Buying a house can be an investment that can reap some really huge profits. But getting on the property ladder is a struggle for many – especially in a city as pricey as London.
And those who want to purchase their first home can often end up leaving and moving further out. Commuter hot spots such as Essex and Surrey can be quite desirable places to live.
With easy transport links and more square footage, cities and town an hour outside London are the next best thing when you can’t live in the big smoke. But there is one town which has seen its asking prices increase enormously over the last ten years – Dartford in Kent has seen a rise in asking prices by 91.2 per cent since 2012.
The average asking price for a home in Dartford went from £184,349 in 2012 to £352,386 this year (2022). This is certainly great news for owners who bought when the prices were significantly lower. But what might attract people to move to Dartford? Surely there is more to it than just the famous crossing.
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(Image: Mike Moore)
The town can be found on the border of Kent, London and Essex and is a speedy 29 minutes away from London Bridge station. If you’re willing to pay extra, you can take the fast trains which will take you into London Kings Cross St Pancras in 15 minutes from a nearby town – Gravesend.
But you won’t need to head into London if you fancy a spot of shopping as you can take a short 11 minute journey to one of the largest shopping centres in the UK. Bluewater shopping centre is hidden in a former chalk quarry made up of white 50-metre cliffs.
The unique architectural structure is where families can take their kids for social activities and all life’s needs. But if shopping is your idea of fun, then don’t despair as there are plenty of cycling paths. Riders can follow the National Cycle Route 1 which connects Dover in South Kent to the Shetland Islands northeast of Scotland.
And if bike rides aren’t your thing then there are many pleasant walks that can be enjoyed in the town including Beacon Wood Walk and Darrent Valley Path.
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