Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Could county cash in on Covid property shift?
The pandemic’s change to our working habits could see Kent benefit as firms and house-buyers seek to escape the high prices of London. In a year of dramatic upheaval, the latest annual Kent Property Market Report shines a light on a fast evolving market - and how the county could cash in on a fundamental shift in the way we live and work.
The report, produced by Caxtons Chartered Surveyors, Kent County Council and inward investment agency Locate in Kent, highlights a surge in demand for logistics and warehousing space - while the county’s relative affordability for office, commercial and housing property in the South East is seeing increased interest from companies re-evaluating their office space, and workers keen
to move out of the city to combine work and home life. Ron Roser, chairman of Caxtons, which has offices in Gravesend, Gillingham, Maidstone and Canterbury, explained: “The relative uncertainty of last year has been replaced by what is best
described as apparent wholesale structural change in how we shop, work and socialise. “And while there’s no getting away from the human cost of Covid-19 and its impact on our economy, there’s reason for optimism, with investor confidence in logisitics and distribution, healthcare and life sciences – all these industries are bucking the trend in Kent and beyond.” Leader of KCC, Cllr Roger Gough, added: “The pandemic has required us all to be more flexible in how we work, which has implications for our town and city centres in terms of the use of office space. We believe there is the opportunity for growth in commercial property by combining flexible working with the office space we have available. Businesses are looking to Kent to provide more cost-effective and flexible office space.” The pandemic has increased the demand for logistics and warehousing requirements, driving rental growth of 14% over the last year. To download a copy of the report visit Kentpropertymarket.com.