Chipping Sodbury Reaches Sunday Times Top Ten Property Hotspots List
The Sunday Times last weekend tipped Chipping Sodbury to be one of ten property hotspots in England.
And the reasons the Sunday Times predicts Chipping Sodbury is poised to become a property hotspot?
“Towns and cities that were previously in the shadow of more glamorous neighbours are coming into their own with new retail and transport developments as well as significant house building”
New Retail in Chipping Sodbury
The impending opening of Waitrose in Chipping Sodbury and just a mile away the recently opened M&S Food in Yate have followed on from the opening of a huge Tesco Extra in Yate last year.
I remember tweeting at the time of the building of the Tesco Extra that I was unsure whether it would be slightly bigger or slightly smaller than Ceausescu’s palace in Bucharest.
Big Brand Businesses are clearly looking at Chipping Sodbury as an attractive place to be and new housing is always not far behind.
You can read my previous post on the Aspirational Chipping Sodbury and the Waitrose Effect here.
The completion of the electrification of the line between Bristol and London will also reduce times and make Chipping Sodbury and South Gloucestershire more attractive to commuters.
New Housing Developments in Chipping Sodbury and Peg Hill, North Yate.
The new Waitrose store is situated on the old Barnhill Quarry and is the first phase of a development which will include other shops and 170 new homes.
The quarry site itself is around 50 acres and plenty of scope for further development.
Barratt Homes was granted detailed Planning Permission last week for 235 homes at Peg Hill, North Yate a mile or so away (even by cycle track). The Barrett Homes permission is part of a wider scheme in the area for upto 3,000 new homes and facilities.
What Do Estate Agents in Chipping Sodbury Think?
So, in best detective tradition, I decided to ask a couple of independent estate agents in Chipping Sodbury what they thought about the last 12 months. Was the Sunday Times spot on with its prediction that Chipping Sodbury will be a property hotspot.
Nick Cragg of Country Property Agents said: –
“New instructions are up on last year’s figures …… On sales we have found an increasing number of cash buyers looking to invest between £250,000 and £1,000,000 on suitable properties, mostly for owner occupation. These various buyers are made up of those who have inherited, those who are looking to transfer investments and cash out of bank accounts into the relative safety of property.
It seems there are a number of reasons why things have been so busy over the past 12 months in particular, and these would include:
- Buyer and tenants becoming impatient with the caution they have exercised in response to gloomy forecasts
- A feeling that their investments and bank deposits are safer in property than elsewhere
- The convenience of our region to the motorway and railway networks
- The proximity of employment opportunities
- The Waitrose opportunity
Simon Smith of Milburys said: –
“House prices are increasing but not increasing too quickly.
Better house prices are being achieved for our clients .Whereas last year a Buyer might have put in a much lower offer to the asking price and had a chance of success, this is no longer happening and better offers are being achieved.
The length of time a property is on the market until sold has reduced from around 10 or so weeks last year to around 8 weeks now.
More housing stock is definitely coming on to the market and there are more buyers looking to buy.
Properties in the middle range and upper price brackets are increasing although there is a dearth of first and second time buyer properties coming to market.
The main benefit is a feeling that Chipping Sodbury is becoming more self-contained with big brands such as Waitrose and M&S being on the doorstep. Clients and Buyers are excited about the Waitrose development and the good effect it will have on the town”
Stewart Waters of David James and Partners said
“Waitrose has contributed to a feel good factor about the town.
Waitrose in Chipping Sodbury will compliment the traditional High Street and its range of shops, offices and businesses. We have specialist shops such as the Fabulous Baker Boys in Hobbs House Bakery and Butchery and others no doubt will be attracted to the town.
Quality property has been in short supply and prices have held strong due to demand.
Many more buyers are now in proceedable positions and the outlook is more optimistic than for a few years”
Conveyancing in Chipping Sodbury
Dear Reader, you are probable asking yourself- and how about Conveyancing in Chipping Sodbury? Surely, you should also be able to tell whether Chipping Sodbury is about to become a property hotspot.
Well, yes, the signs are very encouraging. We have seen new Conveyancing instructions beat previous figures not seen since 2007 –in 2 out of the last 3 months.
So, as the Sunday Times points out this “Sleepy Gloucestershire town may be waking up into a very desirable place to live and work.”
We all at Clutton Cox certainly love living and working here.
If you are considering moving to Chipping Sodbury or moving within Chipping Sodbury register for our special Conveyancing promotion below, but hurry, the promotion closes when Waitrose opens its doors in October.
