According to recent research from Savills the most coveted property to own outside of London is a period house, which have continued to outperform all others post 2008 credit crunch being properties on exclusive estates.
The salubrious Wentworth Estate and St George's Hill Estate in Surrey lead the pack in desirability in the South East of England. Both estates were designed between 1911 and 1930 by builder Walter Tarrant who was a visionary with the foresight to create two exclusive housing developments designed around golf courses. The bright greens of the championship golf course with state of the art homes carefully nestled between produced something that had not been seen before in Surrey but which would set a precedent for some of the most luxurious estates of the future all around the World.
Little did Tarrant know (as his business went bust in 1931) that he had designed the two most expensive estates outside of London - likened by Savills to Central London's Eaton Square or Kensington Palace Gardens. Many have also equated these grand estates to California's Beverley Hills and Hong Kong's The Peak.
Sadly some say, many of WG Tarrant's homes have since been erased and replaced with modern, cutting edge properties literally fit for a king, but look a little deeper behind the dense foliage that hides these magnificent piles, and you can glimpse a whole host of differing property styles, one for every buyer taste which is a key part of what make these estates so unique.
James Wyatt partner of prime estate agents in Surrey Barton Wyatt and Wentworth born and bred resident, comments,
"One of the things I love about Wentworth is that no two houses are the same. This makes it a fabulously interesting place both to live and sell homes. The care and consideration that has gone into these houses - not to mention the money - has created a diverse web of properties, each of which has its own uniqueness and individuality.
"There are streets in Surrey villages such as Cobham and Oxshott where almost every house has been torn down and rebuilt in almost the same design. It is virtually impossible to tell one house from the next and they sit shoulder to shoulder with no space between them.
"It is a sad reality of the age we live in," continues Wyatt. "The traditional Tarrant homes that adorned Wentworth are not the homes that oligarchs and kings want to live in. Buyers love to admire them but ultimately they want to live in a house with impressive high ceilings, state of the art technology, swimming pools, and plenty of bedrooms, all with luxurious en-suite bathrooms."
Whilst period properties may be aesthetically pleasing they can be a serious drain on your time and your pocket. Leaky roofs, damp patches, woodworm, cracked drains, missing roof tiles or just plain, old fashioned rot: the list is endless. According to insurance company Gocompare 81% of people searching for a home want one that needs very little work with less than 25% prepared to take on a property that needed major renovation work.
There is another reason behind the Wentworth Estates' ongoing desirability - the strict covenants which do not allow plots to be sub-divided and built on. On Wentworth one plot will only ever house one home.
To get expert advice in property for sale in Virginia Water, please contact Barton Wyatt estate and letting agents.
