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The city of York and the county of
North Yorkshire have, in recent years, become an increasingly popular place
to live. One of the fastest growing economic areas in the UK, York has recently
been named as the most profitable business location in Britain [Deloitte
and Touche]. Already home to a number of traditional industries, including
rail, engineering, food and building, it is now experiencing significant
growth in new industries and in the financial and management services sector.
As a result, it has a confident property market, with many houses for sale,
properties to rent, and new sites being promoted for development. The area
offers a wide range of housing and lifestyles, from city living in York itself
to more rural living in the surrounding countryside or villages.
York is situated in the north of England, on the River Ouse. Formerly divided
into three Ridings East, West and North Yorkshire has undergone
a number of changes to its administrative boundaries in recent decades, and
since 1996 the City of York has been a unitary authority of its own. It is
bordered by East Yorkshire to the south-east, but is predominantly surrounded
by the county of North Yorkshire, the largest county in England with an area
of over 3000 square miles. The scenery of North Yorkshire is stunning and
varied, ranging from moors and dales, dramatic coastline, and rolling hills.
It contains many pretty historic villages, and principle towns include
Northallerton, Knaresborough and Harrogate, as well as the coastal resorts
of Scarborough and Whitby.
The City of York has a population of around 180,000, and attracts a further
4 million visitors a year. Its compact size, historic buildings and attractive
streets make it a particularly appealing place to visit. In 2004 it was named
Britain¹s favourite city in the Daily Telegraph Travel Awards. The city
walls, cobbled streets and medieval buildings help to give the city its unique
charm and character, while the pedestrianised centre allow visitors to enjoy
its fine shops. Founded 2000 years ago, the city is steeped in Roman, Viking
and medieval history. Both the beautiful cathedral of York Minster, the largest
Gothic church in Northern Europe, and The Shambles, with its overhanging
timber-framed houses, are major tourist attractions. York is also home to
a number of interesting museums and art galleries, most notably the National
Railway museum and the Jorvik Viking Centre.
The city centre is within walking distance of the national rail station,
and together with good bus services and a Park and Ride facility, local public
transport helps to alleviate the inevitable parking problems and congestion
of a small city. Within easy access of the A1, the city of York can be accessed
from the A64 to its south and now has an outer ring road to its north.
The popularity of Yorkshire as a place to live has been reflected in the
sharp rise in property prices, and despite recent signs of a slow down in
the UK property market, house values in the area have continued to grow
significantly throughout 2004. Indeed, the region is being strongly promoted
as an attractive place to buy a house, being an area which offers a range
of quality houses at good value, healthy investment opportunities, good
schooling, and a pleasant environment in which to live. The average price
of all properties in North Yorkshire was, in 2004, just over £190,000.
More specifically, the average price of flats was around £138,000, of
terraced houses £154,000, and of detached houses just under £280,000.
These figures obviously disguise a considerable variation of prices, depending
on the area and style of property, but increases in property prices in the
12 months to September 2004 has been high in all areas of Yorkshire, reaching
a growth rate of 20% 30%.
York offers a range of properties to buy or rent. Within the city itself,
traditional terraced or semi-detached townhouses, detached period housing,
modern housing and luxury apartments can all be found for sale. Many flats
and apartments are available, some being new builds and many being conversions
of older properties. Popular apartment developments such as Emperor¹s
Wharf, Westgate or Rowntree Wharf have grown up in recent years, and the
recent rise in demand for property in York has led to a surge in opportunities
for property developers. New homes being built in and around York include
apartments and townhouses as well as semi-detached and detached family housing.
Properties for rent can also be found in York and the area is known for its
competitive rental rates. With York Racecourse set to hold Royal Ascot in
2005, it is expected that there will be a surge of demand for rental properties
during Ascot week and landlords with properties to let during the period
are currently being sought. Student rentals are also plentiful, particularly
to the south-east of the city near the university campus at Heslington. The
renowned University of York is well served by transport links to the centre
and the area around Heslington has many flats and houses to rent.
In the city, a typical 2-bedroomed terraced house may be for sale in the
region of £125,000 - £175,000, and modern houses of this size can
be found in a similar price bracket. Many of these may be suitable for student
accommodation. At the higher end of the market, prices can range from
£200,000 to over £800,00 for large period buildings. The district
of Bootham is a particularly sought-after area, with good schooling, and
can have some large properties for sale. Parking is always an issue in the
city, so properties offering private parking facilities are at a premium,
and areas near or within the city walls such as Castlegate, Walmgate, Fishergate
will also be particularly popular. Other attractive areas are Micklegate
and Clifton Green, while to the south of the city the areas of Fulford and
South Bank contain both family housing and student accommodation.
The northern outskirts of York are a popular area for commuters to the city.
Beyond the ring road to the north, Haxby, Wiggington and Strensall all have
houses to buy these are more built-up areas than the villages further
out, but have shops and local amenities that may be lacking in villages.
These suburbs contain several housing estates, with modern homes and bungalows,
and also have a number of properties to rent. Towns served by the rail line
from Harrogate to Malton and further east are also important commuting areas,
with some nearby villages being particularly attractive places to buy a house.
A village such a Thornton-le-Clay, for example, has easy access to road or
rail links to the city yet is set in idyllic countryside.
Further out, North Yorkshire has some beautiful homes for sale, ranging from
country cottages to impressive country houses. A number of barn conversions
are for sale and new homes have been built in many villages, combining the
beauty of traditional York with the convenience of modern interiors. Estate
agents in York can advise on all aspects of buying or selling a house and
hold details of properties throughout North Yorkshire. There are also a number
of letting agents in the area, who can help with those looking to rent a
property.
Other info pages:-
Aberdeen,
Birmingham,
Brighton, Bristol,
Cambridge,
Cardiff, Dorset,
Edinburgh, Glasgow,
Leeds, London,
Manchester,
Newcastle, Norfolk,
Oxford & York
plus Jargon Buster &
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