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But what else is top of the wishlist?

Health over hedonism

This is according to Savills, as homeowners seek peace, space and a spa.

At Temple House, where prices start at £1.595m, buyers will find a penthouse roof terrace, vitality pool and all-inclusive health club on site.

Such space is now a given in luxury complexes, with many expecting pilates studios, a physio service and treatment rooms, all from the comfort of your home.

“Health is absolutely paramount to people’s lives now. They want spas and kitchen areas with proper food preparation spaces – all of that stuff has moved to the forefront,” says Charlie Bubear, head of the Chelsea office at Savills.

It is also related to the number of basements being dug across the capital: as blueprints increase, the super-rich are seeking new “show-off spaces” to fill them with. And a spa is ideally situated underground.

Traditional pursuits

It isn’t just clean living that is attracting wealthy buyers to London.Many are toasting the return of the wine cellar. The way we own and display wine has changed significantly in the last decade, explains Stephen Williams, chief executive of AWC Fine Wine, who builds wine cellars in super-luxury London properties.

Connoisseurs of fine wine might have traditionally lived out in the country, he explains. “But the modern wine consumer is more likely to live in a London townhouse, and wine has become more accessible via online clubs.”

The interior design of wine cellars has gone upmarket too. “People are asking for modern spaces in glass and stainless steel rather than stone and brick, with sophisticated lighting,” says Williams.

It’s not just the design of the wine cellar that’s changed, but the name too. These spaces are better described as wine rooms, owing to the fact that they can be located on any floor of the house.

“They are becoming increasingly visible. Wine isn’t something that people want to hide away anymore. They want to share it and enjoy talking about it,” Williams says.

Show it off

This is part of the new fashion for exhibiting wealth. “People used to be a lot more discreet,” says Thomas van Straubenzee of property agency VanHan.

“It was almost embarrassing to show off, and considered not very British. But the new group of rich Brits – hedge-funders, actors and sportsmen like to show their wine, art and cars off.”

At some properties, where the cars are treated as works of art, the super garage is essential too. “The car will be driven in, taken up on a lift, and then sit behind a glass wall as if it were a sculpture or a painting,” van Straubenzee adds. One property for sale in Knightsbridge (above) has a purpose-built car den, so the lucky owner can survey his pride and joy over dinner.

Craving space

For other buyers, a second master bedroom is required. It’s referred to as the 'snoring room’, or 'drunk bunk’, for partners returning home after a drink too many but with the same amenities as the main master suite.

For both domestic and international buyers, there’s more than a bit of one-upmanship going on in luxury London property. “The uber-wealthy global elite have similar desires and needs,” Bubear says.

Old England

While for some, it’s all about parading riches, in protected parts of the capital live others with tastes as conservative as the streets on which they reside. Here, the fun can only begin indoors. Once past the heavy, oak front door and hi-tech security system, the party starts.

“There’s an old saying that still applies,” Bubear says. “Money talks, but wealth whispers.”

www.telegraph.co.uk