Marsh & Parsons

Area Profile - Battersea Sales

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.

The Manager of Marsh & Parsons Battersea Office, Tim Harrison says, is one of the friendliest parts of London. "If you move to Northcote Road you will make friends within a day," he says. In the prime roads of Dents Road, Gorst Road and Blenkarne Road SW11, residents hold an annual dinner and recently clubbed together to install closed-circuit television cameras to improve security in their streets.

There are many other attractions 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 Harrison, "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 and also Belleville and Honeywell are considered great local schools according to sales manager Mason.

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 for sale in the area commonly referred to as ‘Between the Commons', sitting as it does between Clapham and Wandsworth Commons. It also sells property further a field, on the river and around Battersea Park.

Prices are far lower than in neighbouring Chelsea, which is just across the river, with flats and houses for sale starting at about £240,000 for a studio flat in a Victorian conversion in Webbs Road, rising to £320,000 for a one-bedroom flat in Mallinson Road SW11, but flats with gardens or terraces can easily sell for £400,000 or more.

Most of the houses and flats in the area were built by the Victorians and Edwardians, although in the 1980's riverside flats sprung up as house-hunters and developers were priced out of Chelsea. Among the biggest waterside developments are Montevetro, designed by Richard Rogers and Norman Foster's Albion Riverside. The newest – and biggest – is Chelsea Bridge Wharf, where one-bedroom flats sell for upwards of £335,000.

The most popular apartments are Victorian and Edwardian conversions and the most sought after location is around Battersea Park and between the Commons. On Northcote Road SW11 for example, two-bedroom conversion flats sell for just under £450,000, popular because of its proximity to Wandsworth Common and the excellent local shops. The price of a three-bedroom cottage on the popular Shaftesbury Estate starts at about £500,000 and in Little India – so-called for its street names of Kabul, Kandahar and Afghan – a three-bedroom house will sell for about £800,000.

Among the most sought-after addresses is Thurleigh Road SW12 where Victorian and Edwardian houses range in price from £900,000 to £4 million, the most expensive being large double-fronted villas with back gardens more than 60 feet long.

"People who move to Battersea usually come here as young professionals and buy a one-bedroom flat, then find a partner and buy a bigger flat and then move into a house when they start a family," says Harrison. "Few people move away from Battersea unless it is further out of the country."

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.