New homes in Kingston upon Thames

Spotlight on Kingston upon Thames

Lying on a pretty stretch of the river, just 12 miles from central London, the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames is prime commuter territory. If you're looking for an enviable quality of life for a relatively affordable price, Kingston could be an attractive place to make your next property investment. Offering better value than its pricey neighbours With an overall average property price of £549,419 in 2016, Kingston upon Thames was cheaper than nearby Richmond Upon Thames (£783,907), Merton (£606,413) and Wandsworth (£770,326).[1] With one foot in and one foot out of the city, Kingston is perfect for those who want to get away from the bustle as it combines the perks and short commute of city living with the option of spending weekends in a calmer, leafier environment.[2] Ongoing regeneration of Kingston town centre The award-winning Kingston Heights project is a £70m eco-friendly development of 137 apartments, a 142-bed hotel and a conference centre on the site of a former power station. The difference with this mixed use development is it gets all its energy directly from the Thames. By harvesting the renewable, low-grade heat from the river, it provides heating, hot water and cooling requirements for all the development's residents.[3] Riverside Walk is a stylish new restaurant quarter on a stretch of the Thames next to Kingston Bridge. The recently developed area includes five popular restaurants with al fresco seating in the summer and a venue that hosts five high-quality, pop-up eateries that change every six months. Nearby there are over 200 new luxury apartments overlooking the Thames and a public space near Bishop’s Palace House that hosts performances and outdoor events.[4] Future town centre developments include the transformation of the Old Post Office and restoration of two listed buildings to create new shops, restaurants and offices. Planning permission has recently been granted for a £400m scheme to regenerate Eden Walk shopping centre with new shops and restaurants, an elegant new public space, a boutique cinema, and 385 new apartments.[5] Fantastic transport connections Kingston upon Thames is well served by nine different rail stations. Trains to London Waterloo from Kingston take 28 minutes and from Surbiton as little as 15 minutes.[6] The borough has excellent links with the rest of the country’s road network as it's next to the M25 London Orbital motorway and a short drive from the M3. London Heathrow Airport is just 30 minutes away by car. Crossrail 2 set to bring major benefits The South West main line that runs through the borough is one of the busiest and most congested routes in the country. Demand is forecast to increase by up to 40% by 2043 which is why Crossrail 2 is investing heavily in this region with plans to create 11 stations. When the new line opens in 2030, residents in the borough will benefit from shorter journey times, less crowded trains and, as a result, higher property prices.[7] A shopper's paradise With over 20 million visitors a year, Kingston town centre is one of the busiest shopping centres in the South East. Its main high street features all the major brands. It also has an ancient, picturesque and recently refurbished market square that still holds daily markets, a shopping mall, a John Lewis department store and a vintage shopping area. All of them are connected by small streets teeming with cafes and small independents retailers.[8] Kingston to become a mini Holland Kingston is one of just three London boroughs to receive funding under the Mayor's Mini-Holland Programme which aims to encourage more people to cycle and improve safety. With its allocation of over £30m, a major cycle hub is planned, high-quality cycling routes will be introduced and the plaza around Kingston station will be transformed. Plans have also been developed to build a beautiful new cycle route on the banks of the river.[9] Low crime, good education and excellent life expectancy With 59 crimes per 1,000 residents, the crime rate in Kingston upon Thames is among the lowest in the capital.[10] Families move here to secure a decent education for their children as many of the borough's primary schools are outstanding.[11] Kingston upon Thames also has the best life expectancy in the whole of the UK with its pensioners living on average for 89.74 years.[12] Current asking prices and rental yields The current average value of properties in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames is £600,490. It has increased 2.55% in the last 12 months and 42.95% in the last five years. For a two-bedroom apartment, the average asking price is £455,661 and the average asking rent is £1,519pcm, which means the gross rental yield is currently 4.00%.[13] This content is correct as of March 2017