There’s no doubt that the limitations of the last few months have dramatically affected people’s perception of what they want in a home.
Lockdown, furlough, home schooling and home working have given both renters and homeowners an opportunity to think hard about their priorities. The amount of indoor and outdoor space and what you can do with it have been impossible to ignore. For those who have been living in the London suburbs, it’s all been an opportunity to compare what they have to what the might find elsewhere.
With its renowned landscape and an abundance of major road and rail connectivity, Kent will be a major consideration for many. Hundreds of miles of coastline and two assigned Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty mean there’s a very wide choice of places for people to consider moving to.
Here are some current examples of new homes in scenic Kent:
Edenbridge
Edenbridge is a town ideally placed as it lies close to the edge of both the High Weald and the Kent Downs and is within a few minutes of two of Kent’s most treasured historical buildings: Hever Castle, where Anne Boleyn grew up; and Chartwell, Winston Churchill’s home for four decades. In addition to the proximity of so much varied countryside and history, residents are also only a few miles away from several towns, such as Sevenoaks, Oxted and Royal Tunbridge Wells. It also has two stations.
Just a mile from the town Bellway is building Oakley Park, a development with a very varied mix of homes to cater for many requirements and budgets, from one- and two-bedroom apartments to two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom houses. Prices currently range from £199,995 to £689,995.
Mark Harrop, sales director for Bellway Kent, said: “Residents at Oakley Park have often commented on how they enjoy the best of both worlds at the development. On-site, buyers can enjoy their own private gardens as well as the large central open space which includes our own allotments and an informal kickabout area, with additional areas of public open space provided throughout the development.”
Hythe
On the English Channel coastline and on the southern fringe of the Kent Downs, Hythe is one of the historic Cinque Ports but due to the changing landscape is now not right on the waterfront. It sits on the path of the Royal Military Canal, which people are able walk alongside to Hastings, nearly 30 miles away. From Folkestone just a few miles away are cross-Channel services and trains into London, while the M20 is a quick route towards the capital via Ashford and Maidstone.
Natalie Perry, sales and marketing director for Barratt David Wilson Kent, commented: “Throughout the last few months, including over the lockdown period, we have seen sustained interest for homes at our coastal developments. Moving to the coast has always been popular, an aspirational lifestyle purchase. Buyers are drawn to the fresh sea air and easy access to the beach for a healthier and happier waterside lifestyle. Hythe and Bexhill are particularly appealing for those who prefer to avoid the maddening crowds of traditional hotspots like Brighton beach or Camber Sands – not only are values more realistic, but tourist numbers by no means reach the dizzying heights of those which we’ve seen descend during the May heatwave in spite of lockdown.”
With a name inspired by the defences erected in Napoleonic times, Martello Lakes is a Barratt Homes development within walking distance of the beach and town centre. There are currently a number of two-bedroom homes for sale there, with prices starting from £222,995. The development not only benefits from an attractive rural location, but also features open green spaces and play areas throughout, with numerous walkways for residents to enjoy.
Boughton Monchelsea
With a history pre-dating the Domesday Book, Boughton Monchelsea has retained its village character despite being just four miles from the centre of well-connected Maidstone. As well as open countryside and the delightful Kent Downs, it’s not far from home here to places like Mote Park and Leeds Castle, as well as the villages of the scenic Medway Valley.
At Boughton Park, Fernham Homes is offering a range of four- and five-bedroom homes in Kentish style and a high-standard internal design and specification. Prices start at £399,995 and rise to £649,995 for the top-of-the-range ‘Greenacres’, with two of its five bedrooms with an en suite, a separate lounge at the front in addition to a large kitchen/dining/family room at the rear, with plenty of glazing and two sets of doors to the rear garden, and a touch of luxury with a utility room.
Lynne Smith, sales and marketing director for Fernham Homes, said: “When it comes to location, Boughton Park really does offer the best of both country and town. The combination of a thriving village community along with proximity to a busy town with a rail connection into London is bound to attract a great deal of interest. Boughton Monchelsea is the ideal location for families as the village primary school, rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted, is just a few minutes’ walk away and there’s a great selection of amenities on hand, including a playground, village hall, shop, post office and farm shop.”
New Romney
One of the old Cinque Ports, this is another that has found itself inland after the coastline silted up over time but remains a town with some very good amenities and places to eat, drink and shop. On the edge of Romney Marsh, this quite remote village is actually in easy reach of the likes of Ashford, Folkestone and Hastings but it is set in a part of the world which has a rich variety of habitats and landscapes, close to the coast, High Weald, Kent Downs and the unique landscape of Dungeness and its nature reserve.
