Guildford's streets were paved with gold

Guildford is recognised for being one of the most attractive areas to live in Surrey and the reason for this is its location close to an area of outstanding natural beauty plus its proximity to London, excellent schools, the major airports and motorway network.

The Saxon name for "Guildford" was guilden (golden) ford. It may have been called that because of golden flowers that grew at the riverside or because of the golden sands on the banks of the river.

Two of the most prestigious streets built to the south of Guildford, on facing sides of a valley created by the River Wey, are Guildown Avenue and Warwicks Bench. Their situation offers stunning views for the local residents. 

Typical properties in Guildown Avenue overlooking Guildford

Guildown Avenue was built within a conservation area, not far from The River Wey, in St Catherine's Village, named after St Catherine's Chapel built in the 14th century. It could therefore be loosely described as having been built on golden sand. The houses were built to comply with the wishes of the local Arts and Crafts Movement. Several renowned architects have therefore designed houses here including Sir Edwin Lutyens.

Properties in Warwicks Bench overlook The River Wey

Warwicks Bench contains some of Guildford’s most prestigious homes all in a beautiful setting with south-facing views. Locals were aghast to seeing them being built in the early 1900's, on prime land (as would today's "NIMBYs" when new developments are proposed) but when viewed today, from the meadows in Shalford Park, you can only just glimpse the opulent houses, due to the tree growth in the gardens that surround them. Nobody therefore complains today about the position they occupy just outside the town centre.

In fact they are held up as a fine example of the quality of housing that Guildford delivers and it is for this reason that it would be interesting to see how house prices in both these roads have changed over recent years and how they compare today.

Guildown Avenue comprises 32 properties with an average current value of £1,733,110, compared to an average property value of £407,411 for the local postcode of GU2. One of the most expensive properties in the road is currently valued at £3,061,000. It was sold for £1,075,000 back in 1999 so has risen by 285% over the last 16 years. This is equivalent to a gross value of £14.21 per hour, for 24 hours a day, which is more than double the minimum wage!

Warwicks Bench Road has a current average value of £1,633,090 compared to an average property value of £516,073 for the local GU1 postcode area. One of the most expensive properties in this road was a house built in 2004 and sold for £2,195,500 but 11 year' later is now worth an estimated £3,540,000, so has risen by 217% over this time period. This is equivalent to a gross value of £13.99 per hour, for 24 hours a day over the last 14 years which is also more than double the minimum wage!

This would therefore suggest that while a property in Warwicks Bench might be worth a little more capital appreciation in Guildown Avenue might make you richer by as much as 22p per hour.

If you would like to have a chat about property prices in Guildford or a general discussion on investment opportunities in the area your call will always be welcome. Phone 01483 320207 or email richard@guildfordpropertyblog.co.uk