The allure of Hampstead, with its stunning architecture, bespoke houses, indulgent mansion flats, cobbled lanes, tree lined avenues, fantastic boutique shops, cafes and restaurants, celebrity residents and 791 acres of the fabulous Hampstead Heath, arguably makes it the most prestigious of London’s high-brow postcodes.

View from Hampstead Heath, NW3

But what really makes NW3 so high-end and, how does the NW3 postcode command such a premium in property prices?

Since the 18th and 19th centuries, actors, playwrights, artists of every genre, émigrés, avant-garde ‘misfits’ and business tycoons have been drawn to Hampstead as a place where they felt valued, esteemed and respected for their work and ideals. A nostalgic affection for such individuals has fostered a desire to belong to this set and ever since, countless generations of artists, including Agatha Christie, John Keats, Henry Moore and Dame Judy Dench, have been lured to Hampstead.

The vast wealth of this prized neighbourhood is fuelled by the number of high profile residents that call home to residents such as Sting, Helena Bonham Carter, Boy George, Stephen Fry and Liam Gallagher.  A lust for life amongst pop idols and film stars has seen competition for property burgeon, and as a result, property prices in the area are increasingly high.

So aside from this nostalgic connection to Hampstead’s avant-garde past and current Hollywood allure, what else is key to its popularity?

Hampstead has a unique, chic character and style, luxurious local amenities and an unbeatable location.  Its centrality in zone 2 of the Underground network is a big plus. Residents of NW3 have access to three different tube lines (Metropolitan, Jubilee and Northern lines), as well as a host of bus and national rail services.

Perhaps it is its iconic patch of countryside, Hampstead Heath, that rises high above the London skyline? Hampstead Heath does after all offer residents and visitors 791 acres of public parkland, beautiful views and the well-known heath is a celebrity in its own right, having featured in countless films and TV shows.

But the heath’s A-list status is also born of its versatility. It hosts concerts, plays, festivals and community get-togethers as well as family picnics, romantic proposals and has parks perfect for ball games, walking paths and even its own racecourse.  It is also the location of a number of museum houses that remain crucial to preserving British history.

These are great characteristics and genuine reasons why buyers willingly pay a higher price for property in Hampstead. But something else makes Hampstead so esteemed.

Hampstead is prestigious, purely because it always has been. It now has more millionaires within its boundaries than any other area in the UK* and because its people uphold the traditionally glamourous image, Hampstead will continue to impress for years to come.

Hot Property:

Rosslyn Hill - Luxury Apartments in Hampstead

Luxury apartments for Sale on Rosslyn Hill

Rosslyn Hill, which adjoins the south of popular Hampstead High Street, has long been an affluent and glamourous residential area of NW3. At number 2 is a beautifully presented former Georgian hotel.

A two bedroom garden flat is on offer in this block for £995,000. Alternatively the two bedroom penthouse, with study, is available for £1.45m.

Contact Residential Land for more information on this and other prime central London property: 020 7408 5155 or visit www.residentialland.com

RESI 2011 was the best RESI yet. More than 1,000 people attended this year’s residential property event at the Celtic Manor in Wales. The highlight of this year’s conference was the RESI Dragons’ Den, a take on the popular TV show where residential property business ideas were pitched to a panel of influential experts.

Bruce Ritchie, CEO of Residential Land, was the panel chair and judge – bringing with him fellow residential property experts Tony Pidgley, Nick Candy and ex-Dragon himself, James Caan.

Entrants to the competition were required to submit a 500 word proposal about their business idea. The judges were looking for innovative, serious and determined proposals. A short list was drawn up and 4 finalists were chosen to present their pitches to the panel and audience at the RESI conference in the Canaerfon Suite. Property Week filmed each of the pitches:

Lucky Wu: A Chinese property portal setup by Sherry Madera to showcase overseas property to Asian investors

Click-to-Purchase: A website created by Neil Singer that provides real-time property auctions

My Space Pod: Affordable custom built accommodation made from recycled shipping containers, presented by Sam Minionis

CheckYourLet: A ‘TripAdvisor style’ review website for private rental properties pitched by Howard Morgan

Each of the confident pitches had business merit in their own right, but it was Howard Morgan, Managing Director of consultancy firm RealService whose idea for a private-rented sector review site won the support of the four RESI dragons’.

The audience too seemed to be behind the idea as Morgan confidently pointed out that such site already existed in the US and said “Something like this would come to the industry anyway and therefore it’s much better to be organised professionally, co-ordinated and supported by the people in the industry.” After Morgan successfully swayed the judges and walked away with a prize trip to Austria, he was quickly cleaned out of business cards by potential backers in the audience.

Residential Land’s tenants living at Portobello Lofts and Portobello Aparmtents are enjoying all the amenities that the area has to offer including the pop up kitchen which is situated in a converted wharf building overlooking the Grand Union Canal. “Dock Kitchen” lies within the Portobello Dock urban regeneration project and first appeared as a pop up restaurant in April 2010. After meeting at River Café, “Dock Kitchen” was set up by Stevie Parle and Joseph Trivelli and drawing on his experiences in Sri Lanka, New York, Japan and Vietnam head chef Stevie cooks a changing daily lunch menu plus a set evening menu which is themed differently every week.

Portobello Dock residents can still enjoy Dock Kitchen!

The Portobello Dock development was created by Derwent London as part of the extensive redevelopment of the former Virgin headquarters. Portobello Dock has become an increasingly popular area to rent and buy property, it is a hidden gem along a very well manicured part of the canal.

Transport links include Kensal Green underground station (Bakerloo Line) which is only 0.7 miles away and Kensal Rise national rail station just 0.8 miles away.

If you are looking to rent around Portobello Dock visit our site: Rent in W10

Residential Land are now providing all new long-term tenants who rent one of our properties a ‘Home Move Box’ to help make their moving day a little easier.

The home move box is bursting with multipurpose essential products such as long life milk, cleaning products, a pay as you go sim card, discounts and vouchers for various brands.

Residential Land’s Corporate Lettings Manager, Stuart Birke says “The Home Move Box will help take a little of the stress out of moving into a new property and should make the tenant feel welcome in their new home”.