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: | SOUTHEND-ON-SEA, ESSEX | ||||||||
| Category: | A | ||||||||
| Investor Profile | Pension, Retirement, B&B, Business, Holiday and Cash&Equity | ||||||||
| Population aged 15+: | 152,617 | ||||||||
| Actual | National Average | ||||||||
| Percentage Class ABC1: | 57% | 44% | |||||||
| Crime | Violence | Sexual | Burglary | Motor | |||||
| Per 1000 population | 11 | 1 | 8 | 6 | |||||
| Yield Range: | 4.9% - 10.6% | ||||||||
| Price Ranges | Low £ | Hi £ | Low £pw | Hi £pw | Low | Hi | |||
| Flats&maisonettes | 51,200 | 76,800 | 104 | 141 | 9.5% | 10.6% | |||
| Terraced | 88,800 | 133,200 | 137 | 186 | 7.3% | 8.0% | |||
| Semi-detached | 98,400 | 147,600 | 170 | 230 | 8.1% | 9.0% | |||
| Detached | 182,400 | 273,600 | 191 | 258 | 4.9% | 5.4% | |||
| Valuations above the national average by: | 0% | ||||||||
| Actual | National Average | ||||||||
| Capital growth last 12 months: | 25% | 18% | |||||||
| Capital growth last 4 years: | 85% | 74% | |||||||
| Large employers in the area: | Many | ||||||||
| Demand For Letting: | Average | ||||||||
| Average void period: | 3 weeks | ||||||||
| Total (out of 10) | Capital Growth (out of 5) | Yield (out of 5) | |||||||
| Out of 10: | 7 | 3 | 4 | ||||||
| Summary: | Plenty of potential for capital growth due to inward investment to the town. | ||||||||
| Description: | I remember Southend as the cool place to be when I was a teenager. Now as a property investor I still think it’s the place to be but for different reasons! Southend is the largest town in Essex and now has a glitzier feel to the place than before. Its theme park operates all year round and attracts families looking for a day out from a 1 hour travelling distance radius. For this reason alone the tourism industry in Southend is its biggest revenue generator. Southend has had its problems though. Unemployment is higher than average for the east of England as it relies heavily on the tourism trade and its fishing industry. However this is about to change. The number of visitors is set to rise due to investment of £17 million on the Southend sea front, high street and pier-enhancement project. The project will radically change the appearance of the town's central corridor, from the entrance in Prittlewell through the high street and along the 1.5 mile pier, which is being redeveloped following the fire 3 years ago. Works to be undertaken as part of the project include cycle tracks, themed quarters in the high street and the updating of ugly and old-fashioned eye-sores. Southend is already visited by 1.6 million people a year. The aim of the project is to double that number. This should boost jobs and therefore boost demand for rental properties for the lower and average paid workers and for rooms at hotels and B&Bs from the increased visitors. 150 new jobs were created by London Clubs International alone, which opened a new Casino at the Kursal building earlier this year. The airport provides 1,300 jobs for Southend and surrounding areas and the outlook for the airport look strong. There are two major developments at Shoeburyness, which is at the eastern periphery of the borough, both of which are former Ministry of Defence ranges and are considered crucial to the regeneration of the area. One development, at Shoeburyness garrison, will result in 600 jobs as the result of the creation of a mini-town comprising 465 new homes, a school, shops, leisure centre and health centre. The A127 and A13 trunk roads link Southend to the national motorway network via the M25, which is 20 minutes' drive from the town. However, both trunk roads are overloaded but will be seeing a £14.5 million investment to improve passenger transport and reduce congestion on the A13 and A127. In addition, Southend received an increase in transport block funding of £4.6 million for 2001-02, against funding of £2.3 million in the previous financial year. | ||||||||
| Mainline railway station: | One hour to Liverpool Street, London or Fenchurch Street, London | ||||||||
| Road Access: | Main access along A13 then A127 (dual carriageway). 48 miles east of Central London. 23 miles from M25 | ||||||||
| Local Newspaper | Basildon Evening Echo 01268 522792 | ||||||||
| Estate Agents: | Name | Address | Tel | Web | |||||
| Tudor | 257-261 Victoria Avenue Southend on Sea Essex SS2 6NE | 01702 346818 | www.tudorestates.co.uk | ||||||
| Dedman Property Services | 375 Southchurch Road Southend on Sea Essex SS1 2PQ | 01702 461100 | TBC | ||||||
| Hopson Property Services | 39 Alexandra Street Southend on Sea Essex SS1 1BW | 01702 334353 | TBC | ||||||
| Hair & Son | 200 London Road Southend on Sea Essex SS1 1PJ | 01702 394959 | TBC | ||||||
| Belle Vue Property Services | 501 Southchurch Road Southend on Sea Essex SS1 2PH | 01702 611299 | TBC | ||||||
| Wilsons Bureau | 82 London Road Southend on Sea Essex SS1 1PG | 01702 348400 | TBC | ||||||
| Barbara Zialor Estate Agents | 601 Southchurch Road Southend on Sea Essex SS1 2PN | 01702 619618 | TBC | ||||||
| H V & G Sorrell | 40 Clarence Street Southend on Sea Essex SS1 1BD | 01702 342225 | TBC | ||||||
| Letting Agents: | Name | Address | Tel | Web | |||||
| Countrywide Residential Lettings Ltd | TBC | 01702 434334 | www.rightmove.co.uk | ||||||
| Regis Group plc | TBC | 0800 300700 | www.regisplc.com | ||||||