New Build Investor Guide – Kensington and Chelsea, 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?

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.

Harrods e1627644619259 PropTech Pioneer New Build Investor Guide – Kensington and Chelsea, London

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:

  1. Harrods
  2. Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council
  3. Brompton Hospital
  4. Daily Mail
  5. Peter Jones (Department Store)
  6. Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust
  7. Harvey Nichols
  8. Natural History Museum Publications
  9. Princes Louise Hospital (now closed)
  10. 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 PropTech Pioneer New Build Investor Guide – Kensington and Chelsea, London

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

Visit Website


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

Visit Website


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

Visit Website


Average Prices – Lancer Square

Pricing is not publicly available.

21 Young Street (Grainger)

Total Number of Apartments 53 private
First Launched June 2017

Visit Website


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

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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

Visit Website


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

UK market report 1536x768 2 PropTech Pioneer New Build Investor Guide – Kensington and Chelsea, London