Buyers are already on board with homes near Elizabeth line stations

This week is a pretty big one for Londoners’ diaries. Almost exactly ten years since work commenced on the Elizabeth line, trains will start running from Paddington in the west, to Abbey Wood in the east. The remainder of the line, which is set to open later in the year, will run as far as Reading.

And while the line isn’t fully operational just yet, it’s safe to say the ‘Crossrail-effect’ has been attracting home-hunters to areas along the route long before the first trains departed.

These ultra-modern trains, decked out in a regal grey and purple colour scheme, are a big draw for those looking for a smooth commute from some of London’s outlying areas. Many areas with Crossrail stations now have high-speed connections to central London commuter hubs like Paddington, and Liverpool Street.

Our property expert, Tim Bannister, says transport links, especially new routes, are hugely important to home-hunters.

“Our unique view of the whole housing market over the last 10 years shows how many areas near Elizabeth line stations are now better connected, or have seen their journey times into central London significantly slashed, which means they’ve received a lot of new attention from home-buyers.”

So we’ve taken a look at how buyer demand has increased in some of these areas over the last decade, when the plan for the new route was first announced.

No trains yet, but demand is already soaring

Even without the line being open, the long-term plans were enough to draw some home-movers to homes in west London near future Elizabeth line stations. Out of all the stops along the route, we found that Twyford showed the biggest increase in buyer demand over the last 10 years.

Search for Twyford homes and you’ll spot a mix of modern family homes found on pretty enclaves, as well as sensitively restored Victorian properties.

And the story at the other end of the line is no different. Romford, at the eastern end of the line, has seen a huge boost from a contemporary station rebuild, with buyer demand growth of 234% since 2012.

Period semi-detached homes and bright, modern apartments are just some of homes you can find in Romford, Essex.

And with the remainder of the line scheduled to open in the latter half of 2022, further spotlight on Crossrail may mean we see even more interest in these areas from home-buyers towards the end of the year.

Tim says: “Many home-movers may be waiting for the line to be fully operational to see how their commutes are affected, which may mean there is another surge of interest in some of these areas later this year, which will be good news for would-be sellers in these areas.”

READ MORE: How has the housing market changed in 2022?