Rail overhaul to send Bath house prices soaring
01-29-2015
Pulteney bridge
An overdue overhaul of the rail service is expected to slash journey times to the West Country and send house prices soaring in places like Bath, Bristol, Taunton and Tiverton.
The electrification of the train line from London to the West Country will mean that diesel trains can be replaced with longer, more comfortable, electric trains. Rail company Great Western has also promised commuters 20% more seats, more legroom and more tables.
But the best news is that the changes will bring the West Country even closer to the capital, making it possible to retain a London career whilst enjoying lower property prices and higher quality of life in some of the most beautiful parts of the UK. In 2016 the journey time from London to Bristol will drop from 100 minutes to 78 minutes. In 2017, the journey from London to Bath will fall to just over an hour.
Close to Bath it is possible to swap a one bedroom central London flat for a large, family home. There is a good choice of family-sized properties from £600,000-£800,000 and beautiful apartments for less than £200,000.
Richard Waters, buying agent and Director of The County Homesearch Company said: “Bath’s history, architectural beauty, good schools and stylish city centre mean that it has always been sought-after by Londoners. For those currently living in London and commuting for up to 60 minutes across the capital on the tube, these shorter train journeys may well tempt them to bring forward their decision to move here.
“Some places, like Chippenham, may scrape under the bar and find themselves less than an hour’s commute from London when the electric trains take over. With house prices significantly lower than Bath, I would expect property values in these areas to rise as more Londoners look to relocate.”
Richard Waters has been a County Homesearch Company Director and buying agent in the area surrounding Bath for almost 20 years. For independent, professional advice about moving to this region or buying an investment property here, please contact him on 01225 830 930.