Harlow – 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 Harlow, Essex.

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

What is the final sale price of a house in Harlow?

In Harlow, the average sale price of a house for sale is in fact £275,082. This is dependent on the 10 year population growth of Harlow being 7%. Growing populations are more likely to inflate the prices of houses for sale in the city of Harlow.

Housing category	Total final sale price
Aerage sold price (detached)	£424,532
Aerage sold price (semi-detached)	£338,644
Aerage sold price (terraced)	£269,601
Aerage sold price (flat)	£168,063

The list below is able to inform you of what these prices are. Giving you an accurate estimate of whether a landlord is likely to accept your offer based on the prices of the houses for sale in Harlow.

Housing category	Sale price per square foot
Aerage sold price/sqft	£3,180
Aerage sold price/sqft (new build)	£4,030
Aerage sold price/sqft (old stock)	£3,130

Evidently, certain types of houses for sale will have different types of demand and this will be reflected on the final price.

On average, the cost of a house for sale per square foot works out to be £3,180. This means if you are just looking out the houses sold in Harlow in general and didn’t take into consideration the type of build. For example, a new build.

Are there any important statistics about the population of Harlow?

Is the crime rate bad in the city of Harlow?

In Harlow, for every 1000 people, there is currently a crime rate of 146. 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 (146 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.

Harlow in the county of Essex is notable for its specific demographics and has individual characteristics.

For localised cities and the bigger areas of the UK there are wide variations in the demographics that shape an area so the same is also true for the wider region Harlow is located in; East of England.

Below, these demographics are talked about in headings that explain how the city has grown, what the education levels are like in Harlow, what the social grade score of the city is like and if the green space matches the recommended levels people living in the UK should have.

What does the population of Harlow look like?

Population growth in Harlow is important to know if there is housing demand and the total population may also be looked at as large populations commonly have a lot of buyer demand.

In Harlow, 24,257 people live in the city as their main place of residence.

It is important to note that it is not the case that everyone likes a large population to live in. People who tend to prefer a more relaxed life are more likely to buy or rent somewhere to live that has a small population and perhaps also wouldn’t mind if the population isn’t growing.

Other people also like to have a mix of both. Where they can visit rural areas and also benefit from the amenities of a busy city.

In Harlow in the previous five years, have population numbers transformed?

Five years may seem like a long time but it is rare for a city to grow that much unless there is dramatic population growth. In Harlow, this change has been 2%. Read more here

Someone who wishes to find out how this change has occurred over a longer period of time may also wish to read the headings below and see if the change has continued throughout the past decade too. Or if the change is only true for the more recent figure for five years of 2%. Click here to know more on the UK population trends.

Over the last decade, how has the population differed in Harlow?

Populations change all the time but if there is a clear change in population in the last ten years this is even more reliable data about the population of the area as opposed to five. This adjustment in population works out to be 7% in Harlow.

What this statistic is like in comparison to the population change in five years should provide you with a comprehensive understanding of what direction the population is heading in.

In recent years because of the pandemic, it is common to see dramatic differences in the population change in the last five years when comparing it to ten as people realise they can work from home but still keep the current jobs they have.

This means they can move to cities they wouldn’t have considered otherwise and be location-independent of their source of income. Perhaps making a longer commute into the office every week for example.

How much green space is available to residents of Harlow?

Whether you view green space in Harlow as important to you as a homeowner is up to your personal preferences. Having said this, there is a clear benefit on the overall health of people who live near green space as the government has stated keeping green space in proximity to people is one of the biggest factors for combating obesity.

In Harlow, the number of acres of green space for every 1000 people currently is 9.9 which can be measured against the UK average of 1.7.

What is the city of Harlow’s social grade score?

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 Harlow in grades A or B which are the highest skilled roles in the country is 11%. Realistically, you can expect workers in this category to earn a higher salary too.

For comparison, £39,300 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 11%.

In Harlow, what are the deprivation levels like?

Deprivation levels refer to the ability of the population of the city to earn enough to keep their lifestyle going. Nationwide, it is thought that the number of people at this level or not being able to meet the costs of living is around 33%. In comparison, the deprivation level of Harlow is 30%.

What is the education level like in Harlow?

In Harlow, the proportion of people who have a degree is 14%. Generally speaking, as the number of people with degrees increases, the more people are able to afford houses to buy as a degree is a good indicator of a higher income. To put this into perspective, the average income of Harlow is £39,300.

This figure for average household income usually goes up alongside the percentage of people who have degrees.

However, this is not a hard and fast rule, there are many factors influencing the buying power of a population and hence the appreciation of housing and the number of houses for sale in the area. This can include the rental yields of the area and other demographic statistics like crime rate.

Nonetheless, it cannot be argued that those with degrees tend to live in more affluent areas as 82% of people who achieve a first in degree level education are owners of the place they live.

How much do people in Harlow earn?

While not always the case, the amount people earn can be associated with better schools in the area and perhaps a nicer environment to live in.

£39,300 is the average household income of the area. And the higher this figure is the more likely it is that there is a higher percentage of people with a social grade score in the A or B categories which is 11% for Harlow.

