A report by Savills found prices for luxury properties in prime central London locations have sharply outperformed other parts of the British capital over the past six years.
Based on resale values, prices in Mayfair rose the most, with prices surging 117 per cent to an average of GBP1,960 (HK$24,100) per square foot. Other high-growth areas were Marylebone, Belgravia, Knightsbridge, Chelsea, Notting Hill and Regent's Park.
Savills says central London's residential property is increasingly behaving as an asset class closely linked to wealthy international investors.
"It will be the quality of location and property, and the ability to meet the strongest demand, that determines price relative to the market," says Lucian Cook, director of research. "Our analysis suggests that, otherwise, the extent of divergence in performance is too big to ignore."
As for individual types of high-end properties, large houses, in excess of 10,000 sqft, beat all other categories, growing by 150 per cent in six years, a reflection of the value of rarity to high-net-worth international investors. Such properties now command between GBP2,500 and GBP3,500 per square foot, compared with about GBP2,000 for the best-performing flats in similar locations.
As examples, Lowndes House, on a quiet street at the heart of Belgravia, has been on the market for about GBP40 million, while Forset Court, a refurbished art deco-style block of apartments in Marylebone, found no shortage of buyers at prices starting from GBP320,000 for smaller units.
In terms of price per square foot, Knightsbridge is the most expensive at GBP2,007, followed by Belgravia at GBP1,982 and Mayfair at GBP1,960.
Knightsbridge has successfully expanded from being a commercial and retail location to becoming a magnet for high-net-worth international property buyers. The most well-known property in Knightsbridge is probably One Hyde Park near famous department store Harrods. Prices start at about GBP20 million and go up to more than GBP100 million.
Overall, values of prime central London resale properties rose by 87 per cent on average over the past six years, compared with 25 per cent for mainstream London.
"Buyer demand, particularly from international investors and the rise of high-value trophy homes, does suggest that lower-performing prime areas have not yet fulfilled their value potential," Cook says.
第一太平戴維斯一份報告指出，過去六年，倫敦市中心黃金地段的豪宅價格升幅，遠遠高於倫敦其他地區。
以轉手價值計算，Mayfair的物業價格升幅最大，達到117%，平均呎價1,960英鎊。其他高增值地區依次為Marylebone、Belgravia、Knightsbridge、Chelsea、 Notting Hill和Regent’s Park。
第一太平戴維斯表示，倫敦市中心的住宅物業已成為自成一格的資產類別，受環球富裕投資者愛戴。「物業價格取決於本身的質素和所在地段的環境，以及能否切合買家需求。」第一太平戴維斯研究部主管Lucian Cook說。「我們的分析結果顯示，市中心與其他地區物業的表現分野實在很大。」
若以物業類別劃分，Mayfair萬呎以上的豪華獨立屋表現一枝獨秀，六年內升值150%，反映環球投資者對罕有尊貴物業趨之若鶩。此類物業目前呎價介乎2,500至3,500英鎊之間，而同類地段表現最好的物業，呎價僅為二千英鎊左右。
位於Belgravia中心地段一條寧靜街道的Lowndes House，目前市價約為四千萬英鎊；而位於Marylebone、新近翻修成Art Deco藝術風格的住宅大廈Forset Court，較小的單位叫價三十二萬英鎊起，仍極受買家歡迎。
若以呎價計算，Knightsbridge物業市價最高，達到2,007英鎊，其次為Belgravia的1,982英鎊，以及Mayfair的1,960英鎊。
Knightsbridge原為商業及零售業地段，其後成功轉型為豪宅區，吸引眾多國際買家的目光。若論區內最著名的豪宅物業，無疑是鄰近名牌百貨Harrods 的One Hyde Park。其單位售價由二千萬英鎊起，最高可達一億英鎊以上。
至於倫敦市中心黃金地段的二手物業，過去六年平均升值87%，遠高於倫敦一般物業市場的25%升幅。
「近期買家需求熾熱，尤其是來自國際的投資者，而高端豪宅也陸續推出，相信表現稍遜的黃金地段仍然具有升值潛力。」Cook說。
