New homes in London's Zone 1 on a Zone 2 budget
Our exclusive research shows a "price wall" formed by the Northern line, with property values to the east less than half those in the west. We reveal the emerging lower-value districts in Zone 1 for buyers on a Zone 2 budget.
Embassy exodus returns acres of central London to its residents
As the embassies exit Mayfair and Marylebone, their former bases will free up stunning family homes. While the move of many embassies to Nine Elms at Vauxhall is creating a new residential quarter including thousands of new apartments.
Oxford spotlight
The small city of Oxford is famous for its university and honeyed stone architecture, but its huge range of property - from affordable new homes to luxurious Victorian houses - and one hour commute to London, are big attractions to home buyers.
Brighton spotlight
The East Sussex city of Brighton and Hove offers its residents the best of both worlds: a relaxed life at one end of the line within an hour's commute of London, and a good mix of Regency terrace houses, seafront apartments and family homes.
Jasper Conran: my design London
Jasper Conran, designer and CEO of The Conran Shop, is a champion of cutting-edge British design. Here he reveals his favourite London-based designers, interiors pieces and fabric shops - and shares his top tips for transforming a room.
Find a rated tradesman
Want to add value to your property, make your house a home, or sell your place fast? With 1,000s of tradesmen nationwide, rated and recommended by previous customers, this is the smart way to find a reputable tradesman.
Buy of the week: Putney Hill, SW15
This glossy new apartment just off Putney Hill has two bedrooms and two bathrooms, plus a bright open-plan reception space with floor-to-ceiling windows and spectacular skyline views.
Out of town: Wigginton, Oxfordshire
This three-bedroom Grade II-listed thatch in the pretty village of Wigginton, near Banbury, is a tempting package of beams, wood burners and cottage gardens.
Life-changer: Tiverton, Devon
A five-bedroom house set in a valley at Cheriton Fitzpaine, Tiverton, surrounded by farmland and sweeping gardens, with B&B potential and a garage block ripe for conversion.
East Grinstead spotlight
East Grinstead in West Sussex is 30 miles south of the capital in the High Weald. The town's exclusive gated estates attract celebrity home buyers such as Tom Cruise, while London families are drawn to the area's good mix of period homes and modern flats.-
Buy of the week: Putney Hill, SW15
This glossy new apartment just off Putney Hill has two bedrooms and two bathrooms, plus a bright open-plan reception space with floor-to-ceiling windows and spectacular skyline views. -
Out of town: Wigginton, Oxfordshire
This three-bedroom Grade II-listed thatch in the pretty village of Wigginton, near Banbury, is a tempting package of beams, wood burners and cottage gardens. -
Life-changer: Tiverton, Devon
A five-bedroom house set in a valley at Cheriton Fitzpaine, Tiverton, surrounded by farmland and sweeping gardens, with B&B potential and a garage block ripe for conversion.
Property search
South West Trains services announce addition of new carriages
From May 2013, more than 100 new carriages will be added to South West Trains services, providing space for an extra 23,000 peak-time commuters, reports Ruth Bloomfield
There will be room for 23,000 extra peak-time passengers on key South West Trains routes from May 2013
Services that will benefit are among the busiest in Europe and include those from Windsor and Eton (Riverside), Weybridge via Brentford and Staines, Hounslow via Richmond and Brentford. Services from Reading will also be upgraded.
The new carriages will be introduced from May 2013, extending the current eight-carriage average to 10.
There will also be extra services from Reading and Waterloo during peak times once sections of the former Waterloo International terminal, mothballed since 2007 when Eurostar moved to King’s Cross, come back into use in 2014.
“Work is well under way, with platform extensions at 66 stations across the South West Trains network to allow longer trains to run on some routes,” says a South West Trains spokeswoman.
“The main objective is to improve capacity on the network. We operate one of the busiest commuter networks in the UK and passenger numbers are continuing to grow, therefore capacity is a significant issue that needs to be addressed.”
In fact, according to the latest figures from the Department for
Transport, overcrowding on South West Trains, and indeed all London commuter
services, is increasing. One in five rush hour passengers is forced to stand on
their way to work. At peak times the average South West Trains service runs at
3.3 per cent above the maximum passenger capacity its carriages were designed
to take.
All commuters face season ticket fare increases of up to six per
cent in the New Year, while a recent study by the TUC found the amount of time
people are taking to get to and from work in London is increasing and now
stands at an average 77 minutes for men and 73 minutes for women.
More articles
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New homes awards 2013
Judged by a panel of Evening Standard readers and presented by comedian Vic Reeves, this year’s new homes awards winners have everything that buyers want — inventive design, wow-factor interiors, eco-friendly features, glamour — and great value.
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London's top property growth areas
Wise homebuyers can get ahead of the curve by buying in London's potential growth areas, thanks to new transport links, regeneration projects and the arrival of iconic new buildings such as the Shard.
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New Homes Awards 2013: the winners
This year's London Evening Standard New Homes Awards, hosted by comedian Vic Reeves and England rugby captain Chris Robshaw, praised thoughtful design and spacious interiors at a range of new homes developments.
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New homes in London's Zone 1 on a Zone 2 budget
Our exclusive research shows a "price wall" formed by the Northern line, with property values to the east less than half those in the west. We reveal the emerging lower-value districts in Zone 1 for buyers on a Zone 2 budget.
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Hot homes: Clerkenwell
We take a property tour along the cobbled streets of Clerkenwell - where loft living began - to discover lateral apartments within dramatic warehouse conversions, charming Georgian town houses and walk-to-work City crashpads.
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Property search: budget under £450,000
This week we uncover a two-bedroom apartment in Putney Hill with spectacular views, a three-bedroom thatch cottage in the pretty village of Wigginton and a five-bedroom house with 3,000 sq ft of land.
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Diary of an estate agent
A Fulham lettings agent gives herself a week off the gym after climbing up and down stairs to and from top-floor flats all day - and has an awkward encounter with a half-naked client during a property viewing.
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Homes gossip: rent a home in Crosby Row in Borough
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Homes gossip: James Dyson is searching for farmland in Oxfordshire
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Homes gossip
Live moments away from Nelson's Column in one of Liz Hurley's favourite spots; James Dyson is looking for more farmland; Marc Anthony has bought a Californian home; and the chance to rent in Crosby Row.
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