Time between Strangford Management office and Kensington and Chelsea:
As we are a specialist London Block Management Company, we wanted to provide insight into one of our main geographical areas of property management, Kensington and Chelsea.
The History of Kensington and Chelsea:
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, having been given royal patronage in 1965 (Kensington was originally given royal patronage in 1901 with the boroughs combining in 1965), is one of the smallest yet most populated boroughs in London.
With both areas being named in the Doomsday book of 1086, Chelsea, originally Chelchehithe, which was Anglo-Saxon for chalk and landing place and Kensington, originally Chenesitun meaning the town of Chenesi’s people were owned by the Earl of Salisbury and Aubrey de Vere respectively.
Chelsea, known as the ‘village of palaces’ due to its many beautiful properties, was the area of preference for persons such as Sir Thomas Moore, Oscar Wilde and Mick Jagger.
Kensington, the original Royal Borough, being the home of Kensington Palace where Queen Victoria was born, is home to famous residents such as Sir Richard Branson, JK Rowling and Bruno Schroder.
As well as Kensington and Chelsea’s more notable residents, it was also home to a large number of farmers, craftsmen, brewers and victuallers. The borough incorporated a large area of farms even up until the 17th Century which may have led to multiple communal gardens still seen today throughout the borough.
The borough, being historically home to royals and gentry throughout the years shows a predominance of stucco fronts, listed townhouse conversions. There are also the, almost secretive, mews communities within the borough attracting much attention from the overseas market. More notably, we have seen the emergence of the uber luxury apartment in the area with buildings such as One Hyde Park and 375 Kensington High Street, bringing facilities such as cinemas, swimming pools and business centres.
A building which must be celebrated is the Royal Hospital in Chelsea. Completed in 1692, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, King Charles II opened this hospital to cater for 476 veteran soldiers and officers. These days the Royal Hospital is an integral part of the community, hosting events such as the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show.
Kensington and Chelsea Property Values:
According to Zoopla statistics, the current sale values in Kensington and Chelsea are:
| Property Type | Average current value | Average £ per sq ft | Average number of beds |
| Detached | £8,442,428 | £1,734 | 5.0 |
| Semi-detached | £5,958,457 | £1,827 | 4.2 |
| Terraced | £3,781,752 | £1,743 | 3.7 |
| Flat | £1,446,805 | £1,471 | 2.1 |
With the current rental values:
| Property Type | 1 Bed | 2 Bed | 3 Bed |
| House | £3,623 pcm | £5,311 pcm | £8,892 pcm |
| Flat | £2,793 pcm | £4,067 pcm | £8,453 pcm |
New Developments in Kensington and Chelsea:
Here we take a look at the new developments being built within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea:
‘375 Kensington High Street’ a new development by St Edwards. Located at a prestigious address, this new development brings together luxury living with lifestyle facilities such as leisure facilities, business suite and 24 hour concierge. Link to the website here.
‘205 Holland Park Avenue’, a collection of 41 apartments across 5 linked pavilion blocks from the Developers, Redrow. To find out more, check out their website here.
We asked our Managing Director, Michael Paul, why he likes Kensington and Chelsea:
“The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Hollywood renowned and idolised by many. It is the epitome of luxury with its postcard pillared terraces, to its leafy hidden mews communities. The Royal Borough has become a real stomping ground for the rich and famous from across the world spanning a variety of industries from oil magnates to tech entrepreneurs.
Kensington and Chelsea brings together a feeling of subtle empowerment with its leafy accents running throughout the borough. Its varied window boxes and tree lined streets brightening up your commute to the office.
Home to many city workers, during the week you will find a variety of independent specialists from personal trainers to extravagant florists providing all services to the residents.
Being a boutique Managing Agent based in the City of London, we specialise in the management of high end, luxury buildings throughout Kensington and Chelsea providing our clients with an unrivalled, personal service.”
Kensington and Chelsea Coffee Shops:
We love coffee, we know you do too. With Kensington and Chelsea having some of the finest coffee shops in London, here is our list of the top 3 coffee shops in the Royal Borough:
Raison D’etre
This small French café has a great atmosphere, friendly owners, fantastic coffee and a wide selection of food to suit. Well worth a visit.
Coffee Plant
Based on Portobello Road, this coffee shop and supplier has a huge range of coffee from across the world. Well worth a visit just to experience a new taste.
Lowry and Baker
This is a great café to pop in and grab your morning coffee. The shop is cute and bubbly matching the staffs attitudes towards their customers.
Kensington and Chelsea Restaurants:
Having told you about a few of our coffee shop haunts, here are our top 3 restaurants in the area:
Rocca
This bustling Italian restaurant is located on Old Brompton Road, serving up traditional food with great wine and an atmosphere to match. A must if you are in the area.
L’Etranger Restaurant
L’Etranger is a Japanese influenced French restaurant based on Gloucester Road. Try the incredible kobe beef sushi and make sure to book as it is quite a cosy place and fills up quickly.
Zaika Restaurant
Based in a former bank on Kensington High Street, this modern Indian cuisine exceeds expectations.
Top 3 Property Management Companies in Kensington and Chelsea:
- Strangford Management Ltd – specialising in the management of high value blocks of residential and mixed buildings, based locally in the City of London.
- Susan Metcalfe Residential Property Management – Small firm covering estate agency, property management and property investments.
- Chelsea Property Management – based on Thurloe Street, CPM have been around since 1989 managing buildings around Chelsea.
Strangford Management is a specialist London Property Management company. We cover all areas of London from our office in the City including Kensington and Chelsea as well as surrounding areas. We micromanage buildings within our portfolio using technical data analysis providing a personal, experienced and reliable level of customer service to our clients.
Contact Strangford Management today to become part of our portfolio and enjoy the levels of management only available to our clients.
