish new address to guests.

 

3 Edinburgh
Location: Carlton Street, EH4
Guide price: From £750,000
Agent: CKD Galbraith 0131 240 6960 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting FREE 0131 240 6960 end_of_the_skype
On the green-leafed fringes of Edinburgh’s new town, Carlton Street is a short walk from the shops of the city centre. It combines peace and quiet with many nearby parks. This spacious apartment is on the ground and garden floors of a Georgian terrace. It has three bedrooms, a garden and three cellars.

4 London
Location: Eaton Square, SW1W
Guide price: £650,000
Agent: Savills, 020 7730 0822 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting FREE 020 7730 0822 end_of_the_skype
The setting for Upstairs Downstairs, and sometime home of Sir Roger Moore and Vivien Leigh, Eaton Square is synonymous with upmarket elegance. Prices are high, but this one-bedroom flat, on the third floor of a Grade II listed building, is more accessible than most. It needs some love, but when finished it would make the ultimate bachelor address that every taxi driver would know immediately.

5 London
Location: Lancaster Grove, NW3
Guide price: £8.5m
Agent: Aston Chase 020 7724 4724 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting FREE 020 7724 4724 end_of_the_skype
Encompassing Hampstead, Belsize Park and parts of Primrose Hill, NW3 has literary and artistic heritage to go with its eye-watering prices. This stunning Arts and Crafts-style property, for which planning permission has been granted, will have 7,880 sq ft of space and a swimming pool.

6 London
Location: Sloane Avenue, SW3
Guide price: £5.45m
Agent: Beaney Pearce, 020 7590 9500 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting FREE 020 7590 9500 end_of_the_skype
Located between the King’s Road and Fulham Road, this four-bedroom house is right in the heart of fashionable west London. Arranged over four floors, the property includes a south-west facing patio garden, a private gym and surround-sound entertainment system. There is also separate en-suite staff accommodation, for putting up your chef and butler.

7 Gloucestershire
Location: Ebrington, GL55
Guide price: £895,000
Agent: Knight Frank, 01789 297735 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting FREE 01789 297735 end_of_the_skype
This postcode includes some of the Cotswolds’ prettiest villages, including Chipping Campden. The Old Farmhouse, in nearby Ebrington, comes with four bedrooms, extensive storage and cellar. Outside is more than half an acre of attractive gardens. Friends writing you letters will feel jealous addressing the envelope.

8 Devon
Location: Roche House, Salcombe, TQ8
Guide price: £575,000
Agent: Marchand Petit, 01548 844473 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting FREE 01548 844473 end_of_the_skype
Though it might not have quite the outrageous prices of London, there is no doubting the prestige of Salcombe, in the South Hams enclave of Devon. This beautifully presented five-bedroom Edwardian terrace house has a snug and a garden. It is also just two minutes’ walk from the waterfront. Ideal for holidays – both for you and your friends, who will no doubt be desperate to come and join you.

9 Buckinghamshire
Location: Chalfont St Giles, HP8
Guide price: £1.85m
Agent: The Frost Partnership 01494 872233 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting FREE 01494 872233 end_of_the_skype
Within easy commuting distance of London, but with all the charm of the country, it’s easy to see why this Buckinghamshire address has become one of the most sought after in the Home Counties. This six-bedroom house, the Old Mill, could hardly be more picturesque. The River Misbourne runs through the pretty gardens.

10 Surrey
Location: Gillespie House, Virginia Water, GU25
Guide price: £405,000
Agent: Barton Wyatt 01344 843000 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting FREE 01344 843000 end_of_the_skype
In a recent survey, Virginia Water was the only postcode outside London to make it into the top 10 most expensive in the country. This two-bedroom apartment, with a private terrace overlooking gardens, lets you live in glorious prime commuter-land, for the price of a one-bedroom shoebox in parts of central London. Shared leisure facilities include a large indoor heated swimming pool.

