Between Putney Bridge and Hammersmith Bridge, this scenic riverside development includes 744 new homes, a park, community boat club and jetty.

Londoners selling up in posh Kensington & Chelsea are buying into a fresh wave of riverside developments under way in neighbouring Fulham. The new schemes are attracting buyers seeking an “affordably prime” address on the desirable north side of the Thames.

Fulham Reach is a 744-home scheme between Putney Bridge and Hammersmith Bridge, a remarkably serene section of the river favoured by scullers and oarsmen. A location previously out-of-bounds for home buyers, this spot is now a pleasant residential address. Developer St George has created a new riverside promenade a new park, community boat club and jetty.

Glass-clad apartment blocks have wraparound balconies to make the most of the view across the Thames to the splendid Harrods Furniture Depository. Residents have exclusive use of a spa, screening room and wine cellar as well as a 24-hour concierge. The River Café, the lauded restaurant where Jamie Oliver cut his teeth, is housed in an adjacent wharf. Homes in Goldhurst House, the latest phase, are priced from £1,749,950.

Built beside Regent’s Canal, apartments at Plimsoll Building will revamp the once-blighted railway land behind King’s Cross station.

Buyers are already in the starting blocks for the newly launched Plimsoll Building, the latest unveiling at King’s Cross Central, the epic redevelopment of once-blighted railway land behind the station.

The dashing new scheme of 178 flats, pictured, sits beside Regent’s Canal and, in a union consistent with the diverse mix at this new neighbourhood, above two new schools. Ready next year, the architectural detail features textured brick cladding that dovetails neatly with surrounding heritage buildings, and an internal podium garden designed by Dan Pearson.

The triple-height entrance foyer has a glass scenic elevator for the ride to upper floors including a rooftop conservatory, an art gallery and three communal terraces. A business lounge and dining space will be open for meetings and private events, and there will be a gym. Prices start at £430,000.

The building is named after Samuel Plimsoll, a Victorian industrialist famous for developing the Plimsoll line loading guide on the side of ships. He also built the railway coal drop viaduct at King’s Cross.

Google is building a new HQ in the 67-acre district, joining the Central St Martins College of Art and Design campus. The finished project will have 2,000 new homes, 20 new streets, 10 new public squares, 20 restored heritage structures including listed gas holders, many offices and generous retail space.

Landlords in London have seen annual total returns increase to 14.6 per cent in the year to January 2014.

It represents an average return of £38,104 per property in the capital, which is more than five times the returns recorded in both the North East and Yorkshire and the Humber, LSL Property Services reveals.

Across England and Wales, average returns were £14,767, a year-on-year increase of 3.2 per cent.

“Rental yields remain historically high and such rental income is still underpinned by a demand-driven lettings market,” said David Newnes, director of estate agents Your Move and Reeds Rains, part of LSL Property Services.

He added landlords are also benefiting from an equity bonus thanks to rising house prices.

Mr Newnes expects landlords to increase their portfolios in the coming months as mortgage affordability continues to grow and interest rates look set to stay low for the foreseeable future.

Lending to first-time buyers increased in all parts of the UK during the final quarter of 2013 as this group continues to drive the market’s recovery.

London led the way, as 13,400 loans were advanced in the three-month period and this represented a 33 per cent year-on-year increase, according to figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML).

People looking to take their first steps onto the property ladder in the capital are typically borrowing £198,900 and spending an average of 20.6 per cent of their monthly income on mortgage payments.

“First-time buyers have continued the strong upward trend in lending we have seen throughout 2013 and, despite much debate in political spheres about their affordability plight in the capital, an increasing number are realising their aspirations to become homeowners,” said Bob Pannell, CML chief economist.

All parts of the country have been buoyed by first-time buyer activity, with significant rises also recorded in Northern Ireland (29 per cent), Wales (28 per cent) and Scotland (26 per cent).

This group of homebuyers has been boosted by the greater affordability of high LTV mortgages, meaning they do not need to save up as big a deposit.

Measures such as the government’s Help to Buy have underpinned this growth, as it has left lenders more inclined to give loans to candidates they would have previously viewed as risky or not suitable.

