Chard Estate Agents - Belgravia area guide

Local know-how

If you are looking for a property for sale or to rent in Belgravia we have real local know how to help you.

For more information on buying or renting in Belgravia or to arrange an appointment to view our current selection of flats and houses for sale and to let, please contact us at the offices above.

Belgravia, SW1

Belgravia is one of the most desirable postcodes in London and consists mainly of grand terraces of white stucco-fronted houses, now mainly converted into flats.  Unlike many prime London areas, Belgravia has always been fashionable and highly desirable, therefore consistently expensive.

One reason that Belgravia is such a favoured residential district is because, unlike many surrounding areas, it is relatively quiet and sedate and never that busy. Many embassies are located in the area, particularly around Belgrave Square, but there is also the Spiritualist Association of Great Britain which means that there are, as ever in London, some surprises.

On the borders of Belgravia are Chelsea, Knightsbridge, Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park; all nice areas.
    
The whole area around Belgrave Square and Eaton Square was originally owned by Richard Grosvenor, 2nd Marquess of Westminster in the 1820s, and most of the freehold is still owned by the Grosvenor family. A consequence of this is that many properties in the area have short leases and there are very few freeholds available to purchase. Potential buyers need to familiarise themselves with the leasehold enfranchisement laws and factor these costs in when looking at asking prices.  

The area is full of history and famous residents, and blue plaques can be seen everywhere. Belgravia’s famous residents include prime ministers Stanley Baldwin and Neville Chamberlain, American philanthropist George Peabody (who founded the Peabody Estates), actress Vivien Leigh, and the poet Lord Tennyson. Current celebrity residents include Nigella Lawson, Lady Helen Taylor, Lady Thatcher and actress Joan Collins.

There are few office blocks, no high-rise or local authority estates and the area remains as grand as the day it was built. The large houses in Belgravia are among the most expensive in the world, and the area is now known as super-prime Central London.  

The area is sedate, discreet, extremely monied and as a result, rental properties in the area are, quite simply, for those who want the best and are prepared to pay for it with the average rental price per week per square foot perhaps one of the highest in central London. Many have been renovated by leading interior designers and are state of the art trendy, but others remain traditional and chintzy. So, depending on your tastes, you can live in either a contemporary or classic apartment, knowing you are residing at one of the very best addresses in the whole country.  

Belgravia also has some of the best bars, restaurants and fashion shops in the whole of the country. For bars, check out Aura, Babble, Funky Buddha and hush; famous restaurants include La Poule au Pot, Le Boudin Blanc, La Gavroche and Petrus.

The main shops are in Elizabeth Street, Motcomb Street and Pimlico Road, and include Christian Louboutin shoes and fashion buoutiques Ben de Lisi and Louise Kennedy, the Irish couturier who dressed Prime Minister’s wife Sarah Brown for her wedding.