WEST London is proving to be more than just the stomping ground for young, affluent professionals.

The popular areas of Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster and Hammersmith and Fulham are seeing an influx of overseas buyers, making it the place to invest over the next five years.

Research by property experts Savills revealed that the three boroughs will see the UK’s biggest increase in property prices by 2017 - up to 25.6 per cent compared to 10.2 per cent in Wales and northern England.

While 2012 saw prices slump around the rest of the country, London was the only place to buck the national trend and see homes going for up to four per cent higher.

The most expensive terraced house went on the market in November at a staggering £100million overlooking Regent’s Park in Cornwall Terrace.

In contrast, research by homeless charity Shelter revealed that soaring private rents in Hammersmith and Fulham now take up 72 per cent of average family earnings, 13 per cent higher than the London average. It warned that middle-income families and first time buyers were struggling to save for a mortgage.

Star of BBC’s The Apprentice Jamie Lester founded Haus Properties, based in Wandsworth Bridge Road, Fulham, 18 months ago.

He said short supply of homes in Kensington and Chelsea was pushing prices through the roof and losing buyers to its slightly cheaper neighbours in Hammersmith and Fulham. Some homes in the exclusive SW6 post code are selling in excess of £1,000 per sqft.

Mr Lester said: “In Hammersmith and Fulham, we’re enjoying great growth from domestic and international markets in residential properties. France is the main international buyer because of their strict tax regime.

“It’s a simple economy: supply and demand. Stock is so low in Kensington and Chelsea that’s why they came in at number one in the list. Property prices are so high there but if you go over the border into Earls Court and into Hammersmith and Fulham there’s not only excellent schools, there are excellent French schools and it’s just five minutes from Chelsea at amazingly low prices in contrast.

“Last week we sold in excess of £1,000 per square foot in Fulham. Another key factor is Fulham is enjoying such amazing infrastructure, for instance in Imperial Wharf in Sands End.”

Mr Lester said the sky-high prices were ‘phenomenal’ and exclusive to London.

He added: “And it’s going to grow in the next few years. I think Savills’ prediction is quite conservative. In 2012, Fulham, in particular the SW6 area, saw sale prices rise by eight per cent. It’s phenomenal. But I can categorically tell you London buyers are in a bubble in contrast to other parts of the country. It’s a different league here, supply is low and demand is high.”

Campbell Robb, chief executive of Shelter, described London’s rental market as ‘frantic’ and urged renters to add their voice to the London Rental Standard public consultation launched by London Mayor Boris Johnson in December.

He said: “The news that renting in the capital is unaffordable isn’t a surprise to the Hammersmith and Fulham families who are stuck in the rent trap, unable to save anything towards a home of their own because they’re paying out so much each month in rent.”

* Have your say on housing via www.london.gov.uk/housingcovenant.