Selling a home in Gravesend – here’s what you need to know

House prices steadily rising

According to Rightmove, Gravesend currently has an overall average asking price of just over £285,000, which is up by 9% on 2016 levels. The most popular property type is terraced homes, closely followed by more expensive semi-detached homes and then flats, which offer the most affordable option for buyers with an average sold price of just over £174,000.

Zoopla, meanwhile, has the average price in Gravesend down as just above £316,000, up by 1.27% in the last 12 months and a massive 26.47% up on five years ago.

You can, therefore, feel fairly confident of getting a good price for your home if you market it right and get it the exposure and attention it deserves.

Strong demand and good transport links

Gravesend is one of those locations which benefits from the ripple effect, where people leaving behind London for more affordable living elsewhere then help to increase house prices in the area in which they are moving to – which is good news for sellers eager to get the best possible asking price for their property.

Demand for homes in Gravesend is high thanks to its relative proximity to London and the Kent coast, its deep and rich history, and its excellent transport links which make the town a dream for commuters.

Bus links are excellent, and road access is good too, but it’s the rail links that really makes Gravesend stand out as one of London’s most popular commuter hubs. The area was significantly boosted by the arrival in 2009 of HS1, offering high-speed connections to central London and elsewhere. It takes only 24 minutes, in fact, to travel from Gravesend to London St Pancras International.

This makes the prospect of living in Gravesend and working in London highly appealing to commuters. However, there is plenty going on in Gravesend in its own right, including a smart town centre stocked full of cafes, pubs, restaurants, shops and shopping centres, a heritage quarter, and a strong connection with the River Thames.

It’s not merely a place to commute from; there are plenty of employment opportunities available in Gravesend and the wider area, and the town also offers buyers a slower, calmer pace of life, and arguably a greater sense of community than the capital.

Plenty to sell to buyers

While it’s not the only factor, location will be a big consideration for many buyers, and they are unlikely to move to an area that has little going for it. Fortunately, when it comes to Gravesend, you have plenty to inform them about – and the town itself should play a big part in your sales pitch.

There’s not only ample green space and plenty of cultural and leisure opportunities, there are also historical landmarks such as the life-size statue of Pocahontas and Gravesend Town Pier (the oldest surviving cast-iron pier anywhere in the world), plus plenty of places to eat, drink, shop and mooch.

Gravesend Borough Market, open all year round, and every day except Mondays, is one of the oldest markets in Kent and a fascinating place to visit. Established in 1268, it now offers street food, special events, pop-up markets and daily traders selling everything from beauty and fashion products to antiques.

Meanwhile, Windmill Hill is another local landmark and offers excellent views of the town, the River Thames and, in the distance, London itself. Windmill Gardens, a very pleasant place to wander around, is also close by.

Ongoing regeneration improves town

The long-planned regeneration of Gravesend’s Heritage Quarter – to make the town even more appealing to visitors and locals – has faced a number of stumbling blocks, and progress has been slow, but there is a masterplan in place for a 750,000 sq ft mixed-use development with 350 residential units on offer.

As well as new homes, there is set to be a new town square, restaurants, a boutique cinema, and leisure, hotel and office space.

However, the scheme has faced opposition and planning permission problems, and has proved controversial among local residents. It is also a particularly complex scheme thanks to a significant number of adjacent listed buildings.

But, this aside, January is the best month in which to list for a whole host of reasons – in particular to take advantage of the post-Christmas boom in buyer demand, with this group eager to put their homebuying plans devised over the festive break into action. This could be even greater than usual thanks to recent seismic political events. 

One part of the project has been completed – the refurbishment of St George’s Shopping Centre – but the rest of the scheme is rather up in the air at the moment, with no recent press about the scheme and no set completion date.

It will be hoped, though, that now the first part of the scheme has reached its conclusion, the £120 million regeneration – being led by Reef Group and Gravesham Council – the rest will soon follow to improve Gravesend’s historic core.

A good time to sell

We all know the period from January to March is one of the busiest in the property industry as buyers put their homebuying plans into action and sellers look to pounce on the post-Christmas interest in searching for properties to purchase.

As such, it’s crucial that you list your property now to take advantage of this upped interest and activity.

The post-Christmas boom alone won’t sell your property, of course, but you should find it easier to attract buyers at this time of the year. At the same time, though, your home needs to be smart, attractive, well-maintained and welcoming to ensure it stands out in a competitive marketplace.

It’s also important that you partner with an experienced local estate agent, one which knows the local market inside out and can help you to get your home sold for the best possible price.

To find out more about the work of Balgores Property Group in Gravesend, please click here. If you would like to discover how much your home could be worth in the current marketplace, you can request a free and instant online valuation.