LU2ON, Luton: 23 minutes to St Pancras, apartments from £210,000
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Hello everyone, £210,000. To King’s Cross and St Pancras by train in 23 dakika. Here is the most affordable scheme in this series: LU2ON!
For prices, taxes and the whole buying process, see our guide: UK Property Guide
Apartment types, current price range and location: see the project page
A large scale mixed use scheme on Kimpton Road in Luton, in the centre of the town. Studio, one and two bedroom apartments. A 24 hour concierge, restaurants, bars, secure parking, roof and courtyard gardens, a conference centre and 10.000 m² public shared space. London Luton Airport right beside you. Yes, you read that correctly: an apartment for two hundred and ten thousand pounds in a town 23 minutes from central London.
Prices
- Studio apartments: £210,000and up
- studio, one and two bedroom options
- Apartment sizes: 37 m², 69 m²
- Kamusal ortak alan: 10.000 m²
- Address: Kimpton Road, Luton LU2 0GS
This price is a figure that would go towards a garage in London, but here it buys an apartment with a concierge, parking and a roof garden. Luton is one of the fastest growing housing markets in the United Kingdom and positions itself as London’s most affordable commuter town. the advantages of buying a new build home this is the entry point for anyone who wants it on a minimum budget.
Why LU2ON?
Transport infrastructure stronger than you would expect of a town: this is the foundation of Luton’s investment story.
- King’s Cross / St Pancras, trenle 23 dakika. Faster than many Zone 4 and 5 districts of London.
- London Luton Airport, right beside you; flights to more than 30 countries and 150 destinations in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa
- The M1, M6 and M25 direct access to the motorways
- A direct link to Europe on the Eurostar from St Pancras
- The countryside and the Chiltern Hills at your door
The highest yield potential in this series: the entry price is £210,000 while the rents are supported by demand from professionals working in London. That gap lifts the rental yield above all the London schemes on this list. If the mathematics of the investment is your priority, this scheme should be first.
Daily life: the best of two worlds
Leave the house at 7:40, take the train from Luton, be at St Pancras at 8:10. The cafes of the town centre at lunchtime, the restaurants and bars in the scheme in the evening. At the weekend a walk in the Chiltern Hills or an hour’s flight to Europe from the airport. Luton offers both a modern town with job opportunities and a neighbour to the countryside: there is no equivalent of that in London.
LU2ON rental yield
This is the strongest yield story in the series. Studios and one bedroom apartments usually let for £950 to £1,250, 2+1s £1,200 to £1,450 a month. That puts the gross rental yield in the 5.5-6.5% band, Almost double the Zone 1 London schemes.
The tenant profile is very broad: professionals commuting daily to London, people working in the airport and logistics sector, students of the University of Bedfordshire, and young families renting their first home. That diversity lowers the risk of standing empty. For other areas that work on the same logic, high yield buy to let areas is well worth reading.
The shared areas and the details that set LU2ON apart
In this price band this list of amenities is genuinely out of the ordinary:
- 24-hour concierge: a service found in £700,000 schemes in London comes here at £210,000.
- Restaurants and bars: within the scheme; social life starts in the building.
- Roof and courtyard gardens: outdoor space for residents only.
- Secure parking: enclosed and with security.
- Kongre Merkezi: within the scheme, for business meetings and events.
- 10.000 m² Kamusal Ortak Alan: a square and pedestrian areas bringing the neighbourhood to life.
- Shops and a supermarket: daily needs are met within the scheme.
- Childcare and a pharmacy: among the planned services; practical for families.
Energy efficiency and comfort
As a new build it comes with modern insulation, high performance windows and efficient heating; the apartments are typically EPC B band. Luton’s older building stock is largely in the EPC D-E band and that difference feeds straight into both the bill and the suitability for letting. Minimum energy standards for rented homes in the United Kingdom are tightening, and buying new build removes that risk.
Who is buying?
The buyer profile of LU2ON is very clear: yield focused investors and ilk kez ev alacaklar. A £210,000 entry price is a realistic start for buyers thinking of investing in the United Kingdom who find London prices high. Also young professionals and young families who work in London and choose to live in Luton. For investors building a portfolio, buying several Luton apartments rather than a single London one can be mathematically more efficient.
