In the latest installment of our Meet Our Experts series, we chat with Stephen Christie-Miller from the Henley-On-Thames office to discuss the market in Henley and the Chilterns is attracting a new type of buyer.
With a career spanning 40 years, well over half of which has been within Henley and the Chilterns, Stephen Christie-Miller has a peerless knowledge of the local country house market.
For Stephen, the Chilterns is home. He spent his childhood here and though he strayed away for a short while (just shy of a decade) he returned in 2004 and stayed solidly put. It’s not hard to see why.
“There’s so much going for it,” says Stephen. “Great connections; beautiful market towns with independent shops and cafes; and gloriously unspoilt countryside, thanks to the careful stewardship of local estate owners.”
Putting down roots has helped Stephen to become a trusted resource when it comes to the local property market. After so many years, he knows the area and its houses, some of which he’s sold multiple times, extremely well.
“The longer you stay put, the more you get to know what people want; it’s like assembling a jigsaw and makes my job endlessly fascinating,” says Stephen.
More recently, it seems a new type of buyer has cottoned on to the area’s charm. While at least half of these buyers are coming from London, there are others already living deep in the countryside who have decided that Henley and the Chilterns offers a better commute, and a better way of life.
“Many buyers are people who’ve decided these hills and valleys easily rival those found in further reaches of the countryside and two hours on the motorway is just too long,” says Stephen. “This area offers the best of both worlds – the rolling countryside and the buzz of the town. I feel lucky to call it home.”
To find out more about the market in Henley and the Chilterns, watch Stephen’s video update below.
See some of the properties Stephen currently has on the market here: