Anyone know about houses/bungalows and locations in Whitstable area?

[humboldt]

Currently Rightmove browsing for holiday home/eventual retirement home for parents in early 60s. Both like Whitstable and have been visiting for years but centre of town is pricey, sometimes noisey and short on bungalows.

Budget is probably maximum £170k - ish and they're looking for the holy grail of near shops & supermarket, doctors, library, good transport and access to seafront on foot.

Father is in good health and doesn't mind doing a bit of work as long as the place is habitable. They both like gardening and would be keen to keep that up. They won't be super flush on retirement so would probably be happy to give up driving if they could.

We'd use it generally as a weekend and holiday home until they move down permanently in a couple of years.

I've identified Swalecliffe and parts of Tankerton as possibilities. They're not too keen on Herne Bay which unfortunately rules out a rich seam of affordable housing. These three places seem interesting at the moment - it's surprising how little there is available - and yet it's a good surprise that they would have some choice at their budget.

1. www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-23138184.html

1. www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-40540820.html

1. www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-40466360.html

If anyone knows these areas or has any tips/advice on buying with retirement in mind - opinions would be great - especially any pitfalls that you've encountered.

Anyone have any thoughts on these houses? pleeeeeese!

Thanks PolterGoose - I agree - I really like Birchington and Westgate. Unfortuntely, it's not my money and I think it's a decision they've been making they're whole lives. They liked Whitstable long before it became trendy and I just can't see them switching now even though it's not what it once was. I think they've just grown very close to it.

their whole lives

I like the third one in Tankerton.
We used to go to Tankerton regulary when our three kids were young. We used to have lunch in the cafe on the green and the kids used to love rolling down the grass towards the beach!
I hope your parents have a great retirement!

what about:

www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/20590666?search_identifier=256ab948136876a389a8eb868bcf9491

www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/17595098?search_identifier=256ab948136876a389a8eb868bcf9491

www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/18560418?search_identifier=256ab948136876a389a8eb868bcf9491

www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/26414664?search_identifier=256ab948136876a389a8eb868bcf9491

have they considered a ground floor flat? they are more likely to be in the better areas and cheaper

Out of the three in your OP I'd say the first location is the better - swalecliffe is horrible, sorry, and has far fewer facilities than whitstable - it's just not the same and is quite a long way out from Whits as well.

Tankerton is Ok in parts, but the nearer to Whitstable itself the better - library is right up the canterbury end of whitstable, ie opposite end - so the walk there would take at least half an hour, at a pace. Tankerton is near to leisure centre and doctors though.
Herne bay is unfortunately also one to avoid, they're right - the houses are great but the atmosphere is GRIM. I lived there once because it was cheap - what can be so bad about it, I thought. I lasted two months.

Will look at FG's links now.

Tankerton better and quieter imho. Central Whitstable is a right nightmare in summer.

Ooh those are far better in location terms - my folks live in Grimthorpe!! It's up a tall hill though, and they cycle and walk everywhere generally but something to bear in mind, that hill is quite a big one

I was just thinking, Seasalter is better than Tankerton imo. (also just to point out the amount of dog poo on the slopes...I wouldn't let my children roll down them!!)

Ah Rooney I nearly moved to HB! There was a stunning massive house there but didn't buy in the end. There was a sort of end-of-life atmosphere in HB I felt (and not a good end :D)

exactly...'come, come, nuclear bombs...'

but super houses

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-39858983.html
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-35712298.html

I would want to be central so maybe gf flats worth a look?

Thanks all. Flats are a definite No No. It would have to be ground floor for any long term consideration and I wouldn't want them to have to tolerate potential disturbances from an upstairs neighbour or leasehold maintenance issues as they get older. This will probably be a last house purchase - so bungalows only.

Whitstable is fine for younger people but it doesn't actually have enough shops or a large enough supermarket to enable pensioners (or anyone else on a fixed income) to live a complete life so they need to be near a bigger shop.

They're not Dulwich urbanites or retiring hipsters - just orrinary working class people who like being by the sea.

Swalecliffe and some areas of Tankerton are within easy walking of a big Sainsburys - Whitstable just isn't unless you drive which they won't want to do forever and would prefer to give up sooner rather than later.

Seasalter, lovely as it is, has zero facilities and is just too far out on a limb.

Swalecliffe has a better library than Whitstable - check it out! It's a good un!

Any property inland of the railway line is usually not walking distance of the seafront - just because of the nature of the local geography.

I'm really confused now - why are you asking us if you know the area so well?

I think central whitstable is actually quiet suitable for old people. It does have a co op for food, but it also still has a bakery/ green grocers/ butchers/ fresh fish at harbour/ cheese shop etc so a large supermarket isn't really needed. Buses run frequent enough to Herne bay and Canterbury if no car, or trains fine for further afield.

I would down to whitstable and make an appointment with an estate agents. They can then go through all requirements and they will inform you what's available or when something comes up ( sounds like its not a major rush to buy ASAP)

Rooneyisalwaysmoaning - no need to be confused.

I do know the areas well because I've been on loads of childhood holidays there BUT I've never bought a house there and I've never lived in a retirement area and I've never retired myself and have only limited knowledge of what all of that involves. I do have access to zoopla and google like everybody else and I'm looking for that 'extra' bit of insight you sometimes get from asking real people who've done this thing themselves

Well I've never done any of those things, really, either - so I can't help much. Good luck!