New Build Investor Guide – Brent, London

Apr 2021

Buying a new build property off plan? Check out our Area Guide first

Are you considering purchasing a new build, off plan property in Brent? Want to get the latest information on house prices, demographics and other useful information before you commit to a deal?

Our Area Guides give you the latest relevant information from local governments, the Census and the Office of National Statistics (ONS) data. They’re designed for offshore, new build property investors to help you understand an area in detail so you can make informed investment decisions.

Read on for investor details specifically about Brent but if it’s more detail about the wider UK property market you need, you can download our latest report here. In our report we address two key questions:

1 Is investing in UK residential property still worth it?
2 If so, where are the best opportunities for property investors and why?

Brent, London

Brent is one of 32 London Boroughs, is located in north west London and spans over 16 square miles. It borders the boroughs of Harrow to the north-west, Barnet to the north-east, Camden to the east, the City of Westminster to the south-east, as well as the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham and Ealing to the south.

The borough is home to the world famous Wembley Stadium and includes the districts Alperton, Brondesbury Park, Kilburn, Stonebridge and Wembley.

Wembley Stadium PropTech Pioneer New Build Investor Guide – Brent, London

Wembley Stadium at sunset


Demographics

Brent’s population is forecast to grow by 12.6% by 2030

Population (2018) 336,859
Forecast Population 2030 382,415

Source: data.london.gov.uk


Economically Active Population

A largely young, diverse, mobile population.

Age Range Percentage of population
16 – 64 67%
Under 15 21%
Over 65 12%
Martial Status:  
Single 42%

Source: data.london.gov.uk


Average Life Expectancy

The average life expectancy for those born in Brent between 2016 and 2018 is the 11th and 7th longest in London for both males and females respectivley.

Males 81 (UK average is 79)
Females 85 (UK average is 83)

Source: ons.gov.uk


Population Density (2011)

Brent is the 14th most densely populated of the 33 London Boroughs, with 7,628 people per km2.

Source: ons.gov.uk

International Migration (2018-19)

8,801 new residents from overseas, the 6th highest of all London boroughs.

Source: ons.gov.uk

Country of Birth

Location of Birth Proportion of Population
UK and Ireland 48%
EU 11%
Other countries 41%

Source: data.london.gov.uk

Crime & Safety

Crime Numbers (April 2017 – March 2018)   29,201
Crime rate per 1,000 population (April 2017 -March 2018) 89
Brent has the 12th highest crime rate per 1,000 people of all London borough’s  

Source: data.london.gov.uk


Education

Schools

Primary Schools 86 (19 of which have an Ofsted rating of outstanding)
Secondary Schools      29 (8 of which have an Ofsted rating of outstanding)
Schools and Colleges (16-18 years) 24 (8 of which have an Ofsted rating of outstanding)

Source: compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk


Universities

College of North West London

Hospitals

Northwick Park Hospital
Central Middlesex Hospital

General Wellbeing

Population considering themselves in very good health 48%
Population considering themselves in very bad health 1%

Source: data.london.gov.uk

Employment & Economy

69% of working aged people employed (compared to 75% across England 74% across London).

Top 4 Sectors of Employment

Distribution, hotels and restaurants 22%
Public administration, education and health    21%
Finance, banking and insurance 18%
Transport and communication 13%

Source: data.london.gov.uk


Major Employers

In 2020, there were 45 companies the borough employing more than 250 people and 165 companies employing between 50 and 249 people. (source: nomisweb.co.uk)

Jobs and Job density

Approximately 42,991 residents of Brent also work in the borough. 46,838 people travel into the borough each day for work and 75,827 residents work outside the borough. The daytime population of borough therefore decreases by 28,989 people each day. (source: data.london.gov.uk).

Median Gross Annual Pay for full-time employee jobs (2017) £31,365
Number of jobs in the borough (2019)            92,000
Jobs per resident        0.49 (London average 1.03 and UK average 0.87)

Source: nomisweb.co.uk and data.london.gov.uk


Housing

Number of residential properties in Brent 119,890

Source: data.london.gov.uk


Property Ownership (2018)

own property outright (no mortgage) 17%
own property with mortgage 25%
rent from a Housing Authority or the Local Authority 22%
rent from a private landlord (representing approximately 35,000 private rentals) 36%

Source: data.london.gov.uk

Household with no car or van (2011) 43%

Source: nomisweb.co.uk


Household Composition

One person households    28%
One family households     51%
Other  (sharers / students etc)   12%

Source: nomisweb.co.uk

Average House Prices

House prices in Brent are the 15th most expensive of all London boroughs, with the average achieved price from January 2020 to January 2021 increasing by 21.2%, this is the largest increase across all 33 London boroughs within the same period.

