Four New Bridges for London Thisclosing Is a Theswathe North-South of Dummy: Page X Property Price Divide Page 6

Wednesday 12 March 2014 Butterflies on Homes& everything

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POSH PISTES: ST MORITZ P10 BATTERSEA POWER STATION: EXCLUSIVE P18 HI-TECH BATHROOMS P28 SPOTLIGHT ON BOW P36 Four new bridges for London ThisClosing is a theswathe north-south of dummy: Page X property price divide Page 6

London’s best property search website: homesandproperty.co.uk 4 WEDNESDAY 12 MARCH 2014 EVENING STANDARD Homes & Property Online homesandproperty.co.uk with This week: homesandproperty.co.uk news: When you’re a billionaire the Property only way is down — and down search

Hidden depths: Johan Eliasch, London buy of the week founder of Head, the sportswear fuchsia and fishes in Finchley brand, wants to dig a basement £450,000: style junkies will love every luxe detail of this below the two-bedroom flat on the third floor of a popular North basement of his Finchley development. Its pale floors are under-heated, Mayfair home suspended ceilings are inset with mood lighting, there’s a

REX surround sound system and, in the open-plan kitchen/ breakfast/reception space, a bright fuchsia glass panel and SUPER-RICH London home owners who have made a an integrated fish tank provide eye candy. A free-standing speciality of annoying neighbours with their mega tub awaits in the main bathroom. Through Foxtons. basements have now started applying for permission to extend their new extensions. O homesandproperty.co.uk/buyoftheweekfinch The latest billionaire to take up the trend is Swedish- born Johan Eliasch, 51, founder of the Head sportswear brand. A former deputy treasurer of the Conservative Out of town buy of the week cast an Party and adviser to the British Olympic Association, Eliasch has applied to add a second level to the basement eye over this timber-framed beauty beneath his Grade II*-listed four-storey Georgian townhouse in South Audley Street, Mayfair. £427,500: as soon as you enter the overlooking the village through lovely West Sussex village of leaded-light windows. The beamed O Read Ruth Bloomfield’s full story at homesandproperty.co.uk Balcombe, you can’t help but be sitting room comes with a cosy open drawn towards Casteye Cottage, a fireplace, the kitchen is Shaker-style timber-framed beauty that has stood with a range and there’s even a cellar the test of time from its 17th-century for your wine collection. hot homes: The Top 15 origins. Through Savills. commuter hotspots to watch A five-bar gate encloses a pretty cottage garden and driveway, while O Visit homesandproperty.co.uk/ £300,000: buys inside finds three bedrooms, each outbalcombe this cute three- bedroom house overlooking Life changer it’s got your open ﬁelds in Haslemere, name on it — Wix Surrey (homes andproperty. £495,000: for pure chocolate-box charm head to this co.uk/hasle) lovely thatched cottage in the rural Essex village of Wix. Treats in the three-bedroom home include the usual mass ESTATE agents are agreed that the gap in property prices of beams, plus wood floors and open fires, granite between London and the rest of the country cannot grow worktops in the kitchen and a gorgeous oak-framed any wider. So maybe it is time to scoop your handsome conservatory overlooking an acre of gardens with a koi profit and move out of town for more space and the carp pond. It could also be a nice little earner, if you country lifestyle. New research has revealed 15 commuter converted the double garage and wood store into tea hotspots, so join us on a tour that takes us from Cobham to rooms or a holiday let. Visitors would even have their own Exeter, comparing property prices and travel costs. driveway. Through Abbotts. By O Visit homesandproperty.co.uk/15commutertowns O homesandproperty.co.uk/lifechangerwix Faye Greenslade For more country vs town property options, see Page 8

Editor: Win an Eckman lawn corrector Janice Morley Or buy one in our online shop for £99.99 (plus £3.99 p&p)

THE Eckman Combined and its handy 10-metre VISIT homesandproperty.co.uk/ Electric Lawn Rake and power lead, large 36-litre rules for details of our usual Aerator, right, removes collection sack and all- promotion rules. When you moss, thatch and weeds, important twin-function respond to promotions, offers or and promotes grass growth 34cm-wide combined lawn competitions, the London Evening for a healthy, professional- rake — or scarifier — and Standard and its sister companies looking lawn. aerator cylinder, it will give may contact you with relevant It does the hard work so you a spotless and offers and services that may be of you don’t have to — you perfectly prepared lawn. interest. Please give your mobile can say goodbye to all the We’ve teamed up with number and/or email address if back-breaking hours of Eckman to offer readers & ! $!'! ! ! ! '! you would like to receive such bending, raking, scraping the chance to win a lawn &' "!! '# offers by text or email. and forking and yet still corrector. To enter, see &' ! '' ! "& &! have a lawn to be proud of, below. year-after year. You can also buy one in Editorial: 020 3615 2524 With the Eckman our online shop for £99.99 Advertisement manager: corrector’s high-power (plus £3.99 p&p) — for Mark Wood 1300-watt motor (offering details, visit homesand !% Advertising: 020 3615 0527 a maximum 4,100rpm) property.co.uk/shop. Homes & Property, Northcliffe #'! # &# House, 2 Derry Street, Kensington, TO ENTER London W8 5TT. For your chance to win an Eckman lawn corrector, visit homesandproperty.co.uk/offers before the end of March 19. Usual rules apply, see homesandproperty.co.uk/rules for details. EVENING STANDARD WEDNESDAY 12 MARCH 2014 5 homesandproperty.co.uk with News Homes & Property Strike gold Sophie from The Street’s goal is a with a home with her soccer star beau

Bunny ÉCORONATION STREET actress Brooke Vincent and her Chelsea Guinness footballer boyfriend Josh garden McEachran are thought to be house hunting. However, the couple, who have been together É ONE of Hampshire’s most children’s play area with a sunken more than two years, Pharrell’s happy to impressive barn conversions, The trampoline and a Wendy house in the reportedly cannot decide on a Barley House, near Winchester, is for grounds, above. The Barley House location. up his asking price sale for £1.6 million — and comes with mixes period features with If McEachran wants to be a bonus. contemporary Fired Earth and Bang near his home club, a suitably É POP’S man of the moment, Happy The Grade II-listed property has a & Olufsen fittings, and the commute swish five-bedroom terrace singer Pharrell Williams, has raised garden designed by Bunny Guinness, to Waterloo takes about an hour from house across the road from the asking price for his Miami winner of six Chelsea Flower Show nearby Micheldever station. Stamford Bridge is for sale penthouse from £6.4 million to gold medals and a regular panellist at £2.95 million with Marsh £6.6 million. on BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ O Visit homesandproperty.co.uk/ & Parsons — but Vincent, The 9,080sq ft luxury high-rise, Question Time. She included a barley for more pictures. who plays Sophie Webster in above, is the blingest of bachelor the hit ITV soap, has other pads, with five bedrooms, six ideas. She is said to want her bathrooms, a cinema and rooftop By Amira Hashish beau to sign permanently to pool. Pharrell, 40, has compared Wigan, where he is currently on living there to being “in a very loan, so that they can buy a place interesting fishbowl, but since no one in the North-west. After all, it would can see up here, it’s like a fishbowl make her journey to the ITV studios with a limo tint”. in Manchester a lot simpler. The star, below, who wore a tuxedo and shorts to the Oscars and an O Visit homesandproperty. oversize Vivienne Westwood hat to co.uk/stam the Grammys that is now a trademark, is just as quirky with his home O For more celebrity news, visit interiors, buying chairs with legs Got some gossip? Tweet @amiranews homesandproperty.co.uk/celebrityhomes shaped like human legs, and art by Takashi Murakami and Keith Haring. Taylor-Burton designer’s big bling auction É INTERIOR designer Tessa Kennedy has decorated the homes of countless stars and kitted out London hotels including Claridge’s, The Berkeley and The Ritz’s Rivoli Bar. Next week she’s decluttering her three-bedroom Knightsbridge apartment by parting with some of her personal treasures at auction at Christie’s in South Kensington. From Louis XV chairs to a four-

poster bed, her opulent furniture GETTY would add flamboyance to any home, as would this pair of ormolu wall trophies, estimated to fetch £2,500- £4,000. Clients Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton bought them in Monte Carlo and sent them home by private

jet. Register to bid at Christies.com. REX REX

Savills is the leading adviser for property in the capital. Great news for your capital.

savills.co.uk 6 WEDNESDAY 12 MARCH 2014 EVENING STANDARD Homes & Property New homes homesandproperty.co.uk with

■THE DIAMOND KEY ■THAMES GATEWAY BRIDGE JUBILEE BRIDGE Annual completions (last A new crossing for east London connecting With planning consent 10 years) private units Greenwich and Newham boroughs — areas granted by Wandsworth Units planned or earmarked for large-scale residential council, this will create under construction development over the coming decade a pedestrian river 209 860 crossing between GARDEN Battersea Park and the ever-growing Chelsea Harbour. 191 2,341 ■NINE ELMS BRIDGE 262 11,914 ■GARDEN BRIDGE GA NINE A pedestrian and cycle bridge is planned TEWAY

JUBILEE between Nine Elms and Pimlico. This will E regenerate the local area south of the river LMS and includes the refurbishment of the Churchill Gardens estate (1,600 homes in 32 blocks) on the north bank. The Garden Bridge will be a leafy link from Waterloo to Southbank Centre.

OR many Londoners, the Thames seems almost like a border between two coun- tries, with remarkably few home buyers willing to cross Bank on Fthe river to settle in a new neighbourhood. However, new bridges across the Thames due to be completed within five years are changing the dynamics of the capital’s north-south property divide by opening up the cheaper bridging the waterfront districts that quickly evolve into fashionable neighbourhoods.

