AN ESTATE agent believes Tunbridge Wells properties maintain a ‘bit of prestige’ but points out that Tonbridge prices are catching up.
Data revealed last week by the Office of National Statistics [ONS] found property in both towns is more expensive than the UK average, but some way below many boroughs in London.
On average, it costs £3,507 to buy one square metre of residential floor space in Tonbridge and £4,008 in Tunbridge Wells.
Daniel Warren, Associate Director of Jackson-Stops & Staff, based on Mount Pleasant in
Tunbridge Wells [left], said better rail links have made Tonbridge more of a ‘hotspot’ for property. “The gap between the towns has been wider in the past, but Tunbridge Wells has not seen the development that Tonbridge has.
“I think the climate in Tunbridge Wells has slowed slightly in the last few months. There has been a slow and gradual rise in prices over a period. “However, there is still a bit of a prestige that comes with owning a house in Tunbridge Wells. “We saw an influx of activity in June and July, but since then we have not seen a huge amount of new buyers.”
The local figures compare to £19,439 per square metre in Kensington and Chelsea, the most expensive nationally, and £777 in Welsh borough Blaenau Gwent, the cheapest. The UK average is £2,395. This is the first report of its kind, but the ONS has previously compared house prices per habitable room in local authorities.
