New Forest Property Market and Real Estate Guide

(New Forest, Hampshire, England, UK)

The ancient New Forest, located in south-west Hampshire and south-east Wiltshire, began as a royal hunting reserve almost 1,000 years ago and is now one of England's finest national parks. Bounded by Bournemouth and Christchurch to the west, and Southampton to the east, it has almost 48 km / 30 miles of stunning coastline and tidal estuaries.

Villages and small towns are scattered through the New Forest, which interestingly is still mostly owned by the Crown and is administered by the Forestry Commission. Commoner rights are still granted to home owners, allowing them to graze their cattle or pigs in the forest.


Incomers to the New Forest are mainly the very wealthy who work in London during the week, use their New Forest home as a weekend retreat, and can afford the extremely high prices being achieved for homes in the area. Whether a property is in one of the idyllic villages or deep in the forest itself, and whatever its size and condition, premium prices are the order of the day.

Renting Serviced Apartments

Serviced apartments are thin on the ground in the New Forest's villages and small towns, such as Beaulieu, Bransgore, Brockenhurst, Burley, Fordingbridge, Lymington, Lyndhurst and Ringwood. However, rental prices for long-term let apartments are quite reasonable in comparison with house prices. Most rental apartments, however, are aimed at short-stay tourist lets.

Several companies in nearby Southampton offer serviced apartments, with prices showing a considerable saving over comparable hotels. Strict booking conditions and deposits are the norm.

Buying Apartments and Houses

A small two or three-bedroom house or apartment within the New Forest will cost more than twice as much as a similar home in most middle-range London suburbs. For larger period or more modern properties with land, often referred to by estate agents as 'country estates', the sky's the limit.

When buying a home in the New Forest, extensive enquiries about restrictions and permitted development rights for minor alterations should be made. If a property is a 'listed building' or in a conservation area, planning permission for even minor changes may not be given. Monitoring of the condition of listed buildings takes place on a regular basis.

For apartments and flats, there are no permitted development rights, meaning that even minor alterations must be cleared with the national park's planning authorities. New Forest property can be purchased by foreigners, but non-EU citizens can expect to foot a 25 percent deposit.

Real Estate Agents

Many upscale, exclusive estate agencies in Hampshire have offices dealing with New Forest properties. In addition, several independent property consultants offer specific property search services to the seriously rich.

Check out the following New Forest real estate agents:

Knight Frank
Address: 14 / 15 Jewry Street, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 8RZ, England, UK
Tel: +44 01962 850 333
Website: www.knightfrank.co.uk
A London-based international agency dealing in prestige property.

Stratford and Stratford
Address: 59 High Street, Lyndhurst, Hampshire, SO43 7BE, England, UK
Tel: +44 023 8028 3828
Email: enquiries@stratfordandstratford.co.uk
Website: www.stratfordandstratford.co.uk
Independent specialists in the New Forest area, offering a comprehensive portfolio.

Pococks
Address: 5 Marchwood Village Centre, Marchwood, Southampton, Hampshire, SO40 4SF, England, UK
Tel: +44 023 8086 0555
Email: enquiries@pococks.co.uk
Website: www.pococks.co.uk
This long-established agency deals with properties in and around the New Forest.