FOUR MORE BRIDGES Four new river crossings are planned north-south for London. Wandsworth council approved a scheme to build a Diamond Jubilee pedestrian crossing beween Chelsea and Battersea, while another crossing for both pedestrians and price gap cyclists is planned between Pimlico and Nine Elms. Meanwhile, the Garden Bridge is set to be part of a leafy link Four new Thames crossings and the between Covent Garden and the South Bank, and Mayor Boris Johnson is back- dramatic expansion of the south bank will ing a campaign for a road link between Beckton and Thamesmead in east Lon- help close the north-south price divide for don. Some 17,000 new homes are in the pipeline across these areas. the first time, says David Spittles Traditionally, north bank homes have been more desirable than those on the galleries, spawned smart new develop- reason for the price hike. Another is made up of nine distinctive modern block clad in glass and stone. Residents south bank and up to twice as expen- ments either side of the river and even that views looking north tend to be buildings. They include a 20-storey will have use of a private spa and will sive, according to research by estate inspired a new train station, Blackfriars much better. “campanile”, or tower, with a single be able to play virtual golf. Prices from agent Winkworth. However, the value South, with a solar-roof concourse that Glass is smashing price records, as apartment on each floor — the one at £1.1 million. Call 020 7871 0011. gap is narrowing and some homes on floats above the Thames. ever more apartments with floor-to- the top being a spectacular triplex with the south side now cost considerably “Bridges have a huge regenerative ceiling glazing are built in the booming roof garden and glazed enclosure. WATERLOO’S STAR IS RISING more than those they face across the impact,” says Winkworth chief execu- SE1 postcode. One Blackfriars, a 50- However, One Tower Bridge is about Properties in Waterloo are half the price water. tive Dominic Agace. “The message is storey skyscraper at the foot of the the urban realm as much as river views. of those in Aldwych and Covent Garden The Millennium Bridge, which opened that this is positive investment for bridge due for completion in 2016, is It is not gated and will integrate seam- across the river, but the Garden Bridge in 2000 and provides a direct link buyers who spot these areas early on.” already raising the bar for South Bank lessly with the riverside promenade will enliven the relatively quiet zone between Tate Modern and St Paul’s Take, for example, Southwark water- homes, with apartments costing from and a public park alongside City Hall. near Temple and provide a direct pedes- Cathedral, kick-started this trend. Not front — the strip between Blackfriars £960,000 (homesandproperty.co. A listed Victorian school is being con- trian-only link, or floating amenity only is the Norman Foster-designed Bridge and Tower Bridge. A decade uk/one). verted into a boutique hotel, a perform- space, to the Southbank arts centre. structure a thing of beauty, it has helped ago, property values trailed those on ance space will be created, and “The idea is simple, to connect north catapult Bankside to what Winkworth the City side of the river, whereas today LIVE BY A LANDMARK high-quality landscaping will include and south London with a garden,” says calls a “Premier League address”. they are significantly higher, typically One Tower Bridge, a development of an interactive “fountain clock”. bridge designer Thomas Heatherwick. The bridge has brought new public £1,331,450 compared with £736,741. 356 flats being built right next to one of Sandringham House is the latest South Bank Tower on Stamford space along with cafés, restaurants and Glamorous new architecture is one London’s most iconic landmarks, is phase, with 44 flats in a sleek-design Street is a major Waterloo project, with

£1.8 million: apartments with Thames views at Riverwalk in Westminster (left)

From £457,000: ﬂats at Berkeley Homes’ Royal Arsenal Riverside, right (homesand property.co.uk/rar)

£1.1 million: ﬂats at Sandringham House, far right, latest phase of One Tower Bridge EVENING STANDARD WEDNESDAY 12 MARCH 2014 7 homesandproperty.co.uk with New homes Homes & Property

Curvacious: 168 ﬂats at The Corniche on the Albert Embankment, by St James

council estates set back from the turn, complain about a bridge that will Thames. However, redevelopment of have many stairs to climb to get on to a slab of office blocks is creating a new it. However, it is sure to boost the quarter where values are set to spiral, surrounding area, while opening up a topping £2,000 per square foot. route to posh Sloane Square. Coming soon is Merano Residences Riverwalk, at Millbank, is the (homesandproperty.co.uk/merano), notable development on this side of 48 flats in a three-bay building rising to the Thames. A Sixties office building 28 storeys, while The Corniche has has been bulldozed to make way for 168 apartments in three curvy sky- two new undulating blocks with 116 scrapers. Harrods will run the con- flats. The site includes a Henry Moore cierge services and both schemes bronze sculpture, Locking Piece. Two- include office and retail space (homes bedroom apartments cost from andproperty.co.uk/corniche). £1.8 million (homesandproperty.co. Further west still are the planned new uk/riverwalk). pedestrian and cycle bridges between Nine Elms and Pimlico, and between DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER Battersea and Chelsea Harbour. “In Bat- Wandsworth council has given plan- tersea we are creating new homes and ning consent for the car-free Diamond jobs on an epic scale and we need new Jubilee bridge between Battersea and river crossings to support this growth,” Chelsea. It will run alongside the listed says Ravi Govindia, leader of Wands- railway bridge carrying trains from worth council. “Nine Elms is the epicen- Clapham Junction to Imperial Wharf tre of the building boom but the benefits in Fulham, where a new station has Capital growth: designer Thomas are fanning out beyond this zone.” been built. The new bridge will further Heatherwick’s pedestrian-only Garden boost the Sands End district, once Bridge will be a “ﬂoating amenity space” NINE ELMS EXCITEMENT blighted by gas works, but now a linking Waterloo to the south bank The exact location of the Nine Elms to sought-after address. Pimlico bridge has yet to be finalised Currently there are no bridges, only but it is likely to emerge on the north- tunnels, in east London. Thames Gate- 191 flats, one of London’s largest private in six buildings, ready in 2016. Prices north side, in Westminster, by a ern side close to St George’s Square and way Bridge — between Beckton and roof gardens, a residents’ lounge and from £2.94 million (homesand property. significant margin — £519,740 against Dolphin Square. This has triggered Thamesmead — is back on the mayoral sky bar. Prices from £625,000 (homes co.uk/190strand). £839,376. For many years, Albert opposition from some local residents, agenda, spurred by Royal Docks regen- andproperty.co.uk/tower). Embankment in the SE11 postcode has who fear the bridge will bring chaos to eration. The bridge will connect Green- On a strip running down to Victoria A NEW LAMBETH QUARTER been less enticing than its central riv- a quiet neighbourhood — in the shape wich and Newham boroughs, where the Embankment, 190 Strand, right by the A little further west, average values on erside location near Lambeth Palace of an estimated 18,000 cyclists and lion’s share of the capital’s new homes Garden Bridge, offers 206 apartments the south side also trail those on the might suggest, partly due to gritty pedestrians a day. Cyclists, in their are earmarked over the next decade.

%' "'$#( %' "'$#( $, ' ''!%*''! $## ' ''!%*''! North of the river, south of the river and anywhere in between, talk to Savills. -'!+ '% ' "%'! ' ** %" ' ' '' '!'"! , , !% ! *''-"-! !$ "& ' '!"* ''! savills.co.uk *%'!!)" )*'' 8 WEDNESDAY 12 MARCH 2014 EVENING STANDARD Homes & Property Commuting homesandproperty.co.uk with

HE gap between rural and urban house prices has been growing steadily over the Mind the past 12 months. A study by the Office for National Statis- ticsT shows prices in London rose 11.6 per cent in the year to November, while the gap on your rest of the UK managed only a 5.4 per cent rise over the same period. Exactly how long the capital’s prices will con- tinue to outperform is a matter for debate — and it could all end in tears. way home to Economic forecaster Ernst & Young takes the line that London is exhibiting “bubble-like” signs, and that such price rises are unsustainable. Others believe prices in the capital will simply begin the country to gently level off, giving other regions a chance to close the gap. Most experts feel the latter outcome Prices are at tipping point, so if you is most likely. Either way, now is the want to leave London go now, to time to make the change for those London home owners who want to take take your profit and find best value in their profit and plough it into a larger

property elsewhere. ALAMY the country, says Ruth Bloomfield Rupert Sweeting, head of estate agent Historic Bath: home prices in the Somerset city are low enough for Londoners to accept a long commute Knight Frank’s country department, believes it is time to move. With some £1,543.45. Lower overall property prices £435,000: a website Zoopla. Life in the Georgian parts of the capital almost 40 per cent make Tunbridge Wells (average price three-bedroom jewel of Bath will set you back £1,600.37 above peak prices in 2007, the rest of £249,095) and Sevenoaks (£237,062), cottage near a month and the train journey takes an the country remains 10 to 15 per cent Kent’s star commuter towns for afford- Kemsing and hour and a half, but you only have to below. But he agrees the gap will inev- ability, at £1,191.88 and £1,068.43 a Sevenoaks look at the average house price there to itably close as price rises ripple out of month respectively. stations, below appreciate the attraction. London. “Buyers who wait will miss the Growing numbers of Londoners are left (homesand “There are people in our office buy- boat,” he says. “I am seeing a return in leapfrogging the home counties and property.co.uk/ ing their first flat in London in places confidence in the country. And when I buying in other cities such as Bath cam) where it will take them 45 minutes to talk to people who are considering sell- (£254,568) and Oxford (£282,968) where get into central London,” says Sweet- ing their homes in the country, they all they can afford to enjoy life at the centre £315,000: below ing. “I don’t understand why, when tell how business is better, how they are — something they cannot do in London. right, a family they can buy something bigger and employing more people.” Oxford’s monthly costs come in at house in better in the country, or in a country £1,343.11, which makes good sense, and Peasedown town where they have all the lively wine THE KEY DESTINATIONS not only for home owners. Renters St John, near Bath bars and restaurants, with the same £625,000: this three-bedroom semi-detached house with a Recent research by Knight Frank docu- might be interested to know the average (visit homesand journey time. They say they think 100ft garden backs on to farmland in Remenham Hill, ments the cost of commuting and living Islington rent is currently £2,215 per property.co.uk/ London prices will go up more, but I Henley-on-Thames (visit homesandproperty.co.uk/remen) in 15 key commuter locations. In Henley, calendar month, according to property peas) am not so sure.” as an example, a mortgage on an average-priced property (£318,345) costs £1,017.14 a month to service. The train journey into London is £344 a month, making a total of £1,361.14 to live the rural life in Oxfordshire. Towns in Surrey’s “Golden Triangle”, Cobham (average property price £619,325), Esher (£442,316) and Guild- ford (£379,159), have shorter journey times into London than Oxford. But shaving about 15 minutes off your commute doesn’t come cheap. £799,950: a three-bedroom semi-detached cottage in In Cobham the monthly outgoings Littleheath Lane, Cobham, with views over the woodland of equal £2,232.80; Esher will cost Littleheath Common (homesandproperty.co.uk/little) £1,626.24, and Guildford comes in at

