Spring 2026
Issue 18
Horton and Garton Estate Agents
In this edition of West London Property News, we review a steady first quarter across West London, as the spring market takes hold against a backdrop of global uncertainty and rising mortgage costs.
Across Hammersmith, Shepherd’s Bush, Chiswick and the surrounding areas, demand has remained resilient and well-priced homes continue to find buyers.
A market of two stories
Read the headlines and you might think twice about putting your home on the market this spring. Nationally, asking prices have softened slightly year-on-year, mortgage rates have risen, and buyer demand has been consistently lower than last year throughout 2026 so far.
And yet, simultaneously, Nick Candy’s Chelsea mansion sold for more than £270 million – reported by Bloomberg as the biggest single house sale in history. Across town, 60 Curzon, the new Art Deco development on Mayfair’s Curzon Street, has quietly sold more than half of its 32 residences, with prices starting at £10.7 million. Prime assets in the right locations continue to attract serious buyers, whatever the headlines say.
The average property price in West London stands at over £1.17 million, which is nearly double the London average and more than three times the national figure. These are not numbers that move in step with the national indices.
National headlines have never been a good reflection of where the London property market is, especially in sought-after areas. Prime Central London may command the highest prices in the capital, but when it comes to suburban living, our patch of West London is among the most desirable places to reside.
John Horton, Owner and Director
The property market has never been a single story and nowhere is that more true than in West London. What the national data measures and what happens on the ground in W4, W6 and W12 are frequently very different things. The fundamentals here remain intact: exceptional housing stock, outstanding connectivity, strong community identity and consistent demand from buyers who know exactly what they want.
Rightmove’s April data shows that sales being agreed nationally are just 3% behind this time last year – a resilient picture given the current climate – and new listings coming to market are 13% higher than at the same point in 2024, suggesting seller confidence remains largely intact as the spring season gathers momentum. The market is not in retreat. It is recalibrating.
SALES IN WEST LONDON
Desirable homes continue to find buyers
The West London sales market has opened the year in a measured but active state. Buyers are present and motivated, though they remain price-sensitive and selective. Homes that are priced accurately and presented well are attracting strong interest, often with multiple offers early in a campaign. Homes that arrive overpriced are sitting longer and inviting negotiation.
The noise around wider price softening does not reflect what we see on the ground in West London. When a home in Chiswick or Hammersmith is priced correctly and presented well, buyers move quickly. The demand is there. What has changed is that buyers are doing their homework, and they know good value when they see it.
Louise Jones, Sales Manager, Chiswick
The story of prime London in recent weeks reinforces a point that those of us working in desirable postcodes already understand: quality assets continue to attract serious buyers regardless of macro conditions. The homes generating the strongest results are those that give buyers no reason to hesitate – well maintained, sensibly priced and clearly presented from day one.
The West London market continues to benefit from its own structural advantages. Buyers who want W4, W6 or W12 are not easily diverted elsewhere. That depth of local loyalty is one of the reasons our market behaves differently to the national picture, and why we remain confident in its resilience.
Jake Woolford, Sales Manager, Shepherd’s Bush
That gap between registration and offer activity is telling. Buyers coming to us are serious and ready to move – not window shopping. In a market where matching the right buyer to the right home matters more than ever, that quality of applicant makes a significant difference. We’re certainly seeing this on the ground, and our teams’ depth of local knowledge and relationships that come from working one area have served great benefit recently.
Sales agreed across our West London offices are up 62% year on year, supported by twice as many offers being made – an increase of 97% and new buyer registrations up 33% on the same point last year.
George Smith, Sales Manager, Hammersmith
LETTINGS IN WEST LONDON
A more balanced market
The West London lettings market has entered a period of stability after several years of exceptional, and in many cases unsustainable, rental growth.
According to Zoopla’s latest Rental Market Report, rent growth for new lets stands at 1.9%, and Rightmove’s April Rental Trends Tracker confirms that supply has improved and the intense tenant competition seen at the peak of 2022 and 2023 has eased.
For landlords, this means a more predictable market with a consistent and considered pool of tenants, rather than the frenzied conditions that made management more demanding in recent years.
Rental values in West London remain well supported. A steadier rate of growth reflects a market that is maturing and settling into a steadier rhythm, not one in retreat. Tenants are taking more time to make decisions, which tends to translate into longer tenancies and stronger tenant quality for landlords who present their properties well.
Alliyah Shah-Bains, Lettings Manager
A landmark moment for landlords
The biggest change in the coming months is legislative. On May 1st, the Renters’ Rights Act comes into force. The act will abolish no-fault evictions, end fixed-term tenancies in favour of rolling agreements and ban rental bidding wars. It is the most significant reform to the private rental sector in a generation and with 28% of London households privately renting, its impact will be felt here more than almost anywhere else in the country.
For tenants, it brings greater security. For landlords, it marks the beginning of a new chapter, and one that is far more navigable than the headlines might suggest. The fundamentals of property investment remain sound. What changes is the importance of having the right agent in your corner.
We have been working closely with our landlord clients to ensure they are fully informed and ready ahead of May. If you have not yet had that conversation with your agent, now is the right time. We welcome all enquiries from landlords who want to understand what the changes mean for their portfolio and how to get ahead of them with confidence.
Aggie Tukendorf, Lettings Director
Landlords who work with experienced, proactive agents will find this transition straightforward. Those managing properties without professional support, or with agents who are slow to respond to legislative change, may find it considerably less so. The difference between a smooth transition and a stressful one will come down to preparation, compliance and the quality of advice you receive.
Looking ahead
The spring market is open and activity is building, but the context has shifted since the start of the year. The conflict in Iran has introduced sustained uncertainty into financial markets, pushing mortgage rates which is inevitably affecting how some buyers are thinking about their next move.
The more encouraging signals are that the initial shock appears to have passed. Mortgage rates have stabilised over recent weeks, and the number of sales being agreed nationally has remained broadly steady. Buyer affordability has also improved in other ways; average earnings are up 3.9% year-on-year according to the Office for National Statistics, outpacing the softening in asking prices and helping to support buyer affordability despite higher mortgage costs.
The lettings picture offers a similar message of cautious stability. Rents are still rising, but the pace has slowed and tenants have more choice than at any point in the past three years. For landlords considering bringing a property to market, the window remains positive, but realistic pricing and strong presentation are no longer optional.
To talk to Horton and Garton about your property plans, please do get in touch.
