Surrey

Moving to Surrey? Have you thought about Schools?

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If you’re moving to Surrey and have children, one of your criteria for finding a house will be schools. Fortunately, Surrey is lucky enough to have some of the best state and independent schools in the country, but that does have an impact on the local property market.

In many areas housing near popular ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ state schools comes at a premium. The Department of Education (DoE) published a study earlier this year that found that prices are on average 8% higher close to top performing primary schools, and 6.8% of the best secondary schools.

So when starting your property search, and organising your finances such as mortgages, you’ll need to factor this in. Don’t take the average property price in a Surrey town as a benchmark for budgeting your house move. If you hope to send children to a popular school you might have to find an additional £40,966 to finance your move*.

Of course this could be a lot more in expensive areas of the county, less in the more affordable areas of Surrey.

Catchment Areas And Buying Property

It’s not just about catchment areas either. If a school is oversubscribed it doesn’t matter that your property is within the defined catchment area as the school will take those closest first – and those that meet other criteria. Therefore to increase your chances of getting a place at your chosen school, you’ll need to buy as close as possible to the school building.

This can result in a ripple effect in the property market with those houses closest commanding more than properties towards the outer edges of the catchment area. You could find that you can get an extra bedroom for the same money if you’re prepared to buy further away.

Buying close to a popular school is no guarantee of a place either. I’ve come across many parents who’ve found themselves moving to a desirable street close to the school of their choice, only to find themselves on a waiting list for an available place. It’s easier to secure that place if you’re applying at the same time as everyone else; however you will have had to have moved into your new home by the admission deadline.

So where do you start when trying to buy a family home in Surrey and ensure your children get a great education?

Buying A Family Home In Surrey

Mortgages and finance – first off find out exactly how much you can borrow to finance your move. There is little point in pinning your hopes on a top performing school if you’re priced out of the market in that area. If you’ve been on the mortgage lenders’ websites and haven’t managed to get quite enough to buy, it may be worth speaking to a mortgage broker or financial advisor. They may be able to find a way to get that extra money you need – within reason.

Research the property market – having identified a school/s you would like your children to attend, find out how much property is selling for close by. Speak to the local estate agents who will be able to advise you on the best roads to buy on, and what radius around the school you should concentrate your search.

The closer the better, but bear in mind that if you don’t get that school you could then be travelling much further afield to your 2nd choice.

Surrey County Council also collate data on the furthest distances each Surrey school has offered places to in previous years, you can search for this information here.

Speak to schools – the admissions office at your preferred school should be able to give you an indication of your chances of getting a place. If your children are looking to join the school ‘in year’ the admissions office will be able to tell you if there’s a waiting list.

Unfortunately even if you’re told that you’re at the top of the waiting list that doesn’t necessarily guarantee you the first place that comes up. If another child applies for a place and meets other criterion that is more of a priority, you’ll get bumped.

Time your house move with the admissions dates – where possible try to buy and move into your new home before the deadline for applying to schools passes. You’ll need to do this by October 31st for secondary schools and January 15th for primary school entries.

If you move after the deadline there is a 1 month period where you can apply with evidence of your new address and not be treated as a late application. After this date, applications are treated as late (‘on time’ ones are allocated first). If you move 3 months after the admission deadline you’ll be put on the waiting list/s unless a place is already available.

Have a plan B – as you can see there are a number of factors that make buying a house and getting a place at a popular school quite challenging. For this reason it’s good to have a plan B. Fortunately many Surrey towns are blessed with several good schools – they may not all be ‘outstanding’ but they are all delivering a highly quality education and pastoral care. For this reason I would recommend that you don’t get too hung up on one particular school over others. Keep your options open so that you can widen your property search; find a home that doesn’t overstretch your finances; provides the space and lifestyle factors you want; as well as being within a school catchment area that offers a good chance of a place.

To find out how different schools in Surrey are performing, click on this link.