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::*54-5*-0*6;-41*-1*2*6:: -6 1* 1*:*-0*-1* .71/**- -6:-.6:68* 6/1*/1/*-*6;1*2*464**18* EVENING STANDARD WEDNESDAY 12 MARCH 2014 9 homesandproperty.co.uk with Affordable homes Homes & Property Families can stop running round in circles A new Northolt scheme caters for first-time buyer couples with children, not just singletons, says Ruth Bloomfield

ITH the average age of first-time buyers rising, the need to find affordable housing that will meet the requirementsW not just of singletons, but also of young families, is becoming critical. Mandeville Place (homesand property.co.uk/man), a new development in Northolt, west London, has genuinely affordable options for first- time buyers in both categories. Network Housing Group has 47 shared-ownership homes for sale on the site as part of a reboot of the trou- bled Rectory Park estate, which will eventually provide 425 new homes. There are 20 one-bedroom apartments, 23 two-bedroom flats, one The long way up: one of the four mounds of Northala three-bedroom flat and three three- Fields, created in Northolt and Greenford Country Park bedroom houses on offer. Prices start using rubble from the old Wembley Stadium

at £54,950 for a 35 per cent share of a REX one-bedroom flat with a full market value of £157,000. Buyers will need a minimum income of £22,000, and will need to raise a deposit of £2,747.50. Two-bedroom flats start at £66,325 for a 35 per cent share (full value £189,500). Buyers will need to earn at least £26,500 and a five per cent deposit comes in at £3,316.25. For the larger homes, the three-bedroom flat costs £89,950 for 35 per cent (full value £257,000), and a minimum income of £36,250 is required. The deposit comes in at £4,497.50. The houses are priced at £100,950 for a 35 per cent share (full value £317,000), and buyers will need a household income of at least £45,250, with a £5,547.50 deposit. From £54,950: for a 35 per cent share of a one-bedroom Mandeville Place ﬂat Wheelie interesting: nearby Greenford is home to London Motorcycle Museum LEISURE AND SHOPPING This development has plus and minus points to consider. In terms of green enjoy walking, as the nearest town season ticket costs £2,136. Northolt LOCAL SCHOOLS older children are more worrying. space it is surprisingly leafy, overlook- centre and Tube station at Northolt is itself is hardly a shopping mecca, Schooling in the area is highly variable. Northolt High School and the Alec Reed ing Northolt Golf Course and with both about a mile and a half away — although though there are everyday shops and Gifford Primary School is rated “out- Academy both have serious problems Northolt and Greenford Country Park there are local buses. some good Indian restaurants. standing” by the Ofsted education to overcome. and Lime Tree Park within easy walk- The Tube station is on the Central line A better bet is Greenford, also about watchdog, and several other primary The postwar council estate which is ing distance. The Paddington branch in Zone 5 and Oxford Circus is about a mile and a half away from Mandeville schools in the area, including Viking replaced by the new development of the Grand Union Canal is also nearby 40 minutes away. Alternatively, take Place, which not only has the London Primary and Greenwood Primary, have suffered a range of problems including for towpath walks. the mainline from Northolt Park to Motorcycle Museum, but a much more a “good” rating. failing housing, antisocial behaviour And residents will certainly need to Marylebone in 17 minutes. An annual comprehensive range of shops. However, educational options for and isolation.

The Bloom is a development of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom Shared Ownership apartments now viewing in bustling Shepherd’s Bush. To ﬁnd out if an apartment at The Bloom is right for your life call

Scan to register 020 8357 4444 (Quote ES12) or visit the-bloom.co.uk 10 WEDNESDAY 12 MARCH 2014 EVENING STANDARD Homes & Property Homes abroad homesandproperty.co.uk with Hollywood celebs and tycoons adore this seriously stylish Swiss resort. Why not see for yourself how the other half skis, says Cathy Hawker

ITH the precision for which the country is famed, the Swiss train that climbs from Zermatt to St Moritz Wruns to a strict timetable. The Glacier Express climbs 6,500ft and crosses 291 bridges before it pulls into St Moritz’s Toytown-style station, a protected Unesco World Heritage Site. The Swiss are known for their hospi- tality as much as their timekeeping and St Moritz has done more than most to welcome year-round visitors. In 1864 hotelier Johannes Badrutt at the Kulm Hotel was so confident of the resort’s winter charms he encouraged his Horsing around: White Turf racing regular British summer guests to visit on the frozen lake in glorious then. If they did not enjoy sparkling, winter sunshine has been an sunny days, he’d return their money. annual St Moritz event since 1907

St Moritz is now busiest in winter and ALAMY Share a slope with the stars in St Moritz

Badrutt’s name is celebrated in the star-studded Badrutt Palace Hotel built by his son, Caspar. Set between Milan and Zurich and four hours from Lake Como, St Moritz is Switzerland’s most expensive and celebrity-centric resort. Verbier gets the younger skiing and partying crowd, while Gstaad is home to Euro-royalty. But for star spotting in the worlds of business, film and architecture, St Moritz wins.

A VERY BRITISH RESORT One thing the British did was introduce From £1.35 million: Park Residences ﬂats in family-friendly Ultimate relaxation: The Cambrian hotel in Adelboden Modern yet cosy: The Cambrian in their own eccentric sports — skeleton Pontresina near St Moritz. Through Aylesford Alpine offers heated pools and stupendous mountain views Adelboden, a Mr & Mrs Smith hotel and bobsleigh on the notorious Cresta Run and polo on the vast frozen lake. Bond Street, the charm and reputation — for example, Sir Norman Foster’s egg- passing £6,500, well beyond London DESIGN While the narrow streets are lined with of St Moritz and its mix of solid stone shaped Chesa Futura apartments — keep prices. And buying property is almost much the same retail names as London’s buildings and striking modern design the global elite coming back. “People impossible for anyone without Swiss SWITZERLAND have an idea of Switzerland,” says Oli residency or a suitable work permit. Stastny, estate agent Aylesford Interna- “Even foreigners who can buy are often THERE is nothing bland about the tional’s new go-to man there. “They restricted to property under 2,422sq ft,” top Swiss hotels bringing exciting think it is cheese fondue, chocolate and says Aylesford International chairman modern design to the Alps. The chalets, but it’s so much more. Andrew Langton. W Verbier (wverbier.com) opened From £37,300 a “St Moritz has leading design and “Our clients want space and privacy this season, adding urban chic to year: long-term style, world-class hotels — and chief so the rental market is very active. Fully the centre of the resort, while rental ﬂats at executives tell me they do more busi- staffed, five-bedroom homes in prime The Chedi in Andermatt (thechedi- St Moritz’s oldest ness over Christmas and new year there positions overlooking the lake rent from andermatt.com) provides much- hotel, the Kulm, than at any other time of the year.” £47,500 a week.” praised five-star Asian elegance in have lake views If you want to be part of that business this wide, open valley. and access to crowd enjoying Swiss financial stability, RENTED LUXURY GUARANTEED The Cambrian in Adelboden, Advertise with the experts for only room service, you need deep pockets. St Moritz homes The Kulm, a bastion of class and gran- Switzerland’s third largest ski spa and gym start at £2,400 a square foot, rapidly deur with its new £8 million spa, faces area, is a member of Design £179 +VAT* (usual price £234 + VAT) south-west across the lake, the prime Hotels and the country’s first Mr & At Stilwell’s Cottages Direct we have spent 20 years views undoubtedly a big part of its Mrs Smith hotel. Slate walls, sleek building up an excellent reputation in the UK and appeal. It offers modern one- to three- Barcelona chairs and a pale Irish property listings market. We have thousands of bedroom flats of 538sq ft to 2,422sq ft palette teamed with splashes of potential customers on our database, and our website, for long-tem rental over five years, vivid red and cowhide-covered cottagesdirect.co.uk received over 1.7 million visits from £37,300 a year. With access to the furniture keep it modern yet cosy, in 2013, which is why we’re perfectly placed to hotel’s fabulous facilities — room serv- while outside the views of wooden advertise your property. ice, spa and gym — and those front-row chalets and the Alps are lake views, most of the 70 apartments Switzerland at its most beautifully With us, you’re in control have been bought by Europeans eager traditional. • Deal direct with customers • Full marketing plan to be part of the St Moritz lifestyle. • No long term contracts • Manage your ad online O Room rates at The Cambrian To book your advert or for additional information CONTACTS start from £160 for B&B in a call 0845 268 9250 and quote LEVS14 O Aylesford Alpine: aylesford.com double room. Visit thecambrian *Introductory offer. Annual subscription inc. (020 7349 9772) adelboden.com or call 00 41 (0) 13 images and weblink O Kulm Hotel: kulm.com; 00 41 (0) 81 33 673 8383. 836 8000) 12 WEDNESDAY 12 MARCH 2014 EVENING STANDARD Homes & Property Design homesandproperty.co.uk with

1 2 3

4 5 6 butterflies DesignDesignign trendtrendstreends BUTTERFLIES are settling on London for spring, catching the imagination of designers.

