Star map: which celebrity couple might be moving in next to you in London?

From pied-à-terres to permanent swankpads, celebrities are moving to London in droves. Dipal Acharya rounds up the capital’s starriest house-hunters
Dipal Acharya31 January 2014

As with all good trends, it started with the Beckhams. When David announced that he’d be retiring from professional football in May 2013, Victoria was already prowling around the capital looking for Beckingham Palace 2.0. The result? A £30m four-storey townhouse in West London, complete with in-house hair salon, a restaurant- standard kitchen (for when Gordon Ramsay pops round for a Sunday roast) and an underground access tunnel so the family can come and go without being papped.

It’s also why the likes of Taylor Swift, Javier Bardem and Salma Hayek are plumping for a pad in London. It can provide them with the thing all celebs claim to want: privacy. Ed Mead, director of Douglas & Gordon estate agents, says discretion is top of the list in this sort of high-end property search:

‘A priority for these people is being able to get from their car to their front door without being photographed. Developments like One Hyde Park are popular because the parking is underground, so you can drive in without anyone knowing.’ (Although, as recent events have shown, car parks may have CCTV.) We go on the great city house-hunt with the celebrities looking to get on the property ladder in the capital.

Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem St John’s Wood

Itchy feet With their growing brood (Leonardo, three, and Luna, six months), the Cruz-Bardems are looking to trade in their palatial LA pad — ‘It is not the place I want to raise my children’ — for a more family-friendly base in the UK

But where to go? St John’s Wood, with its tree-lined streets and baby boutiques, would be the smart choice. It boasts good schools, Regent’s Park within walking distance, and such a glut of celebrity residents that keeping a low profile would be a cinch

Abigail’s party factor Kate Moss, Ridley Scott, Orlando Bloom

On the market A 6-bedroom detached period property with games room, bar, cinema, pool and landscaped gardens. £30m

Salma Hayek and François-Henri Pinault Dalston

Itchy feet The couple already have homes in LA and Paris, but French tycoon Pinault — head of fashion conglomerate Kering — is looking to buy a pied-à-terre in the capital to keep an eye on his stable of British brands, which includes Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney

But where to go? A luxe loft conversion in Dalston might be just the ticket. He’ll love the ample wall space to hang his Mondrians and Picassos; she can sneak out for a cuppa at Broadway Market to learn her lines in peace

Abigail’s party factor Christopher Kane, Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightley

On the market A 3-bedroom duplex loft apartment in a converted Victorian institute on trendy Dalston Lane. £1.1m

Tom Daley and Dustin Lance Black Stratford

Itchy feet Tom Daley and Dustin Lance Black have been spotted looking for a love nest in East London. Sources say the couple will fork out £1,700 a month so they can have some quality alone time while Tom dives into his training for Rio 2016

But where to go? Within splashing distance of the Olympic Aquatics Centre, Stratford is the pair’s best bet. Its new-build high-rise flats may look grim from the outside, but romantic views over London at night more than make up for it

Abigail’s party factor Christine Ohuruogu, Westfield shopping centre

On the market A new 3-bedroom apartment with on-site gym. The Aquatics Centre is just five minutes away by bike. £444, 000

Taylor Swift Canary Wharf

Itchy feet With a string of O2 dates in February, it’s only fitting that the high priestess of pop finds somewhere to bed down in style. She banked £33m last year, so money is no problem (though avoiding her itinerant ex Harry Styles might be)

But where to go? Somewhere between Canary Wharf and Greenwich where she can sing: ‘I knew you were a double with an en suite.’ The commuter hub means she can make like Ri-Ri and ride the Tube to her gigs, too

Abigail’s party factor Jools Holland, Cher, One Direction’s Liam Payne

On the market A 5-bedroom penthouse on Pan Peninsula Square with 360 views, 2 dressing rooms, plus on-site spa and bar. £7m

Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni Marylebone

Itchy feet With horrible Hollande’s new 75 per cent tax rate in France for those who earn over €1m, it isn’t all ‘la vie en rose’ for the Sarkozy-Brunis. A move to the capital might earn Sarkozy a sizeable tax break, but Bruni will just be glad to say ‘au revoir’ to French Closer’s prying hacks

But where to go? It might not have the grandeur of the Elysée Palace, but Marylebone’s genteel Georgian mansions and quiet squares have that nonchalant charm that Anglophiles find so appealing

Abigail’s party factor Ian McEwan, Matt Lucas, Dawn French

On the market A 3-bedroom apartment with 51ft reception, roof terrace, 3 balconies and a private entrance with lift. £8.7m

Scarlett Johansson and Romain Dauriac Richmond

Itchy feet She has a penthouse in NY and a Parisian bolthole, but Johansson is said to be on the hunt for a home in Southwest London to add to her property portfolio with fiancé Romain Dauriac. Makes sense, as she’ll soon be filming The Avengers 2 at nearby Pinewood Studios

But where to go? Lush and leafy, Richmond-upon-Thames is heaving with Pinewood luvvies making use of its cosy family homes and discreet locals

Abigail’s party factor The Jolie-Pitts, George Clooney and Sandra Bullock have all rented in the area while filming

On the market A 9-bedroom Palladian-style mansion set within 3 acres, with potential helicopter landing spot. £50m

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West Kensington

Itchy feet Kimye have designs on London. He wants their daughter to ‘attend the same boarding schools as Kate Middleton and Prince William’. She’ll be a Eurostar away from her Parisian fash-pals Carine Roitfeld and Riccardo Tisci

But where to go? In keeping with brand ‘K’ it’s got to be Kensington: Knightsbridge is a bit Euroflash and Kingston is, well, Kingston. An opulent townhouse with underground parking for a Ferrari or two sounds right for the ever-tasteful pair

Abigail’s party factor The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Lakshmi Mittal, the Beckhams

On the market A 9-bedroom Grade II-listed house with staff cottage and plans for a nightclub, 25m pool, cinema and gym. £65m

Additional reporting by Susannah Butter

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