If you live outside London but work and socialise in the city, a pied-à-terre makes a lot of sense. You skip the late-night trains, dodge the overpriced hotel rooms, and you’ve got your own place to come and go whenever you need to. The real question is where exactly to buy one, because the neighbourhood (and even the street) will shape how useful it actually turns out to be.
Bermondsey: Close to Everything That Counts
Bermondsey is just south of the river, minutes from London Bridge and the City. And with the Bermondsey tube on the Jubilee line and London Bridge a stop away for Thameslink, early starts or back-to-back meetings will be much more convenient.
The food scene is surprisingly good too with Bermondsey Street and Maltby Street Market both on your doorstep. Flats here tend to cost less per square foot than what you’d pay north of the river, and the area has a proper community that some of the bigger postcodes lack.
Marylebone: A Quiet Corner in Zone 1
Marylebone is one of those rare Zone 1 spots that still manages to feel like a village. The high street is full of independent shops and solid restaurants, and you can walk to Baker Street, Bond Street and two mainline stations without breaking a sweat.
If you want to be central but can’t stand the noise of Soho or the blandness of a new-build corridor, Marylebone is hard to beat. Properties here will cost more, but you’re paying for a level of convenience hard to find elsewhere.
What to Sort Out Before You Commit
Buying a pied-à-terre isn’t quite the same as buying your main home. Council tax rules work differently for second properties, and plenty of London boroughs now slap on a hefty premium.
You’ll also want to think about insurance early. A weekday home that sits empty between visits needs the right cover, because a standard policy won’t always protect you properly. Specialist holiday home insurance designed specifically around irregular weekday use is worth looking into. It’ll cover things like break-ins and weather damage during extended periods when nobody’s there.
A City Base That Actually Works for You
The best pied-à-terre won’t always be in the flashiest postcode. What counts is that it’s on the right Tube line, close to a decent restaurant for a midweek dinner, in an area you actually like spending time in, and not so expensive that it eats into your budget before you’ve even moved in.
This article is a paid guest contribution. The views and information expressed are those of the contributor and not of Homegirl London.