Garden wallpaper launches this 1 week at Osborne & Little, 304 King’s Road, SW3. Designed by Kristjana S Williams, it’s £158 a roll. For other stockists call 020 8812 3123.

Ceramic hand-painted and glazed 2 Butterfly tiles, with plain half tiles in Palomino, 13cm x 10cm. From £10.95 a tile (patterned) and £1.36 per tile (plain). By Winchester Tile Company (winchestertiles.com).

Butterfly Parade embroidered 3 cushion on safran or opalin linen, 50cm square, £95, by Christian Lacroix Maison for Designers Guild (designersguild.com; 0207 893 7400).

Butterfly-printed silk cushion by 7 4 Kristjana S Williams, double-sided with piped edge, 60cm square, £35 at Liberty, Great Marlborough Street, W1 (liberty.co.uk).

Butterfly photographs cover an 5Anglepoise lamp — a piece by artist Roo Abrook in the Creating Balance

ESHomesAndProperty show at the Aspex Gallery, Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth, until Sunday (aspex.org.uk). Buy Abrook’s handmade butterfly print on antique book paper for £10 (rooabrook.co.uk).

Vanessa Barneby and Alice Gates 6are two mums on a mission — to create beautiful wallpapers and fabrics inspired by their environment. As they work from Alice’s lovely farmhouse in Pewsey, Wiltshire, dogs, foxes, hens and butterflies feature widely. This Raspberry paper is £78 a roll at barnebygates.com.

Launching next month with 7 Brintons are carpets by celebrated fabric designers Timorous Beasties, with five designs in 12 colourways. Find us on This yellow wool/nylon Ruskin Facebook butterfly design is £95 a square metre 8 (brintons.co.uk). By Porcelain butterfly plate (20cm) Barbara 8 by Matthew Williamson, £12.50 at Debenhams (debenhams.com). Chandler 16 WEDNESDAY 12 MARCH 2014 EVENING STANDARD Homes & Property Our home homesandproperty.co.uk with Wayout Lodge A rare diamond Budding interior designer James Gostelow found a neglected rural treasure and polished it until it shone, says Philippa Stockley

Surrey fan: HERE’S something about a James Gostelow, mullioned window that says above left, drove country — with a bit of Miss through the Marple thrown in. So it is county, liked with Wayout Lodge, a what he saw, Tpocket-size mansion with beautifully scoured the diamond-patterned walls, a ginger- internet and bread-tilted brick course and sharply tracked down his pitched tile roof, set in a lawned perfect project quarter-acre bound by a beech hedge. But this house, in Cobham, Surrey, is only 20 minutes by train from London. Pocket-size Designed by James Buxton in 1830 as mansion: Wayout servants’ quarters for the big house up Lodge in Cobham the road, when amateur interior is a mini-château designer James Gostelow, 31, bought it in the forest, 20 with his partner, Andrew Morgan, 42, minutes by train Photographs:: who works in advertising, it wasn’t from London Andrew anything like as cute as it is today. Beasley/ Gostelow — last seen on BBC2’s Great evening he searched the web. The lodge rotten floor was taken up to replace the arcaidimages. Interior Design Challenge — an asset grabbed his attention. It had been listed joists and the walls were stripped back com manager for a property investment for sale the previous year at £460,000 and ready for replastering. On the out- company by day, was living in a rented but had lingered on the market and had side, plastic rainwater goods went in Barbican flat in 2011 when he met been reduced by a whopping £100,000 the bin and a hoppered lead downpipe Morgan, who had a flat in Barnes. When by an owner keen to sell. At £360,000 went on instead. The lovely bricks were they decided to live together they put in it was crying out for a buyer. re-pointed with lime where needed, Country house an offer on a bigger flat but a cash buyer The house was damp and cold with and the arched windows were replaced feel: the bespoke swept it from under their noses at the rotting floor joists under a nasty tile by Crittall — “surprisingly cheaply” — limestone last minute. floor downstairs and woodworm in the though they took 10 weeks to make. ﬁreplace, left, With no home to go to, they went for roof — but the couple made an offer, Inside, fresh plaster went up and was part of a a weekend out of town, driving back secured the place for £345,000 and stained oak parquet went down. Next, total interior into London through Surrey. Gostelow proceeded to get the builders in and the couple started on the interiors: overhaul liked the look of the county and that upgrade everything. Within weeks the bearing in mind that the house, at less EVENING STANDARD WEDNESDAY 12 MARCH 2014 17 homesandproperty.co.uk with Our home Homes & Property

JAMES GOSTELOW’S Saving on space: MAKEOVER TIPS the horseshoe of Buy quality: it looks better, lasts kitchen cabinets longer, and the fitting costs the uses every bit of same available storage Budget wisely: budget everything, and the Aga’s a but sometimes you will buy one four-burner expensive item and design around it, like my £1,700 bathroom sink. It really can make sense. Big change: Keep open eyes and an open moving a wall mind: when going to weddings robbed the and parties, I always say: “Andrew master bedroom, stop the car!” and check out local far left, of space antiques shops and salvage. but an alcove off the spare room HOW MUCH IT COST became a walk-in House bought last year: wardrobe £345,000 reduced from £460,000 Total spend on renovations (no structural work): £60,000 Centrepiece: the bathroom was GET THE LOOK designed around O Find James: Jamesgostelow. the marble basin, com with an extra-tall O Parquet: bp-woodfloors.com shower enclosure O New metal mullioned replacing the too- windows: by crittall-windows. small old bath co.uk O Limestone fireplace: bespoke than 800sq ft, is the size of an average claims he wants to put some mounted spent the most money. On a walk round turned out well, for in an alcove off the from thefirehouse.co.uk two-bedroom flat, they have made antlers, to enhance the home’s hunt- Chelsea Harbour Design Centre, they spare room they fitted a complete, O Modern crystal chandelier at every nook and cranny count. ing-lodge aspect. saw a white marble hand-basin. “I had miniature walk-in wardrobe with a top of stairs designed by Lee Downstairs, the sitting room got a A cupboard by the stairs has been to have it,” Gostelow says with a glint, glazed door across it, so you can Broom: leebroom.com bespoke limestone fireplace and turned so ingeniously into a larder- “then I designed the whole bathroom admire it from outside. This useful O Paints: dulux.co.uk sweeping check curtains that add a cum-scullery with bespoke carpentry round it.” addition adds huge charm to a scarce O Extra-tall shower enclosure: swoosh of Balmoral. The little kitchen that even the clothes airer has its own In place of the tiny bath he put a square metre of floor space. bespoke, by burgessglass.co.uk now has a horseshoe of country-style made-to-measure alcove. grand, super-high shower enclosure, Gostelow’s final touch, to sort out both O Marble hand basin from Ann cabinets to use every fragment of stor- Upstairs, there was a poky, mildewed which was made to order. Ceramic damp and cold, was to install some seri- Sacks: annsacks.com age space, and useful space-saving tips bathroom under the eaves, with a bath floor tiles, and Edwardian-style wall ously massive cast-iron radiators, O Stripe-edge cushions in include a four-burner Aga, a Miele “so small that no one under 5ft 7in tiles complete a look that is modern embellished with a sort of fin-de-siècle sitting room: designersguild.com 12-bottle wine cooler, and a slimline could get in”, says Gostelow. So they but also suits the house. Having moved floral motif, that belt out heat and add O Cast-iron Piccadilly radiators: Miele dishwasher. In the still-empty moved a partition wall to make the the wall, the master bedroom lost another layer of cosy grandeur to this palladianradiators.com wall-space above the Aga, Gostelow room a bit bigger. This is where they space for a wardrobe, but this also little château in the forest.

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HIS isn’t your normal bland development flats. And I think brown-and-white frothy that is what we are trying to bring to it, cappuccino-looking devel- that sort of personal touch. Another opment,” architectural idea was to ask people like Paul Smith designer Tim Boyd tells me and Tom Dixon to come in and brand firmly,T when I meet him on top of something that could become part of Battersea Power Station. “This is the building,” Boyd recalls. something that is historically relevant, The job represents a major commis- both to the richness of the period and sion for the 55-strong practice, which the building.” has a reputation for designing sleek Today, award-winning west London urban watering holes. Past projects practice Michaelis Boyd Associates — include the restoration of Notting Hill’s co-founded by Boyd and business Electric Cinema, Babington House partner Alexis Michaelis — is unveiled country house hotel in Somerset, Soho as residential interior architect and House private members clubs in LA and designer for the new homes inside and Berlin, and Tom Aikens’s Tom’s Kitchen on top of Sir Giles Gilbert Scott’s Grade restaurants in London and Istanbul. II*-listed masterpiece. Prospective purchasers will be invited Part of the second phase of the to visit a rooftop marketing suite £8 billion redevelopment of the Art designed by Michaelis Boyd, where they Deco power station — the largest brick can review room “concepts” including building in Europe — the flats will be materials, fixtures and fittings. within the existing façades of the west- ern and eastern flanks of the building A TOWN SQUARE ON THE ROOF and on top of the central boiler house. Prices of the apartments will not be In January last year, the launch of revealed until next month, but homes Phase One, Circus West, a block of 866 in the first phase, Circus West, ranged studios, larger apartments, penthouses from £350,000 for a studio to £6 mil- and townhouses immediately to the lion for a penthouse. Boyd is bowled west of the power station, sold out in over by the diversity on offer. four days, raising more than £600 mil- “It’s all done to a phenomenal stand- lion. Hopes are even higher for Phase ard. Incrementally you get more toys Two, given Londoners’ passion for the the more you’re spending, but the iconic building. actual base is fantastic for all of them. INSIDE JOB If you are buying a penthouse you are BLAND IS BANNED buying a flat with beautiful floors, but Working closely with specialist heritage it’s the same if you buy a studio.” architectural practice, Wilkinson Eyre, The joy of the building, he says, is it which is restoring the power station Tim Boyd’s award-winning firm has been chosen offers so many different views and loca- itself, Michaelis Boyd will be responsi- tions. “With the boiler house, you’re ble for the 254 apartments, which to design interiors for Battersea Power Station’s in a new-build sitting on top of the range from studios and duplexes to building, within a private landscape of five-bedroom penthouses. Homes on new flats. Expect rough-luxe, says Liz Hoggard gardens and greenery. You’re building

