7 Reasons to Live in Milton Keynes
Are you hoping to live in Milton Keynes?
If you live in Milton Keynes, locals are offered a tremendous location with consistent economic growth and great transport links to some of the biggest cities in England, including London and Birmingham.
This area of Buckinghamshire has seen a big increase in popularity in recent years, partly due to its read economy!
When you live in Milton Keynes you will be provided with fantastic commuter links across the whole of the UK.
Moving to a new area is never straightforward.
Before you start planning your move, it is essential to gather as much information about the region as you can.
If you are thinking of living in Milton Keynes, this is the perfect article for you!
We hope to provide you with some excellent insight for those wanting to live in Milton Keynes.
Exploring everything from house prices to the best schools in the Milton Keynes area, we hope to produce a thorough guide for those wanting to live in Milton Keynes.
If you are considering living in the area, here are 7 reasons to live in Milton Keynes!
Table of Contents
House Prices
In recent years homes in the town have seen a huge increase in value of over 35%.
Today the average cost to buy a home in Milton Keynes is £329,751.
Whilst this is certainly on the high side, it is significantly cheaper to live here than other areas of Buckinghamshire, including High Wycombe and Amersham.
The average cost of purchasing a property in these areas far exceeds £400,000.
With the increased interest in the area, there has also been continual growth in the number of new homes being built, Milton Keynes now offers those seeking a brand-new home a variety of locations.
Some of the most recent of these developments are located Wavendon, Campbell Park, Oxley Park and Brooklands.
The benefit of purchasing a new build property is that many developers offer first-time buyers “help to buy” schemes.
These incentives give buyers the chance to own a home that normally would have been out of their budget.
As a price guide for the Milton Keynes area, you can expect to pay an average of £501,886 for a detached property, £289,311 for a semi, £238,725 for a terraced home and £175,178 for a flat.
Renting in Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes enjoys a very buoyant rental market and receives healthy levels of demand.
According to research by VeriSmart the town is one of the top ten most in-demand locations for rental property in the UK and even outstrips London in this regard.
Many people are choosing to ride the property market storm we are currently experiencing by cashing in and selling their properties at today’s high prices and opting to rent for a period of time until things settle a little.
There are 225 homes vacant in Milton Keynes with three quarters of these being one- and two-bedroom dwellings.
What on average, do you need to budget for each month if you decide to lease a home in Milton Keynes:
- 1 Bedroom flat – £651
- 2 Bedroom property – £950
- 3 Bedroom house – £1132
- 4 bedrooms from £1771
Renters, especially first-time renters, need to do some thorough research well ahead of signing a lease to avoid any unnecessary financial hiccups.
For some really practical advice and tips, just visit the Citizens Advice online service:
- citizensadvice.org.uk/housing/renting-privately/private-renting/finding-a-home-to-rent/
Cost of Living in Milton Keynes
The cost of living continues to rise right across the UK.
The obvious fact is that by living in any of the UK’s cities, particularly London, you are going to encounter much higher prices for day to day living but especially so when it comes to property.
Life in a smaller location definitely impacts positively on your outgoings, this is precisely why towns such as Milton Keynes, which sit within a comfortable commute of the capital, have seen a massive influx of Londoners taking refuge to escape its high prices.
That said, no one is able to totally escape the rising cost of living even in Milton Keynes so a good hard look at how you spend your hard-earned money is beneficial in so many ways.
If you want to achieve your financial goals as fast as possible, one of the best things you can do is reduce your expenditure, a sort of financial diet…
So how can you achieve this in Milton Keynes?
Here are just a few ways to reduce your costs:
- Stop dining out. Instead, take time to sit and prepare a weekly menu, incorporating a special treat once a week. Milton Keynes has an Aldi and three Lidl stores; you will be surprised at how far your money stretches using these budget-friendly stores.
- Double-check the many price comparison websites out there to see if you can save on your monthly utility bills, mobile phone contract and even your mortgage!
- When you do have to spend, consider cashback apps. TopCashBack, is one of the most well-known ones. TopCashBack requires little effort to set up and you can save immediately.
- Milton Keynes has its own produce market. The trading hours are 9 am to 5 pm on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It is a great place to purchase fresh vegetables, fruit, and other consumables at low prices.
- For even more savings, consider overhauling your entertainment expenditure. Milton Keynes has a host of “free” things to do, and Travelodge has compiled a list of 30.
Working in clever ways to reduce your cost of living is a worthy financial pursuit – the harder you work, the more impressive your results will be.
Transport Links
Its exemplary transport links is one of the main reasons Milton Keynes has become such a popular choice for buyers.
Located alongside the busy M1 and A5 means that nowhere is too far away by car.
