Downsizing in Havant: What You Would Actually Release
Selling at the £330,000 Havant average and buying at £231,000 releases about £89,230 after costs. Fees, stamp duty and moving take roughly £9,770 of it.
The introduction costs you nothing. If you go ahead, we may be paid a fee by the firm we introduce you to. There is no obligation.
Selling at the £330,000 Havant average and buying at £231,000 releases about £89,230 after costs. Fees, stamp duty and moving take roughly £9,770 of it.
What a Havant move actually releases
Start with the gap. Selling at £330,000 and buying at 70% of that, £231,000, leaves £99,000 before costs. Costs are the part people underestimate.
Agent fees at 1.5% are £4,950. Stamp duty on the purchase is £2,120. Total £9,770, leaving £89,230 in hand.
Moving within Hampshire rather than out of it keeps you near family and known services. The average price across the county towns we cover is £535,916, against £330,000 here.
Where the sale proceeds go
The commercial page for this town sets out the introduction itself: Equity release in Havant.
Moving or borrowing, compared honestly
A lifetime mortgage at 65 on the same property would release about £112,200. Downsizing nets £89,230. The difference is that downsizing costs you the house, and equity release costs you the estate.
Over twenty years that £112,200 release grows to roughly £395,353. The downsizing figure does not grow at all, because there is no debt.
The parts of downsizing that are not financial
Council tax follows the property, not the person. Band D in Havant is £2,320, and a smaller home may sit in a lower band. Check the band before you offer, not after.
Downsizing works best when you are not in a hurry.
What a move within Havant looks like
The schools families ask about here are Sharps Copse Primary and Nursery School, Bidbury Junior School, Havant Academy, Havant & South Downs College (HSDC) and Independent options (Portsmouth & Chichester). 3 local schools were rated Good or Outstanding overall at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection. Ratings age between inspections, so read the latest report before you rely on one.
On getting about: Havant to London Waterloo takes about 1hr 30 by direct train.
By price, Havant ranks 172 of the 178 Hampshire locations we cover, at £330,000 against a county average of £535,916. Band D council tax here is £2,320, against an average of £2,319 across the towns we cover in the county.
Is Havant right to stay in?
Havant is a historic market town in south-east Hampshire, between Portsmouth & Chichester, at the top of Langstone Harbour.
The full local guide covers schools, transport and the market in detail: Havant property and area guide.
- A well-connected junction station
- Direct trains to London & the coast
- Fast A3(M)/A27 roads
- Real history in its springs & parchment
- Affordable for the area
- A working, everyday town centre (prettier ones close by)
- A flood consideration on low ground near the harbour
- The A27 corridor can be busy at peak times
- Older & harbourside homes need careful surveys
- Larger detached homes still mean substantial lending
| Who it suits | Out of five | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Downsizers | ★★★☆☆ | Affordable, well-connected and close to the harbour and coast, though the town centre is a working everyday one rather than chocolate-box. |
| First-time buyers | ★★★★★ | Some of the more affordable property in south-east Hampshire, keener than Chichester or waterside Portsmouth, with a direct-London junction station, a genuine value-led way in. |
| Commuters (to London) | ★★★★☆ | A junction station with direct South Western Railway trains to London Waterloo and along the coast, plus the A3(M) and A27, strong links for commuters. |
| Families | ★★★★☆ | Good-rated schools (Sharps Copse, Bidbury Junior and Havant Academy), Staunton Country Park and the coast nearby, affordable family living, with the flood position checked on low ground. |
| Buy-to-let landlords | ★★★★☆ | Value entry prices, strong transport and Portsmouth's employment and student demand nearby make for a steady rental market. |
Havant is known locally for The springs & the name, and Langstone Harbour & Hayling Island. Havant's story begins with its springs, the name Hamanfunta means 'the spring of Hama', and the Homewell, the only spring still open to view, gave the town both its name and its old trade.
Practical detail for Havant: the PO9 postcode district, Havant station, a junction of the Portsmouth Direct Line & West Coastway line, direct to London Waterloo and nearest A and E is Queen Alexandra Hospital (QA), Cosham, a drive to the south-west; St Richard's, Chichester a further option; verify with NHS.
Havant has history behind the price. In c.935 CE, The name Hamanfunta, 'the spring of Hama', is recorded, from the springs west of the old crossroads.
Havant at a glance
| Downsizing line | Havant figure |
|---|---|
| Sale price, local average | £330,000 |
| Purchase at 70% of value | £231,000 |
| Estate agent at 1.5% | £4,950 |
| Stamp duty on purchase | £2,120 |
| Legal and moving | £2,700 |
| Total costs | £9,770 |
| Net released | £89,230 |
| Lifetime mortgage alternative at 65 | £112,200 |
Figures are local averages used for illustration. Confirm your own numbers before acting on them.
Ask about Havant
Three details is all we need. You are told before anything is passed to a partner firm.
Your checklist
- A real valuation of your home, not the £330,000 average
- The council tax band of the property you are buying
- Total moving costs of about £9,770
- The equity release comparison, in writing, before you decide
The introduction costs you nothing. If you go ahead, we may be paid a fee by the firm we introduce you to. There is no obligation.
Check broadband before you make an offer in Havant
Broadband speeds can vary street by street in Havant, so check the exact address before you commit. Ofcom's free checker shows which broadband speeds and mobile coverage are available at any UK property.
We can introduce you to a specialist who can combine your mobile, broadband and utilities into one bill. There's no fee for the introduction.
We don't provide these services ourselves. Switching household bills is not a regulated financial service, so FCA protections and the Financial Ombudsman do not apply. We'll only pass your details to the specialist if you ask us to. See our privacy notice.
Questions people ask
How much would I release by downsizing in Havant?
Is downsizing better than equity release?
What are the costs of moving?
How do I check broadband speed at a property in Havant?
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