the roof of the central boiler house will CHARLIE FORGHAM-BAILEY a town square on top of the roof.” If frame a new two and a half-acre “gar- you go for a flat within the existing den in the sky”. THE MIX: STEEL, BRICKS AND TILES fabric of the annexes, Turbine East or This will be no bland international Turbine West, then, he enthuses, “you development. At the end of last year get wonderful brickwork and original when Boyd and Michaelis flew to Kuala Pointers: Tim steelwork”. Lumpur to present their pitch to the Boyd, above. Apartments — about 110 are bespoke shareholders of the Malaysian consor- Projects his ﬁrm, — have been designed around the huge tium that owns the building, their ini- Michaelis Boyd windows. At 1,400sq ft, they are almost tial design concepts “sold it every much Associates, has double the size of most flats that come as a British thing”. been involved in on the market in London. Each wing No plans are available yet but Boyd include the will have its own geography, with dif- shows me photos of their previous starkly industrial ferent corridors and front doors for the projects — homes with exposed brick- Soho House Berlin, Turbine Halls and the Boiler House. work, timber floors with a slightly left, and a bare- “We wanted to define everybody’s antiqued surface, and simple theatre- brick bathroom space as much as possible,” says Boyd. style kitchen and dining areas with for a house in “It’ll be like you’re in a house in Notting solid oak shelving and worktops. He Chelsea, right Hill or Chelsea or Belgravia. is particularly relishing building “To actually bring that richness of the beautiful staircases in the double- Left and below streetscape into the building will create height duplexes. “You can have a lot right: tiling interesting environments to walk of fun and get real glamour into the concepts will echo down. We’re bringing light, we’re space.” the building’s bringing moments of pause into them, Will he be adventurous with colour? industrial past. so they become beautiful experiences “The colour will be in the materials The exposed in themselves.” used rather than in paint colours,” he bricks and steel Married to Costa-winning novelist admits. “The full detail of the staircases staircase of this Sadie Jones, father-of-two Boyd says are not yet finalised but they will be Chelsea home, his favourite buildings include New very striking and may well use some right, are the York’s Guggenheim Museum, Le Cor- bold colours.” kind of design busier’s Villa Savoye outside Paris and likely to feature Peter Zumthor’s Bruder Klaus Chapel INSPIRED BY HERITAGE in new homes on in Cologne, all of which may give some The emphasis will be on craftsmanship the power station flavour of the designs for Battersea. with a twist, combining a raw industrial roof, below The biggest Battersea challenge has edge with gorgeous tactile materials — been drainage, he says. “It’s such a big free-standing copper baths, hand- complex building and there’s so many made tiles, bronze hand rails. He admits different types. Technical issues such it has sometimes been a challenge to as soundproofing and heat loss are explain this rough-luxe aesthetic to relatively easy to manage. The chal- contractors. But the building remains lenge is working around the existing the chief source of inspiration. fabric. You can end up with a column “There’s so much to draw on here in in completely the wrong place — but terms of architectural elements, such that column has to stay.” as these great windows, so we wanted to use a lot of Crittall glass and metal O Phase Two properties launch screens within the flats, not highly on-site on May 1 and prospective polished but with that industrial herit- buyers should register their interest age. They’re unusual, something you’d now at batterseapowerstation.co.uk see in somebody’s house rather than or by calling 020 7501 0678. 20 WEDNESDAY 12 MARCH 2014 EVENING STANDARD Homes & Property Reader promotion homesandproperty.co.uk with All the ingredients for a swish kitchen makeover KBBC offers both traditional and modern kitchen designs in a variety BargBargaBargainBargaiBargrgagainggaain newsn of gloss or matt finishes. If you are simply looking for a partial upgrade, the range of work surfaces can complement your existing fitted Alison kitchen. Or choose from a wide range Miles of tiles in the of cabinets, doors and drawers that Cork can be painted, if desired, to a colour sale at a favourite of your choice. Design consultant home visits are available. interior design spot Readers are offered a further 20 per cent discount. To claim the offer, and SURFACE TILES, a premium brand to view different styles, visit kbbc.co. A great deal’s for London homes and top hotels, is uk or call 08081 007 007 using code holding an exclusive one-day 30 per AAH14 before March 26. on the table cent discount sale on all tiles, mosaic and stone at its showroom in Essex BOTH practical and chic, this nest Road, Islington, on March 29. of tables from Alison at Home is The company offers a wide variety priced at £145. The biggest of styles and sizes for both classic and measures W48cm x D31cm x contemporary spaces. The H45cm, and the medium and small showroom is impressive and a tables slot neatly beneath. favourite with interior designers — These beautiful, hand-carved perfect for displaying the looks you pieces will add a touch of French can achieve. flair to your home. However, there To take up this offer, pre-register at are only 30 available for delivery surfacetiles.com and download the by the end of this month, so you’ll shopping voucher. Design need to hurry and place your order. consultants will be on hand to assist To buy them, visit alisonathome. throughout the sale day, from 9am com/colette or call 0800 472 5533. until 6pm. Got big Hat’s just the right plans quirky touch to put for your you ahead on style pad? Call HAVE fun — and add a dash of quirky style while you are about it — with the in a pro bowler hat pendant lamp in classic black with a gold lining. Naken is offering readers a IF YOU long for Plans will be drawn up on generous 15 per cent discount across professional design advice the spot, and you can even its website interiors range, reducing for your property, pay as you go, allowing you the Jeeves bowler, right, from £186 Architect Your Home is to make the best use of to £158.10 and the Wooster top hat, offering readers a £50 your budget. far right, from £201 to £170.85. Both discount on an initial To claim your discount are designed by Jake Phipps. Hung as four-hour consultation. and to book your a pair, their impact is enhanced and The company runs consultation, visit is sure to draw admiring comment. interactive ideas sessions architect-yourhome.com To claim the offer and view other where a local architect will or call 0800 8498505 by products, visit naken.co.uk using be on hand to guide you. March 26. code FLASH15 before March 26.

O The companies listed here are wholly independent of the Evening Standard. Care is taken to establish that they are bona fide but we recommend that you carry out your own checks prior to purchases and use a credit card where possible. To offer feedback on any of these companies, email [email protected] with “Bargain News” in the subject line. For more bargains, visit alisonathome.com or homesandproperty.co.uk/offers.

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INNOVATIONS IN THE BATHROOM DEPARTMENT

Refreshing and hygienic: freshen up with water after using the loo with the SensoWash® C shower-toilet, from Duravit in conjunction with designer Philippe Starck. The lid is soft-close, the seat is heated and there’s a hot-air dryer and control panel setting, below (around £1,866; duravit.co.uk)

Be a bathroom goddess: the newly launched Dea — meaning goddess — range, by London design agency Seymourpowell for British brand Ideal Standard features subtle curves, splash-free basins and thin-edged acrylic baths (ideal-standard.co.uk)

Revolutionary technology, designer detailing, soft music, mood lighting and the newest water-saving super-loos are just some of the fabulous features in the latest bathrooms, discovers Barbara Chandler

Multi-tasking: kick back, relax, get clean, have a massage — you can do it all in one go with the Water Lounge from hoesch-design.com. This amazing bit of bathroom kit will, however, set you back £31,000 MAKE THE MOST

Shower for all ONDONERS spend an hour in even through an enamelled steel bath seasons: the the bathroom each day, on made by Kaldewei, so you get superb Hansgrohe average — which can creep up sound quality — and another reason to Raindance to 12 hours a week for some linger. Select E120 jet women, it seems. “Many bath- For modernists, the look is slim and hand shower, roomsL are now dressing rooms,” says streamlined. “We call it reduced design,” also in water- Rachel Martin of bathroom retailer CP says the well-known German brand saving version Hart. “At the very least, women do their Duravit. Super-thin furniture shapes not (£78, hair and make-up. And, given more time, only ooze elegance, but also save space. hansgrohe. at weekends and late at night, the bath- Melinda Hill, senior designer at Ripples, co.uk) room is a pampering zone.” of Chelsea and Richmond, adds: “Pared- For many, the bathroom can be a place down designs have soft and soothing lines of inspiration, with up to 70 per cent of to create a feeling of calm.” people saying they have their best brain- Replacing traditional shower enclosures waves in the shower, according to are wet or showering “areas”. Thus research by German brand Hansgrohe. hinges, seals and even doors can be The company’s pioneering Raindance eliminated and replaced by a tiled wall to shower range, now widely copied, has walk behind, or a simple pieces of glass, three jet sprays — one gentle, one strong perhaps with anti-plaque treatments. and a massaging whirl. Spanish brand Roca has made an all- New bathroom technology includes in-one loo which doesn’t need a separate remote-controlled showers and touch- cistern on the wall. Water for flushing is sensitive taps, colourful LEDs, wireless hidden under the lavatory bowl, and, as music, luxurious steam rooms and spa needed, pushed out by air and then baths, and waterproof remote-controlled sucked away again with the waste. TVs. Flexible lighting can be changed This revolutionary loo needs electricity from functional to atmospheric. New to make it work, though we are promised fair in Birmingham is the Dea — mean- digital controls for taps and showers can “six full flushes” in the event of a power ing “goddess” — bathroom range, Water music: Kaldewei’s Puro Duo bath (£779) acts as a be worked from your phone, with differ- cut. See it — and many other innovations designed by London agency Seymour- sound box for the company’s Sound Wave 300 audio ent settings for everyone in the family. — in the sensational Roca Gallery, powell for the big British brand Ideal system (around £587) which plays music from Bluetooth- Bathroom music can be streamed from designed by Zaha Hadid in Chelsea Standard. Nice proportions and subtle enabled devices. For stockists call 0800 840 9770 your iPhone or iPod via Bluetooth to (Station Court, Townmead Rd, SW6; 020 curves make this very easy on the eye. speakers in cabinets and mirrors, or 7610 9503). Just launched at a big trade Basins have slim, rounded edges, and EVENING STANDARD WEDNESDAY 12 MARCH 2014 29 y.co.uk with Design Homes & Property

