The construction of Ebury Square, Ebury Street

The boys set off from Whitehaven on Saturday morning and aim to arrive in Sunderland by Monday evening, where hopefully a hot bath and a cold pint will be waiting!

Admittedly, being in our eye line we can’t miss the Berkley Homes project but the surrounding areas have undergone an awful lot of rejuvenation recently, not least Victoria. Even though it benefits from the SW1 postcode, the area has been somewhat overlooked with purchasers and investors favoring the neighbouring Belgravia, Westminster and St James Park. However, this has not always been the case and pre-First World War, the grand redbrick Georgian mansion blocks were highly sought after by the well heeled.

Over the next ten years, Victoria will benefit from a landmark £2.2billion investment project undertaken by Land Securities, the largest commercial property company in the UK, along with their joint venture partner Canada Pension Plan Investment. Holding the accolade for the most extensive planning application Westminster council have ever received, the centerpiece of the scheme is Nova, an urban mixed-use village offering 84,922 square feet of retail space, 603,659 square feet of office space and 192,819 square feet of residential accommodation. It appears the investment is already starting to pay off with international names such as Burberry, Links of London, Jimmy Choo and Rolls Royce signing up to leases in the area.

So with project completion due for 2016, what impact does this have for us? With Land Securities investing £700 million in the upgrade of Victoria Station, the area is without doubt becoming more attractive, not only to retailers but also residents. A north and south ticket hall is being added along with tunneling works connecting the two which will greatly improve the current situation for commuters and give the station a much needed revamp.

Current property prices in the area, which are roughly between £1,000 and £1,200 per square foot, are around 50% lower than the neighboring areas. With the latest works being undertaken, it is expected they will rise more than 20% by 2018. Along with Nova, offices and period buildings are being converted into lateral apartments and grey-slab office buildings are being replaced with modern developments such as Wellington House that provides 800 new homes and substantially increases the number of residential units available.

With property prices increasing by up to 71% in the Square Mile and the transport opportunities offered at Victoria Station, there is little doubt Victoria will become a property hot spot over the next few years.