If you are struggling to find a mortgage that will allow you to move close to the school of your choice, give me a call and we can explore your circumstances in more detail. Call 01252 759 233 or email info@thesurreymortgagebroker.co.uk

* The average house price of £512,072 in Surrey would go up £40,965.76 near one of the best primary schools and £34,820.90 near one of the top secondary schools.

Where to Buy in Surrey if you Commute to London

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f you work in London and don’t want to live in the capital, Surrey is a popular choice for commuters. My own town of Farnham is a case in point, both the 06.58 and 07.28 to London Waterloo are packed with bleary-eyed Farnham residents making the 53 min journey up to the smoke.

Farnham is almost the end of the line for most London commuters (certainly it’s a far west as you can go in Surrey). Not many people want to commute for more than an hour; especially when you’ve also got to get from a mainline London station to work in another part of the capital.

Fortunately there are plenty of Surrey towns offering great properties, a great place to live, and a comfortable commute. I’ve been playing with an online calculator from TotallyMoney that helps locate the right commuter town for you. It compares journey time, the cost of a season ticket, life satisfaction and house prices to help narrow your search down.

The ‘life satisfaction’ rating is based on the Office of National Statistics estimates of personal wellbeing for UK local authorities.

Top Commuter Towns In Surrey

Here are the top commuter towns in Surrey:

Redhill

  • Travel Time: 31 minutes

  • Season Ticket: £3528 p/a

  • Life Satisfaction: 8

  • House Prices: £409,787.00

Horley

  • Travel Time: 35 minutes

  • Season Ticket: £4060 p/a

  • Life Satisfaction: 8

  • House Prices: £410,320.00

 

Earlswood

  • Travel Time: 43 minutes

  • Season Ticket: £3580 p/a

  • Life Satisfaction: 8

  • House Prices: £245,321.00

 

Epsom

  • Travel Time: 37 minutes

  • Season Ticket: £2732 p/a

  • Life Satisfaction: 7.86

  • House Prices: £534,124.00

 

Woking

  • Travel Time: 28 minutes

  • Season Ticket: £4256 p/a

  • Life Satisfaction: 7.73

  • House Prices: £516,562.00

 

You may have noticed that the top 3 commuter towns according to TotallyMoney are all on the same trainline with the option of going to London Bridge or London Victoria. Redhill and Horley were also on our list of 10 Affordable Places To Buy In Surrey, perhaps another reason to check out these towns if you’re looking to relocate?

Of course, there are many other popular towns in Surrey that don’t make this top 5. Godalming, Haslemere, Chobham, Farnham and surrounding areas etc., all appear regularly in ‘best places to live in Surrey’ lists and many of their residents commute to London. House prices and the cost of a season ticket make them more expensive but no less convenient.

If you’re looking to move to a commuter town in Surrey and need a mortgage, I’d be delighted to talk you through your options. Call 01252 759 233 or email richard@thesurreymortgagebroker.co.uk

Tips for Getting on the Property Ladder in Surrey

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The Surrey property market is notoriously competitive and expensive, with prime property getting snapped up very fast. This makes it hard for both local Surrey residents and for anyone wanting to move to Surrey from elsewhere in the UK or overseas.

However, there are ways to increase your chances of finding the perfect home, and getting your offer accepted. Here I share my top tips.

Make Yourself Attractive To Sellers!

I don’t expect you to get a new haircut or a makeover – although if you turn up looking scruffy for a viewing it could count against you, as people do make assumptions about others based on their appearance. However there are other ways to make yourself more attractive to sellers that don’t involve your physical appearance.

Actually the first people you need to impress are the local estate agents. They’re the ones who have the ear of the Seller so if you can make a good impression with them, they’ll help you get taken seriously by sellers.

