Easy access to Hove railway station and frequent bus services into the city centre have made properties in central Hove attractive to buyers, especially commuters.

In less than 20 years, the area around Church Road has been transformed into a land where flats, bedsits and maisonettes are constantly sought after.

Along with the steady surge of people wanting to buy, rental properties in the area are always in demand, making this one of the most popular areas of the city.

At the beginning of the 20th century, this area had a number of large family homes and these can still be seen in The Drive and other central roads although most of them have now been converted into flats. A characteristic of the area is its wide, tree-lined streets and fine Victorian and Edwardian architecture.

Prices for homes range from under £200,000 to more than £1.5 million.

Local landmarks include the Floral Clock in Palmeira Square and the war memorial at the junction of The Drive and Grand Avenue. At the sea end of Grand Avenue is a statue of Queen Victoria.

Another feature of Church Road is Hove Town Hall, which was built in 1966 to replace the previous building, which was destroyed by fire.

There are sports and leisure facilities at The King Alfred centre on the seafront and Hove's museum is a short walk away in New Church Road.

Between Western Road and the seafront is the Brunswick area, one of the country's finest Regency developments and is one of the most desirable addresses in Brighton and Hove, but 50 years ago, the future of the area hung in the balance as councillors considered whether to knock Brunswick village down and replace it with Art Deco towers.

Thankfully, the councillors stayed the hand of the wrecking ball operator and, today, Brighton and Hove is famous for its Regency seafront.

Brunswick itself has become particularly popular with young professionals, many of whom live in flats converted from the older properties, where they can enjoy the sea views and the city centre.

The area is the work of architects Charles Busby and Amon Wilds, who were prolific in Brighton and Hove, and it is among their masterpieces.

Moving westwards the New Church Road area of Hove in one of long wide, tree-lined roads with large houses and big gardens that give this part of the town its character.

There are also roads with flats, bungalows and terraces giving a good mix of properties and prices.

This area includes some of the Hove’s most prestigious roads and stretches from Hove Street in the east to Boundary Road in the west with Portland Road to the north and Kingsway to the south.

Properties date mainly from the Thirties but there are some that were built in the 1890s. Prices range from £350,000 up to the £2 million plus mark.

Some of the larger villas at the eastern end of New Church Road have been replaced with flats but the area has not lost its feeling of comfortable spaciousness.

As a more modern town than its neighbour Hove had the advantage that it was able to plan its streets in accordance with modern living rather than having them develop in a haphazard and random way. This meant the wide, straight roads which have made the New Church Road such a popular area to live.

The ancient village of Hove was centred around Hove Street and it was in 1545 that the French, under King Francis I landed at Hove in an unsuccessful attempt to invade England. Thankfully the beach is now much safer and the only invasion is likely to be tourists in the summer months.

The seafront walk from King Alfred Leisure Centre to Hove Lagoon in the west has always been popular and is now included in the council's official Healthwalk route. Hove lagoon is a popular area with families and is home to a windsurfing school and the beach is one of the best for surfing in Sussex.