Location is key, but don’t let it narrow your property search

There are towns and villages in Kent and Sussex that stand out to homebuyers because they offer quite simply the perfect location –typically situated in safe, accessible but rural areas with excellent schools, transport, shops and facilities nearby. Perhaps these are areas where you have friends living or where one of you grew up, but does this mean that the rest of the region isn’t up to the mark when it comes to finding the perfect home? Quite the opposite and here is why.

Kent is more than double the size of East Sussex and is the 10^th largest county in England by size and Sussex is the 33^rd largest out of 48. That means if you are focussing your search in only a small area or on a couple of key towns or villages then you are missing out on the much bigger picture.

Kent and Sussex has everything from the High Weald, North Downs, South Downs, the levels of Romney Marsh and of course miles of stunning coastline. Interspersed across the region are thousands of hidden gems to explore, so understanding what aspect of your search is the most important is vital to opening your eyes and mind to some of these other areas.

• Schools – There is no shortage of outstanding state schools in the region and there are 80 private schools in Kent, 26 in East Sussex and Kent also has 32 Grammar schools, which are subject to 11 or 13+ entry.
• High speed links to London and beyond – Kent and Sussex are undoubtedly served well by the road and rail network and East Kent in particular has become much more accessible thanks to HS1. For example, Ashford to London St Pancras is just 38 mins by high-speed train, which opens up a whole range of towns and villages to consider.
• Food and drink – Whilst both counties boast hundreds of pubs and restaurants what makes them both stand out is the viticulture sector – perfect for wine lovers. East Sussex has 54 vineyards and Kent now has 50 vineyards and many have a range of excellent visitor facilities.
• Fantastic weather – according to the Met Office, Kent was the second sunniest county in England in Spring 2020 and East Sussex was the 6^th

Christopher Linton at BTF Finders comments: “Kent and Sussex covers a huge geographic area so to narrow down your search to one or two locations might mean you are missing out on a whole range of possibilities. With our local knowledge and network we can help to unlock some of hidden gems in the region, finding the perfect location for you that will tick all of your boxes.”

For more information about BTF Finders, call us today 01233 740077 or go to BTF Finders on the BTF Partnership website