Known for its seaside resorts, being one of the richest localities for dinosaurs in Europe, and the long-running music festival, the Isle of Wight is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the UK. However, more and more people from the mainland are looking at the Isle of Wight as a potential place to live.
It’s been somewhat of a general misunderstanding among mainlanders that there are some special requirements to buying a house on the Isle of Wight. While Guernsey has a different set of rules, the Isle of Wight is treated the same as any county in England, with regards to home buying. So, there’s nothing stopping people from moving south across the Solent.
Aside from long-standing, confused rumours being easily quashed these days, there are other reasons why the Isle of Wight is becoming a much more appealing place for people to live.
Proximity to London
Even in this modern age of the internet, many companies demand that their employees make a trip to London for day-to-day work. As such, many people who are looking around the UK for a place to live keep access to the capital in mind. Due to it being an island off of the south coast, the Isle of Wight is seldom thought of as a good location for those who want to get to London.
However, as recorded by this news outlet, you can get to the Isle of Wight from London in less than two hours. Thanks to the train to the coast taking a little over an hour and there being a high-speed ferry, the Isle of Wight and London are remarkably well connected. Of course, there are also the bustling cities of Southampton and Portsmouth just across the water for more work opportunities.
Housing prestige on the rise
At the end of 2018, after a year in which the UK property market was relatively subdued, the Isle of Wight town of Ryde caught headlines with its impressive display on the front of property growth. Property price growth went up by an average of 10.24 per cent over the course of a year in the seaside town – which clocked in as the highest growth in the UK.
Stories such as this help to shine a spotlight on properties standing on the Isle of Wight, and get more people intrigued in looking at houses on the isle. Even with the rise in value, the average property on the Isle of Wight sells for around £247,000 – much lower than the £320,000 UK average – which is why people are looking to compare mortgage deals using services such as Trussle to make the most of the comparatively low house prices.
Improving the imperfections
Residents have complained about the antics of the local government and the quality of the schools on the Isle of Wight for some time, but now the council appears to be putting itself to good work. As we reported earlier in March, almost £2 million has been invested in significant upgrades across schools on the Isle of Wight, with a further £12 million to be spent under the Priority Schools Building Programme. This level of investment is exactly what’s needed to make homes seem even more appealing to would-be buyers.
The Isle of Wight is heading in the right direction, and thanks to elements like its access to work, low house prices, and investment in areas that have needed improvement, more people are seeing the area as a potential place to live rather than just a holiday destination.
