LONDON APARTMENT RENTAL--4-6 weeks

Old Nov 23rd, 2008, 11:34 AM
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LONDON APARTMENT RENTAL--4-6 weeks

I am posting this for my sister, who is seeking a rental apartment in London this spring. They are two persons, looking for a spacious and quiet one- or two-bedroom apartment in the following areas; their budget is fairly generous.


An attractive neighborhood within walking distance of the Royal Court Theatre (Sloane Square) is the goal.

Some possibilities are:

Pimlico, Belgravia, South Kensington, Knightsbridge, SW 1 and SW 3, and possible parts of SW 7 or 10.

I have given her a few names (London Perfect; A Place Like Home, etc) gleaned from a search here and on SlowTrav.

She is checking out some places listed with those companies and has asked me about the reputation of Foxton's, which appears to have a few suitable rentals.
I would love to hear any opinions of this agency, and any recommendations for particular apartments, or agencies, in the areas mentioned above.
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Old Nov 23rd, 2008, 01:05 PM
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I've used www.londonguestsuites.com several times successfully.
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Old Nov 23rd, 2008, 01:28 PM
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re your question about Foxton's - they are an old and well established estate agency and your sister should have no problems using them.
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Old Nov 23rd, 2008, 01:29 PM
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These apartments are located by Sloane Square. I'll be staying there for the first time in May.

http://www.draycottsofchelsea.com/
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Old Nov 24th, 2008, 03:21 AM
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Many thanks! I will pass on this helpful information. She has seen a couple she likes at Foxton's and at London Perfect..
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Old Nov 24th, 2008, 11:35 AM
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We rented a one bedroom flat on Sloane Gardens from Farnum and Christ of Bristol, TN www.farnum-christ.com
The location was splendid. Literally steps from the Sloane Square Underground. I tend to walk when in London; but, one late night we did take the tube. In the immediate area were an excellent pharmacy, a number of convenience stores, Marks and Spencer to go, restaurants, shopping (French Sole, Jo Malone, Lulu Guiness, L’Artisan du Chocolate) and pubs nearby. The flat was reasonably quiet although street noise is audible. The layout is ideal for those who want a little privacy after a long day together. There is a small alcove as you enter a hallway. To your left is the living/dining room. It is comfortably furnished and has a pullout bed (which is not particularly comfortable as a bed, but fine as a sofa). A small television with very limited channel selection is in that room. In front of you is the small but adequate kitchen. To your right is a bathroom (tub and shower) and further down the hall is the fairly good sized bedroom. The bedroom is attractively decorated and looks out on a small garden to which we did not have access…viewing only. The bed was comfortable and very large. All the closets are in the bedroom.
I have rented from other companies in the past and not had a bad experience. I would also recommend Farnum and Christ. The cleaning fee was reasonable, I paid by credit card, the keys to the flat were mailed to me and I did not have to spend time trying to coordinate my arrival with someone on site, the flat was as depicted on the website. Although the refrigerator was posted with a rather disturbing notice to the effect that we should ignore any visits from the building caretaker as he was meddlesome though not dangerous, we had no contact with anyone in the building.
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Old Nov 24th, 2008, 02:05 PM
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CMC: Many thanks for this lead which I have forwarded to my sister. They are particularly looking for a location near the Royal Court Theatre so this looks good..other qualifications include a king-sized bed and a charming building.
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Old Nov 24th, 2008, 03:16 PM
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I recommend it highly. Neopatrick put me on to the company as he has used them for many years. Check out their website for other listings in the area which might also suit them.
Hope it works!
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Old Nov 25th, 2008, 03:27 AM
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My sister is going to investigate further.



The only thing that she will be concerned about is the street noise; one of the specifications was for a very quiet bedroom.

Looking at these places makes me want to go back to London!

Thanks again for the recommendation!
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Old Nov 25th, 2008, 03:40 AM
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Street noise was a concern for me, as well. The bedroom is on the back side of the flat, facing a garden. The only street noise I heard was in the front room and it was not overwhelming.
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Old Nov 25th, 2008, 03:49 AM
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Oh, that is great news! The apartments look lovely on that site!
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Old Nov 25th, 2008, 06:11 PM
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We stayed in 1 Sloane Ave. and were extremely happy and pleased with the apartment and this company
http://www.theapartments.co.uk/
The location was great. In fact we liked the apartment so much that we came back to London the next year.
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Old Nov 26th, 2008, 02:49 AM
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Many thanks! I have sent this, too, on to my sister.


The Sloane Avenue flats are so close to the theater; the location would be ideal for them.

I am amazed at how many great options there appear to be in London! (Just compare this to New York, where it is so difficult to rent a nice apartment)
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Old Nov 26th, 2008, 04:19 AM
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We have friends that live just off Sloane Street up towards Pont Street. All of the back streets in that area tend to be quite quiet, at least on the east side.
It's an odd area - I can't think of an area where I'm more likely to see extremely high-end supercars than upper Sloane St...loads of good restaurants, and decent transport connections from there as well.
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Old Nov 26th, 2008, 04:38 AM
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Thanks! This helps because I have not been to London in about 15 years!

My sister wants to be near the theatre (or within walking distance) which is on Sloane Square.

Is this the area you are speaking about, with all the fancy cars?

I guess this is where the Sloane Rangers hang out!
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Old Nov 26th, 2008, 06:43 AM
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The further up Sloane Street towards Brompton Road (and Harrods), the posher things get (yes, posher than Sloane Square itself)...all the big designers have shops on upper Sloane, loads of Lamborghinis, Ferraris, more Porsches than you could shake a stick at, Jaguars, Astin Martins...and a surprising number with Saudi or other arabic license plates (the uber rich can afford to have their favourite flash car shipped over to them).
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Old Nov 26th, 2008, 06:54 AM
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Well, if a little street noise is acceptable, we stayed in a very nice flat on Lower Sloane Street, just steps from Sloane Square. Here's the link: http://www.aplacelikehome.co.uk/prop...t=propertylist

The bedroom was in the back overlooking a strip of garden, so very quiet. We had access to the garden. It was wonderful to sit out there after a hectic day of sightseeing.
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Old Nov 26th, 2008, 07:01 AM
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I am overwhelmed by the great leads that I received here! They did mention that having outdoor space was a big plus and I did give her the Place Like Home link and will pass on the info on this flat..

Since they will be renting for so long, they are very concerned with finding a place that meets their needs..

On behalf of both of us, many many thanks for all the information thus far..
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Old Feb 11th, 2009, 01:13 PM
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Update: Sister and husband have found an apartment in London and they convey their thanks to all here who helped out. They will arrive in April and remain through the opening of the play.

If anyone is interested, Miranda Richardson is starring in a new play by Wallace Shawn. (I hope this is not construed as advertising!!)







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Old Feb 11th, 2009, 01:51 PM
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Which one did they rent, eks?
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