For when you’ve just got to take the weight off your feet: Dornbracht’s Horizontal Shower lets you lie down as you clean up. Control the water temperature and intensity with a panel by your head. You’ll need a lie down when you ﬁnd out the price — £21,000 (dornbracht.com)

Sleek style: the Raindance Select EcoSmart hand shower from Hansgrohe (as before), with ﬂow from “soft” to “massage”

T OF BATHTIME Float away: the Nahho ﬂotation bath with neck rest, optional whirlpool, lighting and Bluetooth for music (duravit.co.uk)

retailer CP Hart has just opened a pioneered this agreeable design idea in “classics” area in its huge showrooms in Japan (eu.toto.com). The washlet has the Waterloo railway arches. Art Deco become Toto’s signature product, and shapes and luxurious materials feature, you can try it out for yourself at its show- but with high-performance taps and room (140-142 St John Street, EC1; 020 showers, and lots of storage. 7831 7544). You can also give a washlet Watch out for special easy-clean glazes a go at CP Hart, which has them in its for ceramic basins and lavatories, which customer toilets. cut down bathroom maintenance. New Forget those old medicine cabinets “rimless” WCs shoot water in jets around overflowing with household needs. the bowl, avoiding the scale build-up Today’s bathroom has proper “furni- which is the bane of London bathrooms. ture”, sleek, elegant and probably Loos can have “soft-closing” seats which handleless, with huge, pull-out drawers are “quick release” so you can whip them like kitchen cabinets. off for cleaning. Choose from real wood veneers such But for the ultimate in personal as walnut, oak or chestnut. Also popular hygiene, install a Japanese-style shower- are glossy coloured lacquers, and tex- toilet, which will give you a gentle wash tured finishes with linen, stone, leather and hot-air dry while you are still sitting or a heavy woodgrain. Glass counter tops on the loo. are preferable to old-style laminates as Brands include Toto, whose “washlets” they will not start to peel away.

WE’RE WATER SAVING WORLD-BEATERS BRITAIN is leading the world Water use is graded in five in water saving with a label colour-coded bands from thin-edged, acrylic baths have “flared” Black gloss for taps, baths, showers and green to red, like an energy- shapes. Careful details include deep ﬁnish: the ios lavatories introduced by the saving label for electrical but splash-free basins, and under-basin bath (£3,700) and Bathroom Manufacturers appliances. cupboards that slope gently backwards ios basin (£775) Association in 2007, adopted Check out which brands to make extra room for your knees. from Victoria + by Europe in 2012, and now and fittings save water best However, many Londoners still love Albert (01952 used by 57 global brands. at europeanwaterlabel.eu. Traditional style: CP Hart’s Kew Collection basin (from £395), traditional styles. Indeed, leading 221100) lavatory (from £385) and bath (from £1,129). See cphart.co.uk 30 WEDNESDAY 12 MARCH 2014 EVENING STANDARD Homes & Property Outdoors homesandproperty.co.uk with

OR the best blooms come summer, you can’t beat sowing from seed this spring. You can find varieties that the garden centres and florists Blooms grown Fdon’t stock, such as Centaurea Black Ball, a luscious, deep claret cornflower that’s dynamite with the lime-green spurge Euphorbia oblongata, another easy annual. Arm yourself with a trug from seed are full of seed packets and you can sow yourself a flower patch that will keep blooming for months, bring the bees and butterflies into your garden, and provide masses of stems to brighten the house as well. a cut above If you are short on time and patience, hardy annuals are the seeds to grow. For the most part, they can be sown direct Sow a garden that keeps on giving — unusual into the ground. Then just water and wait for flowers within 10-12 weeks. varieties which provide colour for months, both Sweet peas don’t last long once cut, but they bloom so profusely, and for so long in the garden and in cut displays for the house Pattie Barron

— three months, if you keep cutting them — they should be at the top of your what-to-sow list. You can pop the seeds straight into the ground in April, but for a safer bet, sow them now in deep, bio- degradable pots and settle in the young plants, still in their paper cocoons, at the base of a wigwam or arch. GOING FOR GOLD Marigolds — the calendula varieties — look great among veg plants, make wonderful cut flowers and their petals look pretty scattered in salads. Once you have sown them, you will always have them, and be glad to see their cheery golden heads. The deepest orange, backed with

crimson, is Indian Prince. For a great PATCH FROM THE CUT FLOWER ALL PHOTOGRAPHS contrast, grow it among Cerinthe major purpurascens, the Med annual with smaller, multi-headed varieties such as summer. Sarah Raven (sarahraven. Ammi majus is the florist’s first choice. Far left: silken grass Briza maxima ravishing navy-blue hooded flowers, Helianthus debilis Vanilla Ice, with com) sells several beauties, including The ferny foliage and frothy white adds a special touch to bouquets. or with the tall, flower-packed spires palest lemon petals and chocolate-col- single-flowered Dark Plum, magenta- flowerheads make it indispensable for Centre, a trio of simple glass bottles of royal blue larkspur. This is the easy- oured centres. pink Cherry Glow, with pepperpot tucking in here and there to create full, shows off the tall spires of larkspur. growing, daintier relative of the trickier Some flowers offer seed pods as beau- seedheads, and sumptuous Black country-style displays. Louise Curley Above, smaller sunﬂowers such as perennial delphinium, and also needs tiful as their blooms, notably love-in- Beauty, which offers full, petal-packed recommends striking filler Daucus Vanilla Ice work well in displays protection from slugs and snails. a-mist. For the deepest blue — practically peony flowers, silvery leaves and archi- carota, the wild carrot with stems and Sunflowers are a cottage garden purple — flowers, grow Nigella his- tectural seedpods. Raven recommends umbel flowers a dynamic shade of favourite, but you don’t have to grow panica, which has dramatic crimson searing the stem ends of opium plum. Briza maxima, the greater O The Cut Flower Patch (Frances the huge, heavy varieties that are impos- stamens and seed pods. Sow a patch of poppies for 20 seconds to help them quaking grass, is delicate and beautiful. Lincoln) costs £20, but Homes & sible to mix with other flowers. In her opium poppies and watch them pop thrive when cut. Its pale green, silken flowers hang from Property readers can buy it for £16 comprehensive book, The Cut Flower up year after year, all through the gar- Include foliage fillers to beef up the thin stems and can make the simplest including p&p by calling 01903 Patch, Louise Curley recommends den, creating a magical picture each border and provide foil for flowers. flower bouquet spectacular. 828503 and quoting code APG108. buy it See it: Highgrove garden tours Buy it: the ultimate garden glove VISIT the gardens of Highgrove, Prince CHOOSE the protective gloves used by Charles’s magnificent Gloucestershire the professionals at the RHS Gardens at home. They will be open for two-hour Wisley, Rosemoor and Harlow Carr. tours led by experienced guides on Gold Leaf deerskin leather gardening selected dates between next month gloves, right, have a reputation for and October. Entry is by pre-booked durability as well as dexterity. The Soft ticket only. Choose from an individual Touch glove, £20.95, is backed with garden tour for £24.50 per person, in a Lycra, nylon and foam and has a Velcro group of up to 26 guests, or a wrist fastening for suppleness and a champagne tea tour at £75 per person. close fit; the Dry Touch, £18.95, is fully Light lunches and teas are available in lined and the leather has been treated the Orchard Restaurant and the Gardening to make it water-resistant, while the Highgrove Estate shop sells some of problems? Tough Touch, £24.95, is a pruning the plants featured in the gardens, as Email our RHS gauntlet that offers high protection well as Highgrove merchandise. expert at: against thorns and is robust, yet soft To book call 020 7766 7310 or visit gardenproblems and pliable. For stockists, see goldleaf- highgrovegardens.com/booking. @standard.co.uk gloves.com or buy from rhsplants.co.uk. 36 WEDNESDAY 12 MARCH 2014 EVENING STANDARD Homes & Property Property searching homesandproperty.co.uk with

