Freshly Social

“Shot through the heart! And you’re to blame! Darlin’ you give lurrrve… a bad name!”

The rousing chorus has been going up from the throats of throngs of Bon Jovi fans since the band began a 12-day Bon Jovi music extravaganza at the O2 arena in London on June 7th. Bon Jovi is famed for their upbeat pop-metal hits like Livin’ on a Prayer and It’s my Life – just try and resist singing along to those, and you’ll soon find it’s impossible!

Any estate agent Paddington has to offer will tell you about the famous landmarks in this Central London district, such as Paddington Station or St Mary’s Hospital. What they might not mention is Cherryjam, a stylish boutique bar London residents love.

In the tough economic times that we are, and have been experiencing for the last couple of years, everyone is on the looking for enterprising investment opportunities. Property investment is definitely on the up and up, especially considering the rapid rate at which the prime London property market is growing. Many people are still undecided about whether to invest in their own properties, or invest in a property fund. This article takes a look at the four main advantages of putting your money into a UK property fund:

1. Professional Investment Advice

Despite recent good news that the London property market is on the up and up, the remainder of the UK property market is still struggling to recover from the recent global credit crunch. The most affected it seems, are young people looking to buy their first house. Statistics show that young professionals are putting their relationships, marriages and the idea of having children on hold until they are able to purchase a property in the UK.

Plans to bulldoze Earls Court complex and turn it into an extensive residential area are set to cause a stir in the Kensington and Chelsea and Hammersmith and Fulham property markets in the next few years.

In early January 2010 London based developer Capital and Counties bought the Earls and Olympia exhibition centres which are both situated on the 26 acre area of land that will be redeveloped.

The Earls Court Exhibition Centre was opened in 1937 and has hosted a range of events since then. As the largest exhibition venue in Central London it is one of the UK’s most popular concert arenas. With a capacity of 19 000, the concert hall has seen some history’s most legendary music acts.

One wonders why Victoria Beckham felt the need to blow £1 million on a shopping trip in Milan when she is well established in London, also known as shoppers’ paradise. The spice girl turned style icon brought home loads of designer shoes, handbags and dresses but, as any central London estate agent can tell you, she could well have stayed in her home country.

Part of the reason why central London property is in demand is the area’s big city life conveniences such as close proximity to Oxford and Regent streets. Shopaholics and those who tend to spend flock to London to indulge their habit, particularly round this time of year.

Guy Ritchie is one of those fabulously multi-talented, multi-tasking individuals who are brilliant at everything including making Average Joe feel, well, average.

The 41 year old Brit who resides at his Marylebone property in Central London is a classic example of “teenage write-off turns successful millionaire and smiles smugly to everyone who said he didn’t know what he was doing”.

Ritchie is dyslexic and attended the Stanbridge Earls School, which specialises in the learning disorder. When he was 15 he was expelled, the reason being drug use according him, and bunking class and cavorting with a young lady in his room according to his father.

Fulham is a good place to live for a number of reasons, not least for the fact that it is home to both Stamford Bridge and Craven Cottage. So who would want to buy Fulham property aside from rowdy football fans? Lots of cool people, that’s who.

Wikipedia told me that Fulham means either “place of fowls” or “place of mud” or “land in the crook of a river bend belonging to a man named Fulla”. Well the land does not belong to Fulla anymore.

Good news for Putney home owners is that house prices have risen significantly in the area recently. A report released jointly by the Land Registry and PutneySW15.com shows a 12.2% improvement in Putney house prices in the last quarter. However, at the same time, flat prices have fallen by a surprising 8.8%.

James French of Douglas and Gordon, London, attributes the rallying Putney house prices to improved buyer confidence and the supply of houses falling below the rekindled demand. The estate agent, Putney, also said that business has been good from a house sales point of view.

We all know that London is the place to be when you are eager for any form of entertainment. Whether it is a stroll through the magical markets, or a visit to theatrical shows, London has it, and has it in abundance. Hammersmith events feature at the top of the “What’s happening” list, hosting events big and small, but no doubt all highly appealing. This area was once known as the forgotten area of London but now bustles with energy and exclusivity. Any estate agent in Hammersmith will tell you that Londoner’s are standing in line to relocate to this prestigious area. Modern-chic and steeped in deep history and culture, Hammersmith holds events that are fit for a king, or rather, the queen.