WHEN you can relax, listen to your favourite CD, and slowly say to yourself, 'this is now my home', the house-buying process is fantastic.

But the rest of it is, always has been, and unfortunately always will be, something of a pain for you, no matter how efficient and sophisticated your estate agent may be.

So reports from various quarters of a boom in the housing market could be a little worrying, if you're just setting out on the business of moving.

But could those reports be a little too general? Yes indeed, according to local estate agents.

Richard Coulby, of Northwich outfit Coulby Conduct, said: "I think reports of a boom hark back too much to the days of 'boom and bust' economies.

"Wherever there is a boom, there will be a bust, so it's not a good term to use. And what you have at the moment round here isn't a boom by any means. In fact, it's an ideal climate for almost everyone."

Mr Coulby believes that buying and selling your home in the Northwich area has become easier and easier over the last 10 years. Some of the reasons for this are national trends, such as low interest rates and the development of rural areas.

But Northwich thrives because of particular local factors, too. It avoids the 'commuter belts' of Warrington, Chester and Manchester, but affords good access to all of them. And crucially, it still retains its own rural character.

But how long that character will last, given the rising rate of housing, is a moot point. Estate agencies expect that the majority of Kingsmead residents, and many who move to the proposed Grange Farm development in Hartford, will not be earning their crust in Northwich.

But according to Mr Coulby, Northwich will always be more than a 'dormitory town'.

"Even if people aren't working here, they are making use of Northwich's pubs, restaurants, clubs and things to do," he said.

"The only difference there is Kingsmead, where the plans for a school and a pub and a post office haven't yet solidified.

"In my view, they are needed, and then Kingsmead really will be the ideal kind of new development."

But with Kingsmead largely attracting people from out of the area, what's the news for people wishing to move onward and upward in Northwich itself?

We looked at prices for a four-bedroom detached house, in each area of Northwich. It's the most common type of move, as families grow and start to earn more.

If you're moving to one of the more sought-after areas, perhaps Davenham or Hartford, the price for your new family home will start at around £125,000. In other areas, such as Rudheath and Barnton, your home could cost at least £25,000 less. But these figures are still perceived as excellent by market pundits, closing what was until 10 years ago a wide price-gulf between the town's districts.

Ian Hollis, of Cheshire Property Services, said: "These are good rates by any standards, and even the less sought-after areas are understood to have character, and to be valued both by newcomers and those born and bred here alike."

It all fits with figures for the north west as a whole, which were released by the Home Office last week. They revealed that house prices in this region have risen by 3.2 per cent, bringing the price of the average house to £62,130, and that of our four-bedroom detached to £110,000.

This bucks a disturbing rate of increase in Greater London and the south east, where house prices rose by 12 per cent just between April and June this year. That, says Mr Coulby, is where the national press are getting their worrying stories from.

"There is obviously some problem in the south east, because of London's expansion," he added.

"It's very easy to generalise from the London base, and although I don't have expertise in that part of the world, I can tell that it would cause concern to London's newspaper readers."

But in order to continue as a desirable part of the north west, Northwich needs to retain its character. That word was used by every estate agent, especially in connection with Northwich's most fanciable zone, Davenham.

Mr Hollis added: "Davenham has really preserved its own character with style, obviously the new bypass helped that.

"It's the same for Northwich as a whole. It will keep its character, and that's good for current residents and newcomers alike."

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