Property situation in North & Central Devon/North Somerset

thriftytracey

Hi

We would like to relocate there and have been looking at Right Move and OntheMarket for a while.  Have started to register with Estate Agents.  I just wondered if the property situation is as frantic as where we live with houses being sold in days with multiple offers.  Also, at the moment there aren't many properties that tick the boxes although a few more seem to being added now.  Our buyer is willing to move in with parents once their house is sold which is very considerate and have said there is no pressure, not sure how long that does mean though.  

I just wonder if the property market will settle now that meeting the stamp duty deadline end June is highly unlikely.

Perhaps any MSE'ers living in those areas could comment.  We don't need a seaside property and looking inland, the more rural the better.  I suppose it is probably one of the most popular areas to relocate.  Hoping that inland sales might be less frenzied.  There seem to be a fair few cottages for sale but they tend to have no garage or minimal parking.  Also have the dreaded oil central heating and some are Grade II listed, thatched etc which we don't want.  Hopefully there are some villages that have gas!  Looking for a 3 bed bungalow or house with a view and decent sized garden.

Maybe you are considering moving and want to save on EA fees!  Please feel free to email!

Travelling down tomorrow for a week to reccie.  It is difficult when the trip is 3 hours.  Really don't want to have to rent; two dogs and a cat. 

TIA

Jadek

I completed on my house in North Somerset two weeks ago, although it is in Backwell which is only about 6 miles south of Bristol. It is technically a village, but it does have a train station that gets you to the city centre in 10 minutes and borders a much larger town (Nailsea), so I personally don't think of it as rural, but it is perfect for us as we'd been in the city centre for years but wanted something closer to countryside whilst still having some amenities and being within easy reach of our friends / jobs in the city.

So I'm not sure how Backwell compares to other areas of North Somerset which are maybe a bit more rural and therefore more desirable in the current covid escape-to-the-country frenzy.

But what I would say is that buying in North Somerset has been a breeze, especially when I compare it to friends who are buying in central Bristol, where things are crazy (always have been long before covid) and there are bidding wars, things sell before they hit the market etc.

In this area things don't seem to go particularly fast, we got our house for under asking and, having viewed about 8 properties in total in the area, we didn't find any that had loads of interest or were likely to get us into a bidding war. We were first time buyers purchasing a 3 bed terrace for £270k, I don't know if there is more competition for larger properties.

Also our searches came back in less than a week.

Good luck in your search.

thriftytracey

Jadek said:

I completed on my house in North Somerset two weeks ago, although it is in Backwell which is only about 6 miles south of Bristol. It is technically a village, but it does have a train station that gets you to the city centre in 10 minutes and borders a much larger town (Nailsea), so I personally don't think of it as rural, but it is perfect for us as we'd been in the city centre for years but wanted something closer to countryside whilst still having some amenities and being within easy reach of our friends / jobs in the city.

So I'm not sure how Backwell compares to other areas of North Somerset which are maybe a bit more rural and therefore more desirable in the current covid escape-to-the-country frenzy.

But what I would say is that buying in North Somerset has been a breeze, especially when I compare it to friends who are buying in central Bristol, where things are crazy (always have been long before covid) and there are bidding wars, things sell before they hit the market etc.

In this area things don't seem to go particularly fast, we got our house for under asking and, having viewed about 8 properties in total in the area, we didn't find any that had loads of interest or were likely to get us into a bidding war. We were first time buyers purchasing a 3 bed terrace for £270k, I don't know if there is more competition for larger properties.

Also our searches came back in less than a week.

Good luck in your search.

Well, that sounds like you had a very positive experience.  A house has gone on today near Dulverton which would have been perfect but it has zillions of steps and although it would keep us fit at our age our knees are starting to get dodgy.  I suppose I should have said West Somerset really.  I called EA about a couple of properties in rural mid Devon and they said although they were still on RM the owners were considering a number of offers!

We are retired so I guess now we are also now competing with the Escape to the Country people post Pandemic.

Thrugelmir

thriftytracey said:

 There seem to be a fair few cottages for sale but they tend to have no garage or minimal parking.  Also have the dreaded oil central heating and some are Grade II listed, thatched etc which we don't want.  Hopefully there are some villages that have gas!  Looking for a 3 bed bungalow or house with a view and decent sized garden.

