Are you attracted by the promising new build homes in South East London? A little cheaper than Central London but still crammed with famous landmarks, amazing markets, and world-class dining opportunities, the region has a lot going for it. But how can you zone in on the right neighbourhood – and development – for you? Time to learn more about the area and its Top 15 new builds, as decided by verified resident reviews.
NOTE: We know this post was originally a Top 10, but with so many excellent new developments arriving on our HomeViews listings, we simply had to expand it to become a Top 15! Enjoy exploring an even wider range of top-notch living spaces in South East London.
New builds in South East London: 15 highest rated developments
Now let’s reveal the best new build homes in South East London. How do we know which developers deserve a place on our list? Well, we couldn’t have done it without the candid ratings and reviews left by the residents themselves. Time to discover what they really think!
*PLEASE NOTE these rankings take into account how many reviews a scheme has and how recently those reviews have been submitted, so may not match the overall star ratings shown. Buildings with a larger number of more recent reviews are given a greater weighting to reflect current building performance.
Taking top spot in our Top 10 is Union Wharf, a development by Essential Living that features 249 rental-only apartments in a prime location on the banks of Deptford Creek near Greenwich’s town centre. The development comprises two towers that are 23 and 12 storeys high, which house a collection of one, two and three-bedroom apartments. Union Wharf is close to the Cutty Sark DLR station for fast and frequent connections to Canary Wharf.
Jumping from 9th all the way up to 2nd in recent months, we have the Vive Living development at Childers Street, SE8. It provides residents with a host of amenities under one roof including bike storage and repair, co-working spaces, a cinema, café, roof terrace, ping pong tables, Sonos music systems, an on-site relationship manager, and dedicated maintenance. The apartments offer 1GB Broadband availability as well. The locality, Deptford, is noted for its vibrant spots like Deptford Market Yard. With convenient overground transport, it’s just 6 minutes to London Bridge and 13 minutes to Cannon Street, ensuring easy access to the wider city
3rd place goes to Fizzy Lewisham, a contemporary residential development, managed by Greystar as of December 2021. They offer one and two-bedroom flats to rent. In addition, they are pet friendly, and come with free award winning Broadband. It also has a prime location close to Lewisham Station, with good connections to central London.
At number 4, Bale & Anchor is a new BTR development situated in Lewisham, with studio, 1, 2 or 3 bedroom apartments available to rent. Bale & Anchor is ideally placed to put you right in the thick of central London within minutes. Additionally, the National Rail and the DLR are on your doorstep for commuting. Residents can enjoy lounge areas, roof terraces and private dining spaces. By Spring 2024, even more amenities will be available, including access to Ampersand on the 34th and 35th floor in Bale House with panoramic views over London and beyond.
Taking the 5th slot on our list is a Peabody development with private flats managed by JLL, The Horizon features a range of one, two and three-bedroom apartments, available furnished or unfurnished located in Blackheath in Lewisham. Residents can enjoy access to a communal lounge, a work from home space as well as dry cleaning services. The Horizon is only a 0.6 mile walk away from Greenwich mainline and DLR station with connections into Central London.
Hail to the chief at number 6! Situated on London’s South Bank, opposite the Royal Festival Hall, The Whitehouse Apartments offers a selection of one, two and three-bedroom apartments. The development is within a four-minute walk to Waterloo station with its vast transport links via both Rail and Underground services and residents on site can enjoy rooftop gardens and a health and fitness suite.
7th place goes to Marine Wharf West, which is a residential development from The Berkeley Group, in the Surrey Quays area of London Docklands. Apartments here are separated by landscaped grounds, and they’re close to the River Thames and London’s largest working marina – South Dock. London City Airport, Surrey Quays station and the Thames Clipper riverbus services are all nearby.
Next up, The Dumont takes 8th place. This is a mixed-use St James development in Southwark, which overlooks the River Thames. It’s home to a selection of studios and one to four-bedroom apartments. Vauxhall, the nearest station, offers brilliant links to the City via National Rail services and the Victoria line.
It’s Purelake New Homes’ Nexus Apartments in at number 9. The development is located on Elmfield Road in Bromley. This new-build development comprises of 50 luxury residential units available for private rent. From here, it’s just a short walk from Bromley South train station for National Rail links into the heart of London.
Our 10th spot goes to the Music Box. Just a 30-second walk from Southwark Station, this is a new, residential development made up of one, two and three-bedroom apartments. The building is just a stone’s throw from the Tate Modern and the River Thames, as well as The Cut – home to the Old Vic and New Vic theatres.
The Moore, found in the Parkside area, one of Greenwich Peninsula’s seven emerging neighbourhoods. We find it at number 11 for the South East. It’s a mixed use development with 144 residential units, choose from studios, one, two and three-bedroom apartments, the nearest tube station is North Greenwich. In addition North Greenwich offers handy connections to Canary Wharf, London Bridge as well as, Waterloo. As well as transport links residents benefit from, outdoor playground, local primary school and The Pilot (pub).
In 12th is a Crest Nicholson development – Regents Place is a selection of apartments located just off Bromley High Street. Bromley train station is only a two-minute walk away where residents benefit from its regular London Victoria service or further afield to Kent via Ashford and Sevenoaks services.
Next up is a much-loved development, One the Elephant offers 284 apartments across 37 storeys. These apartments range from studios to 3-bedroom apartments, most of which contain balconies. The development is situated in Elephant & Castle, just a 3-minute walk from the station, which serves the Northern and Bakerloo lines.
For our penultimate spot we have Wood’s Road, a modern, residential development by Surrey-based housebuilder Crest Nicholson. It has a central spot in London’s Peckham, close to the Queens Road and Peckham Rye stations for links to the likes of London Bridge and London Victoria. There are one, two and three-bedroom apartments onsite, which offer views of The 02 Arena and Canary Wharf from higher floors.
The final place on our list goes to Elephant Central, which is located in the heart of London’s Elephant and Castle. The development offers a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments, duplexes and penthouses, which are available fully furnished. Residents praise the spacious, attractive accommodation and superb location. Elephant & Castle mainline and Underground stations are within a quarter of a mile. London Bridge, Borough Market, and the cultural attractions of the South Bank are also all nearby.
South East London stretches from the Albert Embankment to West Heath and the nearest edges of Sidcup and Selhurst. The main boroughs in the region include Southwark, Lewisham and Greenwich, plus sections of Croydon, Lambeth, Bexley, and Bromley. The River Thames borders the area to the north, with Kent and Surrey neighbouring to the south.
Living in South East London
From bohemian urban villages to riverside real estate, South East London has bags of appeal. Starting in Greenwich, you could explore the carefully restored Greenwich Market, complete with Victorian inscription, delicious food and an array of antiques, arts and crafts, and fashion stalls. Get further lost in local history along the riverside, where you can view The Old Royal Naval College, pop into Trafalgar Tavern or discover stories of epic adventures in the National Maritime Museum.
Just to the west, Deptford offers a scattering of live music venues, art galleries, and its own market on a diverse high street known for its Vietnamese cuisine. A touch further south, Brockley boasts a long association with the bohemian counterculture of the 60s. This lives on in the creative community that fuels the shops, restaurants, and open spaces that earn its reputation as an urban village. Check out the famous retro Rivoli Ballroom, the South London Gallery, and Jack Studio theatre when you’re nearby.
Keep heading east to soak in Lewisham’s edgy vibe. Meanwhile, in Rotherhithe and Surrey Quays, you’ll discover an engaging mix of Victorian and contemporary architecture alongside traditional public houses. South East’s London position also allows for a quick escape to the Surrey Hills or Kent Downs AONBs.
Other than a host of rail and bus services, the region is well connected by A-roads linking South London to the M25 and across the river, as well as to the bordering counties of Kent, Surrey, and Essex (via the Dartford Crossing). Work in Canary Warf or the City but rather avoid the train? Choose the scenic river bus for a more relaxed commute or cross the Thames via the Blackwall Tunnel or the Woolwich Foot Tunnel.
South East London property prices
So, how much will a home in South East London set you back? If we look at Rightmove’s current data (December 2024), it shows that properties cost around £560,000 on average.
While cheaper than Central London, the region is more costly than East London. At £650,000, Southwark was at the higher end of the scale, with Bexley providing cheaper homes around the £550,000 mark. Assessing the averages by type, we see that flats sold for £440,000, terraced houses for £695,000, and semi-detached properties for £844,000.
Rental prices can fluctuate quickly depending on the number of homes on the market at any one time. They also vary by area within South East London. A flat in Bermondsey, for example, might set you back on average £3,000 PCM according to Home.co.uk. Sidcup, on the other hand, has rental properties for an average of £1,700 PCM.
Did any of our new build homes in South East London give you pause for thought? Don’t decide until you’ve seen the full range of ratings and reviews we have for each contender. Just click the link below to get stuck in.
South East London stretches from SE1 down to SE20, encompassing the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Lewisham and Southwark. Such a huge slice of the capital naturally has lots of different guises and offerings; from out-of-this-world dining scenes to riverside living and everything Read more about South East London
HomeViews is the only independent review platform for residential developments in the UK. Prospective buyers and tenants use it to make an informed decision on where to live based on insights from carefully verified resident reviews. Part of Rightmove since February 2024, we’re working with developers, house builders, operators, housing associations and the Government to give residents a voice, recognise high performers and to help improve standards across the industry.
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