There are three key areas estate agents and sellers will be interested in:

  1. Finances: can you afford the property and do you have the finances in place?

  2. Circumstances: do you have a property to sell, are you constrained by any other factors?

  3. Flexibility: are you prepared to compromise and be flexible? Whether that’s waiting until the Seller has found a property to buy as well, to compromising on completion dates etc.

 

So what will appeal to sellers and estate agents?

Cash is king so if you’re a cash buyer you stand a good chance of getting first pickings on any Surrey homes in your price range. Next up are those people who only require a small mortgage, for example investment buyers looking for a buy-to-let or property to do up and sell on.

If you do require a mortgage you probably won’t get through the door of most properties currently on the market without having a mortgage ‘agreement in principle’ (AIP). No one wants to waste time with buyers who haven’t tested whether they can get a mortgage. If you want to see if you can, contact me here to find out.

If you’re a first time buyer you’re very attractive as you won’t need to sell a property and any chain starts with you. If you do need to sell your current home, buyers who are prepared to sell and move into rental are also attractive as they have the potential to be the start of the chain too. Failing that, a buyer who already has accepted an offer on their property is the next best thing, although any chain your side could affect your desirability.

Feeling attractive?

When contacting estate agents it’s really important to make sure they can see your positives. Property experts like Kirsty Allsop even recommend outlining these qualities as bullet points on a record card and giving them to the agent.

Having demonstrated that you’re a great buyer, local estate agents should be getting you in to see lots of suitable properties shouldn’t they? Perhaps not. It’s a competitive market in Surrey and there are lots of other house hunters equally or more qualified than you looking for that elusive home. So don’t sit back and expect them to contact you.

Register on Rightmove, Onthemarket etc. to ensure that you get properties arriving in your inbox when they get added, register with individual estate agents, and be prepared to move fast when they have something to see.

Be open-minded too. If they send you details about a property that doesn’t meet your requirements, give them the benefit of the doubt. This is an opportunity to show your commitment to your search, so that hopefully when something more suitable does come up they will get you in quick. It’s also a chance to build relationships with local agents by chatting about your needs, and it will also help you get your ‘eye in’ when viewing future properties.

House hunting inevitably calls for compromises. By viewing plenty of properties you’ll get a better idea of what ‘must haves’ and ‘nice to haves’ are important to you, and where you’re prepared to compromise.

When you follow up with an estate agent after seeing somewhere you’re not interested in, it’s a good chance to highlight your requirements again and any changes. For example, if the house wasn’t right but the area was, make sure you say that you like the area and you’d be keen to see other properties in that neighbourhood. You may then be the first to know when a new property comes up in that part of Surrey.

Often compromises can turn to your advantage. Many towns and villages in Surrey are very affluent and house prices are high. But sometimes neighbouring towns and residential areas are not as pricey, and these can benefit from the ripple effect as wealth spreads to these areas too. While bargains may be hard to find in Surrey, you could still snap up a property that will see above average growth as the area becomes more desirable.

For more affordable places to buy in Surrey, read this blog.

Finally when you do find a property you want to offer on, make sure you highlight those attractive qualities again. If the Seller has more than one offer this is your chance to differentiate yourself from others. If you’re prepared to offer some flexibility on completion dates etc., now’s the time to make sure the agent conveys these positives to the Seller.

However flexibility is all very well, but money talks. The most important thing you need to do to help your offer get accepted is to make sure your finances add up. If you haven’t yet got a mortgage agreement in principle (AIP), now is the time to do it before starting your search.

To get started call me to chat through your attractiveness! If you need a mortgage to buy your Surrey home an AIP won’t cost you anything, but it’s essential if you want a chance at finding the right property.

Contact me today to get started; call 01252 759 233 or email info@thesurreymortgagebroker.co.uk

10 Affordable Places to Buy in Surrey

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Surrey is not a county well known for affordable living. In fact, according to research by Zoopla, Surrey’s property prices are some of the most expensive in the country. Five out of ten towns in their Property Rich List – highest value towns – are in Surrey, including Virginia Water, Cobham, Esher, Richmond and Weybridge.

