Battersea / Nine Elms vs Fulham

Battersea and Fulham face each other across the Thames in south-west London, and both attract young professionals and families with money to spend. The key difference is the type of home. Battersea, as tracked here around Nine Elms and the Power Station, is dominated by new riverside towers with concierge services, gyms and views; Fulham is dominated by long streets of Victorian and Edwardian terraces.

Battersea scores higher for green space, thanks to Battersea Park, and higher for connectivity, with the Northern line extension and rail stations at Battersea Park, Queenstown Road and Clapham Junction. Fulham relies mainly on the District line, which can be slow and crowded, plus buses along Fulham Road and King's Road.

Fulham has more of a neighbourhood social life, with gastropubs, gyms and restaurants along its high streets and around Parsons Green, and a higher nightlife score. Battersea's new district can feel corporate and quiet in the evenings, although Northcote Road and Clapham Junction, further south, are livelier. Fulham is typically slightly cheaper.

Much comes down to the kind of home you picture. Renters who want a concierge, a gym downstairs and a river view, plus a quicker route to the West End, will find more of that in Battersea. Those who picture a terraced street, a local pub where the staff know them and a neighbourhood that has looked the same for a century will be happier in Fulham, as long as they can make peace with the District line.