Hence why Escape to the Country challenges the potential buyers to accept compromise and/or think outside their box. There's far less property stock in rural areas to chose from. Outside of the larger towns. 

thriftytracey

I don't want to live next door to the sea but can't believe the prices 

https://www.onthemarket.com/details/10343512/?r-alert-email-id=215b8b2e-6fab-4b66-88ea-0c8fd5af822e&r-saved-search-id=sbLl8PxO79/tCfjBUHPhrUczjcv4+WTjuZux51OHH+U=&r-user-id=4KEYfHdfb8EBh4miow0Ci0gVcn1ubZfb7j3CQJMALxg=&utm_campaign=property_alert&utm_content=20210425&utm_medium=email&utm_source=property_alert&utm_term=r0m

£425,000 in Appledore for a bungalow that would need complete renovation including a new boiler by the look of it.

Madmel

@Davesnave is probably the best person to advise you, but I'm also in Devon. If you want rural, you are very likely going to get oil fired central heating. I was a confirmed townie before moving to my hamlet, but I've managed fine with oil. You just need to check your tank regularly. 

If you move nearer to the sea, it'll cost you more because you are competing with 2nd home owners. I live in East Devon and it is a bit of a magnet for retirees. However, there are lots of bungalows. This is close to me in a village which does have gas. It's not rural but there is a pub, a community shop and a bus and it's 2+ miles from the sea  https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/86928100#/ (I know it's under offer but it's just to show prices here)

I have had a look at bungalows in East Devon and most of them are in residential areas. I don't mean to be rude at all, but you mentioned dodgy knees - do you really want to be very isolated as you get older, or would village life perhaps be better?

Davesnave

thriftytracey said:

I don't want to live next door to the sea but can't believe the prices 

https://www.onthemarket.com/details/10343512/?r-alert-email-id=215b8b2e-6fab-4b66-88ea-0c8fd5af822e&r-saved-search-id=sbLl8PxO79/tCfjBUHPhrUczjcv4+WTjuZux51OHH+U=&r-user-id=4KEYfHdfb8EBh4miow0Ci0gVcn1ubZfb7j3CQJMALxg=&utm_campaign=property_alert&utm_content=20210425&utm_medium=email&utm_source=property_alert&utm_term=r0m

£425,000 in Appledore for a bungalow that would need complete renovation including a new boiler by the look of it.

That's Appledore, which is trendy and enjoys those views across the estuary. Prices in Bideford, just a mile or two away, are more reasonable. Move inland a little further and there's Torrington, which is very workaday, but it  has quite a lot going for it community-wise and there's miles of common land on the periphery+ RHS Rosemoor close by. Or there's Barnstaple, the main local hub and modestly priced for the area.

I live in a bungalow right in the middle of Devon and it's much less convenient than any of the above, despite a few happy anomalies, like a reasonable bus service, doctor, dentist, good schools and a train station within a mile or two. For example, the nearest full sized supermarket is 13 miles away. We don't have mains gas, but some people have propane in tanks. However, there's nothing odd about heating with oil and many locals have wood burners too, especially if,they have access to cheap logs. In the villages there will usually be mains drainage, but a septic tank or treatment system need not be problematic or onerous if a few basic rules are followed.

Most houses in our locality used to take between a few months and a year to sell, but now I notice they're going much more quickly. Very few are second homes, as we're not on the coast or in an AONB. You say, 'the more rural the better,' but there's a world of difference between buying in or close to a place like Bideford and somewhere right out in the sticks. Some people don't adjust to the inconveniences, the lack of street lighting, the mud in winter and so on, or they worry about security. The crime rate is very low relative to urban living, but it's not a bad thing to have neighbours nearby who can keep an eye out and feed the cat when you're away etc. In other words, it's important to know yourself as much as knowing the different areas.

thriftytracey

Madmel said:

@Davesnave is probably the best person to advise you, but I'm also in Devon. If you want rural, you are very likely going to get oil fired central heating. I was a confirmed townie before moving to my hamlet, but I've managed fine with oil. You just need to check your tank regularly. 