New flat for sale in Baltimore Wharf, London E14 - 3 bedrooms

Property features

• Open planned living area
• Dual aspect apartment
• En-suite bathrooms
• Floor to ceiling windows
• Leisure facilities and health club operated by Nuffield
• New landscaped open space
• An upgraded DLR station at Baltimore Wharf
• Entry phone and CCTV systemsHigh specification finish
• 999 year lease

Property description

Plot 1344

A 3 bedroom 4 bathroom penthouse apartment of 3, 586 sq ft located on the 13th floor of this modern development in the heart of Canary Wharf.

Premier at Baltimore Wharf: A collection of lateral penthouses and double height duplexes, sitting astride the development that has come to define docklands living.

Exclusive waterside apartments, finished with an uncompromising eye to quality and detail. Waterside properties that combine expansive space with elevated views of the city and central London. Where peace meets tranquillity and wide-open space. Where a perfectly landscaped private boulevard meets personal concierge. And where an impressive list of amenities is now joined by London’s most radical residential urban gym and leisure facility. All just 5 minutes from Canary Wharf.

Baltimore Wharf

Baltimore Wharf is a luxury lifestyle universe: From the ultimate pied à terre to a double-height duplex, set around a perfectly landscaped boulevard of clean lines and reflections within a sweeping curve of the Thames.

The styles of apartment at Baltimore make up a vivid, luminescent spectrum, from suites to penthouses. Each apartment is defined by exquisite attention to detail, quality of materials and a sense of light and function that has distinguished decades of Ballymore developments. 

 

With the high gloss of retail, dining and the most stylish and cutting edge leisure facilities in the capital all designed into the development, an apartment at Baltimore is a destination in its own right. Few homes in London have such a dynamic array of downtime possibilities, designed to combine total peace and privacy with the buzz of fashion, food and night-life. Go to work, work out, stay out, stay home, sleep tight – this is London life at its most fantastic, thrilling and luxurious.

The apartments at the Baltimore development are amongst the largest of their kind in the city, with generous balconies punctuating the smooth lines of Baltimore's striking architecture.

Star homes: the top ten UK celebrity villages

Take a closer look at our most picturesque villages and you’ll see flocks of footballers, actors and models nestling in the undergrowth. With that in mind, we went in search of England’s top ten

Over and above the benefits of rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous over a pint at your local, having a celebrity neighbour in your village could actually increase the selling price of your home by five to ten per cent.

That’s the estimate of Simon Ashwell, Head of Savills Weybridge who says the buzz created by celebrities drives his local market.  “Does it add to the area? I would say, yes, it does,” he concludes. 

It’s a view shared by Knight Frank’s Judith Archer, used to handling celebs buying north Cotswolds bolt-holes from her office in Stratford-upon-Avon.  “It does make the areas more sought after, more fashionable…it adds that element of being a bit exclusive,” she says. “It’s amazing how word of someone living in an area can get around."

Most celebrity villages are clustered around beautiful well-connected areas that would attract a high price tag, but both Archer and Ashwell note that in the current market, homes with celebrity appeal are easier to sell.

Here’s out pick of England’s top celebrity villages in which to buy.

1. Kingham

Voted England’s perfect village several times over, Kingham, near Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire, is home to former Blur guitarist-turned-cheese-maker Alex James. Called Notting-on-the-Hill by locals, this unspoilt spot, with two hotels, one shop, and an excellent village pub, The Plough, is unique among villages in the district because of its direct train link to London. Daylesford Organic, grocer to stars like Kate Moss, Jeremy Clarkson and Liz Hurley living in nearby Cotswolds villages, is on the outskirts.

2. Alderley Edge, Cheshire

Alderley Edge in Cheshire, bristles with footballers and wags such as Rio Ferdinand and Gareth Barry. Named after The Edge, the National Trust owned cliffs that offer fantastic views across Cheshire and Manchester, it forms part of the Golden Triangle of villages that includes Knutsford and Hale popular with football stars like Mikael Sivestre, Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez, and Wes Brown.

3. Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire

Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, near High Wycombe and Rickmansworth, is close to Pinewood and Elstree Studios,  Eton and Heathrow are a stone’s throw away and the train to London’s Marylebone is 30 minutes from nearby wealthy Gerrard’s Cross. The village takes in Chalfont St Giles and Little Chalfont, and is also the gateway to the Chiltern Hills. Noel Gallagher, Fern Britten, Cilla Black, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt and Ozzy Ozbourne all have homes close by.

4. Bucklebury, Berkshire

Bucklebury, Berkshire, leapt into the spotlight when Wills married Kate. It’s the home of Michael and Carole Middleton but its wooded country lanes are thick with secretive multi-millionaires who retreat to this beautiful country setting to ensure their anonymity. Other well-known figures who live close by include John Madjeski, Chris Tarrant, Kate Bush and Melinda Messenger.

5. Cobham, Surrey

If you visit Starbucks in Cobham, Surrey, on any given morning, you’re bound to see a Chelsea footballer – or a wag.  Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourhino stipulated players should live no further than fifteen minutes from the club’s football practise ground and it’s a legacy that continues today.  Dubbed England’s Beverly Hills, along with nearby Oxshott, the area is home to Frank Lampard and John Terry, as well as Eamonn Holmes, Andy Murray, Freddie Flintoff and Peter Andre.

6. St Georges Hill, Surrey

Up the road, St Georges Hill, Surrey, attracts a different sort of set.  In the 1960s it was a great escape for John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Cliff Richard, Elton John and Tom Jones.  These days the 3.9km squared private estate is full of Russian oligarchs and Bollywood stars, not to mention City financiers – former HSBC boss Michael Geoghan lives there, as well various telecommunications chiefs. With excellent connections to London, Heathrow and the countryside, it’s an ideal hideout for a high-flyer.

7. Walberswick

Walberswick, a tiny, picturesque fishing village in out of the way Suffolk, is the ideal location for celebs escaping the limelight. Linked to neighbouring Southwold by a footbridge spanning the River Blyth, it’s been a bolthole for screenwriter Richard Curtis, (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually) and partner Emma Freud. Michael Palin started up Southwold Electric Picture Palace and Twiggy, Gary Lineker, Griff Rhys Jones, Alan Rickman and Bill Nighy have homes in the area. 

8. West Wittering, West Sussex

With a beach hut fetching £60,000 from local resident Keith Richards a few years ago, West Wittering, West Sussex, is firmly on the celeb-friendly map. The beautiful seaside town 6.5 miles south of Chichester is loved for its long sandy beach and Nicholas Lyndhurst and Michael Ball also live in the village. Inland, nearby Midhurst and Pulborough are thick with polo ponies and sports cars, not to mention secretive celebs, who flock to these villages with views of the South Downs and good connections to London and Gatwick airport.

9. Salcombe, Devon

Everyone loves a good beach house and there are few better places to be on the Devon coast than Salcombe. Be prepared to cough up £500,000, though.  That’s the average house price in this quaint spot, beloved by Sir Michael Parkinson, Kate Bush and Sir Clive Woodward, making it one of the most expensive places to live in England outside London.

10.  Ponteland, Northumberland

Newcastle footballers head to Ponteland, Northumberland one of England’s wealthiest villages, just on the outskirts of Newscastle-upon-Tyne.  Darrass Hall is the exclusive estate to which the likes of Alan Shearer, Chris Morgan and Steven Taylor flock. Meanwhile, further north, Pippa Middleton could be bringing along the Glosse Posse when she visits her old flame George Percy, son of the Duke of Northumberland, at Alnwick Castle.

