Christchurch – What to look for in houses for sale?

Sometimes, working out the prices of the houses for sale can be tricky business. This is why we created this article all about the price of houses for sale in Christchurch, Cambridgeshire.

From the average asking price of houses for sale in Christchurch, to the growth of the population in the area, all will be talked about regarding the city of Christchurch. So you will get better clued up on the area, and make finding a house for sale in the UK easier.

Are you considering other cities with houses for sale?

We have prepared a list of cities that are entirely dissimilar to the region of East of England, perfect if you are looking for somewhere similar to Christchurch but want to relocate to a different region entirely. You should then be able to evaluate the different houses for sale listed in the region:

• aythorpe-roding in East of England
• alrewas in East of England
• apley in East of England
• battersby in East of England
• ashton-common in East of England

Alternatively, you can visit our webpage dedicated to houses for sale in the UK for a broader understanding, houses for sale in the UK.

In Christchurch, what are the demographics like?

What is the population of Christchurch?

The city of Christchurch has a total population of 20847. Large population sizes can be good to show there is a high demand for people to buy houses in the area but a better indication is if the population of Christchurch is growing.

A small population city can also have high prices of houses for sale, because, if there is a growing population, and demand is still high, this could mean the house prices are pushed up.

Either way, a population must also be looked at in terms of the appreciation of the area as well as the rental yields and if the area really meets your needs.

The five year population change of Christchurch

Over time, in the last five years, the population of the city of Christchurch has changed by 1%. This figure can tell you a lot because a growing population indicates a house is likely to appreciate. Read more here

In addition, looking at the 10 year figure for population growth in the below paragraphs can give you further evidence as to what the change in population has been for a longer period of time. As a result, you’ll know if this 1% population change is something that has been there for a while or if it is a new trend. Click here to know more on the UK population trends.

What is the difference in population over the last 10 years in Christchurch?

In the last 10 years, there has been a shift in the population of 4%.

Comparing this to the 5 year figure of Christchurch can tell you if there is a long history of population growth or decline, if there are population fluctuations or if the trend is stable.

New industries opening up in the area, the addition of new jobs and also international and national migration might all be reasons for changes in population size. Resulting in people moving in or leaving an area.

A good example of a quick change in population was in Stratford, London in 2012. Here, there was an increase in government spending in the area because of the Olympics which resulted in massive population growth.

How much do people in Christchurch earn?

By and large, a higher household income in a population can have positive effects on the crime rate and the quality of space. This is due to the fact that higher earners tend to buy houses where there are better schools and more desirable amenities that impact the quality of life someone has.

In Christchurch, the average income is £40,000.00. Measuring this figure against the average household income for the UK of price34,000 should tell you if the city is higher or lower earning.

When buying a house, use this statistic with other factors when making a decision too like the crime rate or the social grade score of 0.15 to decide on what the demographics are like in the area.

Do the people of Christchurch get to enjoy green space?

In the city of Christchurch, there are 7 acres of green space per 1000 residents.

The charity, ‘Fields in Trusts’ recommends a minimum of 6 acres of green space per 1000 people so it is easy to see where Christchurch is when seeing if green space availability is sufficient. This green space could be parks, nature reserves, public gardens or playing fields.

Christchurch within Cambridgeshire is notable for the type of people that live there. The statistics below show how this is the case.

As you read on, Christchurch will be looked at by comparing it to the local region, as well as comparing it to the wider region too (East of England). From what the population of the city is to how it’s growing as well as factors like the overall crime rate.

This data is impacted by the history of the area and what kind of industry there is around. All of which also impact house prices which is crucial for you to understand as you look at houses for sale in Christchurch.

What’s a social grade score and how does it relate to Christchurch?

The social grade of a city is useful when searching for a house for sale because it tells you what kind of jobs people have in the area. For example, there could be a lot of skilled manual workers or there could be a lot of pensioners and people on benefits.



The scale goes from a social grade of an A who are high managerial, administrative or professional workers to an E where people in this category are on state pensions, casual workers or unemployed on state benefits. The number of people in Christchurch in grades A or B which are the highest skilled roles in the country is 0.15.



Realistically, you can expect workers in this category to earn a higher salary too. For comparison, £40,000.00 is the average household income of the area. You can see how this figure is congruent with the number of people in the top two categories of the social grade at 0.15.

Is the crime rate bad in the city of Christchurch?

In Christchurch, for every 1000 people, there is currently a crime rate of 65. This can be compared to the national average of 79.52 for every 1000 people.

Low crime rates are desirable for your safety as a homeowner. Even if you don’t tend to leave the house too often and tend to not mind living in a slightly more dangerous area. Things like burglaries are always a possibility which could harm your ability to pay for home insurance and also may force you to install additional security in your home that can cost you further.

Having said this, you can look at the crime rate on a deeper level to find out what the threats are exactly. It could be the case that a proportion of these crimes (65 for every 1000 people) come from things like anti-social behaviour rather than more serious crimes like violence and sexual offences.

If this is the case you may be more willing to look over a high crime rate within the areas you’re looking to buy a home.

In Christchurch, what are the deprivation levels like?

The deprivation levels of the UK can vary quite a bit. High deprivation levels signal a particular area has people who are struggling to make ends meet and pay for basic living expenses. For Christchurch, in particular, the deprivation levels are £0.

This figure can be contrasted with the deprivation levels of the UK of 33% to see if the levels are below or above average.

What is the education level like in Christchurch?

Interestingly, the percentage of people who have a degree in the city of Christchurch is 14%. Most of the time, the more people that have a degree, the higher the average household income and the more likely someone is to be able to afford to purchase a house. For example, the average income of the citizens in the area of Christchurch is £40,000.00.