Iain Malloch, chair of CML Scotland, sees reasons for optimism north of the border too, as greater mortgage availability and the economic recovery are leading an upturn in activity in Scotland.

“First-time buyers have been a crucial driver throughout 2013, and the CML anticipates this growth in the market will continue into 2014,” he added.

The property market has already had a positive start to the year, as the CML revealed earlier this month that gross mortgage lending increased by 33 per cent year-on-year in January 2014.

House prices in the UK were 9.4 per cent higher in February than a year ago as the sector goes from strength to strength, according to Nationwide.

It represents the strongest rate of annual growth since May 2010 and means house prices are now only three per cent behind their 2007 peak.

The average price of a property in the country now stands at £177,846, up slightly from January’s figure of £176,491, and it demonstrates how confidence is now flooding back into the market.

Robert Gardner, Nationwide’s chief economist, is glad to see house prices have now increased for 14 consecutive months.

“Demand continues to be supported by record low interest rates, improved credit availability and rising consumer confidence thanks to the healthy gains in employment recorded in recent quarters,” he added.

Mr Gardner pointed to the constrained supply of housing as one of the main reasons prices are continuing to rise and this situation is expected to continue as housing completions are still well below their pre-crisis levels.

In April, the Mortgage Market Review will also come into force, which will see lenders made to carry out more stringent affordability checks before agreeing to grant loans to customers.

There has been a lot of talk recently about the impact of cash buyers on the market and Nationwide’s analysis shows the share of cash transactions has increased significantly from around 20 per cent in 2005-06 to around 35 per cent.

According to Mr Gardner, adverse labour market conditions and the tightening of credit conditions after 2008 are responsible for this rise.

The government is keen to encourage as many people onto the property ladder as possible and the number of homeowners who have been helped to buy or reserve a home since 2010 is around 112,000.

“Both buying and building are at their highest levels since 2007, underpinned by our action to cut the deficit and keep interest rates low,” said Eric Pickles, communities minister.

Buy-to-let: the background
When people are unable to get onto the property ladder or uncertain about moving, they end up renting for longer periods. This surge in tenant demand leads to more competition for rental homes, and therefore, higher rents.

Landlords end up making a tidy profit, which encourages them to expand their property portfolios. A buy-to-let bounce-back also entices new buy-to-let investors to put their money into property.

With the number of buy-to-let loans reaching its highest level for four years last year (2012), record rents propelled landlords into expanding their property investments.

According to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML), gross buy-to-let lending hit £16.4 billion over the year, up 19% on the £13.8 billion lent in 2011.

Overall, 136,900 loans were offered last year, the highest number since 2008 – although still a long way off the high of 346,000 seen back in 2007.

Average UK rents have soared by 13.6% since 2009, with a further rise of 2% predicted this year (2013).

In addition, the number of UK households renting has increased over the past decade from 31% to 36%, according to the latest Census data.

This means there’s great demand for rental homes in many places. In London’s Westminster alone, four out of every 10 homes are privately rented.

Savills predicts that London rents will rise by 26.4% over the next five years, more than anywhere else in the UK.

What is a buy-to-let mortgage?
A buy-to-let mortgage is money offered by a lender (a bank or building society) to fund a property that will be rented out. The borrower will not occupy the property.

How does a buy-to-let mortgage differ from a regular residential mortgage?
The difference between a buy-to-let mortgage and a standard residential mortgage is how the borrower’s income is assessed.

Instead of looking at your earned income, a lender views potential rentals income as your primary income source. Some lenders might also take the landlord’s personal income into account.

As different lenders assess this in different ways, you must compare all of the deals on offer.

How do buy-to-let mortgages work?
Typically, lenders will want your anticipated rentals income, verified by independent sources, to meet at least 125% of the monthly interest payments on the loan. This will be based on the pay rate for fixed and tracker deals, or a lender’s standard variable rate (usually an extra 1%, or more).

This is to ensure landlords (and the lender) is covered during void periods when the property is empty and not rented out. This reassures the lender that the borrower will still be able to meet the payments.

