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Greenwich is celebrating the summer's Games with spectacular pageantry — and unlocking a bend in the Thames to offer riverside homes with views of the festivities.
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Camden offers canalside living in a range of converted period warehouses; first-time buyer studio flats and roomy Victorian family terrace homes. We take a tour of NW1's colourful streets and get the property lowdown.
Spotlight on Stoke Newington
Steeped in history and with a new rail link to the City, “Stokey” is raising its game for home buyers. The mainly Victorian housing stock attracts young professionals and families, who also enjoy the neighbourhood's arty and bohemian vibe.
Commuter watch - Chelmsford
With just over half an hour's train time into Liverpool Street, Chelmsford offers the best of both worlds. Now a £1 billion scheme will give Chelmsford's Beaulieu Park 3,600 new homes to add to the town's desirability.
Steal the style: tibits
In our new series, we visit some of the capital's most striking spaces and show how to get a similar look without breaking the bank. First up is vegetarian restaurant tibits in Heddon Street, where glamour comes with the meat-free menu.
Find a rated tradesman
Want to add value to your property, make your house a home, or sell your place fast? With 1,000s of tradesmen nationwide, rated and recommended by previous customers, this is the smart way to find a reputable tradesman.
Buy of the week: Primrose Hill
This plush flat minutes from Primrose Hill village and Regent’s Park has high-end details which include a bespoke German kitchen, an open-plan reception/dining space and a bedroom with clever storage. Priced at £735,000.
Swap of the week: Odiham
Heavenly views of Odiham’s ancient church in Hampshire come with this £750,000 beauty set just off the high street. It offers 2,000sq ft of space, four bedrooms, three reception rooms and kitchen with an Aga.
Life-changer: Shaldon, Devon
Reduced by £100,000 (now £750,000), this waterfront home overlooking the Teign Estuary, in Shaldon has gorgeous water views from the big windows in all four bedrooms and the open-plan living area. Heaps of B&B potential here.
Spotlight on Stoke Newington
Steeped in history and with a new rail link to the City, “Stokey” is raising its game for home buyers. The mainly Victorian housing stock attracts young professionals and families, who also enjoy the neighbourhood's arty and bohemian vibe.
Property search
Price boost for commuterland homes
Super-fast train services are set to boost the prices of commuterland homes. By Ruth Bloomfield
House prices in prime parts of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Warwickshire are set to soar when new superfast trains from London are launched next year. Chiltern Railways says a £250 million upgrade of its Marylebone to Birmingham line will result in journey times being slashed by about 20 per cent.
Lucian Cook, a director of Savills, predicts the new timetables could prompt a spike in prices. He says house prices on average rise by £1,300 for every minute knocked off a commute. But sought-after detached homes rise by £2,250 for every minute saved.
From next May a journey from Leamington Spa (Warwickshire) to Marylebone, now 85 minutes, will be cut to a more commuter friendly 67 minutes.
Search homes and property for sale in Leamington Spa
Journeys from Banbury (Oxfordshire) — now 67 minutes — will fall to 53 minutes, while a trip from Bicester (Oxfordshire) will fall from 56 to 45 minutes.
Search homes and property for sale in Banbury
Search homes and property for sale in Bicester
The commute from Haddenham (Buckinghamshire) will be cut from 44 minutes to 35, while a journey from High Wycombe (Buckinghamshire) will fall from 34 minutes to 25 minutes — a saving of around 90 minutes travel time a week, or about 70 hours in the average working year.
Search homes and property for sale in Haddenham
Search homes and property for sale in High Wycombe
“This means that, in theory, the value of the average house in High Wycombe could be boosted by £11,700, and in Leamington Spa by £23,400,” said Mr Cook. “Prices for a detached house in the two locations could rise by just over £20,000 and £40,000 respectively.”
The change will open up new areas to house hunters looking to move away from the capital. They range from the fairly downbeat town of Bicester, best known for its designer outlet village, to Haddenham, considered one of the prettiest villages in the Home Counties.
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