N16Life Winter 2017

PROPERTY
Currell CEO Anne Currell
‘An edgy,
go-getting vibe’
Anne Currell, CEO of family-run estate agent
Currell’s, talks about Hackney’s vibrancy
and the options that exist for households to move into
the area – even for first time buyers.
Why is Hackney so popular?
It offers the perfect mix of inner
city living – vibrant, eclectic,
highly creative and very green and young,
with so many parks and open spaces and
plenty of young people.
It has a diverse and vibrant population,
too. Housing is good value relative to
its west London counterparts, public
transport is excellent following the
extension of the Overground network,
and it has an edgy go-getting vibe and
excellent schools.
Can you sum up Hackney in three
words?
Connected, creative, exciting
What’s the supply and demand
like?
Substantial family houses are always
popular with demand outstripping supply.
People who move to Hackney want to stay
and so they move from flat to small house,
small house to large house.
Historically demand has been
increasing over the last couple of decades,
and Hackney has risen from being 28th
(out of 33) in terms of average property
price per London borough to 9th.
One of the reasons for this price
outperformance – Hackney has
outperformed all other London boroughs
over the last 20 years – is the relatively
limited supply. Although many new build
developments have been delivered, a
relatively high proportion of the housing
stock is social housing and therefore not
available for private sale. Nearly 45% of all
households in Hackney rent from a social
landlord. Demand is expected to increase,
with the population forecast to grow from
circa 270,000 today to over 300,000 by
2027.
What sort of property is available?
To buy and rent privately, there is a
wide selection of property, mostly
Victorian stock with some Georgian
– Cassland Road E9 has the longest
unbroken terrace of Georgian houses in
London – to warehouse conversions and
contemporary new build apartments.
The new build properties include
shared ownership homes, of which 3,500
are currently being delivered across the
borough.
There is also some ex-local authority
housing available to purchase privately,
and existing local authority property
can be bought by eligible social housing
tenants via Right to Buy.
Any local celebrities?
London Fields is home to Michael
Fassbender and Kirsten Dunst, while
Gavin Turk and Jake & Dinos Chapman
live in the Victoria Park area.
What is the smartest address
here?
Albion Square. Will Young used to live
there.
How are these new developments
affecting Hackney?
In an entirely positive way, usually
transforming unused ex-industrial
sites into new homes, which encourages
the development and growth of new
“HACKNEY HISTORICALLY WAS
KNOWN FOR THE TEXTILE AND
SHOE INDUSTRY – JIMMY CHOO
HAD HIS FIRST STUDIO ON
KINGSLAND ROAD.”
communities. This is particularly true of
London Fields and Hackney Wick.
The infrastructure around the
developments and subsequent increase
in population is also hugely beneficial:
there are some great shops, mostly
independents.
London Fields is a haven for beer
drinkers; Beavertown Brewery started
in Downham Road. Broadway Market
is the must-do destination event at
weekends, there is such a positive culture
of creativity. Hackney historically was
known for the textile and shoe industry:
Jimmy Choo had his first studio on
Kingsland Road.
What are your predictions for the
2018 rental and sales market in
Hackney?
Demand for property, both for purchase
and rental, should remain strong,
although price levels will depend on
whether the government is able to offer
sufficient measures to boost confidence
in the property market and to offset
Brexit uncertainty. Help to Buy has been
a huge boost for first time buyers and
with a price cap of up to £600,000 it is
applicable to a large number of properties
in Hackney.
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