The semi-detached house (aka semi or semi-D) is the most common house type in the UK. They account for 32% of the English housing stock while in Glastonbury they account for 28% of the housing stock.

Semis have their roots in the turn of the 18th century when landowners chose a “picturesque” style as they built double cottages as a means of reducing cost. In the 19th century industrialisation, semis provided housing for the middle class junior managers as a compromise between detached housing for the elite and terraced housing for the workers. Semi-detached houses were built in their hundreds of thousands by the Victorians and Edwardians between the wars and through to the present day.

Ten years ago, the average price paid for a semi-detached property in Glastonbury was £182,499 but over the last 12 months it was £225,746

Here in Glastonbury semis have enjoyed 23% growth in price in the last ten years: better than terraced houses at 21% and flats at just 14% but not quite a match for detached houses at 33%

The 1131 semis in Glastonbury provide a mix of older classic bay fronted semis to more modern ones built in the last couple of decades. Especially with the older ones, the semi offered a hall to provided separation between the reception rooms and privacy for their occupants. Also, the downstairs offered larger rooms to accommodate dining tables, whilst upstairs, bedrooms were smaller, yet cosy.

The attraction of semis is that they are cheaper than detached houses but have most of the same benefits for families. Probably the most overlooked aspect of popularity for semis is the garden. The front garden, designed to separate the house from the world, and the back garden designed for private relaxation. It is perhaps for these reasons that 44 semi-detached houses have been sold in Glastonbury in the last twelve months (compare this to 106 detached houses). Still as popular today as they were with the Victorians all those years ago – some things just stand the test of time!

Rental Yield

Whilst the growth in the price paid for semis provides the icing on the cake for investors, what of the rental yield? The average asking rent for a Glastonbury semi in the last 6 months was £775 per calendar month giving a gross yield of just over 4%

If you are thinking of buying a semi in Glastonbury, e-mail a link with the details to glastonbury@jungleproperty.co.uk and we will send you a rental value assessment together with a Best Price Guide.

About Tom Morgan

Founder of Jungle Property the multi award-winning letting agent based in Glastonbury, Somerset. I am passionate about property and Glastonbury and about providing the very best advice to anyone who wants the best return on a buy-to-let property investment. For an open and brutally honest opinion on anything in the Glastonbury property market please contact me via tom.morgan@jungleproperty.co.uk