When the incoming Governor of the Bank of England chose West Hampstead as his new UK home in 2013, he was praised for not picking the flashy bankers and oligarchs of Chelsea – or indeed Hampstead – as his new neighbours.
But such is the London property market that even here Canadian Mark Carney was forced to use his entire £250,000-a-year pre-tax accommodation allowance (taking his salary close to £1million) to rent his “modest” £3,750-a-week pad in Parsifal Road.
And now it seems the move to the four storey, five-bedroom house – complete with gym, wine cellar, media room and under-floor heating – may have been a mistake for the Carneys.
On Monday, the Ham&High spotted removal vans outside the £3million home with the house now filled with boxes.
His departure also appears not to have been quite as traumatic for the neighbours as his arrival.
One resident, who also did not want to be named, told the Ham&High: “When he moved in, five juggernaut removal lorries came, blocked up the street and then damaged a tree so badly the fire brigade had to be called.
“His move out of the street hasn’t been quite so bad – he’s just got one van this time.
Rosalie Miles, chair of the Parsifal Road Residents’ Association, added: “It’s a shame he’s going because he was such a nice, natural, down-to-earth guy.
One can only imagine the distress it would cause Mr Carney were he to learn a property bubble was following him around wherever he went.
He has issued stark warnings to the country in the past over the dangers posed by a booming housing market, saying it was “the biggest risk to financial stability”.
His former home is now being advertised for a slightly reduced £3,550-a-week.