Lenders generally lend mainly to those with large deposits, with most deals expecting you to put down at least 30% (or even 40%) as a deposit. The best deals are at the lowest loan-to-value rates of 60% or below.

Loan fees
Buy-to-let mortgage fees that secure the best rates are usually not low. A top fixed rate deal could have a loan fee of 2.5% (£2,500 on a £100,000 mortgage, for example), or higher.

Those deals with higher interest rates will charge lower loan fees.

Before signing up for a loan, you need to make sure the high loan fee you’re paying is worth it. Many loans attract such high fees a higher interest rate might be a better choice.

Rentals returns
Try to achieve a five percent return on your rentals investment every year. Some properties might reap as much as 7% annually.

Does the type of tenant matter?
The type of tenant renting your property can make a big difference.

For instance, many lenders have restrictions on mortgages for student lets and homes of multiple occupancy (HMO’s).

At least three tenants live in an HMO building, forming more than one household and sharing toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities.

Tax implications
Unlike residential property, a buy-to-let property is not exempt from capital gains tax. Also, rent received is regarded as taxable income.

However, you can offset interest payments on your mortgage against tax on rentals income, along with other expenses (such as agent’s fees and some maintenance costs).

It makes good sense to get advice from your accountant before you take out a buy-to-let mortgage.

Agent’s fees
Lettings agents can find tenants for you and look after the tenant and your property.

This could include anything from carrying out a credit check on a potential tenant, drawing up a contract, putting together an inventory of contents and the condition of the property when let, to arranging for someone to fix a broken boiler and chasing up money from an errant tenant.

There are mandatory health and safety gas and fire inspections and precautions to be taken. An agent can handle all of this for you.

Lettings agents typically charge about 11% to 17% in fees, and sometimes a one-off charge to locate tenants.

Property investment funds
You don’t have to actually buy a property outright in order to be an investor.

There are a number of property funds, some of which put investors’ money into residential property.

Putting your money into a bigger residential property fund could be a low-cost and stress-fee way to get income from letting property.

Many property fund investments can be purchased through an ISA, which cuts down on income and capital gains tax.

Zoopla’s buy-to-let tips

• If letting to students, you can convert the living room into an extra bedroom, increasing the number of tenants – and your rentals income.
• Modernised properties tend to let quicker and for more money than older homes.
• Check tenant references thoroughly, including credit checks and guarantors.
• Always clean and redecorate after a long tenancy.
• Don’t be greedy. It’s better to hold onto a good tenant paying a sensible rate, rather than ousting them in the hope of someone (probably more demanding) paying more.
• You might find yourself competing with other buy-to-let landlords if you buy on a big development. Either make your property stand out, or consider buying on a smaller site.
• Choose locations near good transports links, a variety of employment and appealing shops and restaurants
• It might be less expensive to remortgage your own home when borrowing money for buy-to-let, rather than getting a buy-to-let mortgage. Get advice from a financial expert.
• Match the tenant to the area. If you live near a good state school, for instance, you could do well renting to families. And young professionals are attracted to areas with lively bars and a good arts scene.
• When choosing a lettings agent, make sure he or she is a member of the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) and/or the National Approved Lettings Scheme, (NALS).
• Look for the next ‘hot spots’ where regeneration, new transport links and employment opportunities are in evidence.
• Prime property holds its value better in a downturn.
• New research shows that period homes hold their value better than new-build property.
• Ask yourself if you can still afford to pay your buy-to-let mortgage if you lost your job, had your hours cut or fell ill?
• Factor in extra cash for maintenance (if you don’t replace that worn carpet every so many years you won’t get a quality tenant).
• If you can manage the property yourself, or even carry out some of the maintenance and repairs, you will make a larger profit.
• Provide a small ‘welcome pack’ (tea, milk, bread, cheese, biscuits, information about the area, and a chilled bottle of wine) for the new tenant. This will help kick off your relationship with the new arrival – hopefully, leading to a long and prosperous
• tenancy.

Whilst every effort has been taken to ensure the above information is up to date, some inaccuracies may occur.

Plenty of good-size homes, a local surge in house prices and retail therapy at Westfield make arty Shepherd’s Bush a favourite with first-time buyers, investors, and couples with young families.

