Property prices have fared well in past 10 years

A commuter town has led the way when it comes to rising property values in Kent over the last decade, seeing an average increase of more than 70%.

House prices in one Kent commuter town have soared by the eighth highest amount in the UK over the past decade.

Dartford was the only location in the county in the top 10 and ranked higher than Three Rivers and St Alban’s in Hertfordshire.

The data looked at local authority house price averages sourced from the UK House Price Index for December 2009 and December 2019.

The borough saw house prices rise by 71.52%.

A decade ago the average cost was £174,676.

Today a house in the area will cost you around £299,611.

It’s predicted properties could cost £513,904 in 2030 with a 20% deposit of £102,781 needed for purchases.

Dartford’s high increase was closely followed by Bexley at 71.37% and then Gravesham which saw a 67.65% increase in house prices over the last 10 years.

The smallest increase in

Kent was Maidstone, which only saw prices rise by 46.37% since 2009, from the average cost of £196, 680 to £287,898.

Ben Hill, assistant manager at the estate agent Robinson Jackson in Dartford, said: “I’ve been with the company for 10 years and seen the increase of house prices co-inside with supply and demand.

“People are earning more, and prepared to pay more for their homes.

“Dartford has become a great area to live.

“In 2014 the town became an Oyster card zone, so that brought a lot of people in, then there’s the motorway links – you can get anywhere from Dartford.

“People who live and work in Essex also come to Dartford due to the local resident discount you can get for the Dartford Crossing, the newlyrefurbished train station is also beneficial.

“Schools are also a major pull factor, Dartford Grammar School is hugely popular.

“However due to the current coronavirus situation we are unsure of the future.

“At the moment we have staff working from home, re-assuring our clients and keeping in touch.

“Obviously we aren’t doing viewings and we’re going into this new transition period but right now we’re staying focused on how we can continue to build trust with buyers and sellers during this time of social-distancing.”

The predictions from Digitonomy and Cash Lady are based on the average rate of growth in each area over the last 10 years.

How the different boroughs compare

Prices in Dartford have risen by more than 70%, while other boroughs have also fared well