With its roots in Roman times, Chichester is the county town of West Sussex and a cathedral city, and its mix of heritage and modern features has made it a sought-after place to live – and there’s a busy new homes market in and around it.
Being on the edge of two protected areas – the South Down National Park and Chichester Harbour AONB – and just a few miles from many miles of sandy beaches and scenic waterways, make it a great place to live for lovers of nature. Combined with proximity and convenient transport links to a number of major towns and cities, there is a ‘best of both worlds’ appeal to the city and its surrounding area. It is little wonder that for 2023, the Sunday Times has named it the best place to live in the South East of England.
The cathedral, with its roots in the 11th century, is a landmark to the history and character of the city, which has retained many period buildings as well as developing modern amenities. There are busy shopping streets and a host of other places to enjoy a day or evening out. Examples are the Novium Museum, Pallant House Gallery, Bishop’s Palace Gardens and Westgate Leisure Centre. Outside the city centre are parks and formal gardens, farms, golf courses and Goodwood, highly regarded for its horseracing and motorsports events. Chichester Harbour is not only scenic and a haven for wildlife, it is also a destination for walkers, cyclists and fans of angling, boating and paddleboarding.
For a drink or meal, you’ll find a great choice, from traditional pubs and independent cafés and restaurants to modern bars and some big-name destinations. For entertainment, there’s an arthouse cinema in the city centre and a multiscreen Cineworld near the station. The Chichester Festival Theatre is known as much from its striking 1960s architecture as it is for the top-rate shows it hosts.
The city and surrounding area frequently hosts numerous major celebrations, such as the Festival of Chichester which takes place every June/July and offers a multitude of arts, music, entertainment and cultural events.
Getting into Chichester and out to other destinations is easy due to the numerous road and rail links. The A27, M27, M3 and railway services mean that the likes of Portsmouth, Southampton, Brighton and London are within convenient reach.
Find new homes in West Sussex
Find retirement homes in West Sussex
For house-hunters considering buying a brand new home in or near Chichester, there are currently a host of possibilities to consider. Any offers, initiatives and assistance schemes mentioned are all subject to terms and conditions.
Find out more about brand new homes for sale in the following areas:
Bognor Regis , Chichester City , Selsey , West Broyle
Shopwyke Lakes from Cala Homes
New homes for sale in Chichester City
Shopwyke Lakes is a major development taking shape on the edge of the city, just a few minutes from the centre but with handy local amenities such as a Sainsbury’s superstore and Portfield Retail Park. One of the current parts of this scheme is from Cala Homes, which is building a host of property types ranging from two to five bedrooms, currently starting at £295,000. There are several purchase initiatives here including Deposit Unlock and Part Exchange, and some tailored offers. There’s a four-bedroom show home available to view which shows the design and specification to expect. Find out more from Cala Homes. For a more modest budget, Aster Group is offering people with a work or family connection to Chichester the opportunity to ‘part buy-part rent’ through Shared Ownership here, with apartments and terraced houses starting at £88,000 for 40% of a one-bedroom flat (full market value £220,000). Find out more at www.aster.co.uk. On the open market, Taylor Wimpey is another active housebuilder here, currently selling three- and four-bedroom homes with starting prices from £360,000 to £495,000. Selected properties come with an offer of up to £25,000 towards your new home. Find out more about current Taylor Wimpey developments.
Under a mile from Havenstone Park, the University of Chichester, St Richard’s Hospital and a big retail park, Drew Smith Homes is selling two-, three- and four-bedroom properties at Chalkhill View, priced from £360,000. Reserve by mid-May 2023 for a special deal of a £1,500 tech pack. There are far-reaching views of the South Downs from this site, and it’s a few minutes; drive to the A27. The show homes here are open seven days a week. Find out more at www.drewsmithhomes.co.uk.
Close by is a development from multiple WhatHouse? Award-winner Redrow. Lavant View has spacious three- and four-bedroom two- and three-storey houses inspired by traditional architecture but with thoroughly up-to-date energy efficiency standards and interior layouts and fixtures/fittings. The housebuilder’s own Help to Sell initiative could be an ideal option for existing homeowners, reducing the risks of the ‘property chain’ and the time and expenses of dealing with estate agents. There are three show homes to view here, open seven days a week. Find out more at www.redrow.co.uk.
Conveniently close to the Chichester Bypass is New Fields, a Redrow site which is coming close to a sell-out. There are still a few three- and four-bedroom, high-specification houses left though, with prices starting at £469,995, and a three-bedroom/three-bathroom show home to view, called the ‘Leamington Lifestyle’. Find out more at www.redrow.co.uk. There’s just one final chance to buy here through Shared Ownership with Aster Group, a two-bedroom house from £132,000 for a 40% share (full market value £330,000). Find out more at www.aster.co.uk.
Homes at Manor Gardens from Persimmon
New homes for sale in Selsey
This seaside town, eight miles south of Chichester on the Manhood Peninsular, has plenty of shops and facilities catering for residents and holidaymakers There are sandy beaches, and a RSPB Nature Reserve just north of the town, a big draw for fans of scenery and nightlife. On a practical level, there’s a ‘Good’ Ofsted-rated primary school and a regular seven-day-a-week bus service into the city
Persimmon Homes is building two-, three- and four-bedroom on the northern edge of town, just a mile from the East Beach, at a development called Manor Gardens. Prices, currently from £317,995 to £489,995, illustrate the wide appeal of this site, and there are some excellent ways that the housebuilder is helping people buy here. Deposit Unlock is available on selected plots, requiring just 5% deposit, while on some properties here, the buyer can make their own choice of deal on the home they want, such as a deposit contribution, 105% Part Exchange or up to £25,000 cashback. Find out more about Manor Gardens from Persimmon Homes.
New homes for sale in West Broyle
West Broyle is an area just to the west of the expanding city and it is the location of a major development of some 1,600 new homes which is just underway. Minerva Heights will also have a brand new central square and a primary school. The first 750 homes of the first phase have already been granted planning permission and a number of housebuilders are busy with their own ranges of brand new homes that have been designed to appeal across the market.
Prices with Miller Homes start at £325,000 for two-bedroom homes perfect for first-time buyers, rising to £697,500 for a large, luxurious, double-fronted detached house with en suites to two of its four bedrooms, plus a dedicated study, two sets of French doors to the garden and a laundry room off the open-plan kitchen/dining room. The new properties from Linden Homes include the currently available four- and five-bedroom houses priced from £395,000, with selected plots benefitting from special offers including upgrade packages and contributions to the likes of legal or removal costs, or Stamp Duty. Another brand of Vistry Group – Bovis Homes – also has a range of deals to consider on its three-, four- and five-bedroom homes, some of which have only just been released for sale and start at £385,000. Those with a current home to sell can ask about initiatives called Home Change and Smoothmove that can reduce the hassles and costs of the property chain. Find out more about brand new homes for sale in West Broyle.
New homes for sale in Bognor Regis
The famous coastal town is only six miles from Chichester and has 2.7 miles of beach and promenade. There’s a busy town centre with markets days, and a host of amenities and attractions including its pier, numerous parks, many places to eat and drink, and one of the campuses of the University of Chichester. The railway station provides regular services to the likes of Brighton, Gatwick Airport and London Victoria.
On the edge of town, Bovis Homes’ Mill View will be launched soon, offering two-, three- and four-bedroom homes within easy reach of the town centre, the sought-after coastal village of Pagham and Chichester itself, just a 15-minute drive away. Prices will be announced on launch. Find out more about Mill View.
Find new homes in West Sussex
Find retirement homes in West Sussex