Pentland Homes has a collection of two- and three-bedroom homes at Mulberry Place, each with a spacious garden and two parking spaces. Prices start at £310,000 with Help to Buy available. With a nod to more traditional style, the homes are in a contemporary architecture which features lots of glazing to provide ample natural light. They offer a lot of living space and have good-sized gardens
Karrina Oki, sales director at Pentland Homes, said: “There is a real appetite amongst buyers to revaluate how and where they live and for many what was once a long-term pipedream of a move to the coast is fast becoming a reality. Lockdown has shown the limitations of city life in smaller more expensive houses and provided the impetus to seek out more space, clean air and larger gardens in the countryside. The mass switch to working from home means commuting into London five days a week could become a thing of the past and we are instead seeing a rural renaissance as buyers would prefer to work from home and have more time to spend with their families.”
Biddenden
Much-admired for the produce of its orchards and vineyards, Biddenden is quintessential Kentish, with a village green and a high street with a host of preserved and protected historic buildings, including many Tudor homes. It is also very up-to-date, boasting a Michelin-starred restaurant. Aside from its agricultural land and heritage sites such as Sissinghurst Castle, it is set among many miles of picturesque natural landscape and has many options for outdoor activities from golf to parachuting . Country roads will get you to Headcorn in under 10 minutes and Ashford in little more than 20 minutes.
With a newly opened three-bedroom show home, Millwood Designer Homes’ latest collection of properties, The Maltings, a ‘hamlet-style’ collection of 45 homes which have been designed to reflect the rich architectural heritage of the local area, and offer something for many types of buyer on the journey from first-timers to older ‘right-sizers’, with a high specification as standard. Prices at The Maltings start from £430,000, with a selection of properties available with Help to Buy.
Philip Brown, sales and marketing director at Millwood Designer Homes (www.millwooddesignerhomes.co.uk), remarked: “Kent is a location that has it all when it comes to buying a new home. While many more familiar Kent locations such as Canterbury and Maidstone have always been a popular choice for homebuyers, it is now the time for smaller Kent villages such as Biddenden to shine.”
Cliffsend
Located on the eastern Kent coast, just around the corner from Ramsgate, Cliffsend is also on the edge of Pegwell Bay Country Park, which is home to a whole range of habitats and internationally recognised for the flora and fauna that is has. It is also a great place to walk and cycle, and has some terrific coastal views. In this part of Kent, the Isle of Thanet, are some favourite seaside resorts such as Broadstairs and up-and-coming Margate.
Bakers Field has been very successful but there are still a few three- and four-bedroom homes for sale here, priced from £370,000 to £655,000, all set for completion before the end of the year and with some units qualifying for Help to Buy. By appointment, house-hunters can come along to tour ‘The Lenham’, a fully furnished four-bedroom show home with the bonuses of a study, a utility room and two en suite bedrooms.
Paul Ingleton, regional new homes sales manager at selling agent Wards (www.wardsofkent.co.uk), commented: “Cliffsend, with its great road links and fast train links to London, makes it a great location to live, not only for the ease of access to the coast line but with easy access to surrounding areas such as Canterbury too. It is also an attractive area for the competitive prices compared to the neighbouring Broadstairs and Sandwich markets, both of which are within easy driving distance.”
Herne Bay
One of a series of traditional seaside resorts along Kent’s northern coast, like the others it has been regenerating since the introduction of High Speed rail services, which have reduced commuting times to the capital, adding to its appeal people who want to affordably combine travel costs with the benefits of living somewhere so unlike the city or its suburbs.
There’s just one home remaining for sale under the Shared Ownership scheme at Moat’s Wentworth Park development (www.moathomes.co.uk). Plot 202 is an attractive three-bedroom house with a fully fitted kitchen/dining room, separate living room, downstairs WC, family bathroom, two double bedrooms and one single bedroom. It comes with a turfed garden and two allocated parking spaces, and can be purchased for £95,250 for a 30% share (full market value £317,500).
Chartham
This village is just to the west of Canterbury and part of the Great Stour Way, a delightful rural area between the cathedral city and Ashford. It has plenty of charm and some of the traditional character of Kent, particularly with the oast houses from the county’s hop-growing heyday. Being on the edge of the Kent Downs, keen ramblers and cyclists are on the doorstep of delightful countryside here.
There is just one home remaining for sale in Bakers Lane, a development by Akehurst Homes (akehursthomes.co.uk/). It’s an impressive five-bedroom family home spanning 1,972 sq ft and offering a luxurious layout and specification. Living room, kitchen/fdining room, utility room, study, five good-sized bedrooms with a mix of built-in storage cupboards or fully mirrored wardrobes, two en suites and a family bathroom, double garage and further private parking. Price on application.
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