Property Drop Issue 61

3
of restaurants and shops, plus a cinema and bowling alley. This, coupled with it being
the cheapest area in thecatchment to buy a property means it is an ideal choice when
looking for a first home. More affordable than buying a home in Cardiff - the average
price for a home in the city standing at £248,492 - this smaller city easily rivals the
large capital. From cheaper housing to its recent developments, Newport also sits on
a prime location. Laying right on the M4 corridor, this provides the area with ease of
access to many major cities including Cardiff (25 minutes), Bath (60 minutes) and
Bristol (40 minutes), making it the perfect location for commuters
Hereford: £217,012
This compact city,
laying on the River
Wye, is bursting with
stunning architecture
and scenery. A
90-minute drive to
the bustling cities
of Birmingham and
Cardiff, and only
42 miles to Bristol,
Hereford is an ideal
place for those who
want a quieter lifestyle
but with ease of access to the city. The area brings together both modern and rural
living and is set to open the doors to a brand-new university building.The technology
and engineering school is set to
welcome its first graduates in 2020
which will bring a refreshing wave of
young people to the city and helping to
stimulate the economy from this new
population.
Ross-on-Wye: £214,647
The quaint town of Ross-on-Wye
also falls below the national average
of housing prices in the UK. Boasting
stunning landscapes, the town is
an hour drive to the centre of Cardiff and a 50-minute drive to Worcester. Long
considered to be the place British tourism was founded, it’s easy to see why. Ross-on-
Wye has managed to maintain a charm that British towns have vastly lost: independent
stores on the high street. Whilst holding onto its past charisma, it is in the middle of
developing a new enterprise park which will see the creation of roughly 1,000 jobs in
the area
New developments
If, as a first-time
buyer, you are seeking
brand new property then
you should expect to
pay a little higher than
the national average.
Many people turn to
new developments as
it allows you to start
from scratch and often
giving you the freedom
to design a home
exactly how you desire.
According to Which?, there are several other advantages to turning to a new build
home. Advantages such as less demand for maintenance work, cheaper energy bills
and the ability to use help to buy are all appealing factors when considering the kind
of home you want to invest in. Developers also often install new homes with amenities
such as dishwashers and washing machines which are included in the
price, meaning you can surpass this extra hassle and hidden costs.
However, the biggest sway towards a new home is that they come chainfree,
alleviating one of the greatest stresses’ buyers can encounter when
house hunting.
If a new development is something you are considering and it fits
your budget, Redrow are developing a range of stunning homes in
Lydney, Gloucestershire. The homes start just above the national average
at £283,995 for a three-bedroom home and Help to Buy is available
on all their properties. Settled between the motorway and the stunning
scenery of the Forest of Dean, the development provides ease of access to
Bristol with a mere 40-minute drive to the city - perfect for commuters
who want to be based away from the noise.
Other features that are less favourable today include a
new boiler/central heating system (42% in 2019 versus
48% in 2014) and having an open fireplace or wood
burner (11% today, 15% in 2014).
Despite not making it onto the top 20, GoCompare
Home Insurance is encouraging buyers to add buildings
insurance to their essentials list. Buildings insurance
protects your homes structure including the walls and
roof, covering the cost of repairs. Buyers should be
aware that the day they exchange contracts is when
they become responsible for the property, not the day
they move in. It would be within a buyer’s financial
interest to protect their new property from any potential
damages that may occur from this date.
Ryan Fulthorpe, speaking from GoCompare Home
Insurance, comments on the findings of the 2019
survey:
‘But, as our survey shows, connectivity is now a
deciding factor for many buyers. Technology forms a big
part of every-day life – whether it’s browsing the web,
video or music streaming, or making a mobile phone
call – people want a strong, reliable connection. And,
with an increasing number of internet-capable devices
developed for home use, this trend can only continue.’
In conclusion, Ryan advises home buyers, ‘Once
you’ve found your ideal property, it’s important to
note that you take on legal responsibility for it on
the day you exchange contracts, not the day the sale
is completed. On exchange of contracts, the buyer
becomes liable for any damage to the building. For
example, if it’s damaged by fire of a flood. So, if you’re
buying a property, it’s essential to have buildings
insurance cover in place from the point of exchange.’
www.thepropertydrop.co.uk
01600 717255
info@thepropertydrop.co.uk
Whilst every care is taken with materials submitted to The Property Drop the publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss
or damage to such materials. Opinions expressed in articles are strictly those of the authors. This publication is copyright
bedroom
and may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publishers. Prices and details are subject to
change and the publisher can take no responsibility for omissions or errors. The inclusion of an advertiser in this paper is not
necessarily a recommendation. ©The Property Drop 2019.
bathroom
The icons under the properties throughout
Property Drop indicate the following:
bedroom
bathroom
living room etc
bathroom
bedroom
bedroom
Number of
bedrooms
bedroom
living room etc
Number bathroom of
bathroom
living room central etc heating
bathroom garage/covered parking
central heating
garage/covered parking
living room etc
bedroom
living room etc
living room etc
reception
rooms
central heating
garage/covered parking
Number of
bathrooms
garage/covered parking
central heating
central heating
central heating
parking
parking
ELECTRIC
Method of
central
heating
Covered
garage
parking
parking
Parking
space
garage/covered parking
parking