Why is property cheaper in Hastings?

[nancy]

Used to live in Hastings as a child, now live Australia. Surprised that this is one of few areas UK, especially SE England, with reasonable property prices. I know there's litle permanent local work and expensive/ time consuming to commute to London ( would need good wage!). However there are many places UK, lot further from London also no jobs, yet property costs more.

Is there a reason for this (nuclear reactor or serious social problems??!!). Hastings has many parks,close to nice countryside, steeped in history. There were always social problems when I lived there but many places UK have same problem and are dangerous AND dull.

I hope it stays reasonable to buy, just curious as to why the price difference. They didnt appear to be leasehold properties either.
Does HESSA (Hastings and E.Sussex Swimming Assoc still exist? heated salt water indoor baths, it was great !)

[bernie]

Hi Nancy

property is cheaper as the train and road links are not good_ _ _especially to London.
There are a lot of social problems and high unemployment and because of above it is isolated.

I am moving there very soon, aside from above it is a beautiful place which recently had a lot of improvement and it is ongoing, property prices reflect this as they have increased dramatically in the last 5 years.

Some people believe it is heading like Brighton, I hope it doesnt get that hectic as Hastings has a magic of its own.

Bernie

[elle]

I lived in the Old Town for a while - my husband was car commuting to Kent everyday up the A21. It was a long journey and the final straw which led to us moving back to London was when he had a car crash. It's just as well we moved as the company he worked for eventually went bust and he couldn't have found similar work around Hastings. It's a shame as the area has so much character but it really feels quite cut off. I think that's part of its charm but not very practical if you have the kind of job where you need to commute. Brighton is better connected by car and road to London, it is probably also more bustling because of the presence of two universities which means when the daytrippers go there less in autumn the students are turning up.

[Rob]

if h.b.c. got off there backsides and cleaned up the town. we would entice more people to come and live in this town hence property would increase in value.

[jaydee]

[quoted]
At 10:31:51 AM 03/08/05, nancy wrote:
Used to live in Hastings as a child, now live Australia. Surprised that this is one of few areas UK, especially SE England, with reasonable property prices. I know there's litle permanent local work and expensive/ time consuming to commute to London ( would need good wage!). However there are many places UK, lot further from London also no jobs, yet property costs more.

Is there a reason for this (nuclear reactor or serious social problems??!!). Hastings has many parks,close to nice countryside, steeped in history. There were always social problems when I lived there but many places UK have same problem and are dangerous AND dull.

I hope it stays reasonable to buy, just curious as to why the price difference. They didnt appear to be leasehold properties either.
Does HESSA (Hastings and E.Sussex Swimming Assoc still exist? heated salt water indoor baths, it was great !)

[/quoted]

coz its falling ta bits.

[Michael mciver]

Property is cheaper in Hastings but not for much longer as hastings has been picked as one of the "in"places to buy property.As an old Hastonian I can agree with many comments here but it does seem that the council is trying to remove some of the old prejudices.The poor communications often mentioned are down to the elected members of parliament of ALL parties who,every time an election comes along promise better communications but as usual NOTHING HAPPENS.

[gary]

Currently Hastings is a cheap place to live as per comments above (mainly road links) But if you're looking to invest in property then I'm sure you've read in the media that this is one on a dozen towns on the up!
Anyone who hasn't visited for the last 10 years wouldn't recognise the town.
I live here and love it and have put my money where my mouth is.

[chapel park road]

was a student at hasting college of art and technology, a part from anti social behaviour on some and a high rate of unemployed people, I found hasting is a pleasant place to live, specially that is a sea side town. brilliant, I would recomend anyone with a career or a professinal job to go there. property are chaper because of transport link problem. hasting college has improved my english level. thanks hasting people.