Shepherd’s Bush is four miles west of central London and sits south of  Westway and north of Hammersmith, with Holland Park to the east and Acton to the west. It was probably the place where drovers rested their flocks on the way to Smithfield Market.

At the heart of Shepherd’s Bush, the Green – marooned by surrounding  traffic – recently had a £2 million facelift. Two new playgrounds were installed and a tree-lined boulevard was created, while the listed war memorial was reset on a granite plinth.

Houses and flats for sale in Shepherd’s Bush: Houses are mostly Victorian terraces. Many of the larger properties have been converted into flats but there is also a good supply of family houses. Prices range from over £2 million for a five-bedroom terrace house down to around £200,000 for a studio flat.

The district is an arty one, having attracted a large number of BBC workers over the years. The Television  Centre building was sold to developer Stanhope in 2012 and much BBC output has moved from White City, but these design-conscious owners left a legacy of attractively modernised houses.

Travel: Shepherd’s Bush has excellent transport links and all stations are in Zone 2 with an annual travelcard to Zone 1 costing £1,256.

Shepherd’s Bush is on the London Underground Central line, the London Overground to Clapham Junction, and Southern offers fares to Milton Keynes and between East Croydon and Shepherd’s Bush. White City Tube station is on the Central, Hammersmith & City and Circle lines, while Wood Lane, Shepherd’s Bush Market and Goldhawk Road are on the Hammersmith & City and Circle lines. Bus services include the C1  to Victoria, the No 49 to Kensington High Street and Chelsea, the No 94 to Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus, and the No 148 to Marble Arch and Westminster.

The area attracts: according to Dylan James of the local branch of estate agent Faron Sutaria, price per square foot in Shepherd’s Bush is between £700 and £900, which is cheaper than nearby Fulham. Many home buyers who start their search in Fulham often end up in Shepherd’s Bush, happy to find themselves in a cultural hotspot with excellent transport links.

Buyers are mainly first-timers, investors, and couples with young families, although there is now a smattering of international buyers who like the idea of being close to the Westfield mall.

The prospect of massive regeneration in the White City Opportunity Area is also attracting buyers to Shepherd’s Bush. This 20-year plan could see up to 4,500 homes built and plans are afoot for a new Imperial College campus and an extension to Westfield, including a John Lewis store. The former BBC Television Centre is to be transformed into more than 1,000 homes and a hotel after plans were approved in December.

Staying power: a strong surge in local house prices – 12 per cent last year – has led some families to sell up and move out of Shepherd’s Bush. Typically, young couples stay for three to five years, moving further west or north in search of more green space when they start a family.

Best roads: families make a beeline for houses in Boscombe Road and the Coningham and Lime Grove conservation area, the triangle of streets between Uxbridge Road and Goldhawk Road. Ashchurch Park Villas in the Ravenscourt and Starch Green conservation area is particularly desirable.

The most expensive house in Boscombe Road sold last year for £2 million and in Ashchurch Park Villas the top price was £2.95 million, reached in October 2012.

Up and coming: gradually gaining popularity is the “Flowers Estate” south of Westway and east of Old Oak Road, a garden estate of simple Edwardian houses where street names include Wallflower, Daffodil and Orchard Streets. Estate agent Faron Sutaria has a six-bedroom house for sale on Foxglove Street for £580,000.

History: a sepia postcard shows what looks like an opulent, alabaster compound, perhaps the home of some Indian prince during the days of the Raj. There are gleaming colonnades, onion domes, canals and lakes. Today, this same spot is home to Westfield London shopping centre where Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Miu Miu and Prada echo the extragavant past.

Westfield London was built on a long-derelict plot in Shepherd’s Bush and no one alive remembers the wonders that went before. This was the site of the Franco-British Exhibition of 1908, which was mounted to celebrate the signing of the Entente Cordiale four years earlier. It occupied 140 acres, attracted eight million visitors and sat next to a stadium built for the 1908 Olympic Games. The stadium was demolished in 1985 to make way for a new BBC centre.

