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Since the pandemic, house prices have sky-rocketed in Kent, resulting in high-value property sales all over the county.
From Ramsgate to Romney Marsh, seven-figure sums are changing hands as a fortunate few splash out on the most lavish properties the Garden of England has to offer.
Home cinemas, swimming pools, ocean views and expansive gardens are just some of the fancy features these places come with.
Despite rising bills for food, fuel and services taking a heavy toll on households, estate agents say demand for big family homes remains consistent - particularly from Londoners looking to move to Kent.
So across the county homeowners are choosing to strike while the iron is hot, with many selling their high-value properties for a tidy profit.
Here are the biggest house sales in every Kent town so far this year...
Herne Bay
Spa Esplanade, £1,160,000
Spectacular ocean views are the defining feature of this three-bedroom home, which sold for a higher price than any other home in Herne Bay so far in 2022.
Situated right on the beach, the detached house makes full use of the location, with a sea-facing terrace, bay windows and a glass-panelled balcony off the third bedroom, the perfect spot to watch the sun set on the watery horizon.
Ramsgate
Warre Avenue, £870,000
The most expensive home sold in Ramsgate was in Warre Avenue and went for £870,000. Not far off was another pricey pad on Paragon Street that cost £695,000, up 181% since its last sale price in 2018.
Paragon Street is a quiet lane just behind Ramsgate’s iconic Royal Harbour and a stroll from the many attractions of the picturesque town. The interior design could be described as contemporary, with exposed brick, piping and filament bulbs giving the three-bedroom terraced a distinctly industrial feel.
Bromley
Garden Road, £2,300,000
Up a whopping 311% since it last sold in 2006, this six-bedroom Bromley mansion sold this year for £2,300,000, making it the highest price house sale in the Kent/London town.
What make this house worth all that money? Well, the property comes with a number of features such as an indoor pool, a private gym, a sauna and steam room. Not to mention the spacious back garden, bespoke kitchen and hi-end fixtures throughout the 4,000 sq ft area. No wonder it sold for so much.
Gravesend
Windsor Road, £950,000
This detached house takes the prize for the highest sale price in Gravesend.
It sold this year for a whopping £950,000, up 58% from its last sale in 2013. Walking distance from Mid Kent Golf Club, the property boasts a heated pool, a large games room and five bedrooms.
Broadstairs
North Foreland Avenue, £1,975,000
The most expensive house sold in Broadstairs this year went for £1,975,000 but sadly there is no information available, other than it can be found somewhere in North Foreland Avenue. Another comes in at a strong second…
The modern five-bedroom house in Marine Drive features panoramic sea views and a smart, south-facing garden. The place sold in March for £1,420,000. What else did the buyer get for that? A purpose-built gym and office, a heated pool and a 30ft roof terrace.
Maidstone
Old Tree Lane, £1,200,000
On the edge of Boughton Monchelsea sits a converted oast house which sold earlier this year for an impressive £1,200,000.
Five bedrooms, four reception rooms and a double garage are located on a 0.7 acre plot. Accent stone walls and beamed ceilings contrast with the contemporary design of the open-concept kitchen and large family room, plus a back garden big enough for a proper kick-about.
Malling
Offham Road, £950,000
On an idyllic country lane sits a residence that sold earlier this year for just shy of a million pounds. On the outside a traditional oast house, on the inside a modern and spacious family home - this semi-detached is top of the list for the most expensive Malling house sold this year.
The four-bedroom comes complete with multiple fireplaces and half-moon windows that look out onto a large garden.
Romney Marsh
Mill Late, £585,000
The biggest house sale in Romney Marsh so far this year was for a property in the village of Newchurch.
It includes walk-in pantries and walk-in closets, and if you wander out into the garden you can walk along a dyke that runs besides the four bedroom. It’s a cosy house with lots of natural light, and just five miles from the sandy beaches of Dymchurch.
Ashford
Upper Queens Road, £1,100,000
This 3,000 sq ft four-bedroom house looks out onto flower and vegetable gardens, lawns and a stone-tiled patio area.
Although the Victorian property is believed to date back to 1853, it has been fitted out with all the modern trimmings and offers flexible and spacious living accommodation. A large games room, and bright conservatory are among the highlights found on the 39-acre plot, which is conveniently situated just one mile from Ashford train station.
