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West London offers some excellent property locations with good communication links for those wishing to travel into central London or to access the rest of the UK via the M4, M40, M25 or M3. The character of West London’s housing varies considerably from fashionable Kensington and Chelsea to the desirable suburbs of Chiswick and Ealing, proximity to green areas or parks will increase property prices.

Chelsea (SW10) comprises the area from Sloane Square along the King’s Road and down to the Chelsea Embankment. There is some extremely expensive period terraced housing, often in attractive squares and streets, and many fascinating shops, pubs and restaurants.  Smaller terraced mews houses are tucked away in the back streets. Much of the property has been divided into highly sought after and expensive apartments.  Recent developments which are particularly popular with City singles  and single Americans in London can be found in the Chelsea Harbour area and on Imperial Wharf, where there are luxury apartments at Chelsea Towers. For small terraced family homes it is worth considering the areas to the west of Chelsea along the King’s Road such as Parsons Green and West Brompton.

North of Chelsea South Kensington (W8) is dominated by the famous museums, the Royal Albert Hall and Royal College of Music and is therefore regarded more as a tourist and business area than residential.  However there are long streets of imposing, terraced housing, for example on Hyde Park Gate and Princes Gate and terraced mews properties are dotted around. Many of the houses are used for offices but some have been split into desirable flats. It is a popular district for young people who want to flat share. Gloucester Road is a busy area with many terraced houses converted into flats and, like South Kensington, these are often shared by young people studying or working in London.

Kensington (W8) is an expensive area of highly sought after, attractive small streets and squares. There are some very elegant Victorian and Edwardian properties in locations such as Palace Green.

Kensington offers many opportunities for living in central London.  Hidden behind the main traffic route of Kensington High Street can be found some attractive small streets and squares interspersed by the greenery of Holland Park.  Properties range from large family houses to thin, tall terraces, small cottages and flats in mansion blocks or conversions, and the occasional modern development of luxury apartments and penthouses such as at Westside and 110 Drayton Gardens. Many people are attracted to this area by the general ambiance, the shops, the parks, proximity to central London and the extremely well regarded Holland Park school.

To the north of Kensington, up Kensington Church Street, Notting Hill (W11) was not a particularly well regarded location even 20 years ago, but now it is a part of London with rather a Bohemian atmosphere. The most sought after family properties in the Notting Hill area are mainly Victorian terraces which, unusually, have large areas of green behind them in the form of communal gardens, again these are popular London areas with expatriates.  Roads such as Lansdowne Road, Arundel Gardens and Ladbroke Square Gardens are very popular and generally very expensive.  New building here can be found in the Portobello Collection of mews houses in Dunworth Mews, close to the centre of Notting Hill.

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Property in the central part of Holland Park (W11) is even more expensive with the large double fronted houses built by the Radford estate being especially prestigious.  As a contrast, there is also quite a lot of 1970s housing in the peripheral area around Holland Park in such locations as Addison Road.  The proximity of Notting Hill and Holland Park to the centre of London has made them attractive to wealthy expatriates although the area nearest to Kensington is certainly the more prestigious and the properties to the north of here are generally less well regarded. 

Hammersmith (W6) is an area of desirable family houses with small gardens and small terraced cottages. Hammersmith is more affordable than glamorous Kensington because it lacks the parks and is not so fashionable. It does, however, have proximity to the river in its favour, this attracts Londoners to watch rowing or visit some of the riverside pubs. It is a busy and functional area of London with the M4 Hammersmith flyover and the Hammersmith one-way system as local landmarks.

King Street is a good functional shopping centre with many of the major high street chains however it is rather lacking in character. The tube and bus services in the area are very good and Hammersmith has excellent entertainment facilities; the Lyric Theatre, Riverside Studios and Hammersmith Apollo are important London entertainment venues. Housing is generally terraces of varying sizes and probably the most sought after areas are Brook Green and Brackenbury Village, both of which have good family houses and some small terraced cottages.  There is some contemporary apartment development here, as at New Holland Green. Barons Court, south of Hammersmith, is favoured with quality traditional apartment blocks.

Fulham (SW6) is to the south of Hammersmith.  Both Baron’s Court and Fulham are very popular for renting.  The Bishop’s Park area of Fulham is extremely attractive having good access to the park around Fulham Palace, with the benefit of the river alongside.  The four roads closest to the Palace are particularly prestigious with large houses and large gardens.  Towards Hammersmith, off the Fulham Palace Road, are roads of three storey terraces, generally with four good sized bedrooms such as Kenyon Street and Niton Street and although properties here are a little smaller than those around Fulham Place, they are still very sought after.  A luxury apartment block lies right by the river, opposite the old Harrods warehouse, and the exclusive two bedroom properties here can cost more than a full sized house.  Other parts of Fulham have plenty of smaller terraces of cottage style properties.

Shepherd’s Bush (W12) north of Hammersmith, is not as sought after as Mayfair or Kensington, but has some nice streets of Victorian terraces and Edwardian purpose-built maisonettes with good shopping and transport.  Particularly of note here are Ingersoll Road and the very good street market which takes place every day.

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