All those white buildings became known as the White City, which is how the area north of Shepherd’s Bush got its name. The site went on to host another four international exhibitions before the outbreak of the First World War when it was turned over to the war effort, never to be restored to its former glory.

Open space: Ravenscourt Park has a walled flower garden, a bowling green, children’s playground, café and tennis courts. Holland Park and riverside walks along the Thames are close by. Otherwise green space is in short supply locally.

Ravenscourt Park and Holland Park: the best green spaces in Shepherd’s Bush
Shops and restaurants: High street and luxury brands rub shoulders at Westfield, Europe’s largest shopping centre, which has a street of restaurants along the southern terrace that stay open until midnight Monday to Saturday. The older W12 shopping and leisure centre is in Shepherd’s Bush Green and there are also shops in Goldhawk Road, Askew Road and Uxbridge Road.

Goldhawk Road is a mecca for dressmakers with a good choice of fabric shops frequented by students at the London College of Fashion in Lime Grove. Shepherd’s Bush Market sells everything from clothes, to luggage, to fruit and vegetables. Mr Falafel at the Uxbridge Road end of the market claims to sell the best Palestinian falafel.

Other shops and restaurants to look out for on Goldhawk Road include Patio, a family-run Polish restaurant, A Cooke’s pie and mash shop – although this could be displaced by the market development – Brewdog, a branch of the innovative Scottish craft brewery, and patisserie Fait Maison.

Askew Road has seen an influx of interesting independent shops over the last couple of years with branches of The Ginger Pig butcher and Brackenburys café. Laveli Bakery is another popular daytime hangout. Next door there is Max Inc, specialising in mid-century furniture and its own-designed giant desk lamp.  In Oaklands Grove off Uxbridge Road, Hummingbird Café is another popular place to meet.

The shops along Uxbridge Road serve the local Middle Eastern and Polish communities well – the Lebanese supermarkets have stunning displays of fruit and vegetables. Forrest is an old-fashioned baker and Stuarts London is a smart menswear store. The Bush Hall Dining Rooms sit next door to the Bush Hall music venue and there is a café at the Bush Theatre. Albertine in Wood Lane off the Green is a long-established wine bar with an impressive wine list.

Shepherd’s Bush Market: sells everything from clothes, to luggage, to fruit and vegetables

Leisure and the arts: Shepherd’s Bush is a cultural hotspot. The Bush Theatre, renowned for new writing, has relocated to the old library building in Uxbridge Road where culture vultures also find music venue Bush Hall. Next door The Music House for Children holds music classes and individual tuition covering a range of instruments. The Shepherd’s Bush Empire is a leading music venue on the Green and there are two multiplex cinemas, one in Westfield, the other in the W12 shopping centre.
The nearest council-owned swimming pool is the Janet Adegoke pool in Bloemfontein Road. Queens Park Rangers football team, based at Loftus Road Stadium, are standing second in the Championship this season

Shepherd’s Bush Empire: the leading music venue on the Green
Council: Hammersmith & Fulham council is Tory-controlled and current  Band D council tax is £1,060.90.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE: Three things about Shepherd’s Bush

Where and when did four lads from Liverpool first record for the BBC?
The Beatles first appeared on BBC TV on April 13, 1963. In a session recorded at the Lime Grove Studios, they played From Me To You, Thank You Girl and Please Please Me. The studios were built in 1915, originally for the British film industry. At different times Gaumont, Gainsborough Pictures and Rank Films occupied the site and some of the great names of British cinema worked there, including Alfred Hitchcock and David Lean. The studios were later rebuilt in Art Deco style and from 1949 were acquired by the BBC. Steptoe & Son, Doctor Who, Sooty, Nationwide and Hancock’s Half Hour were among classic TV series produced there. The studios closed in 1992 and were demolished a year later.

Who links Shepherd’s Bush with Cricklewood and Hackney?
Oswald Stoll, the Australian-born British theatre manager and founder of the Stoll Moss theatre group, built the Shepherd’s Bush Empire. It opened as a music hall in 1903 and remains a leading concert venue. Stoll worked extensively with its designer, theatre architect Frank Matcham, who also designed the magnificent Hackney Empire. Stoll also owned the Cricklewood film studios in a former aircraft factory – it opened in 1920 and closed in 1938.