Birchington
Daryngton Avenue, £930,000
When this property sold back in 1998 it went for just over £100,000. Jump forward to March this year and the detached four-bedroom had rocketed in value to £930,000, that’s an increase of 769%.
Found in a private residential community in Birchington-on-Sea, it’s just a stone’s throw from the ocean. The house features an open floor plan and a large outside area perfect for entertaining, complete with flowers beds, trees, a children’s playhouse and a shady hammock hut.
Canterbury
Polo Field Drive, £1,150,000
It's hardly a surprise that properties on Polo Field Drive go for a pretty penny. This 2019-built four-bedroom sits on a third-of-an-acre plot in the highly exclusive Polo Field development in-between Canterbury and Littlebourne.
The kitchen is fitted with the modern appliances and the master bedroom has an en-suite bathroom and a spacious walk-in closet. Outside, young hedges run around an expansive garden of lawns and flowerbeds.
Tunbridge Wells
Calverley Park, £4,825,000
One of the biggest Kent house sales this year was for a six-bedroom mansion in private Cleverley Park which sold in February for almost £5 million.
In the shade of mature trees, formal gardens surround the Grade ll-listed freehold which has a self-contained studio flat within. The property also features a wine cellar, cinema room and extensive private parking.
Chatham
Hallsfield Road, £750,000
Just a stone’s throw from the busy M2 motorway, this four-bed, four-bath home sold this year for a hefty sum.
Hardwood floors and exposed brick and large windows feature throughout the detached house, with ample parking space at the two-storey property’s front and a modest garden in the rear.
Cranbrook
Three Chimneys Farm £1,525,000
The priciest property sale in Cranbrook this year was for a four-bed on Three Chimneys Farm, which went for just over £1.5 million.
That private estate is so private, information on the residence is hard to come by, but we found out some details about a runner-up on Church Road, Goudhurst.
The four-bedroom Grade ll-listed house sold for £650,000 this spring. Spacious throughout, the semi-detached has sports bay windows, an inglenook fireplace in the dining room and a cottage garden.
Bexleyheath
Arbuthnot Lane, £930,000
Overall, sold prices in Bexleyheath over the last year are 4% up on the previous year.
The biggest sale in the Kent/London town was for a 2,349 sq ft bungalow with five super-king-size bedrooms and three bathrooms.
Among the highlights of the property are an electric car charging point, a wet-room shower and an spacious dining room.
Dover
Crabble Lane, £525,000
Situated in the picturesque village of River, this three-bedroom takes the prize for the most expensive house sold in Dover this year.
With elevated panorama views from several of the four bedrooms and a spacious back garden, the house is situated conveniently near a post office, a pub and Kearnsey railway station. The master bedroom is the best in the house, boasting both a walk-in closet and an en-suite bathroom with a wet-room.
Faversham
Preston Grove, £737,500
Close to both the town centre and the train station, this detached family home sold for more than any other house in Faversham this year.
On the ground level a wood burner in the expansive living room is a highlight. Five bedrooms are found on the building’s first floor, with two featuring en suite bathrooms.
Hythe
Sene Park, £1,500,000
The most high-value house sale in Hythe was for a five-bedroom mansion overlooking a golf course.
A neighbouring house in Sene Park comes in at a close second with a sale price of £1,310,500.
This modern home has a number of stand-out features, such as a heated pool, a billiards room, secluded garden and far-reaching vistas of Hythe. With almost 3,000 sq ft of floorspace, five bedrooms and three bathrooms, the house has plenty of space to accommodate a large family and guests.
Folkstone
Prospect Road, £1,073,655
Since 2016 when the property was last sold, this four-bedroom freehold more than tripled in value to its seven-figure 2022 sale price.
The current owner will be enjoying the house’s ocean views and convenient location in Sandgate, a walking-distance from an eclectic mix of stores, antiques shops, boutiques, pubs and restaurants.
Gillingham
Edwin Road, £800,000
Of all the house sales in Gillingham so far this year, the £800,000 purchase price of this spacious four-bedroom tops the list. Modern interior design can be found throughout the 3,000 sq ft property, with a smart outside patio set before a stretching back garden of grass and wooded areas.
The main bedroom features a walk-in shower and a walk-in wardrobe.
