Marsh & Parsons

Area Profile - Battersea Lettings

Battersea's transformation from one of the most down-at-heel parts of London into one of the most popular residential addresses is one of the most remarkable in the capital. So unpopular was Battersea in Victorian times that its station – the UK's busiest railway hub – was named Clapham Junction even though it sits squarely in Battersea with planners deciding that it would be more prestigious to name it after its more salubrious neighbour Clapham.

Lettings Manager of the Marsh & Parsons Battersea office, Chiara Chilcott, says Battersea is one of the friendliest parts of London. "If you don't know London it's a great place to move into – if you spend a day on Northcote Road you will make friends straightaway." In the prime roads of Dents, Gorst and Blenkarne SW11, residents hold an annual dinner and recently clubbed together to install closed-circuit television cameras to improve security in their streets and have an e-mail system to keep in touch.

There are many other attractions of life in Battersea and one of the main ones is the low level of council tax. Wandsworth has the second-lowest council tax bills in the country. "The reason," says Chilcott, "is that every train passing through Clapham Junction station has to pay a levy to the council and that money keeps bills down."

Although Battersea has no tube lines the overland services are excellent with mainline railway services into both Victoria and Waterloo as well as convenient bus services into the West End. Plans to redevelop the landmark power station are at an embryonic stage. It is the parks that help make Battersea so popular and as well as the 200-acre Battersea Park with its zoo and running track, the commons, as well other open spaces are big attractions.

Battersea is one of the most popular places to live for young professionals, and four out of ten residents are aged between 20 and 34. However, schools are a big attraction in Battersea and its popularity with young families has earned it the nickname Nappy Valley and Pram Springs. Good local state schools include Christ Church Primary and Battersea Technical College whose A-level results are above the national average. "The best state primary schools include Belleville and Honeywell," says Chilcott.

Celebrities enjoy Battersea life and chef Gordon Ramsay lives on Elsynge Road SW18, while Johnny Vaughan and Take That's Mark Owen both live nearby.

So what will you get for your money in Battersea?

Marsh & Parsons is one of Battersea's most popular estate agents and has flats and houses to let in the area commonly referred to as ‘Between the Commons', sitting as it does between Clapham and Wandsworth Commons. Marsh & Parsons will also let property further a field, on the river and around Battersea Park.

The price of property to rent in Battersea starts at about £220 a week for a studio flat in a Victorian conversion, rising to £300 a week for a one bedroom flat – or £350 for one with a garden. Two bedroom flats cost between £425 and £450, rising to £495 for a garden flat. Houses start at £600 a week for three bedrooms and £750 a week for four bedrooms, but on Broomwood Road SW11, one of the most sought after roads, a large four-bedroom house will let for £950 a week and on Winsham Grove SW11 tenants will pay £1,000 a week for a five-bedroom family home.

On the river, prices are slightly higher and Marsh & Parsons has a two-bedroom flat to rent in Waterside Point for £575 a week. Houses start at about £600 a week and in Montholme Road Marsh & Parsons is letting a large four-bedroom house for £610 a week.

Prices can go even higher and on Thurleigh Road SW12 the biggest houses will achieve £1,200 a week, while on Devereux Road SW11, Marsh & Parsons has recently let a five-bedroom house for £1,730 a week.

What else can you expect from Battersea?

Battersea is synonymous with live music, drama and dance: Battersea Arts Centre is a hive of cultural activity; the first Jongleurs comedy club opened on Lavender Hill SW11 and the Royal Academy of Dance is located in Battersea Square.

The Michelin-starred Chez Bruce on Wandsworth Common is one of London's finest restaurants and one of just many excellent eateries in the area. The Battersea Barge on Nine Elms Lane SW8 hosts jazz nights and is a popular drinking spot, if you can get used to the motion of the river at high tide. The Castle on Battersea High Street SW11 is a large traditional pub, but it is divided into rooms which gives it a cosy feel. Dusk Bar reflects Battersea's proximity to Chelsea and is fast becoming one of the trendiest places to drink in London.

Shopping in Battersea cannot compete with nearby Chelsea, but supermarkets are close by and there are good independent shops, such as Home Front, a gift shop on Sugden Road SW11, Orca for fashion accessories on Battersea Bridge Road SW11, and Silver Gallery, a wholesale jeweller on Abbey Business Centre. There are many boutiques are opening on the now-trendy Northcote Road to tempt shoppers and as well as independent retailers, a growing number of high-street names are also opening branches there.

As your local estate agent Marsh & Parsons prides itself on its local knowledge and staff at the Battersea office are a mine of useful information for homeowners: from the day rubbish is collected, to the cost of a parking permit and even the name of a good dentist, they have their finger on Battersea's throbbing pulse.