Suffolk: Our village love affair

Some years ago the search requirements of London buyers were highly predictable: a Georgian rectory or impressive farmhouse with a long drive and about 10 acres, all within a 10 mile radius of a mainline station for the City. Seclusion and no neighbours were significant search criteria. But fashions are changing. These days we are just as likely to find London buyers specifically requesting houses in a village or on the edge-of.

Whilst many of us would be thrilled to own the ultimate trophy country house, we are seeing more buyers wishing to be part of a community and part of the action. When you’re used to the busy lifestyle and buzz of London, as well as having everthing at your fingertips in terms of restaurants, gyms, theatres and cinemas etc, it can be an unexpected shock to the system when a rural setting can lead to a sense of isolation and setting up an account with your local taxi firm.

The pretty and vibrant villages of Suffolk make ours a very special county indeed. When these villages also provide a shop/s, pub, restaurant and primary school we are reaching a recession-proof area of the market. Certainly village houses have been the strongest sector of our market for the past couple of years and the tide is not going to change.

In the price range of about £600,000 - £1,250,000 the demand is exceptional. The wide buyer spectrum is made up of families, professionals, London buyers and – most strongly – the retirement market looking to downsize and be within walking distance of amenities. We have had a number of examples in the recent past where good houses in popular villages, such as Nayland, have brought about competitive bidding owing to this diverse demand.

Whilst this is positive news for the vendors, it can be somewhat frustrating for the buyers. We often see scenarios where cash buyers can swoop in to purchase. This creates a dilemma for those wishing to downsize from their well-loved long-term country house to such a village. These buyers are often very reluctant to sell before they find a house to move to but, the reality is, the village house is the biggest love affair in the market. Just as a faint heart never won a fair maiden, fortune (or the best village house) favours the bold.

Caroline Edwards
Partner
Residential Sales, Long Melford
T: 01787 888622
E: caroline.edwards@carterjonas.co.uk

"I Heart Suffolk - that's my motto!"

Those of us born and bred in Suffolk have known about this county’s bewitching nature all our lives but the word is out. Recently described as a county “with apples in her cheeks”, our rural charm and undulating beauty now effortlessly blends with the sophisticate. London may be the cosmopolitan cocktail but Suffolk’s the cherry on top.

The attractions of Suffolk can easily be taken for granted by those who live and work here already but those new to the area will inevitably remark how colourful the houses are – an eclectic mix of charming painted cottages, elegant red brick and white brick Georgian houses and mansions, drunken timber framed houses in abundance, as well as pastel coloured beach huts.

We’re synonymous with pretty villages, rural hamlets, bustling market towns as well as the exceptional beauty of our unspoilt coastline and rugged, muddy rivers - bucolic scenes all perfectly captured by Constable and Gainsborough.

Suffolk was once a preferred destination for retirement – especially for those looking to move from the expensive Hertfordshire/Essex borders for a more peaceful way of life. Similarly, buyers migrated south from Scotland and Yorkshire to get that much closer to their family and friends in London. Quick research on the Internet will show we remain the most affordable county within that all-important 60 mile radius of London.

No motorway crosses our county yet we have excellent road and rail communication links to London and employment hot spots such as our hi-tech, high-powered, neighbour Cambridge. Added to which, Stansted Airport in Essex is a very accessible convenience whilst being far enough removed for noise pollution to be of no concern.

However, in the past five years, London has swivelled its searchlight north eastwards and hungrily shone its beam on Suffolk unveiling our hidden jewels.

We’re no longer the closely guarded secret we once were. Our high quality of life sees us top of the league in the UK’s longest life expectancy and, not only are we the driest county, we’re one of the sunniest in the UK too.

Niceties as these are, it is our top-rated schools and ease of commuting (under one hour to Liverpool Street) that seals the deal for our London buyers.

But we must definitely not forget Newmarket, the world famous home of British horseracing, which generates £208 million per annum and is also home to Frankel – universally known as the highest rated and most famous racehorse in the world. Since retiring from an unbeaten record of 14 wins out of 14 races and valued at £100 million, Frankel now stands as a stallion for Juddmonte Farms at Banstead Manor Stud commanding an impressive income of around £10-£12 million per year.

Maybe Frankel’s magic has rubbed off on the rest of us or maybe Suffolk’s new found celebrity put that extra heat into his heart and hooves as he raced to all his winning glories! Either way, a horse of such surprising and exceptional magnitude pretty much sums up Suffolk: stunning in all its discreet, yet unquestionable, splendour.

I heart Suffolk – that’s my motto!

Caroline Edwards
Partner
Residential Sales, Long Melford
T: 01787 888622
E: caroline.edwards@carterjonas.co.uk