Hertfordshire property in Bishop’s Stortford is popular with a range of people and property types vary from quaint cottages through to modern houses. Its role as a market town accounts for the large number of pubs and hotels that are still operating successfully in the town, which might partly contribute to property in Bishops Stortford still being so sought after today.

Modern Day Bishop’s Stortford

Good rail and canal links both helped to place Bishop’s Stortford firmly on the map, boosting its current population of about 35,000 towards 45,000 people, a minority of whom live just over the border in Essex. It is also within easy reach of Stansted Airport (which was actively opposed by many in the town) and has good road links to the M11 and M25 as well as the A10. Houses for sale Hertfordshire vary in price and size and as with lots of Hertfordshire property, it is highly sought after once it hits the market. In spite of its recent and continuing population growth, more than 90 acres of parkland and open space has wisely been set aside for leisure amenities, making this town a pleasant and popular place to live.

Property Market Statistics

The Bishop’s Stortford property market, like many other Hertfordshire property markets, has performed fairly well in spite of the recent recession and at least 16 estate agents currently operate in the town. Average house prices are now listed at £296,665 and due to its many parks and nearby schools, families often choose to purchase Bishop’s Stortford property. Bishop’s Stortford is also popular with commuters and detached houses take an average of 106 days for a sale to go through. By comparison, average Hertfordshire property prices as a whole are considerably higher at £414,795 with detached houses taking some 141 days to find a buyer.

What Makes Bishop’s Stortford so Popular?

One reason why Bishop’s Stortford is cheaper to live in than the rest of Hertfordshire is its proximity to neighbouring Essex rather than to London, where salaries are generally much higher. Still, this lower house price bracket can be seen as good news for those who are able to find work locally as they can afford to buy much better housing than in large areas of the rest of this costly home county.

Another advantage of buying Hertfordshire property in Bishop’s Stortford is that it has all the facilities expected of a thriving market town as well as a pleasant mix of housing, including some attractive Hertfordshire vernacular timber boarded homes. Importantly for first time buyers, there are numerous one-bedroom flats available on the market with an average price of just over £130,000, not exactly cheap but good value compared with many parts of the south east of England.

Local Facilities

The Rhodes Arts Complex, formed in honour of statesman and entrepreneur Cecil Rhodes who was born in the town, has a cinema, theatre, dance studio and conference venue, and there is also a Bishop’s Stortford Museum with a collection about this local figure. There is a good shopping centre and plenty of sports clubs making Hertfordshire property in Bishop’s Stortford popular with a wide range of people.

The Future for the Town…

The town centre is currently undergoing redevelopment with new apartments overlooking the river in place of an outdated multistorey car park. The usual sprinkling of cafés, bars and shops is following in the wake of all this new work, bringing the town centre more in line with the preferred lifestyle of the 21st century.

Unemployment has ridden the recession well with only 1.63% of residents registered as unemployed. This could have something to do with the fact that over 25% of the town’s population has been educated to degree level, although it is not clear if any of them have become bishops…