Estate agents in The New Forest
Letting agents, sales and free valuations across the New Forest, from Lymington and Milford on Sea on the coast to Brockenhurst, Lyndhurst, Burley and Sway, from a Bournemouth team letting and selling here since 2018.
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Letting, renting and selling in The New Forest
Letting agents in The New Forest
Tenant find, rent collection and fully managed lettings for landlords across the New Forest, from Lymington and Milford on Sea to Brockenhurst, Lyndhurst, Burley and Sway. Referenced tenants and every legal check done.
Letting agents
Sell your property in The New Forest
Selling a cottage, family house or home with land in the New Forest: a valuation that reads the planning position, marketing aimed at the buyers who move here, and a Bournemouth team that handles the sale through to completion.
Selling your property
Property valuation in The New Forest
Free sales and rental valuations across the New Forest, from village cottages to houses with paddocks. We read the setting, the planning history and the land, and explain the figure.
Property valuationThe New Forest is a National Park of heath, woodland and grazed lawns, ringed by market towns and villages where commoners' ponies and cattle walk the streets. Homes are mostly houses and cottages rather than flats, planning holds new building down, and many cottages are second homes or holiday lets, so the long-let stock is small.
The New Forest is a National Park between Bournemouth and Southampton where people move for space, the open heath and the villages, and where homes to rent or buy are scarcer than the demand for them. Flexie Estate Agents lets, sells and values homes across the western and southern Forest from our office in Bournemouth: in Lymington and Milford on Sea on the coast, and in Brockenhurst, Lyndhurst, Burley and Sway inside the Park.
Renting in the New Forest
Most homes to let are houses and cottages, with flats mainly in Lymington and the coastal villages. Tenants are families who want a year in a village before they buy, professionals who commute by train from Brockenhurst or Sway, and people who work in the Forest's hotels, marinas and farms. Gardens, parking and a fence the ponies cannot cross matter more here than in a town.
For furnished stays of a month or more, the group's apartments are in central Bournemouth (property to rent in Bournemouth), a practical base while you look; where holiday lets are the local market, as in much of the Forest, they are managed through Sea Breeze (holiday let management).
Buying and selling in the New Forest
Buyers are retirees and downsizers from London and the Home Counties, commuters to Southampton and Bournemouth, families, second-home buyers and riders who want a paddock. Planning shapes the market: inside the Park, the New Forest National Park Authority decides applications and limits extensions, annexes and conversions outside the four defined villages, so a house is valued for what it is rather than what it might become. Selling your property in the New Forest and property valuation in the New Forest explain how we approach both.
Letting a property in the New Forest
Council tax, licensing and housing are New Forest District Council's, which at the time of writing charges a 100% premium on furnished second homes. Landlords also need gates and fences in good order and tenants who understand commoning. Letting agents in the New Forest sets out how we find, reference and look after tenants, and the landlord legal checklist lists the certificates every let needs.
Getting around
Brockenhurst, Sway and Ashurst New Forest are on the main line to Southampton, Bournemouth and London Waterloo, and the branch from Brockenhurst serves Lymington and its ferry to the Isle of Wight. Lyndhurst and Burley depend on the car, with the A35 to Southampton and Christchurch and the M27 along the northern edge. Our guide to moving to Bournemouth covers the town most Forest residents use for work, shops and the hospital.
The villages
Each village has its own page: Lymington for the harbour and the ferry, Milford on Sea for the shingle beach and Hurst Spit, Brockenhurst for the station and the college, Lyndhurst for the High Street and the district council, Burley for the heath and the village centre, and Sway for the lanes, the tower and the station.
Nearby areas
Ringwood and New Milton sit on the Forest's western and southern edges, and Christchurch and Bournemouth are the nearest towns on the coast.
Living in The New Forest
The homes.Thatched and brick cottages around the village greens, Victorian villas near the stations at Brockenhurst and Sway, Georgian townhouses in Lymington, bungalows and family houses on the coastal edge at Milford on Sea, and detached Forest houses with paddocks and outbuildings. Flats are found mainly in Lymington and the coastal villages.
Transport
Brockenhurst, Sway and Ashurst New Forest stations are on the South Western Railway main line between Bournemouth, Southampton and London Waterloo, with a branch from Brockenhurst to Lymington. The A35 and A337 cross the Forest, the M27 runs along its northern edge, and Wightlink sails from Lymington to Yarmouth.
Schools
Village primary schools serve most of the Forest, with secondary schools in Lymington, New Milton, Ringwood and Totton, and Brockenhurst College for students aged 16 and over. Catchments cross village boundaries, so check the address with Hampshire County Council before you commit.
