Buying Industrial or Agricultural Land Near Highway 401 in London, Ontario

Most real estate advice assumes you're buying a house. A steady part of London's market is something else entirely: the farm and industrial corridor along Highway 401 in southeast London, mainly in Highbury and Old Victoria. If you're an investor, a business owner looking for warehouse or logistics space, or someone weighing a piece of farmland, here's what matters.

What does the land along Highway 401 in London look like?

Highbury is mostly farms and industrial buildings, with Highway 401 running straight through it. It's bounded by Bradley Avenue, Cheese Factory Road, Wilton Grove Road and Highbury Road South, and the Flying J Travel Centre and a FedEx Ground terminal are two of the operations already there. It works more like a planning district than a neighbourhood.

Old Victoria next door is different. It's mostly residential and mostly newer, with about 60% of its homes built after 2000. It shares the same logistics corridor, though, and is home to established employers like Dr. Oetker's pizza plant and Western University's WindEEE Research Institute.

Why does Highway 401 access matter so much here?

For a logistics or distribution business, direct highway access is often the biggest single factor in choosing a site, and that's why FedEx and Flying J chose this corridor. For a home buyer, the same highway traffic is usually a reason to look elsewhere. This is working land, built for trucks rather than quiet evenings.

Who is this land a good fit for?

• Investors and business owners looking for industrial, warehouse or logistics space with direct 401 access.
• Buyers looking at agricultural land. Some of the corridor is still active farmland, which comes with its own zoning and land-use questions to settle before you make an offer.
• Not a typical home buyer who wants a quiet street. London has dozens of neighbourhoods better suited to that (see the full neighbourhood guide).

What should you check before making an offer on industrial or farm land?

Start with zoning. Industrial, agricultural and mixed designations each limit what can be built or run on a parcel, and the rules can change from one block to the next along a corridor like this. The City of London's planning and development office is the source to trust for a specific parcel, not the listing description.

If you're buying with a specific use in mind, such as a distribution building or a particular kind of farming, confirm the zoning allows it before your offer goes firm. Finding out afterwards is the expensive way to learn.

Looking at a property in this corridor, or want a second opinion on whether it fits your plans? Reach out to Justin and he'll walk through it with you.