Not a double-headed celebrity, because that would be horrible. Two celebrities, each with one head. First off, Sean Pertwee is - they say - selling his five-bedroom Islington house (below). It's one of those nice townhouses with iron railings in Angel's Liverpool Road. It's with Foxtons, at £1.575m... particulars, here. Secondly, we're hearing suggestions that Amy Winehouse might be considering a move, after more neighbour-problems. It appears she likes to rehearse and record in the dark hours, when her neighbours like to sleep. So, where to next? Somewhere with a bit of space around it? Oh, and it better be cheap.

Nice fish.

Technorati Tags: celebrity, London, property, real estate

Londonist reports on the state of play at Highbury, where hardcore Arsenal fans have the opportunity to buy a bit of the beloved, in a football to residential conversion. The story is that - with the development due to open tomorrow - there are still 80 flats to sell, and little chance of them going in a hurry. More interesting, and worrying, is the suggestion that the mix of luxury and affordable housing is likely to create some kind of unpleasant two-tier green-space regulations.

... Bow, Walthamstow, Clapton, Harringay, Deptford and - that old chestnut again - Tooting... apparently.

Technorati Tags: London, property, real estate

The Mail has been examining the Land Registry for the details of Boris Johnson's recent move.

His new neighbours include Angus Deayton, with whom Johnson appeared on the TV show Have I Got News For You, while pop star Lily Allen used to live around the corner. Boris bought the property from Daniel Done, director of a City recruitment agency.

Apparently, he shifted his previous Highbury home to his estate agent, and spent £2.3m on his new one, after knocking £600,000 from the asking price.

Technorati Tags: celebrity, London, property, real estate

Madonna plans Wiltshire mansion duplicate in NY... yeah, that'll work [The London News]
The PM's Top Ten Financial Blunders [Times]
Up-and-coming... Dalston [Independent]
Thank God, it's business as usual in Prime London [Forbes]

The Rat and Mouse - it's about your house

Technorati Tags: London, property, real estate

Regeneration of Stepney's crumbling Ocean Estate has been discussed, put out to tender, promised, fudged, kicked under the carpet time and time again during the New Labour years. Now, Tower Hamlets Council is said to be going straight to the Homes & Communities Agency to seek the £160plusm shortfall needed to make the housing civilised. And they're hopeful? Why? What's changed?

The council is keen to get the project done and dusted before the 2012 Olympics, when marathon stars including Britain’s Paula Radcliffe pass along the Mile End Road on the way to the Games at Stratford.

Some "previous" on the estate, from the BBC and the Independent, here and here.

Technorati Tags: London, property, real estate

And that somebody is Stephen Lakey, an IT manager who, until now, has been living in a council flat supporting his unemployed parents, but now holds the keys to a one-bedroom Whitechapel party palace with Jacuzzi and steam room. Goodbye oldies, hello dancing girls. He paid £50 for a ticket, attracted by the fact that money was being donated to the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity. These property raffles have something of a checkered history. The usual scam involves some small print stating that if the value of the property isn't made up in ticket sales, a cash prize minus expenses is awarded instead. Recently, there's been some question about the legality of the process, since non-charity private lotteries are forbidden. In this case, it appears the question was hard enough to make the prize draw qualify as a game of skill. If you like the sound of this, there are nine further apartments up for grabs.

Technorati Tags: London, property, real estate

The construction of 186 flats on the site of the stadium is close to completion at a cost of £76.7m. Only £58.1m of that total had been covered by agreed sales as of November 30 and the club admitted that loans related to the project would have to be refinanced.

Match-day turnover is, however, up, and the chairman is quoted as saying the property dealings are "largely" independent of the football business.

Will Arsenal development get the big walk-away? [June 20, 2008]
Flipping feeding frenzy or wave of sentimentality at Highbury? [November 25, 2005]

Technorati Tags: London, property, real estate

Thanks to the Rat and Mouse reader who drew my attention to this. Keira Knightley has apparently spent £2.3m on a Shoreditch townhouse.

“Keira was fed-up of West London. She wanted to move somewhere more bohemian and arty."

Really? Is Shoreditch still bohemian?

Technorati Tags: celebrity, London, property, real estate

... makes me reflect on research that came out several years ago about the young professional classes being attracted to more culturally mixed areas, attracted by their ethnic diversity and vibrancy... A visit to London's Hoxton and Shoreditch over the weekend confirmed this view. The run down streets were full of 20 somethings seeking pleasure and experiences all attracted by the places slightly edgy feel... These areas can often provide landlords with some great letting opportunities as properties tend to be cheaper than in more established areas but rents are strong and there is always the potential for more rapid capital appreciation as a result of gentrification.

Something tells me PropertyHawk's not from 'round here... but if he can find some of those cheap Hoxton or Shoreditch properties, I'm all-ears. (Not literally, obviously.)

Technorati Tags: London, property, real estate