New Build Investor Guide – Kensington and Chelsea, London
Apr 2021
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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?
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is one of 12 inner London boroughs and is located in west London. Spanning just under 5 miles², Kensington and Chelsea is the smallest borough in London and lies immediately north of the river Thames. The borough borders Westminster, Brent, Hammersmith and Fulham and the Thames. It’s home to many London landmarks including Kensington Palace, the Royal Albert Hall, Harrods and numerous embassies.
Demographics
Kensington and Chelsea’s population is forecast to grow by 6% by 2030
| Population (2018) | 159,301 |
| Forecast Population 2030 | 169,188 |
Source: data.london.gov.uk
Economically Active Population
A largely young, diverse, mobile population.
| Age Range | Percentage of population |
| 16 – 64 | 68% |
| Under 15 | 17% |
| Over 65 | 15% |
| Martial Status: | |
| Single |
Source: data.london.gov.uk
Average Life Expectancy
The average life expectancy for those born in Kensington and Chelsea between 2016 and 2018 is the second longest in London for both males and females.
| Males | 83 |
| Females | 87 |
Source: ons.gov.uk
Population Density (2011)
Southwark is the 4th most densely populated local authority in England, with 12,876 people per km2.
Source: ons.gov.uk
International Migration (2018-19)
4,445 new residents from overseas, the 14th lowest of all London borough’s
Source: ons.gov.uk
Country of Birth
| Location of Birth | Proportion of Population |
| UK and Ireland | 48% |
| EU | 17% |
| Other countries | 35% |
Source: data.london.gov.uk
Crime & Safety
| Crime Numbers (April 2017 – March 2018) | 21,162 |
| Crime rate per 1,000 population (April 2017 -March 2018) | 135 |
| Kensington and Chelsea has the 5th highest crime rates of all London borough’s |
Source: data.london.gov.uk
Education
Schools
| Primary Schools | 60 (16 of which have an Ofsted rating of outstanding) |
| Secondary Schools | 30 (5 of which have an Ofsted rating of outstanding) |
| Schools and Colleges (16-18 years) | 19 (4 of which have an Ofsted rating of outstanding) |
Source: compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk
Universities
Imperial College London
Royal College of Art
Hospitals
Royal Marsden
Royal Brompton
Chelsea and Westminster
St Charles’ Hospital
General Wellbeing
The proportion of people considering themselves in good or very good heath is the !!! highest in England.
| Population considering themselves in very good health | 58% |
| Population considering themselves in very bad health | 1% |
Source: data.london.gov.uk
Employment & Economy
68% of working aged people employed (compared to 75% across England 74% across London).
Top 4 Sectors of Employment
| Finance, banking and insurance | 32% |
| Public administration, education and health | 27% |
| Transport and communication | 11% |
| Distribution, hotels and restaurants | 11% |
Source: data.london.gov.uk
Major Employers
In 2020, there were over 50 companies the borough employing more than 250 people and 220 companies employing between 50 and 249 people. (source: nomisweb.co.uk)
In 2009, the top ten employers in the borough by number of employees was:
- Harrods
- Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council
- Brompton Hospital
- Daily Mail
- Peter Jones (Department Store)
- Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust
- Harvey Nichols
- Natural History Museum Publications
- Princes Louise Hospital (now closed)
- Victoria and Albert Museum
Source: rbkc.go.uk
Jobs and Job density
Aproximately 25,900 residents of Kensington and Chelsea also work in the borough. 75,828 people travel into the borough each day for work and 49,660 residents work outside the borough. The daytime population of borough therefore increases by 26,168 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 Kensington and Chelsea | 88,680 |
Source: data.london.gov.uk
Property Ownership (2018)
| own property outright (no mortgage) | 27% |
| own property with mortgage | 14% |
| rent from a Housing Authority or the Local Authority | 33% |
| rent from a private landlord (representing approximately 29,100 private rentals) | 26% |
Source: data.london.gov.uk
| Household with no car or van (2011) | 56% |
Source: nomisweb.co.uk
Household Composition
| One person households | 47% |
| One family households | 41% |
| Other (sharers / students etc) | 12% |
Source: nomisweb.co.uk
Average House Prices
House prices in Kensington and Chelsea are the most expensive in the UK.
| Average achieved price January 2020 | £1,250,691 |
| Average achieved price January 2021 | £1,313,590 |
| Increase/Decrease | +5% |
Source: www.gov.uk
Volume of Sales
During the COVID pandemic, the number of property transactions fell by 10%. Only Brent and Hammersmith and Fulham saw the proportion of transactions fall by a lesser amount.
| Number of residential sales to year ending September 2019 | 1,354 |
| Number of residential sales to year ending September 2020 | 1,221 |
Source: ons.gov.uk
Achieved Rents (January to December 2020)
Mean monthly average rents in the borough:
| London Median Rents (per calendar month) |
Kensington and Chelsea Median Rents (per calendar month) |
|
| Studio | £950 | £1,365 |
| 1 bedroom | £1,200 | £1,950 |
| 2 bedrooms | £1,450 | £2,708 |
| 3 bedrooms | £1,750 | £4,550 |
Source: london.gov.uk
Portobello Road
New Build Developments in Kensington and Chelsea
Several notable developments in Kensington and Chelsea have been launched in recent years, many of which have been launched in Asia and the Middle East.
