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Moving to Kent: A Local’s Guide

Moving to Kent means choosing between three quite different counties in one: the coast, the Weald and the Medway and central towns. Where you land comes down to budget, your commute, and whether you want the sea, the countryside or a town with fast trains to London. This guide sets out the practical differences, with real figures and their sources, so you can narrow it down before you start viewing.

Stranks Removals and Storage has worked the county from our Ashford depot since 1941, so this is written from the point of view of a firm that drives these roads every week, not an estate agent.

The Three Kents: Coast, Weald and Central

Kent is large, and the character changes sharply across it. Most people moving here are choosing between three broad areas.

The coast

The Kent coast runs from Whitstable and Herne Bay round to Margate, Ramsgate, Deal, Folkestone and Hythe. It is the most affordable part of the county and has seen real regeneration in recent years, particularly around Folkestone and the Thanet towns. You get seaside living and more house for your money, in exchange for longer trains to London.

The Weald

The Weald is the rural, wooded south and west of the county: Tenterden, Cranbrook, the villages around them, and the affluent commuter belt toward Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells. This is period-property, market-town Kent, and the western end is the most expensive part of the county.

The Medway and central towns

The middle of the county holds the county town of Maidstone, the fast-growing hub of Ashford, the cathedral city of Canterbury, and the Medway towns of Rochester, Chatham and Gillingham. This is where you find the best mix of amenities, jobs and transport, and where the Medway towns keep prices below the county’s pricier corners.

House Prices Across Kent

Kent sits above the national average. As of June 2026 the average UK house price was £272,188, according to the UK House Price Index, and most of Kent runs higher than that. The spread within the county, though, is enormous.

  • The most expensive part of Kent is the western commuter belt around Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells, where some wards have median prices at or near seven figures, according to Land Registry data reported by KentOnline.
  • The most affordable areas are the coast and the Medway towns, with the Thanet, Swale and Dover districts consistently the cheapest places to buy in the county, per the same Land Registry analysis.

Because prices move month to month, check the current figure for a specific town or postcode on the live UK House Price Index rather than relying on a headline number.

Commuting into London

For a lot of people moving to Kent, the commute decides the area. There are two broad ways in.

High speed (HS1). Southeastern’s high-speed Javelin trains run into London St Pancras. Ashford International is around 38 minutes and Ebbsfleet around 19 minutes to St Pancras, which is why Ashford and the Ebbsfleet area have grown as commuter bases despite being well into the county.

The classic lines. The traditional routes run through the west and centre of Kent, from towns like Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Maidstone into Charing Cross, Cannon Street, Victoria and London Bridge. These are slower than HS1 but serve more of the county. Check current times for your specific station on Southeastern before you commit, because they vary a lot by route and time of day.

The trade-off is straightforward: the fast HS1 towns tend to cost a little more, and the coast trades a longer journey for a lower price.

How to Narrow It Down

A few questions settle most decisions:

  • What is your commute? If you need to be in central London quickly and often, the HS1 towns are worth the premium. If you work locally or hybrid, the coast and Medway open up.
  • Coast or country? The Weald gives you villages and period homes; the coast gives you the sea and better value; the central towns give you amenities and transport.
  • What is your budget? West Kent is the most expensive corner, the coast and Medway the most affordable, with the centre in between.
  • Access on the ground. Kent has plenty of narrow village lanes, conservation-area high streets and coastal streets with tight parking, which affects daily life as well as move day.

Where We Cover

Stranks covers the whole county from our Ashford depot. We have area guides for Ashford, Maidstone, Canterbury, Folkestone, Tenterden and many of the towns and villages between them. For the full list, see our areas we cover page.

Moving to Kent: How We Help

Once you have chosen your area, the move itself is where local knowledge earns its keep. We are a family firm, BAR members, BS EN 12522 certified, and rated 9.7 out of 10 across 380 verified reviews. Our crews know the county’s roads, the tight village lanes, the conservation-area streets and the coastal towns, and we plan the access for your specific address at the survey.

To talk through a move to Kent, call 0800 0195 525 or get a free quote.

Ready to Move to Kent?

Whichever part of Kent you are moving to, call 0800 0195 525 or get a free quote and we will plan the move around your new address.

FAQ's

The coast and the Medway towns are the most affordable, with the Thanet, Swale and Dover districts consistently the cheapest in the county, according to Land Registry data reported by KentOnline. The most expensive corner is the western commuter belt around Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells.

On the high-speed line, Ashford International is around 38 minutes and Ebbsfleet around 19 minutes to London St Pancras, according to Southeastern. The classic routes through Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Maidstone into Charing Cross, Victoria and Cannon Street take longer and vary by station, so check current times on Southeastern for your route.

The coast is seaside Kent, more affordable and regenerating, with longer trains to London. The Weald is the rural, period-property south and west, most expensive at its western end near Tunbridge Wells. The Medway and central towns, including Maidstone, Ashford and Canterbury, offer the best mix of amenities, jobs and transport.

For speed, the high-speed towns of Ashford and Ebbsfleet are hard to beat, at roughly 38 and 19 minutes to St Pancras. For the classic lines, the west Kent towns such as Sevenoaks and Tonbridge are closer to London but come with the county's highest prices. The right answer depends on your budget as much as your journey.

Yes. We cover the county from our Ashford depot, from the coast to the Weald to the Medway and central towns. Tell us your postcode when you enquire and we will confirm coverage and quote for your move.