Why you should buy in Brentford, London’s fast-growing suburb

Just west of Chiswick and across the river from Kew Gardens, Brentford offers something for everyone.

It has a historic heart, waterside walks – along the Grand Union Canal and River Brent as well as the Thames – green spaces, an easy commute by rail and swift access to Heathrow and the West Country via the M4, which snakes above its northern edge.

Regeneration is sweeping through the area, delivering a number of large developments alongside improved amenities.

Victorian terraces and conversions, 1930s houses, waterside flats in 1970s-built Brentford Dock and even houseboats are among the options for purchasers.

There are handsome Georgian houses in the Butts, a conservation area that’s hardly changed in two centuries, and clusters of shiny new apartment blocks along the river.

‘Traditionally buyers have been locals, but the new homes are attracting people from Canary Wharf and Nine Elms,’ says Dyaun Harvey of estate agency Johns & Co. ‘The entry point in the area is around £325,000 and it is still much more affordable than Kew, Chiswick, Richmond and Ealing.’

What’s new in the area?

This autumn, the first residents will be moving into The Brentford Project, Ballymore’s major regeneration scheme located at the point where the Thames meets the River Brent.

It will be made up of 876 homes, and future plans include revitalising the southern half of the high street and reconnecting it with the waterfront, and bringing in new shops, restaurants, pubs and cafés.

Studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments in the latest phase, The Whele, sit on the water’s edge and currently start from £470,000 for a one-bedder, thebrentfordproject.com.

On the first floor of a modern block with a communal garden and cinema room, this one-bedroom flat has an open-plan kitchen/living room and underfloor heating.

A three-bedroom, ex-local authority semi-detached house with a conservatory, ground floor bathroom, a good-sized garden and off-street parking.

This handsome five-bedroom detached house, located in the Butts, dates back to the 18th century and includes sash windows, open fireplaces, panelling and a walled garden.