On 14 Nov 2017 at 2:01pm Mark wrote:
Lewes is in a conservation area and there's little land to develop out of town. For these reasons, it hasn't changed much over the last fifty/100 years. It's quaint and quirky. It doesn't have a town centre that's desiged for the convenience of car drivers and it has a very percentage of independent shops. House prices have shot up at a much higher rate than in surrounding towns. Young Lewesians are being forced out and wealthy incomers are buying in. It's reached the point where selling a Victorian workman's cottage in Lewes will buy a really substantial house in most other Sussex villages or towns. I'm increasingly questioning how much is that quirky quaintness worth. Maybe the young Lewesians are doing the sensible thing? How much, in terms of what you sacrifice, is a pretty High Street and a Bonfire worth?
On 14 Nov 2017 at 2:38pm endoftheouse wrote:
You gorgers in Lewes are too frightened to leave your parents cash nipples that you've been sucking from. As for land we do ok.
On 14 Nov 2017 at 2:50pm @Mark wrote:
Mark you are so wrong...
1. Only part of Lewes is a conservation area (all of it is SDNP).
2. Lewes has a small premium over the surrounding areas (check prices in Chailey, Barcombe, Newick etc)
3. If you go further west, Keymer, Hassocks, Hurst, Henfield, etc then Lewes actually starts to become good value in comparison.
4. Completely untrue that a workman's house equates to "a really substantial house in most other Sussex villages".
Care to guess again?
On 14 Nov 2017 at 3:05pm Red Herring wrote:
Hi Mark. Just so I can respond, please can you specify what sacrifice you are referring to please?
On 14 Nov 2017 at 3:09pm ClarifiedButler wrote:
There is a bit of an A23 corridor premium isn't there? I would say the Lewes Premium is significant rather than 'small' but it is difficult to find like to like comparisons. Part of the Lewes Premium is due to substantive advantages Lewes has over other towns (transport links, schools, facilities) but there is also a certain amount of non-substantive value that is put on the 'brand'. Most consumers are actually quite lazy, particularly when they feel 'rich' from an overvalued asset such as a London property they are willing to sell, so they won't feel the need to do extra research into determining the true value of a Lewes house vs a cheaper alternative in another town not too far away. Laziness is the basis of almost every bullish market.
On 14 Nov 2017 at 3:09pm Mark wrote:
I hope I am wrong but that wasn't what I was seeing while trawling Rightmove. I was looking more to the east. Laughton area.
On 14 Nov 2017 at 3:24pm @Mark wrote:
I am in the process of moving out of Lewes (offer on house looking for somewhere to buy), Laughton is extremely expensive in comparison (because there is nothing for sale), I assume you mean prices Polegate, Hailsham area.
It's not that Lewes is over market value, they are under as much harder to commute from.
On 14 Nov 2017 at 3:33pm ClarifiedButler wrote:
@@Mark: You are kind of comparing apples and oranges though...Lewes' prices are higher than those in Hailsham due to a number of factors. Prices in Hailsham can only said to be depressed if they are likely to rise disproportionately to those of Lewes and the surrounding area. It's only useful, when determining how much of a non-substantive Lewes Premium there really is to contrast it with other towns with similar composition and characteristics.
On 14 Nov 2017 at 9:25pm We'vehadourfun wrote:
The only ones you riff raff allowed in Laughton is hotlips. Everyone else - STAY AWAY
On 15 Nov 2017 at 6:19pm Mark wrote:
I was actually at prices for the 2up 2down terraced workman's cottages that are all over the town centre. Rather than Lewes prices in general. About £350 - £410. That amount of money will buy a substantially better property even in Laughton. I get the apples and oranges thing (ie: Hailsham) but was querying whether this location (given price rises) continues to justify the sacrifice of living somewhere where you can't swing a cat without hurting it. Probably me just musing too much.