Downsizing in Headley: What You Would Actually Release
Selling at the £550,000 Headley average and buying at £385,000 releases about £144,800 after costs. Fees, stamp duty and moving take roughly £20,200 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 £550,000 Headley average and buying at £385,000 releases about £144,800 after costs. Fees, stamp duty and moving take roughly £20,200 of it.
Running the downsizing numbers in Headley
Start with the gap. Selling at £550,000 and buying at 70% of that, £385,000, leaves £165,000 before costs. Costs are the part people underestimate.
Agent fees at 1.5% are £8,250. Stamp duty on the purchase is £9,250. Total £20,200, leaving £144,800 in hand.
Where the sale proceeds go
The commercial page for this town sets out the introduction itself: Equity release in Headley.
Two routes to the same cash, priced
A lifetime mortgage at 65 on the same property would release about £187,000. Downsizing nets £144,800. The difference is that downsizing costs you the house, and equity release costs you the estate.
Over twenty years that £187,000 release grows to roughly £658,922. 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 Headley is £2,314, 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.
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 £550,000 here.
What a move within Headley looks like
The schools families ask about here are The Holme CofE Primary School, Bohunt School (Liphook), Oakmoor School (Bordon) and Further options (Haslemere & area). 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: Headley to Liphook station takes about 15 min drive.
By price, Headley ranks 77 of the 178 Hampshire locations we cover, at £550,000 against a county average of £535,916. Band D council tax here is £2,314, against an average of £2,319 across the towns we cover in the county.
Is Headley right to stay in?
Headley is a pretty, sought-after rural village on the River Wey near the Surrey border.
The full local guide covers schools, transport and the market in detail: Headley property and area guide.
- A pretty rural village on the River Wey
- A working watermill & ancient church
- The heaths & Ludshott Common on the doorstep
- Real village character & community
- Good primary & secondaries nearby (Bohunt)
- Prices well above the national average
- No railway station of its own (nearest a drive)
- No major A&E in the village (Frimley/Guildford, a drive)
- A flood-risk consideration near the river
- Larger period & country homes mean substantial lending
| Who it suits | Out of five | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Downsizers | ★★★★☆ | A pretty, characterful village with pubs and community, though you drive for a station and bigger shops. |
| Families | ★★★★★ | Its own primary (The Holme) plus the highly regarded Bohunt School at Liphook, with river and heaths on the doorstep. |
| Countryside lovers | ★★★★★ | The River Wey, Ludshott Common and the wooded heaths make it a superb rural base. |
| Commuters | ★★★☆☆ | No village station, a quick drive to the fast London train at Liphook makes it workable. |
| First-time buyers | ★★☆☆☆ | Sought-after rural prices and limited smaller stock make entry harder here. |
Headley is known locally for Headley Mill, and Ludshott Common & the heaths. The last commercially productive watermill in Hampshire, still grinding corn with the power of the River Wey on a site where a mill has stood since Saxon times, a remarkable and much-loved survival.
Practical detail for Headley: the GU35 postcode district, no station, nearest at Liphook, Bentley or Farnham (all a drive) and nearest A and E is Frimley Park (Frimley) or Royal Surrey (Guildford), both a drive; verify with NHS.
Headley has history behind the price. In Saxon era, A watermill stands on the River Wey; Headley ('clearing in the heath') is settled.
Headley at a glance
| Downsizing line | Headley figure |
|---|---|
| Sale price, local average | £550,000 |
| Purchase at 70% of value | £385,000 |
| Estate agent at 1.5% | £8,250 |
| Stamp duty on purchase | £9,250 |
| Legal and moving | £2,700 |
| Total costs | £20,200 |
| Net released | £144,800 |
| Lifetime mortgage alternative at 65 | £187,000 |
Figures are local averages used for illustration. Confirm your own numbers before acting on them.
Ask about Headley
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 £550,000 average
- The council tax band of the property you are buying
- Total moving costs of about £20,200
- 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 Headley
Broadband speeds can vary street by street in Headley, 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 Headley?
Is downsizing better than equity release?
What are the costs of moving?
How do I check broadband speed at a property in Headley?
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