The Butterfly Effect; ‘small causes can have larger effects’ is in fairness more often applied to science and weather than the property market yet it is interesting how a simple seemingly unrelated change can have an effect.
West Sussex, as all counties, has its traffic congestion hot points and the Chichester bypass is notorious, particularly in the summer, with all the traffic pouring to the Witterings and neighbouring coastline. With the rise of ‘staycation’ the Witterings have become increasingly popular during the school holidays, often causing traffic to come to a standstill. Now a new bypass is in planning and although at an estimated cost of £250 million, relieving the congestion with a bypass would open up a string of villages. There are many road improvement schemes underway continually opening hard to reach pockets of the rural South, and as car travel is still the key driver of economic growth in many areas, property values rise.
The second homes market would also benefit from the alleviating of the traffic misery on the route from London to the South Coast, as the sailing enthusiasts battle their way down to all the popular coastal villages and marinas.
So the rise in the popularity of staycation along with easing the traffic routes to make these delightful rural and coastal spots more appealing is positive for the property market; for us a positive Butterfly Effect.
Marishelle Gibson