The pandemic has made a lot of us reevaluate our priorities.  Many of us have worked at home and anticipate continuing to do so even after life returns to pre-Covid normality, even if only for part of the week.  This has opened up the prospect of living further away from the cities, to more rural locations where property prices often offer better value for money.

Consequently, the housing market has boomed in rural and coastal parts of the country.  Cornwall is one of the most searched-for areas on Rightmove, with Devon and Dorset not far behind.

Poole in Dorset is much sought after, but aside from the milder climate of the south coast, why should you choose to move here?
 

1. The location

Poole is a beautiful town, with the second largest harbour in the world; as well as offering plenty of waterside cafes and restaurants from where to admire the view, water enthusiasts can indulge in windsurfing, paddle boarding and wakeboarding to their hearts’ content.  You can also take a short boat ride to Brownsea Island, home to rare red squirrels, or hop on the ferry across to France.
  
Close to the harbour is Poole Park, with over 100 acres of green space and a saltwater lake to enjoy.  Poole is also within easy distance of the Jurassic Coast (which ends at nearby Studland Bay), the Dorset and Cranborne Chase Areas of Natural Beauty, and the New Forest National Park, not to mention several Blue Flag beaches.  

All this scenery and natural beauty is why so many people choose to settle here even if they work in London - you can commute from Poole to central London in a little over 2 hours.

In post-Covid times, if you only have to go to the office a couple of times a week, the quality of life and lower house prices in Poole might persuade you that a slightly longer commuting time twice a week is worth it!
 

2. House prices that offer value for money

If you’re accustomed to London prices, moving to Poole will be a welcome change.  Prices have risen considerably over the last year as demand has driven them upwards, but according to Rightmove you can still buy a detached property for around £600,000, a semi-detached for £313,000 and a flat for around £371,000.
 

3. Excellent schools and universities 

Poole has an abundance of outstanding schools at primary and secondary levels.  This, plus the local environment, makes Poole a really popular place for families to settle.  It’s also a popular choice for students, who come to the area to study at Bournemouth University, Arts University Bournemouth or Bournemouth and Poole College.  The town strikes a nice balance between its student and local resident populations so although there’s plenty for students to do in term time, it’s far from deserted during the holidays.

If you decide to move to Poole and need somewhere safer to store your belongings while you settle in, we have a storage facility located on Ringwood Road, not far from the town centre.  We’re also close to Bournemouth University’s Talbot Campus, handy if you need to store student belongings over the holidays.