Why is Hornchurch proving popular for London families?

What are family buyers looking for?

Buyers with young children will have a lot of factors to consider when looking for the perfect family home.

For starters, location plays a massive role in a parent’s decision to purchase a property, as they will want to move their child to an area that has a low crime rate, is within the catchment areas of the best schools and boasts child-friendly amenities such as parks, leisure centres, playgrounds and shops.

Most families will also require a larger home containing two, three or four bedrooms with plenty of space and complete with a garden.

Sellers can benefit from turning a small study or spare room into another bedroom, or converting unused space in a garage or basement to a play area or game room. This can improve their chances of attracting buyers with children who are looking for more space.

Why Hornchurch is the perfect family location

There’s a reason why Hornchurch is so popular with families. Firstly, there are two local country parks – Harrow Lodge and Hornchurch – where you’ll find playgrounds, a café, tennis courts and a bowling green. The green space doesn’t stop there, though, as Hornchurch is also home to two town centre parks: the historic Langtons Gardens and St Andrew’s Park.

Hornchurch Sports Centre offers swimming facilities as well as badminton, squash, indoor football and basketball, while the play area and jungle gym for families, Rocky’s Fun House, is also available for private hire. There is also the award-winning adventure play centre, KidSpace Romford, just up the road.

Shopping and food opportunities are also plentiful here. Shopping in Hornchurch involves a mix of off-brand shops, charity shops and boutiques, offering a warm local feel. Foodies can look forward to more than 100 places to eat from high-end restaurants and local pubs to family-run patisseries and independent establishments.

For entertainment, the Queen’s Theatre offers a lively local arts scene, while the Fairkytes Arts Centre puts on an active programme of classes, music, film, open mic nights and exhibitions at the Fry’s Gallery.

Hornchurch also has some state primary and comprehensives schools rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted, such as Sacred Heart of Mary RC and Hall Mead, while higher education schools rated ‘good’ include Havering College and Barking and Dagenham College.

What to expect from the Hornchurch property market

Known as a family area with plenty of staying power, Hornchurch comprises mainly three and four-bedroom semis, as well as a few roads of Victorian houses.

Properties also range from interwar semis to 1960s bungalows, many of which have generously-sized gardens. While period properties are available, they come with a slightly higher price tag.

Hornchurch has some distinct pockets, each offering their own property types. For example, flats are common in central Hornchurch, as are late-Victorian terraces in roads off of Station lane. Emerson Park is one of the most desirable areas, with its streets lined with neo-Georgian/Victorian dwellings and modern mansions featuring large garages and drives.

But most importantly, there are affordable family homes to be found in many other areas such as Elm Grove and Elm Park, which include post-war semis and terraces – most of them with parking spaces, unlike most central London areas.

Currently, the average price for property in Hornchurch stands at around £450,000, with the average price for a terraced house reaching the £375,000 mark, according to Zoopla data. This is significantly less expensive when compared to the London market.

Getting around in Hornchurch

Nestled in the district of Romford, Hornchurch benefits from excellent transport links and its close proximity to London. Hornchurch, Upminster and Elm Park all sit on the District Line in London’s Zone 6 – it takes roughly 40 minutes to get into Tower Hill by tube.

On top of this, trains run from Emerson Park overground station to Romford and Upminster, where you can take a rail service into Liverpool Street or the C2C service into Fenchurch Street.

Buses run from Hornchurch to surrounding towns, including Dagenham, Romford, Brentwood and Ilford. The 248 runs to Romford and Upminster, while the 370 heads to Lakeside shopping centre.

Hornchurch also sits just inside the M25, which is only a 15-minute drive away, making the rest of London easily accessible.

Unsurprisingly, Hornchurch has become a haven for professionals and commuters looking for a suburban but affordable lifestyle. Working parents can also benefit from the area as it is easily commutable into London.

As we can see, Hornchurch is a good choice for prospective buyers, particularly those with children in need of larger properties at affordable prices. Meanwhile, homeowners selling a family home are likely to get good results in this area due to its family appeal.

At Balgores Property Group, we have many branches across Essex and Kent and can help you to get your property sold for the best possible price. To find out more, please get in touch with us at our Hornchurch office.

Additionally, you can see how much your home could be worth on the current market by requesting a free and instant online valuation.