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Elliot Rowe: Why I love Brackenbury Village and Hammersmith

We ask Elliot Rowe, head of Hammersmith sales at Douglas & Gordon, what he loves about the area and why he made it is home

Why did you move to Brackenbury Village?

I moved from Clapham to the area more than a year ago because I love it here. When I suggested to my wife, Natalie, that we move here she said, ‘I’m not living near that Hammersmith roundabout!’
That roundabout and King Street were her impressions of Hammersmith. However, she quickly realised that was not the case as we went for a walk to visit Brook Green, Brackenbury Village, Ravenscourt Park, St. Peter’s Square and the many cafes, delis, restaurants and pubs. Then when I showed Natalie, a PE teacher, the river along Upper Mall and Chiswick Mall, she fell in love with the area.

What sets it apart from the rest of London?

You have the sprawl of London around you and all the benefits that come with that. But, then you’ve got this quiet peaceful area in Brackenbury that hardly anybody knows about. People talk to each other in the street and really enjoy living here. There is a real community feel. We also have old friends living locally which means there is a lot of socialising at home, in pubs and along the river.

Also a lot of characters? Have you seen John Stenton, Brackenbury’s local butcher, on his Harley Davidson?

We heard he had a ‘Man Chop’. I thought that was a chopper, but it’s actually what he calls a shoulder of pork. John makes fantastic handmade, organic and free range produce, and a favourite of mine and Natalie’s is his gluten-free sausages and his mince.

Which streets are the most sought after in the area?

We get a lot of enquiries for cottage type homes on Cardross Street, Carthew Road, and Bradmore Park Road. For larger homes people ask after Ravenscourt Road, Wingate Road, Agate Road and Tabor. Hammersmith Grove has very large houses as well as apartments.

Why do people move to and from here?

More often than not people leave due to the fact that an expanding family needs more space and so have to move out of London.
Then, some people move here because of down-sizing, perhaps when the children have left the nest and they want a smaller home in a nice part of London.

Sadly we do sometimes need to help with a move due to bereavement. We have held keys for more than a year to keep an eye on the property for the clients, allowing them time to get everything in order.

However, not everyone moving from the area wants to sell their property in Hammersmith because they love the area so much and it’s a good investment. We often have potential vendors and landlords asking us for market advice and many who were originally going to sell decide to let their property through our lettings department. I work very closely with Emma, head of Hammersmith lettings, to ensure that all of our clients receive the most up-to-date advice and best customer service.

‘People talk to each other in the street and really enjoy living here, there is a real community feel.’

Finally, how’s life as an estate agent?

Agents have a stigma attached to them and sometimes people take a step back when they know I’m an agent. I understand why, for historical reasons, however it important to point out that the industry is now highly regulated. At Douglas & Gordon we really do pride ourselves on being honest and professional.

Elliot Rowe 
Douglas & Gordon
020 8563 4420
07919 015488
118-120 Glenthorne Road
London W6 0LP
www.douglasandgordon.com

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