In the town of Acton, transport links are second to none and it’s become one of the best places to live in the capital with transformative regeneration projects and a number of new-build developments, making this area a growing property investment hotspot.
Located within the London Borough of Ealing, Acton was previously well-known for heavy industry. But now, it’s mainly a residential area with some light industry from its past. It’s located in between the districts of Ealing and Shepherds Bush.
Acton is where the supermarket Waitrose started as Waite, Rose and Taylor on the High Street. Across the district, there are a range of restaurants serving food from across the globe, including the charming Polish restaurant Miod Melina, the highly-rated Chinese restaurant My Old China and the interesting Japanese restaurant Hasu Sushi.
Also, Acton Market is a community and social enterprise project that offers a mix of fashion, jewellery and food stalls. Park + Bridge is an independent wine shop, and next door is a wine bar called Vindinsta. English Butchers off Churchfield Road is another favourite by locals.
Additionally, Acton is close to some luscious green space. The nearby Gunnersbury Park has more than 185 acres of parkland and ornamental gardens, a pond, museum and new sports facility. In the heart of the district, Acton Park has a café, pond, playground, bowling green, mini golf course and tennis courts.
The famous Kew Gardens has more than 50,000 living plants and is about two miles away. And the London Transport Museum Depot, housing 370,000 items, is also located right in Acton. With a growing number of leisure and cultural offerings, Acton has been named one of the top up-and-coming places to live in recent years.
As one of the best-connected areas in all of London, Acton is serviced by the TfL Rail and the Overground, in addition to the Underground’s Central, District and Piccadilly lines. This makes it easy to get just about anywhere in London and beyond.
There are a whopping seven stations in and around Acton. Five of the stations are in Zone 3 and two, Easton Acton and North Acton, are in Zone 2. The Acton Main Line Station will be part of the new Crossrail network, providing trains that will take only six-minutes to get to Central London.
It’s a great commuting location for professionals, in addition to students at some of the top universities globally. Imperial College, the University of West London and the Royal College of Art are all easy to reach. Much of the recent growing popularity of Acton as a hub for tenants and investors is linked to Crossrail.
On top of that, the new Old Oak Common train station is only two miles from the heart of Acton and will be the only place where Crossrail meets HS2 in London. This will provide rapid access to the North of England, halving current journey times to Manchester.
These strong transport links will bring further growth to the area and make it a prime area for businesses looking to expand, which will likely bring more professionals to the area in the coming years.
Ambitious infrastructure and regeneration projects are attracting businesses and residents to the area. This is bringing new amenities to the area, including schools, shops and 65,000 jobs.
The Chiswick Business Park, which saw its last building constructed in 2015, is close to Acton and home to FTSE 100 companies and major global corporations, such as Disney, Mitsubishi, Sony and Starbucks.
New property developments are also on the way as it’s becoming a booming location to live, work and invest in. Contemporary apartments with attractive facilities are bringing forward more high-quality housing to keep up with the growing demand locally.
As a whole, West London is an especially attractive area to live in and is a very green part of the capital. Predominantly situated within the W3 postcode, Acton has a diverse population that’s expected to grow dramatically in the years to come.
Acton has proven to be a great area for those looking for larger properties, which have been in higher demand since the COVID-19 pandemic. In Acton, the average house price in the past year was £661,977, according to data from Rightmove. Sold prices were also up 10% on the previous year.
It’s a great place to live for renters and buyers looking for quick commuting times. The rental market for new-build homes in particular is being driven by corporate relocations, and young professionals are drawn to the area by high-status positions. And with more jobs coming to the area, this will only further boost Acton’s property market.
Previously, Acton has been overlooked as a property investment location in West London. It’s an up-and-coming area with more room for growth in terms of house prices and rental demand, prices and yields.
Homes located near the local rail stations are expected to see some of the strongest house price and rental growth, which could make these properties more reliable long-term investments.
Once HS2 and Crossrail are fully up and running, this will likely have a significant impact on property and rental values, which is already being seen in other parts of London where Crossrail stations are operating.
Acton’s exciting regeneration plans are making it an even more attractive location to invest in, particularly for overseas investors looking for an area with more room for growth and strong long-term investment prospects.