Living in Hackney – A Guide to Life in East London

Are you thinking of living in Hackney?

Living in Hackney offers locals tremendous transport links as well as an excellent location in the heart of England’s capital.

This area of East London has seen a surge in popularity in recent years!

Living in Hackney delivers fantastic commuter links across the whole of London and it has become one of the coolest places to live in the whole of the capital!

Moving to a new area is never straightforward.

Before you start planning your move, it is essential to gather as much information about the region as you can.

If you are thinking of living in Hackney, this is the perfect article for you!

We hope to provide you with some top tips for those considering living in Hackney.

Delving into everything from house prices to the best schools in the Hackney area, we hope to provide you with a thorough guide to living in Hackney.

If you are considering living in Hackney, this is a complete area guide to life in East London!

House Prices

The Governments Duty-Free scheme continues to fuel property sales right across London.

Due to the lively lifestyle, Hackney offers its residents, the area is becoming a sought-after residential location.

Homes are being sold within record times and buyers are clamouring to buy with demand far outweighing supply.

Located close to key working hubs like the City and Canary Wharf, young professionals, in particular, are drawn to the area and new builds are popping up everywhere to meet the rising demand.

Often when a new area becomes “up and coming” its property prices start to increase, and this is exactly the case with Hackney.

The average sold price has risen by 7.60% over the past year right across this East London borough, according to Zoopla with the average cost of a home has just tipped over the £700,000 mark.

Like all areas across the UK, there are some neighbourhoods which remain more popular than others for a range of reasons.

Stoke Newington has become renowned for its lively music scene as well as its great local pubs and cafes.

Sitting close to Islington and Hackney Central, Dalston is now identified as one of the major city centres in London.

Creative, bo-ho types prefer the area of Clapton.

Home to plenty of hip pubs, restaurant’s, coffee shops and delicatessens with the additional benefit of great transport links.

So, how much do you need to budget for a home in Hackney?

Depending on your personal circumstances, at the low end of the market one-bedroom homes sell for an average of £466,000.

Terraces sell for £800,000; semi’s £826,000 and detached homes can sell for upward of £1,000,000.

Renting in Hackney

Many of us choose to go down the letting route and it has become more and more acceptable to rent rather than buy these days.

The younger generation in particular are finding it hard to get a foot hold onto the housing market in London so opt to rent instead.

There are over 2300 homes vacant across the borough with lets starting from £400pcm for a single room up to £10,000 per month for a luxurious penthouse suite.

One and two bedroomed homes are the most readily available amounting to well over ¾ of the boroughs stock, these start from £883pcm up to £2,000 pcm.

Similar to purchasers, some neighbourhoods are more in demand than others.

Homes close to the Homerton University Hospital are in demand with renters for obvious reasons.

The southern parts of Hackney, around Hoxton and Shoreditch, are particularly popular with those who want to live close to central London and with workers in the City of London.

Wherever you decide to rent a home, Hackney has it covered.

Cost of Living in Hackney

Nowhere is cheap to live in London, that is a well-known fact.

But, like all cities across the world, salaries are that much higher and to a large extent can offset the higher cost of living.

Still, no matter what your qualifications or skills may be, the Covid 19 situation has put a financial strain on just about everyone, so making changes to our spending habits makes particularly good sense at this time.

After rent and bills are paid, the remainder of many pay packets go to food and necessities making saving for luxuries like holidays exceedingly difficult.

Here are some cost saving ideas you may find helpful:

• Keep track of what you spend. Set a budget and stick to it. By logging every penny you spend you can identify where exactly you may be wasting money.
• If you smoke, stop. Many doctors’ surgeries offer free patches and other helpful ways to assist.
• Have a goal. It may be a holiday, a new dress, or a particular item of furniture, whatever you desire, having that to look forward to at the end can really help your resolve.
• Use a budgeting app. Crystal and Yolt are both extremely useful tools.

Next to your bills and rent, the biggest expenditure is food.

Hackney has plenty of low budget places to shop such as Lidl and Aldi.

Alternatively Hackney has a number of weekly markets selling all manner of produce at greatly discounted prices.

Broadway Market and London Fields Sunday Market are just two.

When thoughts come to dining out, visit Cheap Eats.

A fab web site boasting “The ultimate insider guide to dining out on a budget in East London for £8 or less”.

There are ways to save.

The first step to changing your spending habits is to set as aside time to actually do it, sometimes this is the hardest part, but you won’t regret it!

Schools in Hackney

If you are thinking of living in Hackney with children this is an important section for you!

The area has around 28,000 pupils that are taught in over 70 schools and nurseries.

All children living in Hackney have access to mainstream schools as well as special schools.

When living in Hackney religiously affiliated schools and a choice of private schools are also available.

Among the various Ofsted rated “outstanding” state schools for younger children are Shacklewell Primary School and Queensbridge Primary School.

Whilst there are some good secondary schools that rank well according to Ofsted, Mossbourne Community Academy is one of the “outstanding” secondary schools in the area.

BSix Sixth Form College and Hackney Community College both provide local further education.

There are also several other colleges within easy reach of the Borough.

Some colleges also offer education courses in affiliation with the University of East London.

Things to Do When Living in Hackney

Living in Hackney offers residents a plethora of excellent things to do!

Hackney has created a reputation as one of the “coolest” places to live in London.

The area has emerged as the heart of music, youth culture and creativity in the capital.

The popular Oval Space is one of the area’s most favoured venues.

It welcomes some top draw international DJs in a trendy hangar venue, playing a range of the latest music. It also boasts one of the finest terrace spaces in London, fully utilised for parties during summer months.

Sutton House was built during the Tudor period.

Owned and maintained by the National Trust, it is a very interesting place to visit.

You can also learn more about the house itself and the areas past.

Hackney Walk is the perfect spot for all you avid shoppers.

This designer outlet offers shoppers up to 70% off luxury brands.

Hackney Walk was coined “London’s first Luxury Outlet.”

As Hackney sits so close to the heart of the capital, fun activities and things to do are in great abundance.

The most popular attractions in the capital are certainly worth a visit.

These include Big Ben, The London Eye, Madame Tussauds, The Tower of London, as well as the many art galleries and museums that London has to offer.

If you are new to the capital and what to learn some more about the area there are some great activities to indulge in.

A trip on an open-air bus is a fun way to explore the city.

Clearly, there are plenty of things to do when living in Hackney.

Ready to Start Living in Hackney?

Are you thinking of living in Hackney?

Whether you want to make the most of the commuter links, the choice of good schools or you are looking for a job in London, Hackney is sure to have for you.

With a range of outstanding properties available in the area, there is surely a home for you when living in Hackney!

GoodMove will make your move to Hackney an easy and stress-free process.

We take great joy in ensuring everything runs smoothly and flawlessly, helping you to settle into your new home right away.

As well as our competitively priced removals package, we can also offer extra services such as temporary or long-term storage facilities should you need them.

GoodMove cover all areas of Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex and our friendly estimators can call round at a convenient time for you and strategically plan your move to perfection.

During these unprecedented times, GoodMove are also offering a new video survey service.

Using our new technology, we can gather all the information required to assist with your move, from the comfort of your home!

Video surveys will help you save valuable time and preserve the best safety levels.

To find out more about how we could get your dream move to Hackney or any other location underway do not hesitate to call us on the number listed above.

Alternatively, fill out a quick quote form or click on our live bot in the bottom right and a member of our customer services team will be in touch shortly.