On average, what is the figure for the asking price of a house for sale in Harlow?

Before a house gets sold, the figure it sells for always starts off as an asking price. This average asking price for the houses for sale in Harlow determines the eventual sale price of the house so it isn’t the most important figure but is still important to take note of. This figure is currently £314,181.

Below, there is a table showing the asking price of the different sizes of houses based on the number of bedrooms of the houses in Harlow.

Table showing the asking prices for houses for sale in Harlow

Average asking price (1 bed)	£168,333
Average asking price (2 bed)	£272,321
Average asking price (3 bed)	£335,233
Average asking price (4 bed)	no relevant data for this city
Average asking price (5 bed)	no relevant data for this city

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 Harlow has a lack of supply of housing in certain categories.

In Harlow, what are the rental yields?

In Harlow, how has the number of houses changed?

Before committing to Harlow 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.

	1 year	3 years	5 years
Harlow growth rate	8%	14%	17%

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 Harlow is building housing to find your answer.

You may have heard of rental yield as being important for investors who wish to make a sizable profit on their rental properties. If this sounds like you and you’re looking to invest in a house currently for sale and collect rental income in Harlow this statistic is what you were looking for.

Data should also be compared to the broader region of the UK (East of England) alongside Essex then looked at with other statistics like the area’s rent and the turnover of sale of the houses in question. It could be that an investor prefers to make a profit on the sale of a house rather than the rental income and optimal properties for this investment varies throughout Harlow.

This decision is made differently depending on the investor’s tolerance for risk, investing strategy, the location they’re investing in and their overall goal for buying a house currently listed for sale.

	Average Yield	Average Asking rent	Turnover (rental)	Turnover (sale)
Harlow	no relevant data for this city	no relevant data for this city	no relevant data for this city	32.0%
Essex	3.51%	£1,237	125.97%	17.61%
East of England	3.49%	£1,148	126.76%	16.58%

As you observe table above, it could be valuable to contrast these figures with other pieces of data relevant to the process of buying like the crime rate or the appreciation of houses for sale in Harlow.

As you can tell, the best conclusions are drawn when the buyer of a house for sale looks at all the data involved holistically and doesn’t make quick decisions based on one or two pieces of data. As an example, comparing the data with the number of property sold per month (17) will be useful.

Invest in houses for sale in Harlow with the right professional advice

Finding the ideal house for sale for you

When browsing houses for sale in Harlow you should think about lots of different criteria:

• House for sale affordability – visit the dedicated page of the UK government to understand (see what you can afford)

• Location of the house for sale – the region and town you are considering to live in are crucial factors to consider before looking for houses for sale. In this article, we define lots of demographic factors that should help you make a decision.

• House for sale transport links – even if working from home is becoming more and more predominant, we suggest you check the transport links the house for sale has.

• Number of bedrooms in the house for sale – are you looking for houses for sale for the whole family or are you single? Always think about how many bedrooms you need and if that number might change in the future

• energy performance of the house for sale – What is the EPC of the house for sale? Today more than ever, is important that you check the EPC rating of the real estate assets available for sale on the market.

• Internet speed in the area of the house for sale – is important to remember that internet speed is a consequence of two factors: your plan and the infrastructure available in the area. Always check these parameters before looking for houses for sale

• Does the house for sale have parking – if yes, is it on-street or is the house for sale equipped with a garage?

• Houses for sale in conservation areas – always check the National Heritage list. If a house for sale is part of this list it means that it might be impossible for you to make changes to the property’s internal and external structure.

• Houses for sale Conditions – some properties, like new builds, need no repairs or works; other houses listed for sale may need some investment to restore them and some others may need a complete renovation. Someone looking for houses for sale should always think about how much time and money they are willing to invest to complete the needed repairs.

Choosing the perfect house for sale for you might be challenging in today’s market due to the abundance of available houses.
You may wonder who can guide you through the process of selecting a house that is for sale.
There are several experts that provide guidance and support to potential buyers and the procedure can be drawn out, particularly when dealing with houses for sale.

Here is a list of who to contact to get assistance when purchasing a house for sale:

• Banks – The ones that can lend you the money you need for the house for sale
• Insurance companies – Companies that give you access to various insurances specific to the house for sale you are considering to buy
• Solicitor – The individual or business responsible for handling the legal tasks required to purchase a home that is for sale.
• Civil engineer – Provides you with an appraisal of the house up for sale that you want to purchase.
• Mortgage advisor – Professional advisors that will guide you and propose the best mortgage deals according to your finances
• EPC specialist – Getting professional advice on the energy performance of the house for sale is crucial, especially nowadays.

Thinking about other cities with houses for sale?

You can assess the various houses for sale offered in the area by consulting this list of cities in East of England, the same UK region as Harlow:

• All-Saints-South-Elmham in East of England
• Broad-Street-Green in East of England
• Elsenham in East of England
• Ashingdon in East of England
• Barton-Mills in East of England

You may also refer to our landing page specific to UK houses for sale, houses for sale in the UK