Moving to London’s West Side

When it comes to looking for flats for rent in London’s west, there’s “West End” as in the central theatre district and posh Mayfair and such, and there’s the west London that’s more suburban and quiet along the Thames. It all depends on what sort of scene you’re moving to London for.

Falling somewhere in between commercial and residential is Hammersmith. Though outside the tourist track, it buzzes with its own local activity as a bustling center of business, shopping, and industry. There’s a mix of period and contemporary architecture among office buildings and residences, from the 19th-century 22 St. Peter’s Square (former home of Island Records) to the 20th-century Ark, a corporate building notable for looking like a ship. One particular hub of the neighborhood is the Broadway Centre, containing offices, a shopping center, and bus and tube stations. The King’s Mall is another shopping center on King Street, which is lined with additional shops and entertainment venues. The Hammersmith Apollo is also nearby and a major venue for British stand-up comedy.

If you’re looking to escape the action, there are some pockets of green space amidst the bustle, though a more substantial amount in Ravenscourt Park to the west or just across Hammersmith Bridge toward Barnes and Putney. Hammersmith’s location on the Thames also allows for pleasant riverside strolls and visits to the historic Dove pub, situated in the last surviving alley of Hammersmith’s old village. Surprisingly quiet and very quaint, the riverfront does evoke the atmosphere of a little fishing town.

If you’re looking for Hammersmith apartments, you actually have two Hammersmith tube stations to choose from: one services the District and Piccadilly lines, the other the Edgware Road branch of the District line as well as Circle and Hammersmith & City lines. Also within reasonable distance are Baron’s Court (District and Piccadilly lines) and Ravenscourt Park (District); Kensington Olympia is closest by for Overground rail. Barclays cycle hire doesn’t extend this far west for renting bikes, but there are almost twenty different bus routes crisscrossing through the area.

Finding Hammersmith Apartments

As you may have already discovered in kicking off your flat-search, London estate agencies are very localized, so knowing the neighborhood you want to live in is imperative to choosing which agency offices to visit, as they’ll only list London apartments in that particular area. And, as you may have also learned the hard way, those agencies don’t maintain comprehensive listings for their area, just their respective piece of the property pie. Not an issue if the London rentals market used MLS (multiple listing service), but it doesn’t. Agencies’ inability to share their listings with one another therefore renders them unable to show you all available Hammersmith apartments, for instance, on their own, which makes you unable to work through just one point of contact.

Unless London Relocation is working on your side. We’re your MLS, screening available London apartments for rent for the best ones matching your time frame, budget, and other requirements. We’ll discuss the local market and neighborhoods with you, likewise getting to know you and what you’re about so we can help you determine whether Hammersmith is the best fit. Assuming so for sake of illustration, we would then take you to view 18 to 25 Hammersmith apartments in one day, negotiating rent and lease terms in your best interest.

We understand, too, that London flats are only part of the equation of moving here, so let us help you out with whatever other logistics need sorting; we’ll be there for you from beginning to end, not going anywhere until you’re settled in and content.