You can be in London via Milton Keynes Central station (in 30 minutes).
If you live outside of the centre there is a good choice of other stations nearby; Wolverton, Bletchley, Fenny Stratford, Bow Brickhill and Woburn Sands all have regular services to many large towns in the region.
Many long-distance coaches stop at the Milton Keynes Coach Station.
This method of getting around is sometimes a cheaper way to travel longer distances, however it does take a little longer.
Becoming an increasingly popular mode of transport, is the NCN, National Cycle Network. Milton Keynes is served by routes 6 and 51 of the NCN.
The nearest international airport is London Luton (26 miles) and is easily reached by car, rail, or coach.
Cranfield Airport, an airfield, is 8 miles (13 km) away is now used for business aviation, private flights, and for research and development activities.
Best Restaurants
With over 350 restaurants on offer, Milton Keynes is the place to be for lovers of gastronomy of all kinds.
From take away to silver service, the towns varied menus ensure that both visitors and locals always have something tasty to enjoy.
Everyone has a budget to work with whether you are able to splash the cash on fine dining or have more limited funds you can still find something to suit you, here are some ideas:
Cheap Eats
- Camphill Restaurant – camphillmk.co
- The hungry Horse – hungryhorse.co.uk/pubs/buckinghamshire/furzton-lake/
- Wetherspoon – www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/all-pubs/england/buckinghamshire/wetherspoons-milton-keynes
Mid-Range
- The Whisk Kitchen & Bar – thewhisk.co.uk
- Ask Italian – askitalian.co.uk
- Nandos – nandos.co.uk/restaurants/milton-keynes-centre
Expensive
- Brasserie Blanc – brasserieblanc.com/restaurants/milton-keynes
- Woburn Brasserie – www.woburnbrasserie.co.uk
- Browns Restaurant – www.browns-restaurants.co.uk/restaurants/southeast/milton-keynes/
Schools
If you are want to live in Milton Keynes with a young family, schooling will be a big consideration.
Luckily, those who live in Milton Keynes are offered ample choice in this department.
The town is home to over 45,000 school-age children!
Living in Milton Keynes means these students have access to over 110 schools.
30 schools in the area are Ofsted rated ‘Outstanding’ schools, with a further 66 seen as ‘Good’.
As well as a great variety of state-funded schools, there are also numerous grammar schools and a few highly regarded independent schools.
Further education is supplied by Milton Keynes College, offering courses up to foundation degree level.
Higher education choices include the distance learning institution Open University, which has its headquarters three miles from the town centre.
Whilst the University Campus Milton Keynes, a campus of the University of Bedfordshire, provides some education facilities locally.
Milton Keynes is one of the UK’s largest areas without its own conventional university, but this is being tackled.
The local Council and its partner, Cranfield University, invited proposals in 2019 to design a campus near the Central station for a new university, code-named MK:U.
Things to do
No matter how old you are, we all desire access to a host of fun and interesting things to do with our downtime.
When you live in Milton Keynes there are plenty of fun things to do.
Thrift Farm is one such location.
This attraction is a 52 acre farm and a Rural Training Centre.
Thrift Farm is a really working environment that provides n excellent educational base for children and Adults with Learning Difficulties.
They offer a fantastic selection of farm animals including: breeding cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, pony, donkeys, chickens, ducks, geese, rhea and turkeys.
Thrift Farm is an excellent day out for the family.
The location provides lots to see, learn and do!
Another great activity in Milton Keynes is Snozone Ski Slopes!
The UK’s leading and largest snow centre for indoor skiing and snowboarding!
The real snow at the centre means learning has never been easier.
Snozone’s centre, situated in Milton Keynes, offers skiers and snowboarders an authentic experience from the comfort of Buckinghamshire.
Regardless of if it’s your first time on the slopes or you’re a seasoned veteran, Snozone has a host of indoor activities to suit all!
When you live in Milton Keynes, you have plenty of fun things to do!
Ready to Start Living in Milton Keynes?
Do you want to live in Milton Keynes?
Whether you want to make the most of the commuter links, the choice of good schools or the great range of restaurants, Milton Keynes is sure to appeal.
With a range of outstanding properties available in the area, there is surely a home for you when you live in Milton Keynes!
GoodMove make home moving to Milton Keynes an easy and stress-free process.
We take great joy in ensuring everything runs smoothly and flawlessly, helping you to settle into your new home right away.
As well as our competitively priced removals package, we can also offer extra services such as temporary or long-term storage facilities should you need them.
GoodMove cover all areas of Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex and our friendly estimators can call round at a convenient time for you and strategically plan your move to perfection.
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To find out more about how we could get your dream move to Milton Keynes or any other location underway do not hesitate to call us on the number listed above.
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