Property insider: the Cadogan Estate

Living on the doorstep of London’s most exclusive garden squares, grand architecture and designer shops comes with a premium price tag, but buyers of the prestigious homes within the 94-acre Cadogan Estate are not usually seeking value for money.

This area’s internationally-renowned reputation precedes it as one of the flagship addresses in super-prime London - and its well-heeled residents have deep pockets.

Houses and flats for sale in Knightsbridge
Houses and flats to rent in Knightsbridge

The Earl of Cadogan, head of one of the richest families in the UK and Cadogan Estates Limited, owns the freehold on a mix of retail, commercial and high-end residential properties in Knightsbridge and Chelsea, including the area south, west and north of Sloane Square, Sloane Street, the Duke of York Square and further down the King’s Road to Oakley Street.

Lulu Egerton, one of the founding partners of Strutt & Parker’s Chelsea office, knows this market well, having worked in the area for 27 years. She describes the estate as a grade-one area that attracts the wealthy cognoscenti from all over the world. “Buyers that have money discover where they want to live in each capital city, and London is such an important place - the flagship address of Europe even - and it’s an aspirational purchase to live among the wonderful architecture of Cadogan Square”, she says.

According to Egerton, the Cadogan Estate “has a sense of being a village as well as a cosmopolitan area; within it is a super prime part of London with half a square mile of real estate around the garden squares that has benefited from the wonderful urban town planning of the 1850s.

London is so special for what the Georgians, Edwardians and Victorians have left behind - beautifully planned garden squares and a low building height gives it an intimate feel as you wander between white stucco and red brick buildings. It’s a privilege really.”

Houses and flats for sale in Chelsea
Houses and flats to rent in Chelsea

Once home to aristocrats, lords and ladies, dukes and duchesses, the Cadogan Estate now attracts international residents who want to live in handsome, well-kept buildings and shop in the exclusive boutiques along the King’s Road and Sloane Street. The area also has a wide range of quality local butchers, bakeries, patisseries and cafes, as well as village greens, open spaces, garden squares, the Saatchi gallery, Cadogan Hall, schools and churches.

The insider’s guide

Properties: the Cadogan Estate has magnificent white stucco-fronted Georgian and Victorian houses in Cadogan Place, mainly divided into luxury apartments now but with a few still intact as wonderful single residences. The handsome red-brick houses in Cadogan Square, Cadogan Gardens and Pont Street are all now principally apartments. There are also some cottages and mansion blocks built as flats.

Typical buyers: according to Egerton, “the estate embraces an incredibly beautiful part-Bohemian, part-super smart area appealing to both British and international buyers. Brits remain very emotionally attached to anywhere along the historic King’s Road and its memories of the swinging Sixties, and international buyers are very attracted to the wonderful architecture and garden squares around Sloane Street.”

Wealthy buyers: most buyers are over 35, have private wealth or are from rich families, and typical professions include bankers, hedge funders, solicitors and accountants.

International buyers: want flats that are close to Harrods, Peter Jones and Harvey Nichols, and own pied-à-terre’s in London in the same way they would in New York, Rome and Rio - a property on the Cadogan Estate in London would typically be one of many assets owned all over the world.
Hottest property: the most prized properties are the magnificent Georgian and Victorian houses found in Cadogan Square, Cadogan Place, Cadogan Gardens and Oakley Gardens.

Hidden gems: Cadogan Street has a very clear delineation with no hidden streets as such, but in a way every house on the estate is a “gem” by virtue of its location within this very prestigious area.

Egerton says: “There is a fabulous house in Oakley Gardens, a detached white-stucco Villa set back from the street with a stunning garden complete with swimming pool and tennis court. It is held on a short lease from The Cadogan Estate and is a fine example of ‘gem’ in every sense of the word.”

Nearby, there are many wonderful properties in Chelsea and South Kensington, including Queen Anne cottages that are rich with history, and studio homes in Chelsea that were home to many artists and musicians in the late Sixties, including Turner, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.

Investment opportunities: potential tenants seeking homes within the Cadogan Estate want to live at an exclusive address, have got the money and are prepared to pay for it. For buyers, homes in Cadogan Square, Cadogan Place, Cadogan Gardens and Oakley Gardens are all sound investments. Egerton says: “investment properties have to be on the ground, first or second floor unless there is a lift, and ideally they should face west and have a terrace. If considering investment properties, avoid basement flats.”

Service charges: anywhere between £7,000-£12,000 per annum, varying depending on whether there is a lift in the building, sinking fund, communal central heating and hot water, a resident porter or resident caretaker.

Parking: local parking is generally ‘residents only’ on the whole but is quite manageable.

Ask the expert: Lulu Egerton’s Cadogan Estate

Favourite viewings: “Anything unusual on the Cadogan Estate is wonderful to see, a flat which hasn’t been touched for 60 years which still has many period features is a joy including original cornicing, fireplaces, floors, unusual window shapes and beautiful staircases”, says Egerton.

Where would you buy? “A first- and second-floor west-facing maisonette mid-terrace in Cadogan Square overlooking the spectacular gardens and tennis court is my dream, and it must be share of freehold.”