Weymouth is located seven miles south of Dorchester on the sheltered bay at the mouth of River Wey, Weymouth is one of the gems of the famous Jurassic shoreline. Weymouth is regarded as the best beach in the UK and among the top ten best in Europe according to visitors. With a population of slightly over 70,000 people, the town becomes the third largest in Dorset after Poole and Bournemouth. If you are thinking of moving to Weymouth, you need to understand that it is a tourist hub with its economy depending on its harbour.
Is Weymouth a good place to live? Nothing bad can be said of this beautiful coastal town. Its golden sands and the safe shallow waters make it a perfect destination for anyone thinking of moving to UK. The city is an ideal getaway situated strategically along the Jurassic Coast. The Weymouth harbour is home to a wide range of private yachts and pleasure boats, and the nearby Portland Harbour serves as home to Weymouth National Sailing Academy that hosted the sailing events of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Weymouth is constantly recognised as one of the best destinations in Europe, and it is pretty easy to see why.
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If you are thinking of moving to Weymouth or you want to learn more about this charming coastal town, you are in the right place. This comprehensive location guide provides you with all the essential information you need to know about Weymouth to help you make an informed decision.
Is Weymouth a Good Place to Live?
With miles and miles of stunning sandy beaches, the longest life expectancy in the UK, and the best weather in Britain, Weymouth makes a perfect home for anyone out there. Strategically located in Dorset, the town provides easy access to the other towns of Poole, Bournemouth, and Dorchester.
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The city experiences a temperate climate with a small variation in its daily temperatures. Weymouth has approximately 364 more hours of sunshine throughout the year compared to the UK average. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about the prolonged winter period like the other destinations in the UK.
If you like keeping yourself busy, then you will love Weymouth’s year-round events program with live music, seafood festivals, and exciting beach volleyball tournaments taking place throughout the year. The town offers something for everyone and it is also within quick reach of Dorset’s other attractions.
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The Jurassic Skyline features a well-designed circular covered platform that rotates slowly offering visitors a magnificent view of the city and the coast to Lulworth Cove and Durdle. Weymouth is primarily a tourist destination with a much quieter winter and a buzzing summer. During the peak tourist season, Weymouth’s wide and shallow sandy beach becomes a swimming and sunbathing site.
Therefore, if you are thinking of coming down here as a tourist, it is good to visit during the quieter winter period when you will have enough time to see the various attractions. The city also boasts as a centre of quality education. There are three “outstanding “secondary schools in Weymouth namely; Wey Valley Schools, All Saints’ Church of England School located in Wyke Regis, and Budmouth College in Chickerell. Budmouth College is part of The University of Plymouth Colleges Network.
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The crime levels in the town are quite low compared to the average national crime level. In fact, most people who live here consider Weymouth as one of the safest places to live in the UK, and it is for a good reason.
If you are looking to live a better life with nothing to worry about, this is the place to be. The town is well connected with several road links. Road A354 and the railway line connect it to London and Waterloo. First Hampshire and Dorset run the local bus services. Buses run from Weymouth to Dorchester, Wool, Axminster, Isle of Portland, Bournemouth, and Beaminster. Route X53 connects the town to other towns and villages along the Jurassic coastline.
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Road A354 connects Weymouth to the A35 trunk road located in Dorchester before it terminates at Easton on the Isle of Portland. Road A353 runs from Weymouth to the southern part of Warmwell where it connects with road A352 to Wareham and Isle of Purbeck. Some of the best neighbourhoods here include Greenhill, Bowleaze, and Wyke Regis.
Is Weymouth a Good Place to Work?
Weymouth is home to both national and international businesses in environmental technologies, tourism, defence, and advanced engineering. This is more than just a commuter town. If you are a young or experienced professional looking to advance your career while enjoying a better life at the same time, Weymouth has plenty of opportunities for you.
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A good number of the locals work within the town, and only a few of them commute to other places for work. The unemployment rate in the city is way below the national average. The tourism and hospitality industry employs most of the people who work in the town.
Some of them have also found exciting job opportunities in the vibrant construction sector. The Weymouth Business Improvement District is a business-led initiative backed by the Government that enables local businesses to raise funds to improve the trading environment in the town. Most of the companies in Weymouth are medium-sized with annual turnovers of between £1m and £300m.
These businesses employ over 45% of the locals and are on a sharp growing curve thanks to the stable economy. One of the leading employers in Weymouth is the luxury yacht builders, Sunseeker that provide up to 1,400 jobs every year to locals. In fact, it is common for people from London and other nearby counties to relocate to Weymouth in search of well-paying job opportunities and better quality life.
Salaries offered by the leading employers in Weymouth and the larger Dorset region as slightly higher than the national average. The average salary of a person working in some of the leading companies in Dorset is £28,000. However, highly-skilled and experienced individuals earn much more than that.
Is Weymouth a Good Place to Buy a House?
Weymouth’s historic coastline is lined with elegantly proportioned hotels, restaurants, and guest houses which gives a unique and defining architectural tone to the area. In the heart of this city, there lie well-designed and affordable homes for anyone who is thinking of moving to UK. Some of the popular neighbourhoods include Greenhill, Bowleaze, and Wyke Regis.
Beyond the busy town center lie spacious residential areas ideal for both small and large families. However, character properties such as the beautiful Victoria villas you find in these neighbourhoods rarely come to the market so you should be prepared to search more broadly. The majority of properties sold in Weymouth last year comprised of terraced houses which sold at an average price of £209,000 while the detached houses went for about £360,500.
Flats are relatively cheap with an average selling price of £177,000. The cost of houses in Weymouth cost almost the same as homes in the nearby Chickerell but is a little bit more expensive than those in Portland and Preston. The average cost of homes in Weymouth went up by almost 9% in 2018, and things don’t seem to change anytime soon. Large detached townhouses cost anything between £400,000 and £700,000.
If you are looking to acquire property in Weymouth, an excellent place to consider buying would be in Wyke Regis, Malcombe Regis, and Esplanade. If you are looking to rent a house in this town, a standard three-bedroom apartment will cost approximately £8,000 per month while one-bedroom flats start at £500.
Is Weymouth a Good Place to Retire?
Being a coastal town, Weymouth is one of the few cities in the UK that offers a cool, relaxed, and serene environment to retirees. This small city boasts of some of the best neighbourhoods with affordable retirement homes. With a well-connected transport system and an excellent healthcare system, you will be fascinated to spend your twilight years down here.
Weymouth is also home to the luxury yacht builders Sunseeker that guarantees leisure and fun. Retirement homes that provide stunning sea views and allure of Weymouth’s Jurassic coast continue to attract many retirees seeking a serene and natural beauty in their old age days. A new build two bedroom retirement home will cost anything between £230,000 and £270,000. A four bedroom apartment home will cost anything between £400,000 and £500,000.
Is Weymouth a Good Place to Visit?
If you are looking for a memorable holiday by the sea with magnificent scenery and a wide range of exciting activities, look no further than Weymouth. With beautiful white sand beaches and safe shallow waters, this town is among the top tourist destinations in Europe. You will never run short of thrilling things to do with your family pout in Weymouth since there are plenty of natural attractions for everyone to enjoy.
From the magical underwater world of beautiful sea creatures to sand sculpture, Weymouth has plenty of attractions to delight any visitor. The town’s long arc of fine white sand is second to none in the world. This city is also known for its fantastic year-round events programme ranging from beach motocross to seafood festivals. No matter the time of the year that you visit, there will always be something for everyone.