CONTENTS: INTRODUCTION - ASHFORD, KENT - BATH, SOMERSET - BECKENHAM, KENT - BEDFORD, BEDFORDSHIRE - BILLERICAY, ESSEX - BIRMINGHAM CITY CENTRE, BIRMINGHAM - BOURNEMOUTH, SUSSEX - BRENTWOOD, ESSEX - BRIGHTON, SUSSEX - CAMBRIDGE, CAMBRIDGESHIRE - CANTERBURY, KENT - CARDIFF, WALES - CHELMSFORD, ESSEX - CLEETHORPES, LINCOLNSHIRE - COLCHESTER, ESSEX - EPPING, ESSEX - GRANTHAM, LINCOLNSHIRE - GREAT YARMOUTH, NORFOLK - GUILDFORD, SURREY - IPSWICH, SUFFOLK - KETTERING, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE - KINGS LYNN, NORFOLK - LEICESTER, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE - LIVERPOOL CITY CENTRE, LANCASHIRE - LUTON, BEDFORDSHIRE - MANCHESTER, LANCASHIRE - MILTON KEYNES, BEDFORDSHIRE - NORWICH, NORFOLK - OXFORD, OXFORDSHIRE - PETERBOROUGH, CAMBRIDGESHIRE - READING, BERKSHIRE - ROMFORD, ESSEX - SOUTHEND-ON-SEA, ESSEX - ST ALBANS, HERTFORDSHIRE - STANSTED, ESSEX - SWINDON, BERKSHIRE - WELWYN GARDEN CITY, HERTFORDSHIRE - WISBECH, CAMBRIDGESHIRE
| Area: | BEDFORD, BEDFORDSHIRE | |||||||
| Category: | B | |||||||
| Investor Profile | Pension, Retirement, University, Business and Cash&Equity | |||||||
| Population aged 15+: | 85,195 | |||||||
| Actual | National Average | |||||||
| Percentage Class ABC1: | 55% | 44% | ||||||
| Crime: | Violence | Sexual | Burglary | Motor | ||||
| Per 1000 population | 11 | 1 | 6 | 6 | ||||
| Yield Range: | 5.3% - 8.8% | |||||||
| Price Ranges | Low £ | Hi £ | Low £pw | Hi £pw | Low | Hi | ||
| Flats&maisonettes | 48,000 | 72,000 | 81 | 110 | 7.9% | 8.8% | ||
| Terraced | 77,600 | 116,400 | 97 | 132 | 5.9% | 6.5% | ||
| Semi-detached | 95,200 | 142,800 | 107 | 146 | 5.3% | 5.8% | ||
| Detached | 137,600 | 206,400 | 191 | 258 | 6.5% | 7.2% | ||
| Valuations above the national average by: | 0.5% | |||||||
| Actual | National Average | |||||||
| Capital growth last 12 months: | 17% | 18% | ||||||
| Capital growth last 5 years: | 91% | 80% | ||||||
| Large employers in the area: | Autoglass, Charles Wells, Box-Clever and Unipath | |||||||
| Demand For Letting: | Good | |||||||
| Average void period: | 2 weeks | |||||||
| Total (out of 10) | Capital Growth (out of 5) | Yield (out of 5) | ||||||
| Out of 10: | 7 | 3 | 4 | |||||
| Summary: | A good centrally located town with excellent links with the rest of the UK. | |||||||
| Description: | Bedford is a beautiful, buoyant market town and regional centre for shopping, leisure and tourism with a buzzing business community. It is caked with history, being one of the oldest boroughs in England. The main attraction is the attractive River Great Ouse which flows through the heart of the town and is famous for being of the UK's best river spectacles. Bedford is a very popular location for people to come and settle as the quality of life is very high. There town is well planned – with most homes within half a mile from a town park, superb schools with good academic results (pupils 10% above national average for 5 GCSE grades A-C) and plenty of activities provided by the council and private companies. If you are looking for a long term investment, which I personally consider property to be, then Bedford is your place as people rarely tend to leave out of choice. Bedford is home to a lot of successful national and international players. The reason Bedford is popular with these type of businesses is its mid-England position and great road links connecting them with the national and international markets. Bedford is very close to both the M1 and A1 and 5 international airports – what more do you need? Bedford has a workforce of over 75,500 and this is to rise by 8% by 2011. there have been 5,000 houses recently constructed to cater for this. The pedestrianised town centre has all the usual high street shops as well as an open-air market held twice a week in the town centre. There are plenty of small shops and arcades mixed with a large, modern, indoor shopping centre - The Harpur Centre - which attracts over 6 million shoppers a year. | |||||||
| Mainline railway station: | 45 minutes to Kings Cross Thameslink | |||||||
| Road Access: | Main access A428, A6 & M1 60 miles north of Central London 11 miles from M1 | |||||||
| Local Newspaper | Northants Evening Telegraph 01536 506100 | |||||||
| Estate Agents: | Name | Address | Tel | Web | ||||
| Walton Property | 103 High Street Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1NE | 01234 272662 | www.waltonproperty.net | |||||
| Country Properties | 1 Church Street Ampthill Bedford Bedfordshire MK45 2PJ | 01525 403033 | N/a | |||||
| Martin & Co | 60 Bromham Road Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 2QG | 01234 300445 | N/a | |||||
| Compass Estate Agents | Compass House 8-16 Bramham Road Bedford Bedforshire MK40 2QA | 01234 214234 | N/a | |||||
| Porters Estate Agents | 78 Bromham Road Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 2QH | 01234 270055 | N/a | |||||
| Taylor Brightwell | 40 Allhallows Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 1LN | 01234 326444 | N/a | |||||
| Letting Agents: | Name | Address | Tel | Web | ||||
| Bradford & Bingley Letting Agents Wilson Peacock | 29, Market Square Biggleswade Bedfordshire SG18 8AQ | 01234 213646 | www.bbg.co.uk | |||||