Kidbrooke Village London SE3
Kidbrooke Village is one of the largest regeneration areas in London and as it's made by Berkeley Homes, it's also one of the highest quality projects around.
Just because it's a well-known and highly trusted developer with a good track record for picking property hotspots, doesn't mean you should forgo your due diligence.
Here are 14 essential questions to ask before investing in Kidbrooke Village, though you can, and should ask them before you invest in any development.
Location
1. What is the closest town with 50,000 or more people?
Knowing the nearest largest town is not essential but helps give you an idea of the size of the area you are investing in and its surrounding areas.
Kidbrooke is in London which has a population of 7,556,900.
2. Closest major city to development? How far?
As above, we want you to know the nearest city to the development. It's all part of getting you to know about the development.
Our development is located in London
3. What motorways are within easy distance (within 10 mins)?
Motorway links are important, as are connecting roads, especially outside of London as many people commute by car to their jobs.
The A2 (Motorway) is 0.4 miles (1-minute drive)
A205 (South Circular) is 0.2 miles (less than a 1-minute drive) M25 is 9.6 miles (15-minute drive)
4. Where is the closest airport?
Historically, as an airport in an area expands, so does the demand for property in the area. Many people in the UK go on holiday at least once a year and being within driving distance to an airport is something that a tenant will find beneficial.
London City Airport is less than 9 miles away by car. This is under a 20-minute drive.
5. What are the closest mainline train stations/Tube?
Being within driving distance of a train station is great. Although many people outside of London commute by car to their everyday jobs, being close to a train station means people can commute further afield.
Kidbrooke rail station is within a 10-minute walk. Eltham rail station is approximately 15 minutes walk away.
6. Where are the universities?
A good local university means a local student population. A student population means there is further demand for rental property in the area. This doesn’t mean you have to let your property to a student, but what it does mean is that the students take up a proportion of the property available to let, the meaningless choice for other tenants.
There are loads of universities in London. Check out:
The University of Greenwich is just 5 minutes away!
7. What supermarkets are nearby?
People don’t want to travel miles to do their weekly shopping. Having a supermarket within driving distance is more convenient than anything and having this close by means you are not restricting who you can let to.
Local shops are just a few minutes away on foot. There are many supermarkets within short driving distance. Don’t forget, our development itself will create restaurants, retail bars and cafes!
8. Where is the closest local shop that sells bread, paper and milk?
Again, not many people want to spend a great deal of time getting an everyday item. Being walking distance to a local shop/ newsagent is something that any tenant would look for.
Local shops are just a few minutes away on foot.
9. What large organisations/industries are present in the area?
Large organisations/ industries in an area generally mean a large amount of employment. It is vital to know about the local employment as this is something you need to consider when purchasing a property. Will local residents be able to afford what I am looking to achieve in rent?
We are on the doorstep of the City of London! Many of the local residents will commute to and from the City. With so many places within an easy reach and Kidbrooke Station being redeveloped, it will prove to be in massive demand!
Future in the area
10. What are the local council / Government / private investor plans for the area?
This part is much to do with the regeneration and redevelopment of an area. If an area is being regenerated it usually refers to new roads, transport links, local facilities and new property in the area. All of which will have a positive impact on how the area is perceived and it all adds to the demand for the area as it becomes a better and better place to live in.
Our development itself is one of Europe’s biggest regeneration projects!
Just type in “Kidbrooke Village regeneration” or “Kidbrooke Village redevelopment” into Google and see what come up.
We got: “Thousands of people in Kidbrooke are set to benefit from a complete rebuilding of their area…”
“Resolution to grant planning permission for the £1 bn regeneration of the Ferrier Estate in South East London…”
“Greenwich Council has approved the second phase of Kidbrooke’s Ferrier Estate redevelopment project…”
Look at what has happened to prices at Greenwich, Blackheath or even Stratford. Our area is undergoing a massive makeover. They are flushing out all the bad and developing a sustainable community that will see prices shoot up in the immediate area and surroundings.
The development will create new jobs, attract young professionals to the area, become a sought-after place by commuters for travelling into London, and it will provide its own retail stores, bars and cafes!
It will attract plenty more visitors to the area as well as investment.
