Whether you live in London or are thinking of moving to the capital, it’s a good time to consider alternatives to living centrally. With house prices and rental rates being shaken up across the city, the outer zones have plenty to offer. We showcase the best places to live in London zones 5-6, ranking the top scorers from our residents’ reviews.
The COVID effect: Londoners drifting outwards
The ‘new normal’ of living through the pandemic continues to change people’s priorities about where they live. Our 2021 National Build to Rent Report found that tenants rated zones 5 and 6 significantly higher for location during 2020 than in the previous year.
The need for more space – particularly outside space – in London is causing buyers and renters to look towards the outer zones. With remote working more common now as well, being in central London isn’t as important as it once was.
With houses up to £700,000 cheaper in zone 6 compared to zone 1, outer zones’ prices are appealing. At the same time, they still offer the ability to commute into central London when needed. This, combined with growing investment in areas within zones 5-6 is causing buyers to take note.
Zone 6 went from a 9% bump in the number of property purchases in September 2019 (compared to 2018), to a whopping 108% increase between 2019-2020. Zone 5 wasn’t far behind, going from an 8% rise in 2019 to 103% in 2020. Recent data puts the average asking price for properties in zones 5 and 6 was £379,685 and £459,918, respectively.
London property market analysts are predicting that demand for property in the central zones will return, but it’s hard to say when. For now, zones 5 and 6 are the ‘new favourite’ for house hunters looking to access London’s quieter side.
The 10 best places to live in London zones 5-6 according to residents
These 10 best zone 5 and 6 locations are made up of the new homes developments with the highest overall star ratings. Click on any of the listed developments below, and you’ll see its rating. There’s also a breakdown of how residents rate various categories, and the full list of reviews.
All of these developments average more than 4.1 stars across dozens if not hundreds of individual reviews. Clearly, the outer zones of London are getting a lot of positive attention and residents are increasingly happy there.
Our Hayes top scorer, be:here Hayes is part of the Old Vinyl Factory development, which means residents have great access to local restaurants, leisure amenities and a top-notch music venue. Residents like how sunny, open and green the development is, with lots of communal facilities (including a popular rooftop terrace) making a big difference. The management team are roundly praised in reviewers’ comments for their outstanding service during lockdown.
Heading down to Croydon (zone 5), we have the short-term letting scheme The Quarters Croydon, which offers residents a stylish and convenient base in this thriving South London suburb. There are 151 high-specification studios at the development, with Croydon station only a 4-minute walk away. Trains reach London Bridge in just 14 minutes, while Gatwick Airport is also easily accessible.
At number three in the list we have Bradstowe House, located in the heart of Harrow (zone 5). Its central location and light, airy interior design get a big thumbs up from residents. The same goes for the gym, lounge and range of small extra services and facilities.
In fourth place, Fizzy Hayes UB3 is a residential development of one, two and three-bedroom apartments, managed by Greystar. It’s in south Hayes, right near Hayes & Harlinton Station, and just a short drive from London Heathrow Airport. Also, the development sits between two popular green spaces – Minet Country Park and Lake Farm Country Park.
A Crest Nicholson development, Regents Place is a selection of apartments located just off Bromley High Street. Bromley train station is only a two-minute walk away, where residents benefit from its regular London Victoria service or further afield to Kent via Ashford and Sevenoaks services. Our residents voted it into fifth place.
Taking the sixth spot in our list, Papermill House is a new residential development by Galliard Homes, located in Romford and within travel proximity to London. Residents praise the property and management teams, love the ‘clean and modern’ design, and enjoy using the top-floor roof terrace.
At number seven, Stanmore Place is a residential development by Berkeley St Edward that offers a selection of one, two, three, four and five-bedroom apartments and houses in Harrow. Canon’s Park Underground station is in close proximity to the development and is served by the Jubilee line, which offers services into Central London. The nearest railway station is Harrow and Wealdstone, which is less than five miles away.
Chipping Barnet’s Brook Valley Gardens comes in at number eight. Its residents love the different green spaces, park, community centre and nursery on site. They also enjoy its many eco-friendly factors, as the development has plenty of solar panels, water butts and electric vehicle charging stations dotted around. It also sits just a short walk from High Barnet station, giving direct access to central London within 20 minutes.
Alma Estate, by Countryside, comprises of 993 one, two and three-bedroom homes. Originally built in the 1960s, the development has been recently regenerated to include shops, a gym, a medical centre and other facilities. Alma Estate is a short walk from both Ponders End station and Brimsdown station. Alma Estate has been reviewed into the penultimate position.
Sharing the last spot with Drayton Garden Village below, St Mark’s Square is a U+I development that offers one and two-bedroom apartments located in the heart of Bromley. The development is just a two-minute walk from Bromley South station, which offers trains to Victoria Station in 16 minutes as well as connections to London Blackfriars and Kentish Town.
Joint tenth, Drayton Garden Village is a large, mixed-use development with 775 residential units with a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments and studios as well as a range of one, two, three, four and five-bedroom apartments. The development is only a 5-minute walk away from Stockley Park Recreation Grounds and a 17-minute walk away from West Drayton station, which has links to GWR services.
Want to live in the outer zones but fancy being a little closer to the centre of the action? We also have a guide on the best developments in zone 4. Otherwise, our ‘Top Rated’ section has plenty of other guides to specific London boroughs and areas.
HomeViews provides verified resident reviews of the UK’s housing developments. We’re working with developers, landlords and the Government to recognise high performers and help to improve standards in the built environment.
