What is it like buying a house in St Albans?

Whenever looking for a house for sale in the UK or in St Albans, it is vital you look at the market trends and house price fluctuations in the wider area of Hertfordshire too. House prices of houses for sale can change even among different streets very close to each other so, as a landlord, it would be a good idea to be familiar with the area of St Albans.

In this article, we will be looking at the city of St Albans in detail so you know how to navigate the area and have a better understanding on where to invest.

In St Albans, what do houses for sale tend to sell for?

For the city of St Albans, the average price a house sells for is £512,480. This value usually depends on the exact location of the house within St Albans as well as other factors like the population growth in St Albans which is 7% over a ten-year period.

Housing category	Total final sale price
Aerage sold price (detached)	£1,129,336
Aerage sold price (semi-detached)	£691,700
Aerage sold price (terraced)	£535,280
Aerage sold price (flat)	£343,632

The above table puts this figure into perspective as you can see the various average sale prices of a house for the specific type of house you’re most interested in. This comparison is important because the type of house you’re considering to buy may be more or less in demand based on variations in supply and demand in the city of St Albans.

Housing category	Sale price per square foot
Aerage sold price/sqft	£5,940
Aerage sold price/sqft (new build)	£5,920
Aerage sold price/sqft (old stock)	£5,880

Generalising the bottom table, the average value per square foot of a house for sale is £5,760. This value averages all of the types of houses for sale in St Albans. So, if you’re not sure what type of house you want specifically, you can still get an idea of the real estate market of St Albans.

In St Albans, what are the demographics like?

In the city of St Albans, how much green space remains for residents?

Providing the right amount of green space for people in the UK is a difficult subject because there are clear benefits for human health but at the same time, it is hard to make sure all areas of the UK can get enough greenery. This is a result of land being already in use in cities where most people live.

In St Albans, 15.5 is the amount of acres of outdoor space there is for every 1000 people. Charities such as ‘Fields in Trust’ recommend there to be at least 6 acres. This should allow you to conclude whether this green space is sufficient for you if you are interested in buying in St Albans.

What is the education level like in St Albans?

In St Albans, the proportion of people who have a degree is 52%. 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 St Albans is £61,500.

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.

What is the population of St Albans?

In the UK in general and specifically in the region in question, large population sizes can be good indications that there are a lot of people in the area looking for houses for sale which can drive up demand and therefore impact the cost. You should also check to see if the population is growing in the area too to show an increasing demand, this is even better. Currently, the total population of St Albans is 36,253.

Sometimes, smaller populations can have higher buyer demand than large populations on the other hand. This is because the price of houses and hence the demand for houses is based on a variety of variables.

The most important variable is the location of the houses for sale in the city of St Albans.

In St Albans, how has the population changed over the last five years?

In the last five years, over time, the change in population size was 2%. Looking at this figure can inform you of the buyer demand for the houses for sale in the area. Read more here

This may mean that the city has now started to slow down in terms of population growth or it may mean the city is also building a lot of houses which would indicate the supply of houses for sale will be matching the demand.

Making predictions about the future growth of St Albans is hence important in making a decision if capital appreciation of your real estate investment is something you’re after as a landlord.

Comparing this figure for the 5 year growth (2%) as well as the ten year growth in the subheading below should allow you to make some accurate forecasts on the growth rate. Click here to know more on the UK population trends.

St Albans population difference over 10 years?

The population has adjusted in the area of St Albans by 7% in the most recent decade. This change is even more useful when compared alongside the figure for the five year growth of the area too.

This will tell you if the population is changing at the moment or if change is more recent. Through this a landlord can accurately look at the fluctuations in population size of the area over time and therefore better understand the trend of the houses for sale in St Albans.

To make an example, the town of Salford which is a part of Manchester has seen a 10% increase in population. house price has therefore followed.

What’s crime like in St Albans?

For the city of St Albans, crime rate is at 99. So for every 1000 people in the area, 99 commit a crime which is prosecuted. Paying close attention to this figure of crime rate is not only important for the value of a house but also to calculate the maintenance cost of owning a house and how attractive an area can be for future buyers.

So, compare it to the nationwide average of 79.52 per 1000 people and consider if you are happy with this figure based on the price you’re paying for a house you’re interested in.

On top of this, houses that are in areas where there is a high crime rate tend to have to pay higher insurance rates, costing a homeowner in the long term.

Additionally, paying for further security on a house such as CCTV or potentially gates and fences that deter thieves may be necessary for an area with a high crime rate.

What is a social grade score and how does this relate to St Albans?

In the city of St Albans, the social grade score of the area is 49%. But what does this exactly mean? The figure refers to the proportion of people in the two highest categories of skilled jobs.

The categories are grouped from A to E shown in the table below. Overall, a high social grade score means there are more affluent people working in managerial and professional roles in the area.

This table shows the average breakdown of the UK in terms of where most people in the UK are working so you can compare it to the social grade score of St Albans.

Social Score	Category	The proportion of the UK population (%)
A	Professional, managerial or administrative	4
B	Intermediate managerial or professional jobs	23
C1	Supervisory, junior managerial or professional jobs	29
C2	Skilled manual workers	21
D	Semi and unskilled manual workers	15
E	State pensioners, casual & lowest grade workers	8

How much do people in St Albans earn?

