AT YOUR SERVICE IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE

THINK about the last time you moved to a new house. The chances are, there was a quite specific reason for doing so: you needed somewhere bigger (or perhaps smaller); you were moving in (or breaking up!) with a loved one; or perhaps you needed to be closer to a place of work, especially if you were also changing jobs at the same time. Relocating for work purposes is a common driver for house moves and when a geographical area is defined by a particular industry or two, it can wield significant influence on the housing market there. It is common to see an increase of people to an area when a large employer locates or expands there; the opposite is sadly true when they depart or scale back their operations. Of course, the link between the number of people employed in an area and the effect that has on the housing market is obvious; what is less obvious sometimes, are the nuances that different industries and their prominence in that area have on the market. Nationally, the most popular industry for employment is the public sector and this is the case here in Gloucestershire too with almost a third (32.9%) of all local residents working as a public servant in some capacity or other. Whilst we can’t say that this alone influences the local property market, it’s interesting to note that the average house price in the county is £304,600 – a figure which stands 5.9% higher than the regional average and 3.5% higher than the national average. These average prices are reflected through the average annual salary, which here is £30,000 5.7% higher than the national figure. What we also know, is that where there is a buoyant employment market, there tends to also be demand for well-paying jobs which can push up the number of people living there (or wishing to); increasing demand for quality homes and, therefore, pushing up prices. If you’re looking to relocate to Gloucestershire, or simply move within the county, and you’re keen to understand what the property market is looking like in various areas, then why not contact one of the nine Andrews branches across the county or visit us online at www.andrewsonline.co.uk