Yahoo News Guildford vs Guildford: How far will your money go in the town's much warmer namesake
Guildford has a series of historic pubs , 19th century architecture and walking routes. It also has an average temperature of 32C in February (compared to 6 degrees in the UK). This is because this Guildford is in Australia, a suburb of Perth.
It is surrounded by other UK locations named you might recognise, such as Haslemere and Woodbridge. The town was established in 1829. Guildford is one of three towns classed as a historic town by the National Trust of Australia and is still deeply influenced by the English gentry.
The area was named by Captain James Stirling, the first British governor and lieutenant-governor of Western Australia, who had strong connections with Guildford, UK. He was married at Stoke Church in Guildford (UK) His father-in-law represented the electorate of Guildford and, in 1865, he died in Guildford.
So now, over in Western Australia, there is even a Guildford Hotel. It is a heritage belvedere tower and baroque façadmaking it stand out on the high-street. Tourism Western Australia suggests using the town as a base to explore the wider region of Swan Valley. Guildford is sat on the banks of the Swan River, and is home to many wineries that come highly recommended on tripadvisor.
READ MORE: Extension of family-owned Guildford hotel granted in hope it will help town centre
Next to Guildford is South Guildford, which as the name suggests sits just below the town. Bordering Perth airport, plane noise features heavily on one Reddit thread titled ‘Is South Guildford is worth living in?.’ However, one commenter assured readers that after a time you stop hearing it.
Throughout the thread, choosing South Guildford is hailed as a break from city living with decent sized houses, space to roam, and a good commute. In some ways it seems the draw of Guildford, Australia, seems to be similar to what brings people to Guildford, UK.
One thing that is different is the type of houses. You don’t get many homes with swimming pools in Guildford UK, let alone going for around £400,000. According to estate agency REIWA, average house price in the Australian town is $712,500, which roughly translates to £370,713.
Rightmove says that the average house price in Guildford UK is £611,611 ($1,174,672) highlighting that Guildford, Australia, is cheaper to buy in. The houses are also incredibly different. Surrounded by palm trees, one house in Warnt Court, South Guildford, has three bedrooms, two bathrooms and five car spaces. You can view the full property here.
Apart from appearance, what makes this house so obviously different is that it has a below ground pool, and a grass area to house the family boat. Asking for offers in the high $800,000s (£416,532) it is a bit more pricey than the Australian average but well below the UK’s.
The listing reads: "Boasting a spacious 740 sqm block size, this exquisite home features three well-proportioned bedrooms, two bathrooms and plenty of parking solutions for multiple vehicles with the carport adjoining the patio/entertaining and a super-long driveway entry that offers a suitably grassed area for the family boat or caravan!"
Alternatively, within the same price range a buyer could purchase a three bedroom terraced house on the outskirts of Guildford, UK. Containing a conservatory, private garden and off road parking it looks remarkably different to the Australian offering but houses as many people.
On the cheaper end of the Australian market there is a four bedroom property looking for offers over $625,000 (£325,415). This 575 sqm block has open planned living and the all important air conditioning needed in a much warmer climate. In Guilford you would likely only get a flat for this amount of money. More than 15,000 km apart these two towns have striking similarities and differences. Which one would you prefer to live in?
But Guildford Australia isn't the only place which shares a name we know and love. The whole county even has its own twin. If you have ever Googled the county and got a surprising result you may have realised that there is also another Surrey in Canada.
The city of Surrey is located in British Columbia, right on the American border. Like the UK, it is currently experiencing rainy weather, is located just outside a more prominent city (Vancouver) and even has its own Guildford. However you would be hard pressed to confuse them. You can read more about it here.
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