Many of the flats in Richmond upon Thames are part of converted Victorian terraced houses - usually a shared entrance hall and then one flat on the ground floor and another on the first floor.  Some of the bigger houses in Richmond are converted into three flats.  Due to the closeness of the River Thames, there are fewer basement flats in Richmond than in other parts of London.  The flats in converted properties tend to have one or two bedrooms with one bathroom, but there are also many studio flats.

Richmond also has a large number of mansion blocks, filled with flats. The earliest blocks of this type were built in the 19th Century for the ever increasing middle classes with impressive entrances, high facades and of course balconies that reflect mansions.  The benefit of a mansion block is that there's usually an organised resident's committee, there are always people around (good for security) and as the buildings are taller you can get flats on higher floors and therefore more privacy and better views - some of the views in Richmond are spectacular, particularly from Richmond Hill.  The downside is that there are rarely lifts in these old properties so be prepared to walk up lots of stairs with your shopping.

In the last 20 years we've seen masses of new modern flats built in the Richmond area, fashionably known as apartments.  These are generally pretty high specification and two bedroom flats will often come with two bathrooms (including an en-suite bathroom), and a single kitchen/diner/living room.  The advantages of these developments is that they have better heat and sound insulation, lifts, and even underground parking in some cases.

Whether you're looking to rent or buy a flat, the biggest impact to the cost other than the number of bedrooms is going to be the location.  Premium spots include Richmond Hill, Petersham village, Kew village and of course anywhere near the River or tube and train stations.

Richmond Council no longer provides council housing.  All houses owned by the Council were transferred in July 2000 to the Richmond Housing Partnership who own and manage over 10,000 houses and flats in South West London.

Richmond Surrey is well loved town with excellent facilities - great shopping the unmissable Richmond Park, the stunning riverfront and the gem that is Kew Gardens.  It's also an excellent centre for restaurants.

If you have local insight about apartments or apartments in Richmond Surrey that you'd like to share with us, that we can share with everyone else, please let us know - contact information on the About Us page.