Typically, as people earn more money, the more they are able to afford and the better house prices in the area because demand goes up. You could also infer that the amenities such as schools, parks and public areas are generally of high quality as a result.

For these reasons, it could be argued that areas where people earn more money are generally nicer arrears to live in which also attracts more people as a result and further drives up house prices in the area.

To see if this phenomenon occurs in St Albans. Compare the area’s average household income of £61,500 to the average household income in the UK at price34,000. Adding to this, compare it with the figure for the highest social grade score too at 49% for more conclusive data on the affluence of the area.

St Albans within Hertfordshire is notable for the type of people that live there. The statistics below show how this is the case.

As you read on, St Albans 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 St Albans.

How deprived is the population of St Albans?

Most of the time, high deprivation levels signal that people cannot afford to sustain their living expenses. In St Albans, currently, 15% people fall into this category.

Measuring this statistic against the nationwide average of 33% should give you a pretty good idea of where the city lies in the scale of poverty in the area.

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

In the city of St Albans, what is the average asking price for the houses for sale?

Average asking price (1 bed)	£298,340
Average asking price (2 bed)	£435,235
Average asking price (3 bed)	£677,273
Average asking price (4 bed)	£1,117,857
Average asking price (5 bed)	£1,406,333

Reading the table above should therefore give you a good idea of the type of house for sale that is within your budget in St Albans and if you may need to look at a different area in order to buy the type of house you can afford.

Also, noting the £5,580 should also give you an overview of what the asking price for houses for sale are in general.

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 St Albans 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 £553,057.

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 St Albans.

In St Albans, what are the rental yields?

Are there more or fewer houses being built in St Albans?

Whenever you are thinking about looking for houses for sale in St Albans, think about how the city is growing and how this may impact the overall growth of the area.

Comparing the growth at different time periods would be a great way to assess whether the growth has slowed down, remained the same or perhaps stagnated over the years.

	1 year	3 years	5 years
St Albans growth rate	3%	18%	10%

As the population of St Albans grows, this may also push up the price of the houses for sale. More people would be looking to buy homes and permanently live in the area. This demand helps a home appreciate. However, this isn’t always true because some cities build a lot of houses too to match the supply.

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 St Albans this statistic is what you were looking for.

Data should also be compared to the broader region of the UK (East of England) alongside Hertfordshire 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 St Albans.

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)
St Albans	3.2%	£1,472	140%	18.0%
Hertfordshire	3.33%	£1,382	133.74%	16.45%
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 St Albans.

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 (34) will be useful.

Advice from experts on properties for sale in St Albans

Invest in a house for sale that meets your demands

What parameters impact the final price of a house for sale in St Albans?
Here below is our list with the most important ones:

• House for sale affordability – check out the (see house affordability guide)

  on the UK gov website to know more

• House Location – the actual location of a house for sale drastically changes the final price of a property

• Transports you can reach by foot – Commuting is part of our lives, especially in big cities, check it out before buying a house for sale.

• Number of bedrooms – Usually, the bigger the house for sale the more bedrooms it will have. For example, if you are a single person (or a couple) one bedroom will do.

• Energy Performance Certificate of the house for sale – Bad EPCs can result in thousands of pounds more in bills you will have to pay on an annual basis. Consider this when purchasing a new property.

• Internet connection – Having a quick internet connection is fundamental nowadays. Check the area of the house for sale to understand what the average internet speed is and see if it fits your needs

• Do you drive to the office? – If yes, ask about parking. Is it included in the house price?

• Special areas – Start by taking a look at the National Heritage list by the UK government. If a house listed for sale appears in the list, the future landlord won’t be able to invest in changes to the real estate asset.

• Houses for sale Conditions – When looking for houses for sale you should always consider the amount of time and money you will have to invest to complete the needed repairs, if any at all.

Considering all the above data and information provided, you may want know who can help you buy a house for sale.
Lots of professionals offer property investors and first-time buyers advice and assistance in dealing with the process of acquiring a house for sale.

Below, you can find a list of professionals that come in handy when looking for houses for sale:

• Lender – Is someone capable of lending you the money you need to complete the purchase of the house for sale
• Insurer – Insurance companies provide building insurances and other financial products you need to protect your real estate assets
• Conveyancer – This professional will take care of the legal work needed when looking for a house for sale
• Surveyor – Use this professional to assess the condition of the house for sale you are willing to buy, get an independent valuation and feel more comfortable when negotiating the final price
• Mortgage broker or adviser – Different buyers can access different mortgages to buy a house for sale. Let the mortgage broker suggest to you which one is the best given your financial situation
• Energy professional – Nowadays is more important than ever, to get professional advice on the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of the house for sale you are considering as your next investment

House for sale in the same UK region

Examine this short list of cities belonging to East of England, the same region where St Albans is located.

• Bricket-Wood in East of England
• Brightwell in East of England
• Booton in East of England
• Chalfont-St-Giles in East of England
• Dovercourt in East of England

If none of these is of your interest, we suggest you visit our landing page with all data related to the houses for sale in the UK.