Meet the people who moved to Dartford for its commuter links, convenience and investment potential

Indraneel and Sohini Sengupta, Joe Carlin, and Ariana Getnet have all purchased apartments at Bellway’s Copperhouse Green development in Dartford.Indraneel and Sohini Sengupta, Joe Carlin, and Ariana Getnet have all purchased apartments at Bellway’s Copperhouse Green development in Dartford.
Indraneel and Sohini Sengupta, Joe Carlin, and Ariana Getnet have all purchased apartments at Bellway’s Copperhouse Green development in Dartford.
A new development in Dartford is demonstrating how the right location can attract a highly varied range of property purchasers, helping create a diverse and coherent community where people want to settle.

Whether you’re a first-time buyer, a family, a commuter, a young couple, an investor, someone who has known Dartford for years or someone who has only just discovered the area, a wide range of people are finding exactly what they are looking for at Bellway London’s Copperhouse Green – and at a much lower price than an equivalent home in central London.

The clincher for many of the buyers is the convenient location. Copperhouse Green is right next to Dartford’s thriving town centre, with Dartford railway station only 10 minutes’ walk, the shops five minutes away and the town’s much-loved 26-acre Central Park right on the doorstep.

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“It’s like having a garden without having to look after it,” says Monica Agrawal, who moved into a new two-bedroom apartment at Copperhouse Green in July with her husband Rahil Shah.

Indraneel and Sohini bought their apartment at Copperhouse Green as an investment property to rent but may move in there themselves at a later date.Indraneel and Sohini bought their apartment at Copperhouse Green as an investment property to rent but may move in there themselves at a later date.
Indraneel and Sohini bought their apartment at Copperhouse Green as an investment property to rent but may move in there themselves at a later date.

For them, the choice was about a balance between value for money and local amenities.

Monica, an accountant, and Rahil, a finance controller, both 32, are expecting a baby in October and so they were keen to find somewhere child friendly with good schools for the future. They feel the area provides this and at a more affordable price than they would find further into London. With their apartment facing straight onto the park with its play areas and green space the location will be perfect for the young family.

And with good transport links into the capital, it makes for an easy commute on the two days a week when Rahil has to work from the office in central London.

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Even since they decided to buy their place, they have seen prices rising around them and so they feel confident that they have made a good investment and will make a good return on it when they eventually do come to sell.

First time buyer Ariana grew up in Dartford and was keen to stay local as she believes the town has a lot to offer.First time buyer Ariana grew up in Dartford and was keen to stay local as she believes the town has a lot to offer.
First time buyer Ariana grew up in Dartford and was keen to stay local as she believes the town has a lot to offer.

A good investment was the driver for Sohini and Indraneel Sengupta. They looked at purchasing an apartment at Copperhouse Green from two perspectives. For now, they are investors having bought the property to rent out, but in the back of their mind they are thinking of moving into the apartment themselves some years down the line when their children, currently aged 12 and 16, are grown up and left home.

Sohini, 47, a private tutor in maths and English, and Indraneel, 49, a senior vice-president at a global bank, have lived in Dartford since their children were small – around 12 years – further out from the centre of town.

The park was a major attraction when their children were small. Sohini said: “Dartford Central Park was always a place we used to go. Trips to the park were great because it has everything you could want, a children’s area and an outdoor gym – it caters to every age. And then there’s the library. So, any family would love that place. If you have access to a library and the park, that’s all you need.”

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Indraneel works at Canary Wharf and the commute has been improved since the opening of the Elizabeth Line, Sohini said:

Joe is “over the moon” about his new apartment purchase in Dartford, having moved there from rural Norfolk.Joe is “over the moon” about his new apartment purchase in Dartford, having moved there from rural Norfolk.
Joe is “over the moon” about his new apartment purchase in Dartford, having moved there from rural Norfolk.

“The pros of living here are that the transport links are so convenient, and you have the park and all that greenery, yet you are close to the station and the shopping.

“There are cafes and so many eating out places. The grammar school is also very attractive to parents thinking of moving to Dartford. I personally love the place.”

Yet the development is not just for young families.

“I have absolutely no regrets about moving to this area,” was the verdict from Joe Carlin, 75. He bought a two-bedroom apartment in Copperhouse Green overlooking the park in July so that he could be nearer to his daughter, who lives a 10-minute walk away.

