Outdoor Baths, Americans Are Driving Cotswolds Property Trends
Agents say the most desirable towns in the English countryside are also in flux as wealthy buyers set their sights beyond the socialite scene.
Stanton Court in the Cotswolds.
Photographer: United Kingdom Sotheby’s International RealtyIts July in the Cotswolds, the roses are blooming outside honey-stoned houses, and hotels and trendy pubs like the Bull in Charlbury are jammed-full of both locals and tourists journeying into England’s most famous countryside area. On a Friday, I hopped on an early train from London’s Paddington station to the small Cotswolds village of Kingham to meet with top agents and designers—one who had just finished breakfast with a North American buyer looking to relocate.
The blooms also mark the prime time to sell homes—agents say sellers often won’t let buyers visit until everything is in season and the sun is shining. And according to Harry Gladwin, head of the Cotswolds for the Buying Solution, the market for £10–£20 million ($13.6–$27 million) houses is busier than ever.