At Home with Sarah Beeny 2013 - (Page 51)

| SLUG| Hot property WORDS: Georgina Maric | PHOTOGRAPHS: Getty Images, Shutterstock THE HOUSING MARKET MAY BE STAGNANT BUT THERE ARE SOME LOCATIONS IN THE UK THAT ARE BUCKING THE TREND. SO, WHERE ARE THE BEST PLACES TO BUY IN 2013? W hat exactly is a property hotspot? ‘Transport has always played an important role in creating house price growth districts,’ says the property website, Rightmove (www. rightmove.co.uk). ‘If plans are afoot to substantially develop the local transport network, or enhance links with larger populated areas, then it is logical to assume that this will have a positive knock-on effect on prices.’ Other key factors for a property hotspot are places where employment is growing, and somewhere that is about to have money pumped into it for redevelopment, which will mean more people will move in. Good schools, parks and sports and shopping facilities are also essential for some potential buyers. ‘Even if you appear to have missed the boat in an area where house prices are already growing, be aware of what property experts call the “ripple effect”,’ says Rightmove. ‘This is where a hotspot becomes so attractive and popular that many people ﬁnd themselves priced out of the market. However, they normally stay close by, moving to adjacent areas that will become hotspots.’ It’s worth considering these, too… With the average commuter spending five weeks a year travelling to work, the benefits of living close to the office shouldn’t be underestimated Limehouse, London In the East End of the city, Limehouse is becoming increasingly popular, not least because of its proximity to the City and the nearby Olympics facilities in Stratford. There’s a 90-birth marina at Limehouse Basin, the Docklands Light Railway station and the overground/ underground hub at Stratford give good access to central London. Property here will always be a good buy, as it will sell and rent very quickly. Average house prices: Around £400,000, but there are some shared-ownership apartments being built with views of the second tallest building in Europe – the Shard – for half that price. > www.athomemagazine.co.uk APRIL 2013 | 051 51-52 hot spots.FINAL.indd 51 1/3/13 15:14:50 http://www.rightmove.co.uk http://www.athomemagazine.co.uk

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of At Home with Sarah Beeny 2013

Editor's letter
Sarah's Welcome
Notebook
It's a date
Mellow yellow
Blooming wonderful
Proper copper
Rent revolution
Home upgrade
Leading locations
Property virgins
Safe as houses
On the move
Good on paper
A distressed look
Turn up the heat
Fire it up
Trendsetter
Another 48 hours
Something old, something new
Suite dreams
Inside the box
Bathtime
On stylish ground
On the rise
DIY for girls
The blueprint
A glass act
Final draught
Heat beneath your feet
Silent enemies
Real-life renovation
Eco exclusive
Hot stuff
How very cultivated
Turn over a new leaf
Lofty deals
Keep your antenna up
What Sarah says
How bizarre
Colour cocktail
Last word
Stockists

At Home with Sarah Beeny 2013