Moving to Kingston upon Thames

With beautiful family homes, incredible shopping and loads of green space, the borough of Kingston upon Thames is fast becoming one of the best places to live in South London. If you’re looking for competitive house prices, great schools and reliable public transport, this could be the place for you.

This historical borough, set along the River Thames, is an affluent area of the
capital. Thanks to its amenities, culture and great location the area is growing in popularity with young professionals and families, as well as those seeking a slightly quieter London lifestyle.

 

The history of Kingston upon Thames

What is now a sprawling metropolitan borough started life as a small market town. From humble beginnings, the location of the area (along the Thames) proved popular, resulting in it becoming home to some influential and powerful people.

It is believed that as many as seven Saxon rulers were crowned in the area. Thanks to its history as a ‘town of kings’, Kingston upon Thames is now one of the Royal Boroughs of London.

 

Kingston upon Thames: the highlights and culture

With a relaxed environment and mass of green space, the leafy streets of Kingston upon Thames offer a slightly quieter and calmer place to live in London. With close proximity to Richmond Park and the Richmond area, residents of Kingston benefit from having some of the most salubrious London postcodes within walking distance, whilst enjoying space away from the main tourist hotspots.

From the great Bushy Park, running culture and Thames walks, this really is a great location for lovers of sports and the outdoors. Kingston is also very well known as an excellent shopping area, with a mixture of high-end designer stores, high street brand names and independent boutiques.

If you are new to the area, or just want to get to know your new home in detail before you move, we are here to help. Our Area orientation service offers you the chance to get to know Kingston like a local before you relocate, with the help of a local expert. We know how to make moving home easy for you.

 

Things to do in Kingston upon Thames

The area is packed with great things to do and places to explore. Here’s our local experts list of their favourite things to do in the area:
• Enjoy a park run – with a number of great organised run events every year across the parks, including a well renowned Parkrun at Bushy Park, as well as weekly local running clubs, this is a great place to start or hone your running skills.
• Walk along the River Thames – whether it’s a morning stroll before work or a Saturday morning walk with friends and coffee, nothing beats the view.
• Visit the Rose Theatre – the Elizabethan style theatre is home to some very impressive plays, and hosts some of the UK’s most famous names to tread the boards.
• Eat at Fish Kitchen – enjoy tasty and traditional fish and chips at this warm and friendly local. We recommend the fish butty for the perfect comforting lunch.
• Shop ‘til you drop – from large scale shopping at the Bentall Shopping Centre, to local independents and boutiques, Kingston boasts a very impressive shopping culture.

 

Where to live in Kingston upon Thames

House prices in Kingston are competitive, especially when pitted against the neighbouring borough of Richmond. While it certainly isn’t the cheapest of London boroughs, the good house prices as well as quality of property here make both the rental and home owners market very attractive.

The area has a mixture of terraced and detached family homes, as well as modern and luxurious apartments offer luxe city living. The most prestigious (and costly) area in Kingston is Coombe Hill Estate: within catchment of the coveted Tiffin Girls School, the family homes here are in the multi millions.

Kingston Town is home to medieval buildings, and much of the old town of Kingston is protected by a conservation area. The homes here are popular with those looking for convenience amongst the history, with easy access to shops and offices around the area.

And for those looking for roomy Victorian and Edwardian properties, consider Surbiton. This suburban area is seeing a leap in its popularity, and whilst house prices are taking a little longer to catch up to its newly sought-after status the house prices here are extremely competitive.

If you’d like help taking the stress out of finding your dream Kingston upon Thames home, we’re here to help. Our Home Finding experts will spend time getting to know you, so that they can find your dream home for you. We make moving home easy.

 

Kingston upon Thames: Family life and education

Kingston is a very popular location with families of all ages. The area is home to a good number of state and private schools that achieve either Good or Outstanding ratings from Ofsted.

Popular primary schools:
St Luke’s CofE Primary School
Coombe Hill Junior School
Ellingham Primary School

Popular Secondary Schools:
The Holy Cross School
Tiffin Girls Secondary School
Kingston Grammar School

For those seeking higher education, there is Kingston University: known for its high-quality teaching, especially in the areas of nursing, design and fashion.

If you’re moving to Kingston upon Thames with your family and are unsure which school is right for you, let us help. Our School Search experts take all the stress of the search away, matching the best local schools to your needs.

 

Travel information

Located in TFL Zone 6, Kingston upon Thames offers good transport links, but is not served by any of the London underground services. Despite the lack of underground stations, there are a number of national rail connections, with direct trains to Waterloo which take just 30 minutes.

As well as good train links, the area is very car friendly, with great A roads and links around London and out to the rest of the country.

For a more relaxing daily commute, you can catch the riverboats which run regularly and take you directly into Richmond, Putney and Hampton Court.

It’s also a great location for frequent fliers, being just 30 minutes from Heathrow Airport – the UK’s biggest and busiest airport with domestic, EU and international flights.

 

How can we help with your move?

With over 120 years’ experience moving people all over the world, and a dedicated UK Office in London, we have the knowledge and expertise to make your move easy.

Whether you know when you’re moving to Kingston upon Thames or are looking for more information about a move to London, get in touch. Our dedicated move specialists are here to take care of every part of your move.

Select login type

If you haven’t received your login details then please get in touch with your relocation contact

Login as an assigneeLogin as a client

Santa Fe WeChat QR code
ID: SantaFeRelo
Hello, just to let you know we are not providing services to the selected location at the moment.