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Joe retired to Ingoldisthorpe, near Hunstanton in Norfolk with his wife Grace more than 20 years ago. However, Grace passed away nearly two years ago, and following a second winter there without her he made the decision to move to be near his daughter in Dartford.

It’s very different from life in rural Norfolk, but he loves it. “My life is transformed; it’s turned upside down and I’m over the moon,” he said.

“I set my sights on Copperhouse Green because it’s so handy for the shops. It’s within five minutes of the high street, and the supermarkets – you’ve got Iceland, Sainsbury’s, Lidl, and Aldi all nearby. There’s a thriving market on Thursdays and Saturdays, it’s the length of the high street, and on market days it’s heaving. There are so many restaurants and places to have a coffee.”

He is in touch with old friends who live not too far away from his new home and has plans to join them on their social days out in the future.

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And he has checked out the community activities and entertainment on offer at the Mick Jagger Centre on Shepherds Lane which is just a 20-minute walk away. He plans to go there when he has more time because at the moment, he is busy settling into his new place.

“It’s unbelievable, you can’t imagine the transformation for me. It’s the hustle and bustle. Everything you want is right here and everything else is not far away. Bluewater is only 10 minutes on the bus and you’re not that far from the train station which is just a 10-minute walk away.

“I have absolutely no regrets about moving to this area and especially moving to Copperhouse Green. There’s not enough time in the day to do all the things I want to do, which is the opposite of how it was where I was living before where time did sometimes drag. But here, it feels good.”

The area also works well for those just beginning their homebuying journey. First-time buyer Ariana Getnet, 26, is excited about moving into an apartment of her own in the town where she grew up. There were plenty of reasons why she wanted to stay in Dartford.

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“I wanted to stay local. I’ve always lived here, and I didn’t want to be too far from family and friends and where it is, just outside London, things are slightly cheaper.”

But even aside from familiarity, she thinks her home town has a lot to offer.

“Firstly, it’s not too far from London transport links,” she said. As an internal sales manager at a telecommunications and technology company, working in an office near Liverpool Street most days, getting to work easily is important.

“I’m used to going out in London straight from work. Because of the convenient commute it doesn’t feel like it’s taking its toll.”

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Ever since she was a child she has visited and enjoyed Dartford Central Park, and now as an adult it’s a great place for going for a run.

And the area is convenient for whatever she needs. “The gym is close by, and I feel safe here. I’m not far from the things I’m used to and if I need to pop to the shops, it’s going into town or to Bluewater.”

Like Ariana, Gokay Durmus, 38, already knew Dartford well before he bought an apartment at Copperhouse Green. He works for logistics firm PSA BDP in the town.

Gokay moved to Dartford two years ago from Shooters Hill to rent an apartment because it was so much cheaper for him both in terms of travel-to-work costs and rent. He saved hundreds of pounds a month by doing so.

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Gokay moved to the UK in 2015 from Turkey and until now has rented. However, his wife Seval, 38, an English teacher, will be moving to the UK from Turkey to join him, and they were keen to buy a place of their own to settle down.

In July they completed their purchase of a two-bedroom apartment at Copperhouse Green overlooking the park and they love being in the centre of a busy town.

“We both like being in the big city rather than the countryside. We like to live near shops and parks and gyms. It’s so easy for us here because all the shops and whatever you need is nearby.

“I like watching football and I can go to a pub and have a couple of pints with my friends. I’m Turkish and there are two Turkish restaurants here. The other perfect thing is the view of the park. We look out from our window and it’s like being in a forest but when you step outside, you’re in the heart of the town centre.”

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Gokay is also keen on playing basketball and the park is a great place to meet friends for a game.

While he doesn’t go into central London as often as he used to, it is still a destination for special occasions, when guests come to stay, or for a day out or to see a show. “It’s so easy,” he said. “The transport links are good and It’s so easy because here you’re only 10 minutes from the station.”

Bellway London is building a range of properties at Copperhouse Green from studios to one, two, and three-bedroom apartments.

The development offers parking and balconies to selected plots, many with park views. There are also some wheelchair accessible homes and a concierge service.

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