worried1 Posted July 15, 2010 Share Posted July 15, 2010 So my question is, what am I missing that makes Guildford so much more attractive than Woking, Dorking, Farnham etc. Could it be that it's just a little local snobbery? We made a totally objective judgement based upon facts and leg work and now that we're living it, I still think we're right. Frankly, I'd rather live in Woking! (or Farnham, or Dorking!). Welcome to snobbery Surrey-style! The answer is that Guildford is no better than the other towns mentioned. I'd much rather live in a nice part of Woking (and there ARE some), than live in a poor part of Guildford. For any given house, you will pay a 10-20% premium in Guildford over Woking or Dorking. It is always been that way and probably always will. There is no point trying to analyse the advantages, because there are not many outside of those mentioned above. People judge places by the town centre - Woking is 60s and horrible, Guildford is quite characterful. In reality, that does not have too much of an effect on those living there. It is postcode snobbery at it's best - just go to Esher and you won't be able to understand why residents pay hundreds of thousands more to live there than in equivalent roads in Hersham or Walton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikhail Liebenstein Posted July 15, 2010 Share Posted July 15, 2010 Welcome to snobbery Surrey-style! The answer is that Guildford is no better than the other towns mentioned. I'd much rather live in a nice part of Woking (and there ARE some), than live in a poor part of Guildford. For any given house, you will pay a 10-20% premium in Guildford over Woking or Dorking. It is always been that way and probably always will. There is no point trying to analyse the advantages, because there are not many outside of those mentioned above. People judge places by the town centre - Woking is 60s and horrible, Guildford is quite characterful. In reality, that does not have too much of an effect on those living there. It is postcode snobbery at it's best - just go to Esher and you won't be able to understand why residents pay hundreds of thousands more to live there than in equivalent roads in Hersham or Walton. Esher's a complete dump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmostThereBear Posted July 15, 2010 Share Posted July 15, 2010 Thanks all for your thoughts. I agree with many of the comments above. The conclusion that I am reaching is much as worried1 describes above: Guildford seems to have little to justify its premium prices other than a more attractive town centre (bridge, cobbles, clock etc) and the fact that "it has always been that way". How strange it is that people will pay 10-20% over the odds with such flimsy justification. Just goes to show how mad many have become re housing - some lose all sight of the true value of the sums they commit to as soon as they spot the nirvana of a trendy postcode. Although I have to admit that I haven't tried finding a plumber in Woking yet - might well be difficult, and then I'll be back on here eating my words! However if this is a factor justifying the price differential, I presume all Guildford plumbers install solid gold bogs as standard? I was also interested in Rich's comments about live bands in Guildford town centre. I'll keep my eyes peeled for them. In my view a buzzing cultural scene, live music etc is something that it is worth paying a little extra for. Although to be fair, we have an outdoor wurlitzer concert in Woking in a couple of weeks, so I guess prices are set to soar! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TaxFree Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 One factor that probably sets Guildford apart from neighbouring towns is the presence of the university of Surrey. According to the UniS website, in 09/10 there were just over 14k students (9.5k undergrad and 4.5k postgrad) and only 4.9k rooms in halls of residence. I assume most of the surplus students rent/share privately in Guildford, and that must put a lot of pressure at the bottom end of the housing market which filters through to all the layers above. I am surprised to see that there were 12189 students in 07/08, 13065 in 08/09 and 14137 in 09/10. That's about 1000 extra students per year, in a town with a total population of 67k (wikipedia - 2001 census). It must be like manna for local BTLers. UniS also employs 2.6k staff, but I guess many of them live outside Guildford. IMO, what happens to UniS (budget cuts?, number of places reduced?) will greatly affect house prices in Guildford. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TaxFree Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 This was reported in the Telegraph a couple of weeks back and was picked up in the main forum. It is about private landlords having to reduce rents following the cuts in housing benefits announced in the June emergency budget. Guildford is likely to be "the most affected area outside London". Does anybody know how widespread housing benefits are in Guildford? Telegraph - Private landlords to 'slash rents to keep tenants because of housing benefit cuts' [the cuts] will be introduced in two stages, in April and October next year. ... The biggest shortfalls will be felt in smarter areas of London, Cambridge, Bath, Guildford and Exeter, where private rents are more expensive. ... In one fifth of the country, a three bedroom household would face a shortfall of £65 a month from the cuts, and as much as £150 a month in expensive areas such as Guildford, the most affected area outside London. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikhail Liebenstein Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 This was reported in the Telegraph a couple of weeks back and was picked up in the main forum.  It is about private landlords having to reduce rents following the cuts in housing benefits announced in the June emergency budget.  Guildford is likely to be "the most affected area outside London". Does anybody know how widespread housing benefits are in Guildford? Telegraph - Private landlords to 'slash rents to keep tenants because of housing benefit cuts' This link should help a bit:  http://www.voa.gov.uk/lhadirect/lha-emergency-budget-news-2010.htm Whilst you can get a private 4 bed for £1600 pcm, I think it is close to the limit of what is possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc- Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 What does everyone think about buying a BTL in Guildford? I know it sounds crazy, but I think some BTL owners will be desperate to sell soon, and will have to accept a low price. I think the rental prices in Guildford seem very high, so there might not be enough competition to bring the prices down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintJay Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 What does everyone think about buying a BTL in Guildford? I know it sounds crazy, but I think some BTL owners will be desperate to sell soon, and will have to accept a low price. I think the rental prices in Guildford seem very high, so there might not be enough competition to bring the prices down. possibly so - however, Guildford has a large number of rich parented foreign students - it is quite possible they will be snapped up quickly and quietly so no real change is seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heroic Purchases Posted July 26, 2010 Share Posted July 26, 2010 I thought you might appreciate this chart. It shows Land Registry data on a set of about 60 almost identical 1-bed flats (St Lukes Square). I added a green line which is adjusted for inflation (RPI). Jaw dropping stuff... