Why is Wiltshire so affordable in comparison to other southern counties?

[Craya]

This may sound very stupid. Dh and I are wanting to move out of Home Counties house. We live in a very unremarkable 60s house which we thought we’d like once done up. But it’s just depressing even though we live in what is a very desirable area (safe, well kept front gardens etc). We are paying way too much each month so looking to make changes.

We need to be in the south and commute into London a couple of times a week (we both are hybrid workers). I can go weeks without going into the office thankfully.

We’ve considered pretty much every southern county (barring Cornwall due to distance). And the only one place it seems we can afford is Wiltshire. Even the towns/Villages which are decently connected via railway.

Does anyone know why this is? Or is just perception we are moving away from a very expensive part of an already expensive area.

It’s decent value for money. Not many places are imo!

We have a large dog so that’s great to hear

I used to love lying in bed at night and listening to the artillery (or whatever it was) - so exciting!

I quite like Warminster and Westbury, DH trying to persuade me to buy a new build in the former.

Having lived in Wiltshire for 7 years it definitely not somewhere I would consider living if I needed to commute. I did it temporarily for 3 weeks and never again. Train service is very unreliable and most of the towns are not great.

Swindon, Chippenham and Pewsey are all commutable to London.

I used to live in Swindon. Went home for a funeral. Brought two glasses of wine after and it cost me a tenner!!! I nearly fell through floor!!! Wiltshire is not that cheap. Property prices in my old home town are absolutely silly

@ArtesianWater , A lot of Wiltshire isn't near Bath. Bath is in Somerset.

Places like Swindon, Chippenham and Trowbridge are cheap but not desirable places to live IMO.

Some of the smaller villages are quite pretty but annoying to commute from.

Generally I think that the expensive property is where the jobs and facilities are. If you can WFH and commute easily on the days you're in the office, it's ideal, my FIL lived in Royal Wootton Bassett and it's lovely around there. Just be sure if you have a young family that the schools are up to scratch.

Marlborough is eye wateringly expensive compared to Swindon up the road (unless youre in old town Swindon). Remember Wiltshire is a bloody big county with huge variations. I used to work there though and loved it.

Jealous much? My husband and I are very happy with our move last year from London to Devizes (on a side note, a very lovely town only let down by lack of a train station). You literally can't get a bank to give you a loan for hundreds of thousands of pounds without proving your work contract allows for you being a hundred miles away from your workplace. If your colleagues were smart enough to secure 100% home working in their contract like my husband was, as you were not, that seems like a you problem.

It’s not in Wiltshire….

Wiltshire is a big place and it doesn't really have one single identity or vibe, like some other counties.

The further you go into Wiltshire the road network is not so good and commuting by rail is only really reliable from Swindon. Schools are a mixed picture, so choose wisely. And the military towns are functional rather than beautiful.

That said there are beautiful pockets of Wiltshire. So do your homework and you could get a great bargain and a lifestyle to match.

Some bits are very dominated by the Army & don't have a particularly nice vibe as a consequence - north of Salisbury up towards the Plain and then over to Andover. But Cranborne Chase is stunning, although it's almost 2 hours from Tisbury to Waterloo - could you cope with that long on the train twice a week?

I don't think there's any decent cities there. Swindon is pretty crap. I knew someone who for some reason had to move briefly to Devizes and they weren't impressed. I think they said even Gloucester was much more exciting!

Tisbury, Marlborough and Bath are fine. Plus some others. Swindon less so. Check transport links.

I live in warminster, very close to frome and very trendy. Beautiful countryside, lakes, can be a bit boring if you don't drive..public transport gets you from a to b and there are direct trains to London sometimes but very close to Westbury which gets you there in just over an hour. Don't know what that other person is chatting, wiltshire doesn't have anymore rain than anywhere else and the summers are amazing..is what you make it right, Swindon is no where near and not under the same umbrella. My parents moved here from London and loved it. Wiltshire is awesome

We enjoyed living in Westbury, decent train station and nice countryside.

We moved back to being coastal though, I really missed the sea!

There's only Salisbury and it's nice.

Go to Bridgwater services and you’ll see why

OP, do you have kids or planning to? The picture changes a bit if you don't have to consider schools/childcare or how bored teenagers may be in a quiet town etc.

If you live near Marlborough on the right side, you can also easily commute from Hungerford. One of the reasons it’s cheaper is prior to the Elizabeth line, it was hard to get to the City. Really easy now and I imagine prices will climb. I grew up in Ramsbury- near Marlborough- and loved it. We’d have moved back if Lizzy line had been there then. Also that area has excellent schools - Ramsbury primary is outstanding and St John’s in Marlborough is Good.

Swindon is ghastly though, Chippenham is nice but it’s very small.

The nicest town in Wiltshire is Marlborough - and it is lovely but there’s no train.

Have you looked around the Chilterns OP?

Ah ok fair enough. I don't really know it. Only my mate moaning that Devizes was shite and I went to Swindon a couple times years back. The train seemed to take ages into London too.

Not sure why it's cheaper than other areas tbh.

@BillieWiper , Swindon to London on the train is OK.
Swindon is a very large town. Bits of it are fine.
Salisbury is a small city but pretty.

Places are 'affordable' because they aren't desirable.
I'd say that public transport and ease/cost of commute is a big factor.