Lowater in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, scooped the best out-of-London home award (Lorenzo Zandri)
The pandemic has liberated many Londoners from the nine to five and changed the rules on commuting forever.
Pre-Covid, most people considering a move from the capital would not countenance a commute of more than 60 minutes. WFH and hybrid working have untethered them from the magic hour.
The Evening Standard New Homes Awards honours both the best properties in the capital, and the best within its orbit, taking in flexible family houses, historic conversions, dream country escapes, and homes for first-time buyers.
These are our 2023 winners.
Lanthorne Place in Broadstairs, Kent, won a family home gong in the up to £750,000 category (Handout)
Family matters
Children are one of the biggest drivers of big lifestyle changes, and many Londoners decide to get out of town once they have kids. They hope for a more laid-back and wholesome way of life (and more bang for their property buck).
Great family homes need to be cleverly designed to offer the kind of free-flowing, open-plan areas families love, but with room for home offices, and — of course — outside space. Our judges’ pick of family homes priced up to £750,000 tick these boxes, and many more.
For buyers who yearn to live by the seaside, The Ashton at Lanthorne Place in Broadstairs, Kent (millwooddesignerhomes.co.uk) could be a great choice. Within easy reach of the beach and highly rated schools, our judges were impressed by the user-friendly layouts and good gardens of the properties at the development. Prices for a three-bedroom mid-terrace home start at £395,000.
The Starling at Broadacres in Southwater won a best family home award (Handout)
If you’d prefer to be a little closer to London, the village of Southwater is less than 40 miles south of the capital, and three-and-a-half miles from Horsham. Our other best