Star homes: How a rock legend can make a property more valuable

Fancy living down the road from The Beatles’ old flat? Turns out lots of people love to live in rock'n'roll localities and their music connections can add to an area's popularity and value, as Pierre De Villiers discovers

They may have a reputation for wrecking rooms, but when it comes to making homes more desirable, rock stars are in a league of their own.
Mention that a flat or house on the market was once occupied by a music icon, and potential buyers happily queue around the block. “Buyers are often attracted to the idea of living somewhere connected to a celebrity – particularly if it has been their home,” explains Peter Bevan of Sotheby’s International Realty. “Having a famous owner is certainly an immense benefit when promoting it.”

In 2008 Sotheby’s had the opportunity to promote one of the most famous flats in the world. Located on the fourth floor at 57 Green Street in Mayfair, Flat L was occupied by The Beatles in 1963 – the only time the Fab Four all lived together. While the home was sold for a large sum in 2009, the building’s status as an important part of Beatles history has made other flats at 57 Green Street hot property.
“The fact that The Beatles lived in the building is such an interesting piece of history,” says Charles Lloyd of Savills Mayfair who is looking after the sale of a two-bedroom flat at 57 Green Street. “It’s a bonus and a point of interest that buyers can tell their friends about.”

A property made famous by musicians not only boosts sales in the building but gives the surrounding area a lift as well. For rock and pop fans, purchasing property in Mayfair is like buying a stairway to heaven with Jimi Hendrix having lived at 23 Brook Street and the Bee Gees at 67 Brook Street.
“If a rock or pop star is connected to an area it can enhance its prestige,” says Bevan. “Locations such as Mayfair have long lasting star appeal that supports its intrinsic desirability.”

The fact that Freddie Mercury lived at 1 Logan Place in Kensington has certainly had a positive knock-on effect on other properties in the area. “We recently sold the property right next to 1 Logan Place and we had a lot of potential buyers asking about the Freddie Mercury house,” says David Terrar of Bective Leslie Marsh. “People found it fascinating that such a big star lived next door and would certainly pay top dollar for a place nearby.”

With so many people enamoured with star musician homes, many estate agents are happy to tell potential buyers where a property fits into London’s rich music history.

Frank Harris estate agents highlight the fact that Bob Marley lived at 34 Ridgmount Gardens in Bloomsbury, where they are overseeing the sale of a four-bedroom flat, while the link between Cheyne Walk in Chelsea and The Rolling Stones is played up by Chasemore Property. “I’m really keen to tell people about the role that Cheyne Walk played in the lives of The Rolling Stones,” says Suja Thomas of Chasemore Property, who promotes properties in a street nicknamed ‘Rolling Stone Row’ after Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood all lived there at some stage. “It’s nice to think you can own a property in a place that was so liked by a famous rock band. It makes the area seem even more special than it already is.”

Britain’s most persistent first-time buyers: Rebecca Trimble

First-time buyer Rebecca Trimble moved back in with her parents to help save, but it was a shared equity scheme that gave her and her partner the extra push they needed to get on the property ladder 

Rebecca Trimble may have moved into her first home just five weeks after first viewing it, but her battle to get on the property ladder was a much longer, more difficult, journey.
So desperately did Trimble, 24 and her partner Kieren Travers, 24, want to buy their first home that that they moved in with Trimble’s parents so they could concentrate on saving a deposit. 
Despite these efforts, the couple, both sales administrators in Manchester, still couldn’t find any homes they could afford.
“We’d been saving for ages,” Trimble said. “But everything we looked at was too expensive for us as first-time buyers. We just kept saving and put our plans on hold.”
Still hopeful of one day realising their dream of home ownership, the couple last year viewed Arley’s Chanters Green development in Atherton, near Manchester, where they fell in love with a three bedroom home with a garden, which was on the market for £127,000.
Trimble says she was thrilled when the developer later telephoned and told her about a shared equity scheme for which the couple were eligible and which required them to provide a five per cent deposit.