Margate
Pembroke Avenue, £845,000
Ivy creeps across the roof of this 1926 coach house, located in one of Westbrook's most sought after avenues, just yards from the award-winning beach. Large glass doors open the lounge area up to a garden bordered with mature trees and shrubs.
With four bedrooms, two offices, and a separate self-contained cabin, it is hardly surprising that the the sale of this Margate home is the most expensive to date this year. The seaside residence also comes with the bonus of built-in solar panels.
Rochester
The Alps, £1,375,000
Selling for £1,375,000, this Rochester house takes the top spot for the most expensive property sale in the town in 2022.
The modern home boasts six bedrooms and four bathrooms, spread across three floors and almost 6,000 sq ft, as well as a double garage and open-plan kitchen family room where solid oak flooring leads to a glass-screened balcony.
Add in ample outside space and far-reaching views of Medway, and you can see why this property sold for such a high price.
Sandwich
Sarre Place, £535,000
A four-bedroom detached house conveniently located to schools and a wealth of other amenities including a railway station and shops, this is the most expensive house sold in Sandwich so far this year, going for just over half a million pounds.
A generously-sized garden is an added bonus.
Tenterden
Sandy Lane, £965,000
The most expensive house sale in Tenterden was for a cottage in Sandy Lane that went for close to a million pounds, but facts and photos of that place are hard to come by.
A runner up is a three-bedroom on Homewood Road with a sale price of £774,000.
Close to the centre of town, this four-bedroom has large garden and spacious, modern interiors.
Tonbridge
Horns Lodge, £1,650,000
£50,000 separates the top two most expensive 2022 property sales in Tonbridge. Top of the list is a semi-detached on Horns Lodge and trailing just behind is a five-bedroom freehold that sold in May for £1,600,000.
Sitting on a half-acre plot, the house has two en-suites, two private balcony’s and a family bathroom. The large garden is well-suited to entertaining, with plenty of tiled seating area for adults to enjoy alfresco dining, and lawn space for children to run around too. Since the property last sold in 2001, it has gone up in value by a staggering £1,100,050.
Sheerness
Scarborough Drive, £550,000
The most expensive house sale in Sheerness this year was for a place on Scarborough Drive but another close contender is this four-bedroom on Wards Hill Road that went for £525,000.
Beamed ceilings and long curtains give the interior a cosy feel, while the broad open patio offers scenic views of the Kent countryside.
Sevenoaks
South Park, £4,350,000
The top-priced 2022 house in Sevenoaks was a house in South Park, but details about that place are hard to come by.
Coming in a strong third place was this multimillion-pound property in Parkfield.
Less than a mile from Seal village centre, the post-war freehold offers five bedrooms, four reception rooms and a massive garden.
Sittingbourne
Stockers Hill, £1,100,000
The only Sittingbourne house that has sold for seven-figures so far this year is a five-bedroom detached property in Rodersham.
Complete with a swimming pool, gym and a double garage, the home comes in at approximately 4,600 sq ft.
Its position on a elevated plot allows for far-reaching vistas of fields and woods, while its proximity to Sittingbourne High Street and train station make shopping and trips into London a piece of cake.
Whitstable
Radfall Ride, £1,500,00
The highest price price paid for a home in Whitstable so far this year is one-and-a-half million pounds, for a five-bedroom property in Radfall Ride.
Just a few thousand shy of the top spot is this detached house in Queens Road.
It boasts five double bedrooms, a large open-concept kitchen, a double garage and large south-facing garden.
The cherry on top of this place is its location - walking distance to Tankerton Beach, Whitstable train station and dozens of amenities.
Richest have funds to cope with cost-of-living crisis
Charlie Bainbridge, director of Charles Bainbridge estate agents, says record house prices in Kent are a result of natural market dynamics.
"We’ve got a low supply of good quality houses coming to the market while there’s still reasonably consistent demand, both from locals and people moving into the area, especially from London," said Mr Bainbridge.
"Those people recognise the relative value - they can sell their London flat and for the same money buy a nice big family house in Kent.
"Although the cost-of-living crisis is being felt by all, people who are active in the upper sector of the property market probably have the funds to deal with it.
"It’s people who are renting and living in lower market homes that will be feeling the economic pressures most acutely.
"As far as we can predict, the high prices look to be here to stay for the foreseeable future."