It pays to be the canary in the mine
LONDONERS in search of rental bargains are getting wise to the fact that moving a few miles east into the Docklands gets you more space and higher specs for the same money. Rental prices in the Canary Wharf/Docklands area are on the up, but still offer better value than most other places within a short commute of the City.
Steve Mills, a senior consultant at Deloitte, lived in Canary Wharf for a year until circumstances forced him to move elsewhere. He said the penny dropped when he was browsing apartments and realised that “for the money we could get somewhere with so much more space, something that was a real step beyond what we could get elsewhere”. He and a friend moved into a sixth-floor, two-bedroom apartment with a balcony overlooking the Thames, splitting the £1,500 monthly rent.
Estate agents tell the same story. Thom Atkins of Atkinson McLeod says: “If you compare an apartment for £400 per week that’s in Tower Hill with one on the Isle of Dogs, the second will be significantly bigger, a lot higher quality and in a more modern building with facilities like 24-hour porters, concierges, gyms, health spas and cinemas.”
As for the local attractions, long gone are the days when Canary Wharf turned into a ghost town at 9pm. Nowadays, the swankiest apartment blocks boast their own bars to complement the restaurants run by Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver in the area.
According to estate agent Chesterton Humberts, prices for a one bedroom start at around £250 per week, going up to £600 or £700 per week for a two-bedroom. And, most importantly, for the money the place will be bigger than anything you can get in the City.
west india quay, hertsmere rd
Price: £650 per week
A smart two-bed flat with integrated sound system. Floor-to-ceiling windows do the views justice.
Contact: Atkinson McLeod on 020 7001 9680
PAN PENINSULA SQUARE
Price: £600 per week. This two-bed flat with balcony is 21 floors up. Pan Peninsula is the ultimate in luxury living with spa, gym and cocktail bar. Contact: Foxtons on 020 7133
WEST INDIA QUAY
Price: £680 per week
A Grade 1-listed warehouse conversion with two bedrooms. Contact: M2 Property on 020 7043 8431
PAN PENINSULA SQUARE
£600 per week. Another stunning two-bed flat in one of Canary Wharf’s newest skyscrapers. Contact: Chesterton Humberts on 020 7510 8310
NEED TO KNOW | WEYBRIDGE, SURREY
GLADSTONE, KT13 8EJ
Price: £499,950.
A two-double bed with back garden with no onward chain in the town centre. Contact: Savills on 01932 838000
FOUR WINDS, KT13 0RZ
Price: £1.495m
Near good schools, this five-bed has period features such as oak joinery. Contact: Hamptons on 01932 859933
YORK HOUSE, KT12 1NE
Price: £2.95m
A six-bed modern house in a private road with stunning grounds Contact: John D Wood on 01932 842323