Lights, camera, action: the sky’s the limit in this Hertfordshire town for those looking for a family home.
Now it’s upping the ante, as two new sound stages are nearing completion on the site of the former Big Brother house, and Sky Studios Elstree – the world’s most sustainable studios – opens later in the year.
Home buyers are attracted by the schools, convenient location and transport links – the town’s in Zone 6, has fast and frequent trains into London, and is next to the A1 – and of course, there’s always the chance of spotting an A lister.
There are a few streets of Victorian terraces close to the station, but the majority of homes were built after the end of the Secord World War as council housing for bombed-out Londoners. Most of these are now privately owned.
The biggest houses are on the Elstree side, and various apartment schemes have been built in the past few years.
‘You get spacious houses with good garden sizes here, and many buyers are looking for their forever home,’ says Samantha Engel of estate agency Engel Jacobs.
‘It’s a seller’s market and houses often go for over asking price. One-bedroom flats start from about £250,000, and three-bed houses can be anything from £500,000-£800,000.’
What’s new in the area?
Demand for high-quality new family homes is so high that when developer Griggs launched The Grain Yard, a collection of 13 distinctive three-bedroom houses earlier this year, it sold out almost immediately.
And only two four-bed detached houses remain at newly released The Stables, surrounded by open fields on Borehamwood’s north-eastern outskirts.
Each features an open-plan living/dining area, a separate living room, a wide driveway and large garden. Buy from £1.475million.
Woodlands Manor, in Elstree, comprises nine luxurious two and three-bed apartments and is Griggs’ first carbon-free development.
Homes utilise air source heat pumps, solar panels and natural lighting to ensure their impact on the environment is minimised, and three are left, from £950,000.
One two-bed apartment remains at Troy Homes’ Lawn Manor, a scheme of 16 homes resembling an English country mansion. Complete with a patio or terrace, two parking spaces and idyllic views, it’s bliss. Buy from £995,000 via Hamptons.
Meanwhile, Georgian-inspired Eden House, from Heronslea Group, is equally grand and consists of six huge and ultra-luxurious two and three-bed apartments with state-of-the-art technology. Three are left on the market. Buy from £1.85 to £2.1million.
If your budget doesn’t stretch that far, you might be lucky enough to secure the final two-bedroom shared ownership apartment at Franklin Court, in the town centre. From £100,625 for a 25 per cent share of £402,500 from Persona Homes.
Everything potential buyers need to know about Borehamwood
Average house price: £552,676
Average rent: £1,494 pcm
Council tax (Band D): £1,985.98
Commuting time to Zone 1: From 23 mins to St Pancras International
Annual Travelcard (Zone ): £2,812
Amenities: ★★★★✩ Tesco Superstore; Borehamwood Shopping Park; chains and independents in the much-improved high street on Shenley Road include kosher delis, sushi bars, Pumpernick’s bagel bakery and Divan, a Turkish restaurant; Reel cinema; film & TV heritage trail; The Venue leisure centre; The Farm outdoor gym; Jump In trampoline park; Elstree & Borehamwood Museum; Dinosaur Safari Adventure Golf
Open space: ★★★★✩ Meadow Park has sports facilities, a great playground and a new splash zone opening this summer; Aberford Park; Ripon Park; Aycliffe Park; Thirskcliffe Nature Park; Aldenham Country Park is nearby
Schools: ★★★★✩ GCSE and A level grades are above average; most local primaries judged as good; high-performing Yavneh college Crime: Well below average
Who lives there? First time buyers and families; fast-growing Jewish community
Famous faces: Simon Cowell grew up locally
What’s on the property ladder?
£325,000
With a ground-floor kitchen and living room and two double bedrooms and a bathroom above, this duplex maisonette feels just like a house but without the price tag.
Check it out via Purple Bricks.
£525,000
This three-bed semi-detached house has off-street parking a good sized garden, and offers plenty of potential to extend. The station’s in walking distance.
£5million
Once rented by Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor, this thatched mansion includes six bedrooms, six bathrooms, an outdoor pool, gym and games room.
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