September Celebrity Moves

In the depths of summer, celebrities can mainly be found sunning themselves in the south of France or paddle-boarding in their birthday suits in Sardinia. Of course, your average celebrity doesn’t just go on holiday in August. They probably take four or five holidays a year. It’s tough being in the public eye, you know. A handful of celebrities have used the summer break to make a move on the property ladder though, and we have all the details below.

Keeping it in the family

When it comes to refurbishing houses, it helps if your former stepmother is none other than queen of neutral decor, Kelly Hoppen. So when Sienna Miller purchased a house in Queen’s Park in 2011, she relied heavily on Hoppen and her designer friend Matthew Williamson. Presumably the latter was brought in to provide a splash of colour. Anyway, Miller has been allegedly trying to sell her ‘des res’ since January 2014 without much luck. She’s now put it up to rent for nearly £10,000 per month. If that sounds a bit steep for you, we have this alternative apartment nearby in St John’s Wood. Note the Kelly Hoppen-inspired interior!

Maybe it was something she said?

Outspoken television presenter Janet Street-Porter isn’t having much luck at the moment. After getting into a very public dispute with her starchitect, David Adjaye, she finally managed to shift the house he designed for her in Clerkenwell after slashing the price. She bought two flats overlooking Regent’s Canal in Bethnal Green with the proceeds and applied for planning permission to knock them into one. Unfortunately, her plans have been rejected by Tower Hamlets council. The flats, which typically sell for £575,000, may be put back on the market. Perhaps Janet might like to put the cares of property ownership behind her and rent an apartment in this development just down the canal in Bow.

Rising fortunes for star baker

It’s Great British Bake Off time! At long last, Mary Berry, Paul Hollywood plus Mel and Sue return to our screens and not a moment too soon, we say. The television phenomenon will no doubt create catastrophes and triumphs but the 2012 winner, John Whaite, is a winner a second time over. His flat in Woolwich, where he developed many of the recipes for his latest cookbook, has recently sold for £330,000. Whaite might want to consider moving to this nearby property development in Deptford which has a communal roof terrace for him to enjoy when he’s not busy baking in the kitchen.

Arty, actually

The two-bedroom garden flat in Chiswick that had a starring role in 2003 Richard Curtis film, Love Actually, is on the market for £1.5 million. The conversion is part of a larger period house that was once the home of celebrated Victorian watercolourist Joseph Nash, most well- known for his paintings of Gothic architecture. The flat is still centered around the original artist studio and has huge windows and soaring ceilings. If floor to ceiling windows and loft style living is your thing, we have this beautiful apartment in Hammersmith.

From small acorns…

Dreaming of fortune and fame? Then follow in the footsteps of one of Britain’s most famous entrepreneurs and make Bayswater your home. Richard Branson famously dropped out of school at 16 to start his own magazine back in 1968 from the basement flat of a house in Connaught Square. The house, including the basement flat, has recently sold for a staggering £5.95 million. It certainly wasn’t worth that kind of money back when Branson lived there. Upmarket digs that are not quite so expensive can be found nearby at this new-build development in Merchant Square, W2.

Bigger isn’t always better

Jamie Oliver famously knocked two terrace houses into one in Primrose Hill to accommodate his growing brood. Now that he’s bought another home in Highgate, he’s put the Primrose Hill mega-house on the market. Problem is, it’s just not selling so the television chef has been forced to take drastic action and divide the house back into two. If you’re keen on more modest accommodation nearby, we’ve got this terraced house in Primrose Hill that’s ready to move into.

Everyone needs good neighbours

Which celebrity would you most like to have as a neighbour? In a newly conducted poll, Holly Willoughby tops the list of stars the British public would prefer to live next door. Her co-host Phillip Schofield was also ranked along with Kate Winslet, Keira Knightly and Harrison Ford. The person we’d least like to have as a neighbour? Property developer and presidential hopeful Donald Trump. Hmm… what does that say about the ‘special relationship’? If you’d like to live near Holly Willoughby for real we have this two bedroom apartment in Nine Elms Point, nearby the daytime tv presenter’s home.

For more inspiration, take a look at other properties to rent here.