We can see the areas surrounding ours, or even adjacent to where the property prices are comparatively higher – it is only a matter of time before Kidbrooke Village becomes one of London’s most sought-after developments.
11. What's the history of the area?
The area may be a bustling cosmopolitan town now, but what was the area like a few years ago? This section helps you to get an idea of what the area was like before.
‘Kidbrooke’ is an Anglo Saxon name meaning ‘the brook where the kites were seen’. It suggests that Kidbrooke was not settled when it was named. It has three streams and heavy, wet clay, so would have been unsuitable for Saxon development.
By the late 11th or 12th century, however, Kidbrooke had a church and presumably a small population – although it didn’t last. By 1428 the church had no priest, and by 1494 it was derelict.
The area remained rural until Kidbrooke Station opened in 1895, farming dominated the area up to the 1930s. After then, development was rapid, especially after the Rochester Way was built. Now all that is left of the farmland is a sports field and a part of the ancient village green.
Residents in SE3 have a low affluence rating. This may relate to age, as wealth tends to be built up over time.
12. What are the credit ratings of people who live there like?
A credit rating assesses the creditworthiness of an individual, corporation, or even a country. Credit ratings are calculated from financial history and current assets and liabilities. Typically, a credit rating tells a lender or investor the probability of the subject being able to pay back a loan.
Based on Cameo financial risk, in SE3 the ratio of good credit accounts and bad credit accounts across the area is as follows. A good credit account is one with payments made on time. A bad credit account is or has been, in arrears.
1 bad account in every 9 accounts
In SE3 9YU the average checkmyfile.com Credit Score for all households, based on the Cameo financial risk is 811
13. What are the locals like? Get a feel for the culture.
The type of population living in an area can be found out from www.checkmyarea.com. Anything that we find out of the norm with local residents will also be noted here.
There are few children living in this area. The adults are typically aged between 18 and 44 years. Households consist of young and older singles and couples. The population density at this postcode is approximately twice the national average. The people living here are in general qualified to a very high level and the typical employment type is classified as professional or white and blue collar. Unemployment stands at 12% higher than the national average, and the industry sector is defined as consisting of the service industry, for example, tourism, retail, transport/distribution and catering or intellectual services, for example, IT, scientific research, education and consulting. The number of directors is 71% higher than the national average.
The level of investors in this area is the national average and the financial risk associated with this postcode is classified as being roughly 87% of the national average.
Area comparables
14. What are the local letting agents saying? Give them a call and ask!
5 letting agents the area and what they have to say about investment opportunities in Kidbrooke Village
- Alex Neil
- The Old Bakery, 63 Tranquil Vale, London, SE3 0BP
- Tel: 020 8297 8800 – Gilbert stated that there is much more demand than supply in the area. There is a lack of 1 bed to rent in the area. He knows about the regeneration plans and states that our 1beds will be able to achieve £900pcm quite easily. 2 beds should get £1,100.
- Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward
- 25-27 Montpelier Vale, London, SE3 0TJ
- Tel: 020 8297 0181 – Ross quoted £1,000pcm for our apartments. He is aware of the vast regeneration in our development and states that it will have a positive impact on the immediate and surrounding areas. 2 beds should achieve £1,200.
- Winkworth
- 5 Blackheath Village, London, SE3 9LA
- Tel: 020 8852 0999 – Guy states that there is a “massive demand for apartments in the area.” He believes that up to £900pcm will be achievable for our apartments. 2 beds should achieve £1,100pcm.
- Acorn Lettings Direct
- 223-225 Lewisham High Street, London, SE13 6LY
- Tel: 0208 378 1223 – spoke to Joe. He states that £900pcm is easily achievable for 1-bed apartments and they should rent within a week! 2 beds should achieve £1,100.
- Oliver Field Associates
37 Tranquil Vale, London, SE3 0BU
Tel: 020 8297 1812 – Olly advises that the 1 beds apartments should rent for £900 – £950pcm and 2 beds for £1,100 – £1,200pcm. He stated that the average time to rent properties in the area is between 1 & 2 weeks. He also states that a lot of young professionals are moving to the area due to the great commuter links to London.