Under the agreement, the couple purchased 80 per cent of the property, while the developer retained the final 20 per cent, which can be purchased over an arranged period or paid back upon sale of the property.
 “We really loved the house but we wouldn’t have been able to get a mortgage for the full amount or a deposit for the full amount, so the shared equity scheme worked well for us.”
The couple found the sale process hassle-free and lightening fast. “We were so lucky because we were able to move in within five weeks of when we first came to look at the home. It all happened really quick,” she says.
“From the first day when we came looking, we reserved the house, and then the developer put us in touch with a financial advisor and they looked after everything for us. They (the developer) even advised us of a solicitor we could deal with.”
The couple are now settled  into their new home and couldn’t be happier .“I can’t describe it, it’s just brilliant,” Trimble said. “We have been together quite a while so just to have our own place is amazing.”

Star homes: Why the rich and famous move to the Cotswolds

What do Kate Moss, Liz Hurley, Jeremy Clarkson and Harry Potter have in common? It’s the Cotswolds, of course, which has long been a magnet for those seeking a celebrity lifestyle with an English twist

 

It’s the Beverly Hills of the UK, where the rich and famous live within a 90-minute’s limo ride of central London but with enough countryside and privacy to shelter from the paparazzi when the inevitable scandal breaks. Yes, welcome to the Cotswolds.
To those who don’t know Lily Allen from Lily Savage, the Cotswolds stretches 90 miles by 25 miles and is England’s largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. But to celebrity-spotters this area, from Cirencester and Cheltenham in the west to Oxford and Banbury in the east, has more stars than the Milky Way.

So why do celebrities prefer green wellies to red carpets?
“The Cotswolds is far enough away from London to be ‘proper’ country but close enough to be accessible,” explains George Barkes of Stacks Property Search, a buying agency helping stars find homes in the Cotswolds. “There’s plenty of appropriate property to be found and celebrities don’t feel their homes and wealth stand out”

“There are gastro pubs, Daylesford organics, two polo grounds, and Cirencester has a good selection of one-off shops,” says Frank Speir of Prime Purchase, another buying agency. “Well known people are ten-a-penny which means local residents are unfazed by celebrities”
The Cotswolds’ stardust doesn’t just fall outside celebrities’ front doors - the whole region has become a favourite with TV show and film makers.
The Harry Potter movies were shot there, as was The Other Boleyn Girl with Scarlett Johansson, and Bridget Jones’ Diary and Die Another Day. Most of the Inspector Morse country scenes outside of Oxford feature the Cotswolds, too.
Unsurprisingly, estate agents have plenty of celebrity-friendly homes on sale.
There is Shipton Sollar, an eight bedroom 17th century mansion with a party barn (a celeb must) and 35 acres of land for £3.25m. Or try the five bedroom Wells Farmhouse  for £2.5m with its separate two bedroom annexe, gym and games area - ideal for wrap parties after the film.
Stars who call the Cotswolds home: 
• Dom Jolly - Quenington
• Jemima Khan - Kiddington
• Damian Hurst - Toddington
• Liz Hurley - Barnsley
• Kate Moss - Little Faringdon
• Anne Robinson - Gloucestershire
• Kate Winslet – Westcote
• Jeremy Clarkson – Chipping Norton
• Alex James - Kingham
• Lily Allen - Overtown
• Stella McCartney - Pershore
• J K Rowling - Chipping Sodbury
• Joanna Trollope - Minchinhampton
• Jilly Cooper - Bisley
• Lawrence Llewellyn-Bowen - Cirencester

Words: Graham Norwood

Gary Lineker wants a new London home

His television show might be moving to the north-west, but Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker has his eye on a new house in the Capital

