The WhatHouse? team considers some of the best places to live on Kent’s southern coastline, and the range of high-quality brand new homes currently for sale there.
Deal/Walmer
With a history pre-dating the Domesday book, Deal faces east and is just 25 miles from France. Together with neighbouring Walmer, they have a centuries-long maritime heritage that stretches back to Roman times. These days, the towns complement their historic buildings and popular beach with a range of thoroughly modern shops and services as well as a host of leisure facilities and good transport connections, with the A2 20 minutes away, Canterbury around 30 minutes away by road and National Rail and High Speed services to numerous major towns and London termini.
Sunningdale House Developments is very busy building an array of properties in Kent and one of its current sites is called Millers Retreat, located just minutes from Walmer station and the Dover Road []. On the doorstep are a few useful shops and amenities, and it’s a seven-minute drive to the centre of Deal. Within a 20-minute walk are the beach, play areas and sports facilities, including football, cricket and riding clubs. One example of the three-, four- and five-bedroom house types currently for sale is ‘The Howard’, priced from £395,000. This semi-detached home comes with a car port and private parking space, and is laid out with a kitchen at the front, living/dining room at the rear, downstairs cloakroom, two double bedrooms (one en suite), a single room and a family bathroom with tub and separate walk-in shower. Prices here start at £380,000. Find out more from Sunningdale House Developments.
Burgoyne Square at Shorncliffe Heights
Folkestone/Sandgate
Folkestone is another of Kent’s most famous coastal towns and while it is not the focus for royalty and the aristocracy as it was in its Victorian heyday, it has undergone some major changes with the Eurotunnel services, and the former commercial harbour becoming a promenade destination for foodies which hosts a plethora of outdoor events. The neighbouring coastal village of Sandgate is a sought-after residential area which, like the main town, has the benefit of an extensive beach and proximity to Brockhill Country Park and the North Downs AONB. The M20 and extensive railway services make it a well-connected part of the county.
Taylor Wimpey’s Burgoyne Square at Shorncliffe Heights, a five-minute drive from the town centre on a former barracks site situated off Royal Millitary Avenue, is bringing some 245 new homes to the town in the shape of one- and two-bedroom apartments and two-, three- and four-bedroom houses. Prices right now range from £221,500 for the ‘Edale’ coach house, which comes with two double bedrooms (one en suite), a fitted kitchen/living/dining room, bathroom and allocated parking space, rising to £294,995 for ‘The Gosford’, which is a three-bedroom family home with kitchen/dining room leading to the garden and a separate lounge, while upstairs, bedroom one comes with en suite and the other two share the family bathroom. Find out more at www.taylorwimpey.com.
Sunningdale House Developments has some luxury hillside apartments in a very contemporary style at Sandgate Pavilions, which won prestigious WhatHouse? Awards in 2020. With 36 properties set over three blocks, there are some outstanding views from open-plan living rooms and private outdoor gardens or balconies looking out to sea, to match the very high-quality build and interior specification. There’s lift access to all floors and residents have secure allocated parking. On the market for £775,000 is one of the garden apartments. The open-plan kitchen/dining/living room is flooded with light through floor-to-ceiling windows which lead to an extensive terrace. Both bedrooms are generous doubles with built-in wardrobes, with bedroom one having the bonus of an en suite bathroom with feature stand-alone tub. There’s a separate study and another shower room. Find out more about Sandgate Pavilions from Sunningdale House Developments.
Elkington House
Dover
This iconic port town has a mix of big-brand and independent shops, plenty of choice of places to et and drink, lots of fun things to do, some historic sites, a new marina pier and some of England’s most iconic scenery on the doorstep. There are a host of schools rated ‘Good’ and ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted, including two grammar schools. High Speed rail services take around 70 minutes to reach the capital.
Just four miles from the town centre in Whitfield, Barratt Homes is currently offering three- and four-bedroom houses at Richmond Park with starting prices between £335,995 and £475,995. Reserve the ‘Woodcote’ before 31 October 2022 and first-time buyers can use the Help to Buy scheme, which requires a deposit of just 5%. Priced from £392,995, this three-storey home comes with an upgraded kitchen and for a limited time, the offer of £5,000 towards your mortgage. The living/dining room has a glazed bay to the rear, south-west facing garden, there’s a kitchen/breakfast room at the front of the home, three bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor and a top floor dedicated to the main bedroom, which comes with en suite, some built-in storage and a dressing area.
Award-winning retirement specialist McCarthy Stone has a range of one- and two-bedroom apartments for over-70s at Elkington House. A few minutes’ walk from Connaught Park and around a 15-minute stroll from the town centre, this safe, gated development comprises 74 private apartments, complemented by communal lounge, landscaped gardens, on-site bistro and a hotel-style guest suite. Some homes have private balconies overlooking Dover Castle. This pet-friendly community has a 24-hour emergency call system and can provide tailored care for residents. Prices start at £224,000, with rental and ‘part buy-part rent’ options available. Find out more from McCarthy Stone.
Aspect
Hythe
This characterful small town has the Royal Military Canal running through it and is halfway between Folkestone and Dymchurch, both little more than 10 minutes’ drive away. It comes with a great range of shops and activities including its famous heritage railway. Hythe Bay CofE Primary School, Saltwood CofE Primary School and St Augustine's Catholic Primary School are all rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted. Sandling railway station and the M20 are both just a short drive from the town centre.
Aspect is a boutique development of just nine contemporary apartments and a penthouse, already more than half sold. The ultra-modern architecture is echoed in the thoroughly contemporary interiors with bespoke finishes. Each home has a large private terrace providing sea views, and each also benefits from private allocated parking. The building is set in a communal front and rear garden that has been landscaped to blend with the local scenery. Find out more at www.silverhomes.co.uk.
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