Acton has successfully cast off its image as Chiswick’s ‘poorer cousin’, becoming a popular and vibrant part of West London. Attracting new investment and residents with ease, Acton’s star is on the rise. But where are the best places to live in Acton right now? Let’s ask the residents who live there.
What is Acton famous for?
Like most of London, Acton has a long and storied history that dates back over 1,000 years. The first recorded mention of Acton was in 1181, but it’s likely that it started as an Anglo-Saxon settlement. Its name even means Oak Town in Saxon.
Since then, Acton has enjoyed a range of specialities. In the 1600s and 1700s, the London gentry kept houses here as their quieter summer residences. Acton Wells was a big draw for the time, thanks to its reputation for providing health-giving mineral water.
In the 1920s, Acton became a heavily industrialised area, specialising in building automobiles. Most famous among its hosted factory names was Napier’s, a major car manufacturer.
” width=”938″>What’s living in Acton like?
Jump ahead to today and Acton is known as a growing hotspot for property investment and young professionals wanting to move in and put down roots.
While Acton has a lot of competition from nearby Chiswick and Ealing, multi-million-pound regeneration projects have put it back on the map. The high street now throbs with new life and a slew of enticing independent shops. Acton Park is the spiritual heart of the area, and has benefitted from a major renewal scheme. Also, its “putting in the park” course is a delight for crazy golfers of all ages.
Acton continues to go from strength to strength in terms of attracting new investment. The recent Acton Gardens renewal project is a big success story of urban regeneration and sustainability. And earlier this year, TfL’s largest residential development to date was approved, which will see 852 new homes built in Acton.
This goes to show that Acton is still on the up and up. This makes it attractive to anyone who loves the West London vibe, but is still looking for an affordable property in an area that’s transforming for the better.
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” width=”870″>What are the best areas to live in Acton?
Although it covers a relatively small geographical area, Acton has several distinct neighbourhoods, with each boasting its own unique appeal. Acton Town is the central hub of the area, with its bustling high street and array of cafés and restaurants. Meanwhile, the quieter residential neighbourhoods of South Acton, East Acton and West Acton provide rows and rows of terraced period houses and semi-detached properties. North Acton, on the other hand, offers a wealth of new-build developments, creating a thriving new community in a previously underdeveloped corner of Acton.
Average property prices in Acton
The fact that Acton is realising its potential can be seen in the area’s steadily rising house prices. Even so, Acton remains a good place to hunt bargains. The overall average price of property here was around £661,000 over the last year (December 2022). This is according to Zoopla, which also puts the average price of flats in the area at £439,000, with plenty of attractive lower-budget prospects.
If you’re looking to rent, Acton is still highly competitive. At an average of £2,258 per calendar month, the area’s rental rates are substantially below the London average.
10 best new developments in Acton
If you’re looking to get into specifics and start your search for Acton property, our resident reviewers can help you out. The following list is the top 10 rated new build property developments in Acton, as scored by the residents who submit their scores to HomeViews.
If you need a closer look at any of our top 10 entrants, just click on the listing. This will take you to the dedicated page, where you will find more details and the full list of comments.
*PLEASE NOTE these rankings take into account how recently reviews have been submitted, so may not match the overall star ratings shown. More recent reviews are given a greater weighting to reflect current building performance.
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Having steadily risen through the ranks in pecent monhts, The Rehearsal Rooms is now the number one rated development in Acton. It’s a rental-only development managed by Savills, placed right next door to North Acton Station and gives residents easy access to everything Acton has to offer. There are 173 units here, which range from one to three-bedroom apartments. Residents have plenty of praise for the cleanliness and attention to detail throughout the development, thanks in large part to the efforts of the on-site management team.
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At number 2 we have Acton Gardens Shared Ownership, an award-winning development with homes to rent and buy. It’s well located, only a 2-minute walk from Acton Town station and gives residents excellent views of the area. In addition, it is also just 10 minutes from the popular Gunnersbury Park, home of the Gunnersbury Park Museum.
Read reviews and details of L&Q at Acton Gardens Shared Ownership, W3
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In third place, One West Point is a collection of new build apartments located in Acton. The development provides 24-hour concierge, a private dining suite, private bar, restaurant and food hall, branded coffee shop, a yoga mediation and holistic suite, a fully equipped gymnasium, a private screening room, doggy day care facilities and a children’s soft play retreat.
Read reviews and details of AWOL at One West Point – Rental Only, W3
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In fourth, Acton Square is right in the thick of the action in Acton, with the town centre under a mile away. The development itself offers modern, carefully considered design and a good range of facilities and local amenities. Residents benefit from dedicated parking and having so many of Acton’s highlights on their doorstep.
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Hitting the middle spot on our list, we have another development in the heart of Acton. Developed by Hill Residential, apartments at Vida vary from one to two bedrooms, and there’s a selection of two-bedroom duplex apartments and three-bedroom maisonettes. Residents describe it as quiet, clean, green and pretty. Nearby transport links included National Rail services at Acton Central and the tube at East Acton Underground.
The Factory Quarter is a Notting Hill Genesis development located in Bedford Park. It comprises 453 apartments, ranging from one or two-bedrooms and a few shops. Merely a 15-minute walk from both Turnham Green station and Acton Central station, which are served by the District Line and the Overground respectively, residents have plenty of options when striking out from Acton.
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Next is West 3 London Apartments, a Berkeley Homes mixed-use development located in Acton Vale. There are 889 apartments on offer here, ranging from studio and one-bedroom to four-bedrooms. Residents are right next to Acton Park, and only a short walk from Acton Central station. Residents say they love the calm, safe and peaceful vibe that the development gives them.
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In 8th place, and originally a warehouse, Tech West Lofts is a 48-unit residential apartment block by De Vere Partners. The units are broken down into one, two and three bedroom-apartments, and residents are within close proximity to Acton Central station for Overground services into London.
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Next up is Churchfield Quarter, by L&Q, which offers a range of 1, 2 and 3-bedroom homes for sale via Shared Ownership. The development has direct access to the High Street and Churchfield Road, which means that there are plenty of shops, restaurants and cafés nearby, as well as the local parks such as Heathfield Gardens.
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And finally, rounding off the top 10 in Acton is Acton Gardens. It’s a 52-acre redevelopment scheme with 3,400 new homes on site, each with their own private balcony or terrace. Neighbouring Chiswick and Shepherds Bush, residents are situated between five train stations including South Acton and Acton Town with connections to Overground services as well as to the District and Piccadilly line.
Need to know more about Acton? Our area guide below gives you a closer look at what this upwardly mobile part of West London has to offer.
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Traditionally, neighbours Chiswick and Ealing dominated the spotlight when it came to West London. But thanks to a burgeoning property scene, plentiful parks and stellar transport links, Acton is finally stepping out of the shadows. Where are the best places to live in Acton? Read more about Acton
HomeViews provides verified resident reviews of the UK’s housing developments. We’re working with developers, house builders, operators, housing associations and the Government to recognise high performers and help improve standards in the built environment.