The average property price in these Surrey towns ranged from £916,469 to £1,385,218, hardly affordable by anyone’s reckoning. Surrey overall has an average property price (APP) of £507,957 compared to the national average of £232,885.

So is it possible to buy a house in Surrey for a more modest amount of money? Here are 10 property hotspots that will get you more for your money, even in an expensive county like Surrey.

1. Stanwell – £303,921 APP

If you like to travel Stanwell could be the ideal location, just half a mile from Heathrow Airport. While Stanwell maybe one of the more economically deprived areas of Surrey, that doesn’t mean that property prices are gloomy, 2016 property prices were up 13% on the previous year, and up 26% on 2014.

2. Goldsworth Park – £313,450 APP

Goldsworth Park is an area close to Woking with a good choice of different residential properties and local amenities. It has easy transport links to Woking and on to London by train, and also plenty of green spaces. Sold prices were up 8% last year.

3. Whyteleafe – £326,846 APP

Whyteleafe is just inside the M25 south of Croydon and 30 mins for Central London by train. Situated on the North Downs, Whyteleafe offers a combination of village life, countryside, and the benefits of being close to more urban towns and the city. House prices (sold) were up 10% last year on 2015.

4. Tongham – £345,934 APP

Close to wealthy neighbour, Farnham, and also conveniently placed for Guildford, Tongham is an affordable place to live in this part of West Surrey. Predominately housing with local amenities in the surrounding towns, it is close to great countryside and home to the fantastic Hog’s Back Brewery. House prices are on the up in this area, 19% on 2015.

5Redhill – £352,817 APP

Just outside the M25 on the North Downs, Redhill has a busy town centre with station and easy access to London. Also close to the M23 to get to Gatwick Airport, or carry on to the A23 until you hit the coast at Brighton. House prices are climbing, up 12% on 2015.

6. Blackwater £356,558 APP

Blackwater is an area situated north of the M3 close to Camberley and Frimley. Away from the hustle and bustle of Camberley proper, with easy access to great countryside it’s a good option for anyone looking to be in the ‘M3 corridor’. Although there is a station, trains don’t go to London, however you can get a train to Reading and then London Paddington from there. Property prices were up 10% last year.

7. Byfleet – £362,613 APP

Byfleet, not to be confused with West Byfleet (APP £596,109) is on the other side of the M25 from it’s more affluent neighbour but close enough to visit! Byfleet is small with a village feel, close to New Haw station with trains to Waterloo (approx. 45mins). While not as popular or expensive as it’s neighbours (Weybridge is also close by), house prices are still climbing, 6% on 2015.

8. Horley – £365,901 APP

Horley is not far from Redhill and benefits from being close to the M25, Gatwick Airport and trains to London. A typical Surrey commuter town. Some online commenters feel it’s a little too industrial and soulless for them, but if you’re looking to get out of London at the right price it could be for you. Property values have not increase much in the past year, although they are up 15% on 2014.

9. Addlestone – £378,594 APP

Another Surrey town close to the M25, Addlestone has a busy town centre with plenty of amenities. Good access to London, airports and further west, and the Surrey Hills, Wisley RHS Gardens, and the Basingstoke Canal are all on your doorstep. Property values have increased by 9% since 2015.

10. Farncombe – £378,865

15 minutes walk from more expensive Godalming and with in easy reach of Guildford, Farncombe has mixture of housing, some more desirable than others. Fantastic location for anyone who wants to be close to the countryside and further away from London – however commuting is still a viable option with trains to London taking approximately 45 minutes. House prices were up 7% last year on 2015.

While property doesn’t come cheap in Surrey, compared to the national average, if you want to live west of the capital these are the places to explore.

If you need mortgage advice for securing your Surrey home, give me a call for a chat about your circumstances. 01252 759 233 or email info@thesurreymortgagebroker.co.uk