ROM Queen Matilda in the equates to around £750 a square foot. 12th century to today’s top Bow Quarter has modern flats, includ- grime artist, Dizzee Rascal, ing some in the conversion of the his- the east London district of toric Bryant & May match factory. They Bow has a long and fascinat- Spotlight range from about £270,000 for a one- ingF history. The arched bridge that bedroom property to between Matilda ordered to be built across the £380,000 and £400,000 for two bed- River Lea was described as bow-shaped Bow rooms. Right-to-buy flats on social — which, it is said, is how Bow got its housing estates are generally cheaper, name. Now, near the spot where the with average prices of between £400 bridge stood is the Bow Roundabout, and £450 a square foot, and one-bed- where three cyclists died in recent room flats selling for about £225,000. years and where London Mayor Boris The most expensive home currently Johnson’s cycling commissioner, Where City for sale in Bow is a converted four-bed- Andrew Gilligan, recently had low-level room warehouse of over 3,200sq ft in cycling traffic lights installed to Kenilworth Road, close to Victoria improve safety. Park, on the market with Foxtons (020 As for award-winning rapper Dizzee, 7033 1414) for £2.6 million. The most he was brought up in Bow by his slicker style expensive Victorian property is a Ghanaian single mother Priscilla, who double-fronted, five-bedroom terrace bought him his first turntables even house in Eric Street, south of Mile End though he had been chucked out of Road, which Foxtons (as before) is sell- four local schools. ing for £725,000. The cheapest prop- Bow has a history of radicalism. In meets erty is a one-bedroom flat in a social 1888, the matchgirls at the Bryant & housing block in Devons Road. In need May factory came out on strike, com- of renovation, it is on the market for plaining about the toxic white phos- £175,000, again through Foxtons. phorus they had to handle. In 1912, the The area attracts: Bow is convenient suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst, daughter East End for both Canary Wharf and the City, so of Emmeline, came to live in Bow it is favoured by young professionals where she campaigned for better con- and couples from the world of finance. ditions for women and children and It also attracts workers in the media, set up health facilities, a cheap restau- fashion and the arts, who often move rant and a toy factory to provide jobs. street cred in from nearby Shoreditch and Clerk- Sitting five miles east of central Lon- enwell. don, south of Victoria Park, west of the Staying power: improving local busy A12 and north of the Limehouse Young professionals from the Square Mile, arts schools are keeping families in the area. Cut, in recent years Bow has found and media love the fine Georgian houses, value However, a shortage of larger houses itself conveniently placed for both can make it difficult to upsize — forcing Canary Wharf and the City. flats and great Tube links on rapper Dizzee some families to look further afield. Up and coming: Fish Island, so called WHAT THERE IS TO BUY Rascal’s home turf, says Anthea Masey because the roads are named after fish Bow is a very diverse area both socially such as Dace, Roach and Bream, is an and culturally, and this is reflected in atmospheric enclave of Victorian its architecture, which ranges from fine industrial architecture in the triangle Georgian terraces and squares, to early formed by the Hertford Union Canal, and mid-Victorian terraces built for the River Lea and the A12. There are workers in the local factories and dock- modern live/work flats overlooking the yards, to estates of social housing built waterways and the Queen Elizabeth after much of the East End was bombed Olympic Park, artists’ studios and during the Second World War. cafés. Estate agent Look (020 8981 Tredegar Square is the jewel in Bow’s 9999) is selling a two-bedroom, crown. Three sides of this magnificent 890sq ft flat in Omega Works for square are Georgian, while the fourth £400,000. has large, white stucco Victorian terrace houses. A house in the square sells OPEN SPACE for about £1.5 million and a converted Bow is blessed with plenty of parks and flat for about £600 a square foot. green spaces and there is more to come The streets off Chisenhale Road in the with the opening of the southern section Driffield Road conservation area are of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park among the most desirable in the East next month. Elsewhere, Mile End Park, End. This pretty enclave of mainly flat- a 79-acre linear park, runs north along fronted two- and three-storey early Regent’s Canal as far as Victoria Park. It Victorian houses has a strong commu- has an ecology building, a climbing wall nity spirit. Lars Gooch from the local and a stadium where Britpop group Blur branch of estate agent Keatons says he performed in 1995. Victoria Park, recently sold a two-bedroom house in History lesson: director Erica Davies at the Ragged School Museum in Bow. The frequently voted London’s favourite Driffield Road for £890,000 which school was opened in 1867 by Thomas Barnardo to provide free basic education park, has recently undergone a

To find a home in Bow, visit: homesandproperty.co.uk/bow

£290,000 £650,000 £475,000 £725,000 A LOWER ground-floor flat at Portunas Building A VICTORIAN terrace house with two bedrooms in THIS three-bedroom flat with an open-plan A FIVE-BEDROOM period house close to Bow in Gernon Road, E3, with one bedroom and a the heart of the Bow conservation area, with a reception room in a period house in Coborn Road, Road Tube in Eric Street, E3, with a patio garden private patio, is for sale through Keatons. south-facing garden. Through Felicity J Lord. E3, is close to two Tube stations. Through Foxtons. and a big kitchen/diner. Through Foxtons. O Visit homesandproperty.co.uk/port O Visit homesandproperty.co.uk/antill O Visit homesandproperty.co.uk/coborn O Visit homesandproperty.co.uk/eric EVENING STANDARD WEDNESDAY 12 MARCH 2014 37 homesandproperty.co.uk with Property searching Homes & Property

CHECK THE STATS

■WHAT HOMES COST: BUYING IN BOW (Average prices) One-bedroom flat £285,000 Two-bedroom flat £343,000 Two-bedroom house £417,000 Three-bedroom house £555,000 Four-bedroom house £980,000 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE Source: Zoopla RENTING IN BOW WHAT Bow connection does Tim (Average rates) Burton’s black-and-white movie One-bedroom flat £1,211 a month Frankenweenie (above) share with Two-bedroom flat £1,539 a month Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr Fox Two-bedroom house £1,735 a month and Danny Boyle’s thriller, Trance? Three-bedroom house £2,342 a month Find the answer at homesandproperty. Four-bedroom house £3,236 a month co.uk/spotlightbow Source: Zoopla

£12 million restoration. There are cafés, GO ONLINE FOR MORE playgrounds, an elaborate drinking fountain, a fishing lake and frequent O The best schools summer pop concerts. Tower Hamlets O The best shops and restaurants Cemetery Park is an overgrown wood- O The best streets — and the most land graveyard, and there are walking expensive ones and cycling routes along the Regent’s O The latest housing developments and Hertford Union Canals and the O How Bow compares with the rest River Lea. of the UK on house prices O The lowdown on the local renting LEISURE AND THE ARTS scene East London Community Land Trust, the first trust of its kind in the country, For all this and more, visit owns the St Clement’s Hospital building homesand in Bow Road, destined for housing. The property.co.uk/ trust also runs the Shuffle film festival, of which there have been three so far spotlightbow including one last summer curated by

PICTURES: GRAHAM HUSSEY Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle. Bow Arts Trust in Bow Road runs exhi- HAVE YOUR SAY Jewel in Bow’s bitions and events. The Ragged School crown: Tredegar Museum in Copperfield Road, in a former BOW Square, above, school set up by Dr Barnardo in 1867 to has ﬁne Georgian provide free basic education, gives @thesagey Tredegar Square, and Victorian today’s children a taste of what it was like gorgeous & Roman Rd market Tues & terraces to be a poor Victorian pupil. The local Thurs bargains plus proper East End council swimming pool is at Mile End attitude Canalside homes Park Leisure Centre, while the London and pathways: Aquatics Centre, the former 2012 Olym- @BowArts A great gallery in #Bow, is left, towpath pics venue with two 50-metre swimming Nunnery Gallery, running exhibitions joggers and pools and a diving pool, opened to the of local interest bowarts.org/nunnery modern ﬂats at public at the start of this month. Johnson’s Lock, Travel: Mile End Tube station is on the @bigboroboy danesyardkitchen.com Regent’s Canal Central, Hammersmith & City and is a good place to eat District lines. Bow Road and Bromley- by-Bow Tube stations are on the Ham- @elliewyant The Greedy Cow is an City’s green lung: mersmith & City and District lines. amazing restaurant for exotic Charles Colombo Pudding Lane, Bow Church and meats, Victoria Park — great for lazy and son Luca Devons Road stations are on the Dock- Sundays in the sun and in the pub! enjoy the bike lands Light Railway. All the stations are track, right, in in Zone 2 and an annual travel card to Mile End Park, Zone 1 costs £1,256. NEXT WEEK: Lewisham. Do one of a wealth of Council: Tower Hamlets council is you live there? Tell us what open public Labour controlled and Band D council you think @HomesProperty spaces in Bow tax is £1,188.52.

Chart Ridge is a ‘one–of-a-kind’ residence with inspiring views across three counties

Chart Ridge Trevereux Hill Oxted Price £3.6m Show Home open 7 days a week, 10am - 4pm Call +44 (0) 1883 716404 or visit www.millgatehomes.co.uk

44 WEDNESDAY 12 MARCH 2014 EVENING STANDARD Homes & Property New homes homesandproperty.co.uk with

From £1,749,950: With the word from the street two-bedroom apartments in Goldhurst House, David Spittles left, the latest phase at Fulham Reach. The development offers a spa, screening room SSmartmaartrt momo and concierge On your marks Reach out for the riverside in King’s Cross LONDONERS selling up in posh Kensington & Chelsea are UYERS are already in the conservatory, an art gallery and buying into a fresh wave of riverside developments under starting blocks for three communal terraces. A business way in neighbouring Fulham. The new schemes are tomorrow’s launch of the lounge and dining space will be open attracting buyers seeking an “affordably prime” address Plimsoll Building, the for meetings and private events, and on the desirable north side of the Thames. latest unveiling at King’s there will be a gym. Prices start at Fulham Reach (homesandproperty.co.uk/reach) is a BCross Central, the epic redevelopment £430,000. Call 020 3691 3969. 744-home scheme between Putney Bridge and of once-blighted railway land behind The building is named after Samuel Hammersmith Bridge, a remarkably serene section of the the station. Plimsoll, a Victorian industrialist river favoured by scullers and oarsmen. A location The dashing new scheme of 178 flats, famous for developing the Plimsoll previously out-of-bounds for home buyers, this spot is right, sits beside Regent’s Canal and, line loading guide on the side of now a pleasant residential address. Developer St George in a union consistent with the diverse ships. He also built the railway coal has created a new riverside promenade a new park, mix at this new neighbourhood, drop viaduct at King’s Cross. community boat club and jetty. above two new schools. Ready next Google is building a new HQ in the Glass-clad apartment blocks have wraparound balconies year, the architectural detail features 67-acre district, joining the Central St to make the most of the view across the Thames to the textured brick cladding that dovetails Martins College of Art and Design splendid Harrods Furniture Depository. Residents have neatly with surrounding heritage campus. The finished project will exclusive use of a spa, screening room and wine cellar as buildings, and an internal podium have 2,000 new homes, 20 new well as a 24-hour concierge. The River Café, the lauded garden designed by Dan Pearson. streets, 10 new public squares, 20 restaurant where Jamie Oliver cut his teeth, is housed in The triple-height entrance foyer has restored heritage structures an adjacent wharf. Homes in Goldhurst House, the latest a glass scenic elevator for the ride to including listed gas holders, many phase, are priced from £1,749,950. Call 020 7870 9500. upper floors including a rooftop offices and generous retail space.

