Folkestone West Station area has seen a 27% increase in buyer searches
After more than a year of working from home, most people are gradually returning to the office – resulting in a huge increase in demand for houses in commuter towns.
Estate agents have seen a massive surge in buyer searches for homes near commuter stations outside of London.
But it’s not just recognized commuter towns that are seeing an increase in demand – more people are seeking to relocate to other towns which have good rail links to London.
One town which is becoming increasingly popular for London commuters is Folkestone.
According to Rightmove, Folkestone West Station has seen a 27% increase in buyer searches, putting it in the top ten most popular areas for commuters to relocate to.
Folkestone is a port town which lies on the southern edge of the North Downs at a valley between two cliffs.
It was an important harbour and shipping port for most of the 19th and 20th centuries, but was expanded further after the arrival of the railway in 1843.
Today the domestic services from Folkestone use the Central and West stations on the South Eastern Main Line.
Orient Express passengers also change at Folkestone West for road coaches and the onward journey through the Channel Tunnel.
The High Speed 1 (HS1) railway connecting the Channel Tunnel to London has called at Folkestone since 2009 – the journey time to London via this route has been reduced to under one hour and some trains from Folkestone West take as little as 52 minutes to reach the capital by High Speed Train.
Folkestone is also a popular spot to live thanks to it’s breath-taking scenery – from the wilderness of nearby Dungeness to the stunning views from the Downs.
There is also plenty to do for families, including miniature train rides on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway or African safari experiences at the award-winning Port Lympne Reserve.
The area has a fascinating history too – with more than 1,000 skulls held in the ossuary at St Leonard’s Church in Hythe and ancient Martello Towers constructed to defend the coast during the Napoleonic war.
