Surrey Millionaires – Why they live in Virginia Water

by Viv

 

Surrey dwellers know that there are particular areas of the county that attract the rich and famous more than others; is this a Surrey secret or does the rest of the country or even the world know about these hidden gems of magnificent bricks and mortar? Just this week Virginia Water hit the headlines for having streets amassed with millionaires, is it an overspill from London or are there other lifestyle and property attraction factors at play?
 
James Wyatt, Senior Partner of Virginia Water estate agency Barton Wyatt informs us:
 
“There are several factors that make people want to come and live here – none of which include Virginia Water being an overspill from London, on the contrary, wealthy business people move out of London to the likes of Virginia Water deliberately to improve their standard of family living. We also have a large number of foreign buyers who have been attracted by the exclusivity of the area and its distinctive living; international buyers are drawn mainly from Russia, Kazakhstan and the Far East.
 
  1. The location is spot on for commuters. We are just a one hour commute door to door into the City. Communications are excellent with the M25, M3 and M4 close by giving fast access to the motorway network, London, Heathrow, Gatwick and Farnborough  which allows business people quick and easy access to Europe and beyond.
  2. Virginia Water really is a green and pleasant land. There is no beating Surrey for its stunning countryside and the lake at Virginia Water makes this a very special place for families to live. Plus the local centres of Virginia Water, Sunningdale, Ascot and Windsor cater for day to day shopping requirements.
  3. Schooling is exceptional with many renowned private schools such as Eton College, Heathfield, Papplewick, Sunningdale, St Mary’s Ascot, St Georges Ascot and St John’s Beaumont. In addition, there are two international schools, ACS in Egham and TASIS in Thorpe.
  4. And lastly I would recommend the social activities. Sporting facilities in the area are numerous with many golf and country clubs as well as Ascot Race course and Polo at Smiths Lawn in Windsor Great Park. There is of course the famous golf clubs at Sunningdale and Wentworth, with its swimming pools, restaurants, tennis courts and health club which is in the same league as St Andrews and is simply a touch of class in the area – overall it is just a really terrific place to live”
 
Virginia Water is the only place outside of London to make it into the top 10 most expensive postcodes. The GU25 area is ranked sixth overall in the country, with homes in the area changing hands for an average of £920,000. For an average property price this is quite something but a conservative estimate according to James who is currently marketing several properties around the £10 million price bracket.
 
Currently the portfolio of properties available for sale at Barton Wyatt has an average value of approximately £2.36m. This does show a slight decline in recent months; leafy Virginia Water, like the rest of the country, has not escaped the effects of the downturn with its fair share of properties having their prices reduced to reflect the market status. This is now turning around in the area but you can still pick up a relative ‘bargain’ in Virginia Water as prices readjust once more.
 
An example of this is Bryher, a much loved family home which has the fabulous addition of a detached 3 bed cottage. This home would suit many family situations and has been reduced from £3.5 million to £2.95 million. For those with a £10 million property budget then Hollow Lane is the perfect house, thoughtfully designed with a room for just about everything – wine, laundry, games, plants, spa and gym – you even get £500,000 change.
 
For more information contact Barton Wyatt on 01344 843000 or visit www.bartonwyatt.co.uk.