Portobello Square (Catalyst Housing)
| Total Number of Apartments | 321 (142 private) |
| First Launched | April 2019 |
Average Prices – Portobello Square
| Minimum | Average | Maximum | |
| Price | £605,000 | £710,238 | £850,000 |
| Price per ft² | £855 | £1,043 | £1,234 |
| Area (ft²) | 551 | 689 | 837 |
source: Molior
| Minimum | Average | Maximum | |
| 1 Bedroom | £605,000 | £655,909 | £710,000 |
| 2 Bedroom | £730,000 | £770,000 | £850,000 |
| 3 Bedroom | – | – | – |
source: Molior
Eighty Holland Park (CPC London)
| Total Number of Apartments | 24 private |
| First Launched | October 2020 |
Average Prices – Eight Holland Park
Pricing is not publicly available.
Lancer Square (Bellworth / Chessington Investments)
| Total Number of Apartments | 51 (37 private) |
| First Launched | June 2018 |
Average Prices – Lancer Square
Pricing is not publicly available.
21 Young Street (Grainger)
| Total Number of Apartments | 53 private |
| First Launched | June 2017 |
Average Prices – 21 Young Street
| Minimum | Average | Maximum | |
| Price | £999,950 | £2,196,994 | £10,950,000 |
| Price per ft² | £2,004 | £2,495 | £3,912 |
| Area (ft²) | 445 | 840 | 2,799 |
Source: Molior
| Minimum | Average | Maximum | |
| Studio | £1,125,000 | £1,125,000 | £1,125,000 |
| 1 Bedroom | £999,950 | £1,410,704 | £1,690,000 |
| 2 Bedroom | £2,200,000 | £2,353,125 | £2,450,000 |
| 3 Bedroom | £4,275,000 | £7,612,500 | £10,950,000 |
Source: Molior
One Kensington Gardens (De Vere Estates)
| Total Number of Apartments | 97 private |
| First Launched | July 2014 |
Average Prices – One Kensington Gardens
| Minimum | Average | Maximum | |
| Price | £1,800,000 | £8,136,304 | £30,000,000 |
| Price per ft² | £1,357 | £3,112 | £5,484 |
| Area (ft²) | 886 | 2,316 | 5,483 |
Source: Molior
| Minimum | Average | Maximum | |
| 1 Bedroom | £2,500,000 | £4,690,000 | £6,000,000 |
| 2 Bedroom | £3,350,000 | £6,595,333 | £11,000,000 |
| 3 Bedroom | £1,800,000 | £7,544,762 | £21,500,000 |
Source: Molior
Kensington Row (St Edward)
| Number of Apartments | 224 (196 private) |
| First Launched | September 2017 |
Average Prices – Kensington Row
| Minimum | Average | Maximum | |
| Price | £849,950 | £1,893,570 | £4,600,000 |
| Price per ft² | £1,274 | £1,679 | £2,706 |
| Area (ft²) | 562 | 1,091 | 2,231 |
Source: Molior
| Minimum | Average | Maximum | |
| 1 Bedroom | £849,950 | £1,026,421 | £1,180,000 |
| 2 Bedroom | £1,120,000 | £1,819,063 | £3,750,000 |
| 3 Bedroom | £2,095,000 | £3,346,000 | £4,600,000 |
Source: Molior
Environment & Leisure
Kensington and Chelsea has a host of world famous attractions and leisure facilities including:
Kensington Palace
The Natural History Museum
The Science Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum
Notting Hill Carnival
Portobello Market
The Saatchi Gallery
Over 30 parks and open spaces (including Kensington Gardens and Holland Park)
6 Libraries
Shopping in Knightsbridge (where you’ll find Harrods and Harvey Nichols), The Kings Road and Kensington High Street
Transport
Kensington and Chelsea’s underground stations are in Zone 1.
Overground Stations
| Kensington Olympia | West Brompton |
Underground Stations
| Earls Court (District, Circle and Piccadilly lines) | Gloucester Road (District, Circle and Piccadilly lines) |
| High Street Kensington (District and Circle lines) | Holland Park (Central line) |
| Knightsbridge (Piccadilly line) | Ladbroke Grove (Hammersmith & City and Circle lines) |
| Latimer Road (Hammersmith & City and Circle lines) | Notting Hill Gate (District and Circle lines) |
| Sloane Square (District and Circle lines) | South Kensington (District and Circle lines) |
| West Brompton (District line) |
Local Government
The Labour Party
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