Why purchasing off-plan can be well worth the wait

HOME COUNTIES estate agents report that more house hunters are prepared to wait for the right kind of property, doing their research and buying off-plan at new developments. Baytrees (homesandproperty.co. uk/cross) is an example, a scheme of 10 apartments in Gerrards Cross — Britain’s third wealthiest postcode, according to research by the London School of Economics. The Arts & Crafts-style building, above, sits in lush gardens and incorporates an underground car park with direct access to the apartments, which have swish interiors, below. Quick trains to Marylebone add to the town’s draw. From £719,995 to £1,175,000. Call Bellway on 0845 676 0256. EVENING STANDARD WEDNESDAY 12 MARCH 2014 45 homesandproperty.co.uk with New homes Homes & Property SUSSEX BY THE SEA BUY A BEACH RETREAT NEAR RYE

From £164,995: for homes at White Sand in Camber Sands Retractable roof: penthouses at The Heron cost from £3.6 million to £12 million

CAMBER SANDS, near the and new developments are picturesque port of Rye in under way close to the A £12m bird’s-eye view of the City East Sussex, has been beach. White Sand, a mix popular with Londoners of flats and cottage-style LIVING in the Square Mile, among “super-yacht in the sky” boasting since the Thirties. Its houses, is built to resemble office towers and Wren spires, floor-to-ceiling glass walls and an fabulous Blue Flag sandy a traditional fishing village, usually boils down to a Barbican enclosed terrace with retractable beach attracts surfing and and painted pink, grey and apartment or a modest crashpad in roof, mother-of-pearl mosaic- kite sports fans, and new vibrant blue. From a converted period building. So the walled bathrooms and a sweeping Hollywood blockbuster £164,995 for flats, and arrival of Manhattan-style marble staircase. The Monuments Men was from £249,995 for houses penthouses adds a fresh and The tower incorporates a filmed there. (homesandproperty.co.uk/ glamorous ingredient. secluded seventh-floor roof garden Long trapped in a Sixties sand). At The Heron, a sleek, black- and residents club with bar and timewarp, the area is Local agent Mulberry glass, 36-storey tower, rooms for business meetings. smartening up and pulling Cottages says the homes a “collection” of 15 penthouses Prices from £3.6 million to in a middle-class crowd. command rental yields of has been unveiled, the most £12 million (homesandproperty.co. Trendy bars and up to 11 per cent for the spectacular being a 6,000sq ft uk/heron) restaurants are opening, 28-week holiday season. . . . and one for those feeling slightly less flush

ROUND the corner from The Heron (see above) and alongside the Barbican estate is Roman House, with four penthouses priced from £3 million (homesandproperty.co. uk/roman). Square Mile homes are in relatively short supply, which makes them such a good investment. The City is a far more convivial place to live than it was a decade or so ago, with an evening and weekend economy of restaurants, bars and shops. It is also one of the safest places in London to live, having a low- profile “ring of steel” — police sentry points at various access roads — providing a modern version of the perimeter wall and gates of the medieval City.

£3 million: for penthouse ﬂats at Roman House in the Square Mile 50 WEDNESDAY 12 MARCH 2014 EVENING STANDARD Homes & Property Inside story

Safe and pretty in the city in a pink hard hat

MONDAY It’s a day of organisation — ahead lies a week of running around central London Diary of an taking buyers on viewings. When you’re covering nearly eight miles a day on estate agent foot, from Covent Garden to Soho, up to Fitzrovia and back down to South- bank, it’s important to have an organ- drive, while the sun is shining and my ised diary and a comfortable pair of diary is packed. I have three different shoes. I book in appointments for the searches today. The first is for an week, and start by directing people to English couple looking for an invest- our CBRE Residential website to look ment flat, and they are interested in at floor plans and photos before they the area around the Strand. The second see the property “in the flesh”. is for a Chinese investor looking to buy a few apartments for the family port- TUESDAY folio. We look at a mixture of new-build My manager rewards me with a gift to developments and resale properties unwrap, and it’s a pink hard hat. About and he is very keen on Hop House in half of the work we do requires going Bedfordbury. on to construction sites for our new- The last is for a Scottish lady looking build developments, so I am delighted for a London base. She likes Fitzrovia with my present. Normally I wear the and luckily we have flats to show her boys’ safety gear, which is too big and that are just the type she is after. We very unflattering. Little things like this have a look at a few of them and then can make your day, and my hat makes take a walk around the area. A lot of its debut as I spend the afternoon show- what we do is helping people to under- ing a buyer around Hop House, a luxury stand the area and the exact location boutique development in the heart of they are buying into. Covent Garden, and The Buckingham Collection, another fantastic develop- FRIDAY ment just off the Strand. I call my potential buyers to see what ,, their thoughts are on the properties I WEDNESDAY showed them. My Chinese investor Today we launch a development in particularly likes one flat we viewed , , # & Duck Lane, Soho, comprising a pair of and is gearing up to make an offer. #, $, , ),, , modern mews houses and two ultra- The afternoon is spent with a buyer chic apartments. It’s a very interesting with “no budget”. He already has a conversion, in a fantastic spot. Tucked portfolio of smaller properties, but %*% %% ( (+%"% away from the hustle and bustle just this is a search for his primary London behind Wardour Street, buyers would residence. He doesn’t have much time get a peaceful hideaway in one of the this afternoon, so we put two hours in most dynamic parts of London. the diary and go to see a fantastic Duck Lane has a very rock’n’roll house in St James’s overlooking The history, being the location of the first Mall and St James’s Park. This amazing ' %! %! %%'! rehearsal by four young musicians who house is over 20,000 square feet and went on to become known as the Roll- requires renovation. It really is a very ing Stones. Our launch is a fantastic special opportunity to create one of success with plenty of interest gener- the grandest houses in London. This ated in all the units. One in particular is not lost on my buyer who leaves catches the eye of a high-powered smiling and assures me we will speak media executive. on Monday.

THURSDAY Our team has its usual Thursday morn- O Lucie Eckhardt is a sales negotiator ing meeting. With spring finally in the at CBRE Residential in Bow Street, air it seems as if buyers are in over- Covent Garden (020 7240 2255). 52 WEDNESDAY 12 MARCH 2014 EVENING STANDARD Homes & Property Letting on homesandproperty.co.uk with Rain on my leaky roof gives me that sinking feeling. . . As the freeholder does a runner and the ceiling threatens to collapse on her tenant, Victoria Whitlock is facing a hefty bill

AINY days in London are depressing enough, but when you are letting a top-floor flat in a building The with a leaky roof, they are alsoR pretty stressful. Every time it accidental rains I imagine the damp patch on the ceiling getting bigger and bigger landlord and worry that it won’t be long before the whole thing collapses, probably on the tenant’s head. sinking fund, check whether any Naturally, I’d like to get the roof major repairs are planned in the near repaired as soon as possible, but the future and, if so, how much these are owner of the freehold — and the only likely to cost, so you don’t get any person who can legally force the nasty surprises after you’ve bought leaseholder of the flat below to pay the property. Maintenance bills can towards the cost — has done a runner. wipe out any profit you might make £450 A WEEK There is now no one looking after on the rent. IN A smart, modern development in Balham Grove, SW12, John D the building and there’s no sinking If repairs are carried out on an Wood has a two-bedroom, two-bathroom, third-floor apartment fund to carry out repairs. ad hoc basis, remember to set aside with a roof terrace and car parking available to rent. I’m happy to pay my share of the some of your rental income every O Visit homesandproperty.co.uk/rentbalham cost of a new roof, but frustratingly month to build up a reserve fund. the owner of the ground-floor flat A couple of years ago I had a massive doesn’t want to chip in for the bill for lift repairs for another repairs. And why would he? While property in a large block of flats, my tenant is catching drips in a which came as a bit of a shock, bucket, he’s nice and dry below. especially as I’d never even spotted He says he’s not being tight but he the lift in the first place. hasn’t got the cash and I suspect he It’s quite common for flats to be thinks I can afford to pay for the sold as leasehold with a share of the repairs as I’m earning an income by freehold, which will give you more renting out my flat. control over how the building is Also, he knows I can’t force him to managed, but you still need to check contribute unless I can track down with your lease to see if it specifies the freeholder, which is unlikely, so I how repairs will be funded. have no choice but to pay for the roof myself. If I don’t I’ll lose my tenant FRIEND has a top-floor and the rent. flat with a share of the I’m not looking for sympathy, I freehold and, bizarrely, bought the flat cheaply several years her lease says she is ago and I knew the freeholder had responsible for abandoned the building, but I took a Amaintaining the roof and gutters risk and in some ways it has paid off. while the flat below is responsible The rental income is good and the only for the drains. This strikes me as property has gone up in value, even unfair. However, it can be difficult — with a dodgy roof. if not impossible — to alter these However, I hope this will serve as a arrangements, so it is best to check cautionary tale to anyone looking to before you buy. And now, I am off to invest in a buy-to-let. If you’re buying meet a roofer. a leasehold property it’s a good idea to check that the freeholder is taking O Victoria Whitlock lets three care of the building and that they properties in south London. To contact have built up a sinking fund to pay Victoria with your ideas and views, for any urgent repairs. If there is no tweet @vicwhitlock £2,275 A MONTH A SPLENDID one-bedroom apartment in New Concordia Wharf, Mill Street, SE1 is for rent through Cluttons.

O Visit homesand property.co.uk/ rentconcord Find many more homes to rent at homesandproperty.co.uk/lettings