Generally, areas with high numbers of people with a degree are also areas with more people likely to be home owners and therefore the value of houses and relative prices of the houses for sale are more likely to go up too.

Nonetheless, making predictions about the appreciation of a house also has to be considered alongside other factors like population growth and the rental yields of the area.

However, most of the time, being educated is a good indication of affluence with 82% of people graded a first in tertiary education going on to eventually own a house.

What are the asking prices for the houses for sale in the city of Christchurch?

Average price of houses for sale in Christchurch

The above table is perfect for understanding the distribution of properties in the area as well as looking at this data alongside the average asking price per square foot of £0. Telling you what type of house is most in demand relative to the price of the area.

This could be due to more people looking at particular types of houses for sale over others or even due to the fact that Christchurch has a lack of supply of housing in certain categories.

When investors make offers for houses for sale in Christchurch, the average price asked by the homeowners works out to be £313,555.

In the table below, for all the different sizes of houses in the area, the average asking prices have been displayed. This tells you what kind of house is more or less expensive and sought after despite houses with fewer bedrooms being overall less expensive anyway.

Any house that looks like it is overpriced for the number of bedrooms it has in Christchurch is typically not overpriced. It is just the case that that type of housing has a higher demand, therefore, people are willing to pay more.

Choose the right house for sale that suits your needs

Many criteria impact the price of houses for sale in Christchurch.
Here below are the most important ones according to Lofti’s expertise:

• Affordability – (see what house for sale can you afford?)

  A guide from the UK government

• House Location – The borough and region of the UK you want to invest in is an important factor to consider when looking for a home for sale.

• Transport – Commuting can be a waste of time. Minimise it by checking how long it will take from the house for sale you’re interested in, to your office before considering buying

• Number of bedrooms – The number of bedrooms goes hand in hand with the house for sale price. If you are buying for the long period try to think if you might need an extra bedroom

• Energy performance of the house for sale – The difference between an EPC rating of A and an EPC rating of G can impact your monthly utility bills, consider this when evaluating houses for sale.

• Internet connection – Being able to take video calls from your home is crucial nowadays, always check the broadband of the area when browsing houses for sale

• Car park – Ask the property seller for parking availability. If it is included in the price of the house for sale, you can justify paying more than you would at first glance

• Conditions of the house for sale – Repair works can be expensive and take a lot of time, assess the conditions of the houses listed for sale before making an official offer.

Professional advice for houses for sale in Christchurch

Who should you talk to while going through the process of making an offer on a house for sale?
Several experts specialise in giving advice to property investors or to first time potential buyers.

Since the process of finding the right house for sale can take months, you have all the time to consult with the experts you might need.

Find here a list of those you should contact to get professional guidance and assistance when purchasing a house for sale:

• Lender – This practitioner can lend you money to finalise a house purchase
• Insurer – Insuring companies will provide you with the insurance policy you need to protect the house for sale you want to buy
• Legal representative – This professional is usually there to handle all the legal tasks associated with purchasing a home for sale.
• Surveyor – Carries out and independent valuation on the house for sale based on its conditions. It is very useful to understand the correct price before making an offer
• Mortgage specialist – Mortgage advisors works on commissions. They will get a cut from the bank and will guide you with offering the best deals given your financial situation
• Energy assessor – We strongly suggest you to invest in a professional assessment of the Energy Performance of the house for sale you want to purchase

In Christchurch, what do houses for sale tend to sell for?

In Christchurch, houses for sale are sold at an average of £239,369. In general, multiple factors impact this figure because lots of variables impact properties valuation. This can include the quality of the buildings in general, whether the population has grown, if there is demand for housing or if there is a low crime rate which would make the area more desirable.

In the table below, you can see for yourself how the average price of a house for sale looks based on the different sizes of housing in Christchurch. The exact amount of variation between the types of housing depends on the local demand for particular types of houses in the area.

As you can see above, for Christchurch, price varies based on the type of house that is being sold. If these prices shock you it could be due to population change in the last 10 years of 4% where lots of movement may inflate or deflate house prices.

Looking at the second table about Christchurch, you are able to tell which type of housing is most affordable to you as a buyer. However, for a general overview of what house price is, the average price per square foot for a house in Christchurch is £2,060.

Why you should consider the average rental yield when searching for houses for sale in Christchurch

Is the housing market in Christchurch growing?

Before committing to Christchurch to make a housing investment, an investor should always ask the question, what is the growth like in the area?

So take a look below at the growth patterns of the previous years displaying the percentage of new houses being built. This will help you understand how the number of houses for sale will evolve in the future.

Whether housing growth actually changes the price of a house depends on if the city in question is outstripping demand with the supply of new housing. You’d have to do some more research on what rate Christchurch is building housing to find your answer.

Assuming you are not looking for a house for sale in a certain area because of private reasons such as being close to a family member or you have been relocated to a new office, these are some of the factors to consider in order to understand if an investment is worth your money.

Investors typically look at data such as the average rental yield, the average asking price of rent per month, rent turnover and sale turnover. These KPIs give property investors a solid idea of how the market is performing in that area.

For the city of Christchurch, the below table demonstrates this well. To make things simple, it compares these numbers to the wider region of the UK; East of England. As well as Cambridgeshire, to give a smaller scale area to compare the data to.

Assuming that in the future you want to re-sell the house you will eventually purchased in Christchurch you might be interested in the number of sales per month (13) that happen in the local housing market. Comparing this figure for Christchurch with the above table gives you a good understanding of the profitability of the area.