This west London suburb could never be accused of seeking the limelight so discovering how much it has to offer comes as a pleasant surprise.
Only 20 minutes from Heathrow, it’s at the end of a branch of the Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines, and very convenient for the M25 and M40
The town centre has had a makeover, it’s home to Brunel University and decent schools, and boasts enough opens spaces and indoor attractions to help keep the kids entertained until the start of term.
There are plenty of waterside walks, too, as the Grand Union Canal and three rivers run through the town.
This being Metro-Land – Sir John Betjeman’s name for the growth of suburbs along the Metropolitan line – homes typically date from the 1920s and 1930s.
You’ll find Victorian cottages in The Greenway and Rockingham Bridge, both conservation areas, and 1950s-70s and more recently built homes throughout Uxbridge, starting at about £230,000 for a one-bedroom flat.
The biggest and priciest properties are in Ickenham, just north of the A40.
‘Ickenham is the most aspirational part of the area, and in The Drive, the most aspirational road, prices range from £1.5million to £5m or £6m,’ says Neil Ret of Robsons estate agency.
What’s new in the area?
The most central development is Randalls, a Grade II-listed art deco former department store that Inland Homes has transformed into 14 open-plan apartments, alongside 41 new-builds.
Features such as windows, signage and shutters have been retained in the original building and the scheme has sold so well that only two homes are left: a spacious first-floor studio and a second-floor one-bedroom apartment, both £335,000 with Help to Buy available.
178 Harefield Road is also in walking distance of the town centre and comprises seven apartments with high-spec interiors, parking and a communal garden.
Three remain – a one-bedder at £374,999 and a pair of two-bedders at £439,999 each, all with Help to Buy.
Frays Court, on the banks of the Frays River, consist of 23 one and two-bedroom apartments with parking, half a mile from the station. Help to Buy’s on offer here, too, from £292,000.
Just off The Drive in Ickenham is Harefield Place, 25 luxury two and three-bed apartments in over eight acres of grounds with a lake, private wellness centre, a tennis court and secure underground parking.
A mix of classically styled conversions in a restored Georgian mansion and new-builds, they start from £850,000.
Everything potential buyers need to know about Uxbridge
Average house price: £510,920
Average rent: £1,434 pcm
Council tax (Band D): £1,658.87
Commuting time to Zone 1: Under 40 mins to Baker Street
Annual Travelcard (Zone 6): £2,812
Amenities: Two shopping centres – The Chimes and The Pavilions; independents in Windsor Street; try The WatersEdge, the Swan & Bottle and the General Eliott for good food; Odeon IMAX cinema; Compass Theatre; Hillingdon lido
Open space: Fassnidge Park; Uxbridge Common; Swakeleys Park; Rockingham Recreation Ground; Grand Union Canal
Schools: GCSE results are above average; majority of schools judged as outstanding or good by Ofsted though some require improvement
Crime: Below average, apart from vehicle crime
Who lives there? Families, first-time buyers and students
Schools, crime and house price data supplied by Zoopla.
What’s on the property ladder?
£250,000
This one-bed first-floor maisonette is in a prime town centre position and a few minutes’ walk from the station. Has a garden and is being sold chain-free.
Check it out at Gibbs Gillespie.
£525,000
A four-bed, two-bathroom semi-detached house with a large garden, off-street parking and the potential to add an extension subject to planning permission.
Check it out at Lakin & Co.
£1.75million
This gated detached house on a private road in Ickenham includes four beds, a kitchen/breakfast room with bifold doors out to the patio and a wood burner in the sitting room.
Check it out at Savills.
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