When was the Japanese gateway in Kew Gardens last seen in Shepherd’s Bush?
The huge White City exhibition centre north of Shepherd’s Bush hosted the Japan-British Exhibition in 1910. The gateway – a four-fifths replica of a Buddhist temple entrance, the Gate of Nishi Hongan-ji, in Kyoto – was moved to Kew Gardens in 1911. It still stands there today, close to the pagoda.
Average house prices in Shepherd’s Bush:
One bedroom flat: £365,000
Two bedroom flat: £530,000
Three bedroom house: £907,000
Four bedroom house: £1.43 million
Source: Zoopla

Source: Evening Standard

The five bedroom flat is one of only a tiny handful of homes at One Hyde Park – the world’s most expensive residential block –  to have come onto the lettings market since it was completed three years ago.

The £195,000 monthly rent on the Candy brothers interior designed property is enough to buy a studio outright in many parts of London, while the annual £2.34 million bill would pay for a substantial family home in areas such as Battersea or Chiswick.

The weekly rent is £45,000, about one and a half times the median London salary.

The particulars describe it as a “truly exceptional apartment” suitable for “entertaining on a grand scale” with sweeping views over Hyde Park and the Serpentine on one side and south towards Westminster on the other.

Simon Price, head of super prime lettings at agent Savills, which is handling the One Hyde Park property, said there had already been one offer and interest from several other potential tenants. He said: ”It is the outstanding building of its type in London, there is nothing to match it yet.”

The 9307 sq ft flat – about six times the size of a typical London house – has a 50 metre long hallway stretching almost its entire length, five reception rooms, six bathrooms and access to wine cellars and two parking spaces.

The master bedroom has “his” and “hers” bathrooms and dressing rooms and a south facing balcony terrace. The bathrooms have marble basins, huge walk-in “rain showers” with body jets and freestanding baths.

A family kitchen is fitted with Bulthaup units and Gaggenau appliances and there is also a separate “prep kitchen.” A large dining room can seat ten and there is also a media room, study and “winter salon.”

It comes shortly after a Georgian mansion on Audley Square in Mayfair was offered for rent for £15,000 a week.

It is not known why the owner has decided to rent out the apartment but Land Registry records reveal it was sold to a St Vincent and Grenadines registered offshore vehicle called Motion Incorporation for £56.265 million in February 2011 not long after the building was finished.

The apartment is unusual because it is available on a longer term let. Many of the biggest homes in London’s most exclusive areas are available only on short lets and compete with the biggest “Royal” and “Presidential” suites at the top five star hotels.

A huge six bedroom penthouse flat in a separate block in Knightsbridge is currently being offered for £50,000 a week for a short let or £25,000 for a long let. It was last occupied by a Middle East royal family.

Property experts said the rarified top end of London’s rental sector is being “Candified” in the same way that the “for sale” market was a few years ago.

Mayfair estate agent Peter Wetherell said: ”Even three years ago monthly rents of £60,000 to £80,000 were unusual, now they are becoming more frequent. A rent of £200,000 per month would have been unheard of, yet now a 5 bedroom penthouse in One Hyde Park can command such stratospheric rental values.

“The owners of these super-prime properties, rich Gulf Royals, wealthy African oil and gas traders and Asian billionaires have realised that these properties are often sitting empty for most of the year and are only used infrequently. So they hve now decided to turn them into “cash cows” by releasing them onto the rental market to regenerate income.

“The tenants are the people next in line down the super-rich food chain, the wealthy young overseas Prince, who are often students in London, New York traders on secondment to London, visting rock stars and Hollywood film stars all wanting an uber glam short-stay pad whilst they are in London.”

But Mr Price said there remained a shortage of supply at the top end because many owners preferred to keep their “trophy” London properties empty rather than sully them by renting them out.

He said: ”You lose 10 to 15 per cent of the value if you rent it out because it becomes ‘second hand goods.’ If you leave it empty and fully dressed you can watch it gain five per cent a year. It is like putting fine wine down for ten years and let it gather dust and not touch it.”