Demand for housing in Pudsey reaches all-time high as property developers in Leeds head to the market town

Rising demand for houses in Pudsey is making once unviable locations into attractive development opportunities for investors, according to a local property solicitor.

John Howe, partner at John Howe and Co, has seen an increase in interest from developers looking to build housing in Pudsey, especially high specification houses on plots previously thought too expensive to build on.

“Pudsey’s property market has continued to go from strength-to-strength over the last few years," John said.

"In the last two years particularly, homes have sold very quickly, with properties selling within hours, or not even making it to the listing websites before being snapped up.

“Now we’ve reached a point where this demand is allowing new investment to come into the town and transform sites into fantastic homes.

“As someone who has built a business and life in Pudsey, I am not surprised by the interest the town is generating. For families with parents who are working in Leeds, at home, or even a hybrid model with an office location like London, Pudsey is especially attractive. It has well rated schools, and easy access to key transport networks and the city centre.”

Last year, Pudsey was named as a UK property hotspot after ranking joint fourth with Keighley in a top ten list compiled by Rightmove, following an 11 percent rise in house prices.

This has not gone unnoticed by housebuilders, with a number of locations around the town that have stood empty for many years now attracting developers.

Four and five-bedroom homes at the Southside Ridge development on Pudsey Road, which sold for an average of £606,000 two years ago, are now expected to attract a price tag of £795,000, according to property site Zoopla - more than a 30 percent increase.

New development Ridge Court, also on Pudsey Road, is set to complete the construction phase soon having sat unused for the last two decades.

Property developer CC bought the plot five years ago, re-applying for planning permission to build nine five bedroom homes on the hillside.

Ian Clarke, managing director of CC UK, said: “I’m delighted to be bringing this site into use. It sat as a bit of an eye sore on Pudsey Road for years having just been left overgrown and had rubbish dumped on it. But now, because of the changing demands in the market, we’re able to transform it into some beautiful homes.

“Because of its location and the fact that the plot sits on quite a steep incline, it’s been hard for other developers to find a profitable way to build properties here. But, with house prices in Pudsey doing so well in the last five years, we took another look at it, with a more open mind.

“People spend more time at home now, with hybrid or home working, so we’ve taken this on board and all of the properties have both living and working spaces, the fastest broadband possible and excellent outdoor areas.

“Large, high-quality family houses are very popular at the moment as the Southside Ridge development - just a few hundred metres down the road - has shown. We’re close to completing and haven’t even started marketing them yet but we have people knocking on the site office door to ask how they can put their names down. It’s really attracting a lot of attention.”

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It's this desire for outdoor space and a comfortable home life that is drawing buyers out of more traditionally affluent areas in North Leeds, and into up and coming towns like Pudsey.

This periodic three bed bungalow (pictured) in Calverley has recently been put on the market for £590,000, with huge stretching gardens enveloping the property and a state of the art security system fitted with CCTV.

A gated driveway and a garage are also included in the price, not to mention the recently-built summer house overlooking a water feature to the rear.

With a fully-fitted bespoke kitchen and brilliant transport links to Leeds and Bradford, it's properties like this that are creating a ripple effect of buyers packing up and moving to Pudsey.

“We've seen a big shift in the market," Alex Woodhouse, valuation manager at local estate agents Linley and Simpson, said.

"People from areas which would have previously been considered more affluent, like North Leeds and Horsforth, are looking to Pudsey.

“People moving to Pudsey are going for bigger, more executive-style homes, and those with space where you can work from home have become especially desirable. And for those who work on a hybrid model, or still work in a traditional office setting, Pudsey has the best of both worlds – great countryside and views, but still easy to commute to the city and transport hubs.”