Locals work in the City, or law, the arts or the media, they move to W4 in their thirties, trade up the property ladder and often stay for good.
You need considerable earning and borrowing power to buy a Chiswick property. Based on the latest Land Registry figures for the last quarter, the average sale price of a W4 property was over £675,000.
A one-bedroom flat off the High Road costs about £325,000, while a three-bedroom cottage in central Chiswick will set you back £800,000. You can expect to pay £1 million to £1.5 million for a five-bedroom Victorian house in Grove Park; the price tag for a slightly larger house in Bedford Park is between £2.5 million and £3.5 million.
According to a Times Online article published today: ‘The banker, media - and baby - hub in the West’, Chiswick locals tend to work in the City, or law, the arts or the media (the BBC is near by in Shepherds Bush). The area is increasingly international and inspires unusual loyalty. People in their early thirties move in and trade up (when they can afford it) - and often stay on for good, even when the children have grown up and left home.
Pros and cons
The article cites the attraction of the local schools as a reason for the high cost of Chiswick flats and houses. Parents pay a premium to be in the catchment areas of local primary schools Belmont and St Mary’s RC School.
And the downside of living in Chiswick? The noise levels near the A4 and M4 and the Heathrow flight path. Some accuse the place of being too self-satisfied.
The upside of life in W4 includes the numerous transport links, bars, cafes and restaurants on the High Road, a delightful proximity to the river, and strong community pride and a mix of chain and independent retailers, according to Times Online.
