What makes an area more desirable?

 

The more desirable a property is, the more people who want to buy it, the more the price increases. But what exactly makes a property or area more desirable? How do we measure what makes a property more desirable compared to another?  

 

These questions help people to choose where to live themselves but also where to invest. There are 5 main metrics that help to make a property more desirable and more expensive, we will go through these in turn. 

 

Where opportunities go, people flow. People mostly move for work, so if areas have many job 

opportunities and prospects people will move to the area for this. People often secure a job in a major 

city where big corporations are based and move to the area for convenience. This is the main reason 

major cities have higher house prices than smaller villages as more larger employers and businesses are 

based. The more large businesses in an area and more opportunities for jobs, the more people flock to 

the area increasing house prices due to that demand. 

 

This follows on nicely from the point above. This mainly applies to the surrounding areas of major cities 

or areas with large employment opportunities. If areas have good transport links to these areas such as 

main train lines or motorway access to major cities, they will also experience price growth as people 

move to these areas within commutable distance to work. On a smaller scale does a suburb of a town or 

city have good links into the city centre or neighbouring areas? 

 

When it comes to children’s education and further education people want the best as this leads to 

improved opportunities in later life. The cities with prestigious universities and independent education will 

see an influx of parents and students moving to the area with the hopes of securing their children or 

themselves the best education possible. The catchment area of primary and secondary schools can play 

a big part in families relocating so that their children fall into the next years intake of a successful and 

prestigious school. 

 

Having a corner shop or a supermarket within a short walk or drive makes life much easier. On a larger 

level the convenience of being within a reasonable distance from major shopping centres or retail parks 

can have an impact on the areas people prefer to live. 

 

Living within a comfortable commuting distance to work is ideal during the week, but what about on the 

weekends when you want to relax or let your hair down? Having nightlife, lovely restaurants and leisure 

activities such as sporting teams, theatres or leisure centres neighbour can be a major plus. Having both 

work and leisure on your doorstop gives your home the perfect balance. 

 

As you can see there is a running theme with the points above – opportunity and convenience. The more 

of these boxes a property and area can tick the more people will want to live there. The more people 

want to live there the more demand there is for the limited number of properties in that area, which in 

turn drives up the prices paid for those properties.