Frequently asked questions
Will Luton’s capital growth be as strong as London’s? No, it is a different dynamic. London is a capital growth story, Luton a rental yield one. Which is right for you depends on your goal, and many investors hold both in a portfolio.
Will airport noise be a problem? The scheme is in the town centre, not directly under the airport runways. Even so we take this into account when choosing the aspect.
What is the tenure? Leasehold, with newly sold apartments typically given a term of up to 999 years.
Can I buy remotely from abroad? Yes. For the details, our remote property purchase guide page.
Can I use a mortgage? For foreign buyers financing of generally up to 65-75% is possible. However some banks have a minimum loan amount (usually around £100,000), and in this price band we check that at the outset. UK mortgages for foreign nationals is worth reading.
Damga vergisi ne kadar? One of the greatest advantages of this price band: at the £210,000 level stamp duty stays far lower than in the London schemes. The detailed calculation is in the table below.
Total cost: what you actually pay when you buy at LU2ON
Many overseas buyers look only at the apartment price and meet a surprise at completion. Let us work out the real cost on a £210,000 apartment. Stamp duty (SDLT) in the United Kingdom is banded: 0% up to £125,000, then 2%, 5%, 10% and 12%. On top of that, non-residents pay a 2% surcharge, and if you already own another home, a further 5% additional dwelling rate applies.
| Item | If it will be your only home | If it will be an additional home |
|---|---|---|
| Property price | £210,000 | £210,000 |
| Stamp duty (SDLT) | £5,900 | £16,400 |
| Legal fees | £1,500 to £3,000 | £1,500 to £3,000 |
| Searches and Land Registry fees | about £800 | about £800 |
| Approximate total | £218,200 | £230,200 |
With a mortgage there are also valuation and bank charges, and if you let the property, management commission and income tax. The figures above are indicative, based on a £210,000 entry price; we prepare the exact calculation for your own scenario.
The LU2ON buying process, step by step
If you are buying from another country, the process runs like this:
- 1. Choosing the apartment and reserving it. We go through the floor plans, the aspect and the view. The apartment you choose is usually held with a reservation fee of £5,000 to £10,000.
- 2. Appointing a solicitor. An independent English property solicitor (conveyancer) is appointed. That solicitor acts for you, not for the developer.
- 3. Identity and source of funds checks. You will be asked for a passport, proof of address and documents showing the source of your funds. This step is compulsory in the United Kingdom, and having the papers ready shortens the process.
- 4. Exchange of contracts and deposit. Contracts are usually exchanged within 21 days of the reservation, with a 10% deposit. The signature can be given digitally from abroad.
- 5. Stage payments. In off plan projects these follow the payment schedule; for completed apartments the step is skipped.
- 6. Completion. The remaining balance and the stamp duty are paid and the title is registered in your name. For completed apartments this stage can take four to eight weeks.
You can run the whole process from your own country; you do not have to travel to the United Kingdom.
Risks and what to watch for
We have set out the strengths; in fairness there are points to watch as well. For LU2ON, these are the ones worth pausing on:
- Capital growth is slower than London’s: Luton is a rental yield story; do not enter expecting a quick capital gain.
- Minimum mortgage amount: the minimum loan amount of some banks may be above this price band; clarify the financing at the outset.
- The tenant profile is local: there is no corporate and international tenant flow of the kind London has.
- Proximity to the airport: although it is in the town centre, flight traffic can be felt on some aspects.
None of this makes the project a bad one, but there is a wide gap between buying with your eyes open and finding out afterwards. We give every client this list up front.
How does LU2ON compare with the alternatives?
Before you decide, it is worth looking at the other projects in the same budget band:
- Hoola Royal Docks: the option with the most affordable entry price for anyone who wants to stay within the boundaries of London.
- Wembley Park Gardens: beside a tube station in London, on a similar yield logic.
- Springfield Place: an alternative beside a park within London with a 4.8% return.
We can work out together which project fits your goal, judged on budget, intended use and exit plan. For an overview, our guide to UK property investment for international buyers is worth reading too.
Answers to the most common questions on this topic: Which UK Cities Have the Highest Rental Yields?
