Adrian Philpott, Sales Manager, Winkworth West End:

“Soho is a village with many personalities. There is the restaurant and eating side, the bar culture, the clubs, the gay scene, the live music bars, the coffee shops, the theatres and review bars.  There are designers, filmmakers, pre and post-production companies. There are advertising and marketing firms. There is the gritty seedier side with strip clubs and adult shops. It is also an area steeped in history, both old and modern.  A lot of 20^th century music has its roots in Soho.

All this gives Soho its vibe and if it were totally cleaned up it would lose that feel.

Soho is very forgiving and anonymous. You can re-invent yourself, dress or act bizarrely and you are just another Soho dweller. Nobody will stare or comment, unless you really go over the top.

Many people choose Soho as the place they want to live. Some for life, but many treat it as a temporary posting, as something they want to do once in their life. They want to walk out of their flat and step right into the “Film-Set” that is the Soho street.

The nature range and scope of property in Soho varies enormously. As you would expect in a high density central location which is attractive to younger singles, studios and one bedroom flats are very popular. These are generally in the £300-500,000 band, depending on size. More so than many other parts of the UK or London, Soho prices tend to be tracked in terms of £’s per sq ft so number of bedrooms is not the dominant factor. In the past two years prices have danced around the £1,000 per sq ft level for averagely nice flats in averagely nice buildings in averagely nice parts of Soho. It is possible to pay less for “tired” flats or ground and lower ground floors or ex-local authority flats. If you want a high-spec newly refurbished flat with a good vibe, views and relative peace and quiet expect to pay £1,200 to £1,500 per sq ft.

Property prices in the area have held up well over the last 2 years. International money and the relative weakness of the sterling have helped. But fundamentally, there is only one Soho, so the effect of supply and demand can have a modestly disproportionate effect. The property buying public take the view that flats are for buying, and not for selling. They tend to hang onto them after their own use, and the flats become great rental investments, especially in the light of the financial market turbulence of the last few years.”

For further information on properties for sale in Soho or to arrange a viewing of any of the properties listed below, contact Adrian Philpott at Winkworth West End Sales office on 020 7240 3322.

Soho Lofts, Richmond Mews, Soho, London, W1D – £2,000,000

A third floor 4 bedroom flat in this very central Manhattan Lofts development in Dean Street and Richmond Mews, Soho.

45 Broadwick Street, Soho, London, W1F – £399,950

A second floor, one bedroom flat in very good condition in a prime part of Soho.

Old Compton Street, Soho, London, W1D – £375,000

A large, completely refurbished studio flat on the second floor of this converted Victorian property in the heart of Soho.