Ipswich tipped for double-digit house price growth in five years: Suffolk town has top schools and direct trains to London

With a new waterfront district and good-value house prices, London commuters might be tempted by this historic town with direct trains to Liverpool Street.
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Ruth Bloomfield2 January 2020

Very much a town of two halves, traces of Ipswich’s long history are to be found in the ornate 15th-century buildings in the town centre, and in the writing of Charles Dickens who visited and set parts of The Pickwick Papers there.

Less than a mile away — and yet a million miles away — is a modern new waterfront district overlooking the River Orwell, with a marina and glitzy apartments springing up, as well as the new University of Suffolk campus.

Ipswich is one of those places which sounds too far away to contemplate. In fact you can be at Liverpool Street in just over an hour on a direct train and an annual season ticket costs £6,944.

Top schools include St Mark’s Catholic Primary School and The Oaks Primary School, both rated “outstanding” by Ofsted.

Shops on Dial Lane in the town centre
Alamy Stock Photo

Why Ipswich is tipped as one to watch in 2020

Savills forecasts that homes in the east of England will outperform in the next few years, up 11 per cent between now and 2024. Smart homes within walking distance of Ipswich station should fare particularly well, because of the London commuter factor.

Pros: artists love the big skies in this part of the world and consequently there are several art galleries, as well as three museums, plus a theatre and contemporary dance company. Annual arts and jazz festivals are held in the summer. There are very good sports facilities, for those who like to play or watch football or rugby, as well as an Olympic-class gymnastics centre and a high-standard swimming club.

Cons: parents need to watch catchment areas like hawks. The town has its share of high-performing primary and senior schools, but of the 60 schools within three miles of the town centre assessed by Ofsted, nine have worryingly bad reports.

Average house prices in Ipswich — and what there is to buy

Average prices in central Ipswich (IP1) stand at £220,000, up almost a third over the last five years.

Offers over £475,000: a five-bedroom detached house on the northern side of Ipswich

Within a mile of the station you could buy a grand, roomy period house – anything from Georgian to Victorian to Arts and Crafts – from around £450,000.

A budget of £300,000 would buy a three- to four-bedroom cottage or a smart new apartment overlooking Ipswich Marina.

For £200,000 you could buy a very nice two-bedroom flat.