Average achieved price January 2020 £428,560
Average achieved price January 2021 £519,355
Increase/Decrease  +21%

Source: www.gov.uk


Volume of Sales

During the COVID pandemic, the number of property transactions fell by 7%. The 2nd smallest decline of all London boroughs.

Number of residential sales to year ending September 2019 1,569
Number of residential sales to year ending September 2020    1,467

Source: ons.gov.uk


Achieved Rents (January to December 2020)

Mean monthly average rents in the borough:

  London Median Rents
(per calendar month)
Brent
(per calendar month)
Studio     £950 £900
1 bedroom £1,200 £1,163
2 bedrooms £1,450 £1,430
3 bedrooms £1,750 £1,800

Source: london.gov.uk


New Build Developments in Brent

apartments under construction PropTech Pioneer New Build Investor Guide – Brent, London

New Build apartments under construction

Several notable developments in Brent are currently on the market, some of which have been launched in Asia and the Middle East.

Grand Union (St George)

Total Number of Apartments 2,900 (1,885 private)
First Launched July 2019

Visit Website


Average Prices – Grand Union

  Minimum Average Maximum
Price £350,000 £640,763 £865,000
Price per ft² £615 £740 £995
Area (ft²) 427 879 1,173

source: Molior

  Minimum Average Maximum
1 Bedroom £350,000 £445,625 £517,500
2 Bedroom £525,000 £592,522 £698,000
3 Bedroom £692,500 £786,154 £865,000

source: Molior


First Central, Park Royal, Regency Heights (Fairview New Homes)

Total Number of Apartments 807 (544 private)
First Launched April 2019

Visit Website

Average Prices – First Central, Park Royal, Regency Heights

  Minimum Average Maximum
Price £350,000 £470,364 £645,000
Price per ft² £575 £688 £791
Area (ft²) 487 695 1,107

source: Molior

  Minimum Average Maximum
Studio £350,000 £364,667 £374,000
1 Bedroom £350,000 £395,037 £565,000
2 Bedroom £448,000 £600,000 £600,000
3 Bedroom £590,000 £645,000 £645,000

source: Molior


No. 10 Watkin Road (Barratt London)

Total Number of Apartments 229 (157private)
First Launched March 2020

Visit Website

Average Prices – No. 10 Watkin Road

  Minimum Average Maximum
Price £380,000 £505,136 £649,000
Price per ft² £641 £795 £936
Area (ft²) 409 653 999

source: Molior

  Minimum Average Maximum
1 Bedroom £380,000 £421,182 £435,000
2 Bedroom £539,000 £568,125 £579,000
3 Bedroom £640,000 £645,000 £649,000

source: Molior

Environment, Leisure & Culture

Brent has a host of attractions, leisure and cultural facilities including many parks and open green spaces, from formal Victorian gardens to more than 1,000 acres of public open space including Fryent Country Park.

Attractions include:

Wembley Stadium
Wembley Arena
Over 100 parks and open spaces
6 libraries
London Designer Outlet shopping mall

Transport

Brent’s underground and overground stations are in Zones 2, 3 & 4. The borough has a total of 21 Underground stations, the second highest out of all London boroughs, being second to Westminster which has 32, all of them are surface level, with the exception of Kilburn Park tube station.

Overground Stations

Brondesbury Brondesbury Park
Harlesden Kensal Green
Kensal Rise Kenton
North Wembley Queens Park (London)
South Kenton Stonebridge Park
Sudbury & Harrow Road Wembley Central
Wembley Stadium Willesden Junction

Underground Stations

Alperton (Piccadilly line) Dollis Hill (Jubilee line)
Harlesden Station (Bakerloo line) Kensal Green Station (Bakerloo line)
Kenton (Bakerloo line) Kilburn Park Station (Bakerloo line)
Kilburn Station (Jubilee line) Kingsbury (Jubilee line)
Neasden Station (Jubilee line) North Wembley Station (Bakerloo line)
Northwick Park (Metropolitan line) Preston Road (Metropolitan line)

Local Government

The Labour Party

UK market report 1536x768 2 PropTech Pioneer New Build Investor Guide – Brent, London