Why has Brackley become the town of choice for so many couples and families from Bicester?
I had a look at the facts and it was very interesting reading. According to Zoopla, the average current house value in Brackley is £309,092 which although impressive is £18,235 cheaper than the average house value in Bicester. Although £18,235 is a significant sum of money, perhaps not as bigger difference as I was expecting.
But every good estate agent will tell you, it doesn’t matter what your house is valued at, it’s what someone is willing to pay for it, right?
So, this is where it becomes a bit more eye-opening and the margins begin to widen. The average price paid for a property in Brackley in the last 12 months is £275,759 versus £308,110 for Bicester, a whopping £32,351 difference.
Despite only a short drive between the two market towns, Bicester lies within Oxfordshire, the OX post code commands a premium and Oxfordshire has been dubbed one of the most unaffordable places to live outside of London. Both Bicester North and Bicester Village train stations offer direct lines to the big smoke in under 40 minutes which makes it popular with city workers looking for a cheaper alternative to the capital.
More specifically, if I compare a typical 3-bedroom semi-detached family home in Brackley versus the same in Bicester, the margin is even greater with Bicester prices £37,749 more expensive than those of Brackley.
But it isn’t just Brackley’s cheaper house prices that are pulling in the punters. The emergence of the Radstone Fields new-build development has provided a greater choice and seen developers promise to pay stamp duty alongside the government help to buy scheme. Add in to the equation fantastic schools with good ofsted reports, some great local pubs and bars like The Plough and Green Room, Coffee shops like Brackley Central Café and Courtyard Coffee House, good commuter links to Northampton, Birmingham and London and great community events such as the Brackley Beer Festival and the Firework Display, no wonder Brackley is deemed an ideal and affordable haven for our neighbours from OX26 to settle down.