If you move nearer to the sea, it'll cost you more because you are competing with 2nd home owners. I live in East Devon and it is a bit of a magnet for retirees. However, there are lots of bungalows. This is close to me in a village which does have gas. It's not rural but there is a pub, a community shop and a bus and it's 2+ miles from the sea  https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/86928100#/ (I know it's under offer but it's just to show prices here)

I have had a look at bungalows in East Devon and most of them are in residential areas. I don't mean to be rude at all, but you mentioned dodgy knees - do you really want to be very isolated as you get older, or would village life perhaps be better?

Hi Madmel

Yes, discounted the Dulverton one because of those steps!  That Budleigh bungalow looked good but our budget is max of £400k so may be out of our price range unless prices reduce. We were hoping to get somewhere where we could store our caravan on the drive however if everything else ticked the boxes would compromise.

Will keep an eye on the village - thanks for that.  Going down to Devon end of next week for a look around.  

thriftytracey

Davesnave said:

thriftytracey said:

I don't want to live next door to the sea but can't believe the prices 

https://www.onthemarket.com/details/10343512/?r-alert-email-id=215b8b2e-6fab-4b66-88ea-0c8fd5af822e&r-saved-search-id=sbLl8PxO79/tCfjBUHPhrUczjcv4+WTjuZux51OHH+U=&r-user-id=4KEYfHdfb8EBh4miow0Ci0gVcn1ubZfb7j3CQJMALxg=&utm_campaign=property_alert&utm_content=20210425&utm_medium=email&utm_source=property_alert&utm_term=r0m

£425,000 in Appledore for a bungalow that would need complete renovation including a new boiler by the look of it.

That's Appledore, which is trendy and enjoys those views across the estuary. Prices in Bideford, just a mile or two away, are more reasonable. Move inland a little further and there's Torrington, which is very workaday, but it  has quite a lot going for it community-wise and there's miles of common land on the periphery+ RHS Rosemoor close by. Or there's Barnstaple, the main local hub and modestly priced for the area.

I live in a bungalow right in the middle of Devon and it's much less convenient than any of the above, despite a few happy anomalies, like a reasonable bus service, doctor, dentist, good schools and a train station within a mile or two. For example, the nearest full sized supermarket is 13 miles away. We don't have mains gas, but some people have propane in tanks. However, there's nothing odd about heating with oil and many locals have wood burners too, especially if,they have access to cheap logs. In the villages there will usually be mains drainage, but a septic tank or treatment system need not be problematic or onerous if a few basic rules are followed.

Most houses in our locality used to take between a few months and a year to sell, but now I notice they're going much more quickly. Very few are second homes, as we're not on the coast or in an AONB. You say, 'the more rural the better,' but there's a world of difference between buying in or close to a place like Bideford and somewhere right out in the sticks. Some people don't adjust to the inconveniences, the lack of street lighting, the mud in winter and so on, or they worry about security. The crime rate is very low relative to urban living, but it's not a bad thing to have neighbours nearby who can keep an eye out and feed the cat when you're away etc. In other words, it's important to know yourself as much as knowing the different areas.

Hello Davesnave

We currently live in a village that doesn't have street lighting and low crime rate so used to that.  It also has lots of facilities so would be great to move somewhere similar.  Thanks for tip about Great Torrington will have a reccie next week when we go down.  Gosh 13 miles from nearest supermarket is a distance although with online deliveries now commonplace it would be easier.

We currently have a log burner they are brilliant and would add one to new property if there wasn't one.

And a cat!  Know what you mean.

springmagpie

You can get a lot for your money in Weston super mare, we have just bought a 4 bed detached house with stunning views for £320K. 
Whilst there are some "dodgy" bits (don't all towns) have a look at the uphill, sandbay, worlebury and milton areas. 

Thrugelmir

thriftytracey said:

I don't want to live next door to the sea but can't believe the prices 

https://www.onthemarket.com/details/10343512/?r-alert-email-id=215b8b2e-6fab-4b66-88ea-0c8fd5af822e&r-saved-search-id=sbLl8PxO79/tCfjBUHPhrUczjcv4+WTjuZux51OHH+U=&r-user-id=4KEYfHdfb8EBh4miow0Ci0gVcn1ubZfb7j3CQJMALxg=&utm_campaign=property_alert&utm_content=20210425&utm_medium=email&utm_source=property_alert&utm_term=r0m

£425,000 in Appledore for a bungalow that would need complete renovation including a new boiler by the look of it.

Location. location, location. Never been any different.