This is a sponsored article on behalf of Catalyst.
Looking to buy a home of your own in London? The sheer size of the capital means it can be tricky to know where to start. You want great transport links to the city centre, but also a neighbourhood with a life of its own. You want an aesthetically pleasing and smartly designed place to hang your hat, but it's also got to be affordable.
Well, luckily for you, one up-and-coming corner of west London has it all. Welcome to Southall.
Located just a 17 minute train journey from Paddington, Southall is an absolute gem of a neighbourhood that oozes character. It's home to the largest Punjabi community outside of India and boasts some of the best curry houses in London. The Broadway, the area's main thoroughfare, is awash with shops selling sarees, spices, and sweets, and nestled just off the high street is one of London's last 'proper' markets, which offers brilliant value fruit and veg.
If you fancy a dose of culture, you're also a mere stone's throw from the Beck Theatre — and once the Elizabeth line launches, you'll be able to get to the West End in less than 20 minutes (and Heathrow in under ten). Southall is also undergoing significant regeneration, with £7.7 million being spent on improving the area's streets and shop fronts, and public spaces.
The Southall property market is booming right now, with prices having grown by 30%* over the last five years. Yet it remains affordable, especially compared to the rest of west London, with the average Southall property costing £380,000 less than in neighbouring Ealing.
With a wide range of properties here to help new buyers get on the property ladder, Catalyst has become Southall's leading developer. Across Catalyst's three Southall developments — ARRO, Southall Village, and Aspire at St Bernard's Gate — you'll find properties that offer all sorts of routes to home ownership, from Shared Ownership studio flats to three-bedroom Help to Buy houses. Let's have a little explore, shall we?
First up, there's ARRO. This stylish collection of studio, one and two-bedroom Shared Ownership apartments is part of the Southall Waterside regeneration project, which is bringing restaurants, shops, canal walkways and even a brand new cinema to the area. Prices start at £65,625 for a 25% share of a studio apartment (full market value £262,500).
With Shared Ownership, you need only stump up a deposit and mortgage repayments for the share you buy (and pay subsidised rent on the rest), making it a much more accessible route to home ownership. Find out more about it here.
You can also get your hands on a Shared Ownership home at Aspire, St Bernard's Gate. This development is situated on historic grounds, close to the Grade II listed St Bernard's Chapel and gatehouse arch. Aspire, St Bernard's Gate is just ten minutes' walk from Hanwell Station, which runs a 14 minute service to Paddington, and nearby tube stations are served by the Piccadilly, Central, and District lines.
Prices here start at £78,750 for a 25% share of a one bedroom apartment (full market value £315,000). Alternatively, Help to Buy Equity Loans, whereby the government lends you up to 40% of the cost of your newly built home, are available.
Finally, there's Southall Village, where Help to Buy is also available. This award-winning regeneration scheme is located close to Grand Union Canal and — when completed — will comprise of 1,200 new homes, surrounded by landscaped green space. Just a handful of these sought-after homes remain — if you're looking to snap up a stunning three-bedroom house in the area, now's your chance.
Three-bedroom homes at Southall Village start from £547,000 through Help to Buy.
If ARRO, Aspire at St Bernard's Gate, or Southall Village, have tickled your fancy, register your interest today via Catalyst's website. This London housing association has loads more properties in other parts of the capital, too — click here to have a browse.