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintJay Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 I thought you might appreciate this chart. It shows Land Registry data on a set of about 60 almost identical 1-bed flats (St Lukes Square). I added a green line which is adjusted for inflation (RPI). Jaw dropping stuff... Bloody hell!!! What's so special about St Luke's Square anyway? For not much more you can get a 2 bed house with a garden (allbeit North Guildford) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heroic Purchases Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 What's so special about St Luke's Square anyway? For not much more you can get a 2 bed house with a garden (allbeit North Guildford) Nice, quiet part of town, but still very close to the centre. Flats are fairly modern, good size and layout. Ample parking. Still, can't justify those prices! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikhail Liebenstein Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 This one is surely a joke: £5,250,000 7 bedroom detached house for sale - Albury Road Guildford Either that or a typo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juvenal Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 A Guildford EA with several branches is telling a seller friend of mine the market is falling. My friend has dropped a three bed semi 35K since first asking. EA suggested £325K might be the eventual price it will move at. The house is being sold to fund care home fees, and will have to find a buyer at whatever price the market dictates. No pulling this one off the market until the 'recovery'. There must be others like this. Only honest EA in Guildford? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikhail Liebenstein Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 A Guildford EA with several branches is telling a seller friend of mine the market is falling. My friend has dropped a three bed semi 35K since first asking. EA suggested £325K might be the eventual price it will move at. The house is being sold to fund care home fees, and will have to find a buyer at whatever price the market dictates. No pulling this one off the market until the 'recovery'. There must be others like this. Only honest EA in Guildford? Or EA trying to scare old folk to close a deal - but who cares, the elderly don't have a right to fleece new generations to pay for their care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimj Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Here in Northwest Guildford, there have been a number of reductions in recent weeks. I would say about a quarter of properties have had knockdowns of around 5% or even 10% on right move. There also seems to be more property on the market compared to a year ago so I am expecting further falls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jethrotull Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 (edited) So my question is, what am I missing that makes Guildford so much more attractive than Woking, Dorking, Farnham etc. Could it be that it's just a little local snobbery? We made a totally objective judgement based upon facts and leg work and now that we're living it, I still think we're right. Frankly, I'd rather live in Woking! (or Farnham, or Dorking!). Guildford trains to London better than Dorking and Farnham, but worse than Woking More English than central Woking Has a train station car park Has a university Has a cathedral Your friends are more likely to move there with everyone else Can't face going any further on the traine line Edited February 13, 2011 by jethrotull Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Let-them-Burn Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 (edited) We are in northwest Guildford. Our anecdote, we had our house on the market at what we thoght was peak prices in Jan/Feb 2009 for £300k and accepted an offer of £295k, but decided to pull out because we choose to put our child into private school and wanted to stay being mortgage free - rather than move to the George Abbott catchment area and have to pay +£500k for similar houses. I recently did a search and there is a house on the market in our street which has slightly smaller rooms etc. and on for £350k. So in this estate agents mind, prices have been going up at over 7% a year in Guildford. Looks like we have another 2 years to wait in this expensive town. At least with us being mortgage free we have a good life of enjoying holidays/restuarants instead of being trapped with +£20k/year mortgage costs. Edited March 4, 2011 by Let-them-Burn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juvenal Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 A Guildford EA with several branches is telling a seller friend of mine the market is falling. My friend has dropped a three bed semi 35K since first asking. EA suggested £325K might be the eventual price it will move at. The house is being sold to fund care home fees, and will have to find a buyer at whatever price the market dictates. No pulling this one off the market until the 'recovery'. There must be others like this. Only honest EA in Guildford? Another 20K off asking and still on the market. Six viewings, no offers. Nothing wrong with the place, just needs freshening up. The buyers are keeping their money off the table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juvenal Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Another 20K off asking and still on the market. Six viewings, no offers. Nothing wrong with the place, just needs freshening up. The buyers are keeping their money off the table. First and only offer of £340K arrives after 6 months. Originally valued by a notorious large London EA at £395K. Local EA valued at £375K. Seller excited, but many a slip etc.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintJay Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-19025388.html offer accepted at £190k - something approaching sensible for Guildford. Not sure who's gonna want to tell this guy though.... http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-19059522.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juvenal Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 First and only offer of £340K arrives after 6 months. Originally valued by a notorious large London EA at £395K. Local EA valued at £375K. Seller excited, but many a slip etc.... Update: Surveys done. Looks like this 3 bed semi (needing updating) sale is going through at £340K. 10% under local EA asking price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solitaire Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Not sure who's gonna want to tell this guy though.... http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-19059522.html Guess it's a stupid question but is that 250k for all three properties? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worried1 Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Guess it's a stupid question but is that 250k for all three properties? I think it is just a bad ad - £250k for all three would be a good deal, £250k for one is dreaming in that condition! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solitaire Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 £250k for one is dreaming in that condition! That's what I thought particularly considering it's location as well. That's why I'm somewhat confused. I'll call the EA tomorrow to clarify. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starla Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-19025388.html offer accepted at £190k - something approaching sensible for Guildford. Not sure who's gonna want to tell this guy though.... http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-19059522.html I actually said to myself "wow that's cheap at the £190k property". I think I've been renting in West London too long and think that everything starts at 200k (studio flats). Second house is a sh*thole. I love the garden arrangement and the chair with it's own table/thing all nicely arranged. Dream on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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