Football presenter Gary Lineker and wife Danielle are looking to set down roots in London again after several years enjoying the green surrounds of Surrey.
However, the former Barcelona and Spurs striker has revealed that the couple will very likely keep their £2.6 million five-bedroom family home in Esher, not least because he regards it as “one of the best places on Earth”.
“Both Danielle and I have a lot going on in London right now, so it makes more sense for us to be in the city," Lineker says. "I’m getting a little tired of the A3 at this stage, plus a lot of our friends are based in the capital now so it’d be great to be close to them.”
The move may come as a surprise to some, who had seen the Linekers take Esher to their hearts.
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s a stunning part of the world,” Lineker explains. “The countryside is so lush and there are so many picturesque towns and villages that have character and charm in abundance.
“So it’s for those reasons that we’ll keep a base here in Esher, I think, as we couldn’t give it all up.
Despite all this, London is calling. “You can’t beat the beauty of the Surrey countryside; there’s nothing like it. But given the choice, I’d say I prefer the buzz of city life, so we’ll be looking at our options over the next few months.”
Lineker’s return to London will at least scotch a couple of other rumours floating around. The first suggested he may follow Match Of The Day north to MediaCity UK, the site of the BBC’s new HQ in Salford Quays, Greater Manchester; while another bit of gossip suggested the 50-year-old was set to quit the flagship football show altogether.
“I’m definitely not quitting, nor am I venturing to Salford. I think I can handle a few hours on the motorway each week. And besides, I need to keep in touch with Surrey, because all of my favourite golf courses are here, and anything that affects my golf often turns out to be a deal breaker."
Gary Lineker is currently starring in Walkers crisps’ latest advert. For your chance to win a free bag, visit www.facebook.com/walkers

There’s something about London for Cameron Diaz

The Hollywood A-lister is the latest celebrity to splurge on a smart London home in Belsize Park, as Cheryl Markosky discovered

Cameron Diaz has joined mates Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Martin, Helena Bonham-Carter and other A-listers by buying a home in Belsize Park , North West London.

But the 39-year-old Bad Teacher  star who apparently fell in love with Blighty after falling out of love with baseball star Alex Rodriguez has been delighting Belsize Park locals with her casual visits to the local Starbucks and down-to-earth attitude.

 

You’d expect any leading lady or man of note to grab a Georgian pile in Hampstead where there are more luvvies per square foot than Beverley Hills. Or, surely a home in Primrose Hill , also high on the poshometer, would be a better place to plant your Louboutin roots?

But just as the hit There’s Something About Mary propelled the actress to fame, so too is Diaz backing a winner in her choice of this north west London district, according to Peter Brookes from Savills .

“Some stars just have to be in Hampstead Village, but a slightly younger, more hip crowd prefer Belsize Park with its central London vibe,” he says.

Plenty of creative types will be on hand to welcome The Holiday's Atlantic-hopping blonde in her real-life version of fleeing to Blighty, including David Walliams, adjacent couple property-dwellers Tim Burton and Helena Bonham-Carter, James Corden, Frank Skinner and sculptor Mark Quinn.

Along with more chilled Belsize Park celebrities just getting on with their lives (rather than posing for paps outside homes in Hampstead  or Primrose Hill eateries), they’ll also pay less for their homes too. Jamie Gawthrop from Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward  estimates that a property in ‘poor cousin’ Belsize costs about £1,000 as square foot, compared to £1,250 in Hampstead or Primrose Hill.

However, flat values are creeping up and almost on a par with the uppity neighbours’ and entry level for trophy homes in certain streets, such as Lancaster Grove and Lambolle Road, is £5 million plus, adds Brookes.

You can still get a smart two-bedroom flat with high ceilings for £1.4 million, mind. Another plus is you can walk to two good Tube lines: the Jubilee at Swiss Cottage and Northern at Belsize Park.

Diaz can do worse than tread the boards at Hampstead Theatre  (don’t all Hollywood luminaries want to prove themselves on the London stage?) and scramble up the climbing wall at the newly kitted-out leisure centre. She could also mingle with City workers and European bankers (French and Germans are prominent now) at comedy night in the Washington  pub, Greek restaurant Retsina  (a favourite of Gordon Ramsay’s), browse in independent Daunt Books  and be inspired by a career-changing arts film at the Everyman .

Belsize Park’s so cool it can’t even be tipped to be the new Hampstead, declares Brookes.  “It’s just different and people very much like living here.”