I
was speaking to a landlord in Chichester last week about the importance of matching
the size of your home to the right type of tenants. He commented that with new homes seemingly getting smaller, people are having to settle for less and less space.
That got me thinking…is that actually true?
The
population of Chichester in 2011’s Census was 113,794, spread across 49,848
properties in the Chichester District. That means there was an average of 2.3 people
in each household in Chichester.
But
the census also shows that the number of single and two person households in
the Chichester district is greater than the county, regional and national
averages. Nearly one in three Chichester residents (32% to be exact) live alone
whilst around 38% of Chichester’s households have two people in them. And
yet, whereas 70% of homes in Chichester have just one or two people living in
them, 82% of homes in the District have at least three bedrooms!
This
is probably something to do with the demographics in Chichester being skewed
towards an older generation who may have seen their children fly the nest but
wish to retain their current home and the downstairs space they have become
used to (and can still afford to keep).
After
all, if you’re anything like my mum who wanted to ‘downsize’ but retain a
kitchen/diner, living room and separate dining room, you’d either need a chalet
bungalow or you’re destined to have more bedrooms upstairs than you need for
the sake of having the downstairs space that you want. Plus a smaller home
often won’t give you the commonly requested amenities, such as adequate parking
and a good sized garden.
A
reduction in the number of people in each household is symptomatic of the
overall housing market. Fifty years ago there were closer to three people in
the average household, but families having fewer children, an aging population
and an increase in divorces has led to a lower density per household.
Today, only
5% of homes in Chichester house five or more people compared to, a still
relatively modest, 7% nationally.
This
means there are actually an awful lot of spare bedrooms available throughout the
Chichester district (in excess of 35,000 according to my rough calculations). It
also means that, in general, whilst houses may be getting smaller, it doesn’t
seem that Chichester’s homes are bursting at the seams.
(This article was featured in the Chichester Observer's property section on 13th October 2016)
Clive Janes, CRJ Lettings.
www.crjlettings.co.uk
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If you are looking for an agent that is well-established, professional and communicative in Chichester, then contact us to find out how we can get the best out of your investment property.
E-mail me on clive@crjlettings.co.uk or call 01243 624 599.
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making getting accommodation all the more difficult for my Daughter her partner and their newborn
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