Property insider: Twickenham

Sitting on a bend of the Thames about 10 miles south-west of central London, Twickenham is famously the home of English rugby, but it’s also a much-loved residential suburb.

It’s champions are its loyal population of professionals and families, who having discovered the area, tend to stay and move in to large Victorian villas and smart Thirties semis that sit on tree-lined roads in Twickenham, or to the idyllic riverside villages of St Margarets and Strawberry Hill.

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According to local agent Dusan Jaksic, a director at Chase Buchanan, although there is a lot of local movement, this is not an area homebuyers just stumble across. Many have friends or family living within the area before they discover it.

“There is a real mix of buyers, with the natural progression of renting and then moving up through the property ladder, starting from first-time buyers looking at one-bedroom flats that are priced from around £170,000," he says.

The absence of a Tube station is made up for by the three mainline train stations in the local area - at Twickenham, Strawberry Hill and St Margaret's - with frequent services to London Waterloo taking about half an hour. Twickenham is also within easy reach of the A3, M3 and M4 motorways and is just six miles from London Heathrow.

Property insider: Dusan Jaksic, Chase Buchanan

What properties are typical to the area?
The two main types of property that are scattered throughout the suburb are Victorian and Thirties homes, many of which are conversions. There are also patches of Georgian and Edwardian homes, along with some cottages close to Twickenham Green and riverside new-build developments.

Which buyers are attracted to the area?
Many buyers already live in the area, or at least in the Richmond borough, but we also get quite a few people moving from areas such as Ealing, Chiswick, Putney and Sheen. This is a massive commuter area into and out of London due to the frequent train services to Waterloo and the convenient road links.

Where are the 'hottest' properties?
Roads such as Lebanon Park, Montpelier Row, Strawberry Hill Road, Walpole Gardens and Cole Park Road all have large, imposing Victorian family homes. There are also some new-build riverside apartments that are popular, including Eyot Lodge in the grounds of Thames Eyot.

Where are the 'hidden gems'?
The Grove and Chestnut Road have predominately two- to three-bedroom cottages and are a bit further out of Twickenham on the Strawberry Hill side of town. Stanley Road is also an area with slightly cheaper prices for large Victorian houses and conversion flats.

Where are the best investment opportunities?
Any flats in the central Twickenham area, particularly in Queen's Road, will make good rental investments, as they let easily. There is also a big development next to the rugby ground called Varsity Drive. Lettings have been in short supply this year because many tenants are staying put.

How is local parking?
All central roads have residents’ parking permits. Generally there is a good number of meters and car parks and many of the Thirties houses have off-street parking.

What are service charges in the area like?
Service charges in this area are pretty reasonable and are at the lower end of the scale, typically between £800 to £1,000 a year. There are a few blocks that charge up to £4,000, such as the apartments at Thames Eyot, with fees including heating, hot water, porterage and fantastic communal gardens leading out to the river.

What are your favourite viewings to show potential buyers?
Houses that either have real character or where the owners have done something a bit special.

If money were no object, where would you buy in this area?
If you had a lot of money you would live in Montpelier Row - there are some lovely Georgian houses there, or in Lebanon Park.

Dusan Jaksic is a Director at Chase Buchanan's Twickenham office

All properties are available at time of publication