Work and hospitals
Lymington New Forest Hospital is the community hospital for the south of the Forest; the main hospitals are Southampton General, the Royal Bournemouth and Salisbury District. Work is in Southampton, Bournemouth and Lymington, in tourism and hospitality, in the marine trades on the Lymington River and at the district council in Lyndhurst.
Shops and eating
Lymington's High Street and Saturday market, Lyndhurst's High Street, Brockenhurst's village shops and the pubs and tea rooms of Burley cover the daily shop. Ringwood, Christchurch and Southampton have the larger supermarkets and retail parks.
Forest, coast and parks
Open heath, ancient woodland and more than 100 miles of waymarked cycle routes inside the National Park, with the Solent shore at Lymington, Keyhaven and Milford on Sea and the Isle of Wight across the water.
Who rents and buys in The New Forest
Commuters on the main line
Brockenhurst and Sway put Southampton and Bournemouth a short train ride away, and the fastest trains from Brockenhurst reach London Waterloo in about an hour and a half. Professionals rent here first and buy once they know the villages.
Retirees and downsizers
Lymington, Milford on Sea and the Forest villages draw buyers retiring from London and the Home Counties, who want bungalows, cottages and a level walk to the shops.
Families moving for space
Families come for gardens, the Forest on the doorstep and the village schools, and often rent for a year while they learn which village and which catchment suits them.
Second homes and holiday lets
A large share of the cottages are second homes or holiday lets, which keeps buyers competing for character property and leaves fewer houses on long tenancies.
Riders and smallholders
Houses with paddocks, stables and sometimes rights of common attached to the land attract equestrian buyers and tenants who keep animals.
Furnished homes to rent near The New Forest
The group's apartments are in central Bournemouth and on the West Cliff: furnished lets from 28 nights, bills included.
Available Bills included Rent on application One-bedroom apartment to let, The Coast Hotel, Bournemouth
St Michael's Road, Bournemouth Minimum stay 28 nights · Furnished
Available Bills included Rent on application One-bedroom apartment to let, The Pebbles Hotel, Bournemouth
St Michael's Road, Bournemouth Minimum stay 28 nights · Furnished
Available Bills included Rent on application One-bedroom apartment to let, The Tower House Hotel, West Cliff
West Cliff Gardens, West Cliff Minimum stay 28 nights · FurnishedRated 4.9 on Google
Outstanding from start to finish
The apartment exceeded our expectations with its modern design and thoughtful touches throughout. Walking distance to both the seafront and shopping areas made it incredibly convenient. Clear instructions, responsive host. Would absolutely stay here again on our next visit to Bournemouth.
Modern, clean and superbly located
Lovely apartment in very close proximity to Bournemouth town centre and beach. Modern, very clean and well equipped. Onsite parking was a big plus, making it easy to explore the area. The host was very responsive and helpful throughout our stay.
Second stay, and we'll be back
Great apartment at a perfect location. Jack and the team were so easy to deal with. This is our second time at this apartment block and we'll definitely be returning. Clean, well-maintained, and had everything we needed for a comfortable stay.
Residents and guests of the furnished apartments we let and manage, in their own words, quoted as published. Each rating is the platform's own, read on the date shown. See every review
Estate agents in The New Forest: questions
Which council covers the New Forest?
Two bodies share the job. New Forest District Council, based at Lyndhurst, collects council tax and decides planning outside the National Park, including Lymington and Milford on Sea. Inside the Park, the New Forest National Park Authority decides planning applications. Hampshire County Council runs schools, roads and libraries across both.
Do second homes in the New Forest pay extra council tax?
At the time of writing, yes. New Forest District Council has charged a 100% premium on furnished homes that are nobody's main residence since 1 April 2025, which doubles the bill. Holiday lets that pass the business rates test are assessed differently. Check the property with the council; this is general information, not tax advice.
Can I extend a house inside the National Park?
Often, but by less than buyers expect. The National Park Authority's Local Plan limits extensions to homes outside the four defined villages of Ashurst, Brockenhurst, Lyndhurst and Sway, and it is cautious about annexes, outbuildings and conversions. Ask the Authority before buying a house for its potential; our valuations reflect the planning position.
Can I commute from the New Forest to Southampton or Bournemouth?
Yes, most easily from Brockenhurst, Sway or Ashurst, which are on the main line between Bournemouth, Southampton and London Waterloo. Lymington connects by branch line at Brockenhurst. Lyndhurst, Burley and the smaller villages rely on the car, the A35 and the M27, and roads across the open Forest carry a 40mph limit.
Do you have furnished homes to rent in the New Forest?
Our own furnished apartments are in central Bournemouth, let for 28 nights or more with bills included, and suit people moving to the Forest who need a base while they look. In the Forest we let landlords' houses on tenancies, and holiday homes are managed through Sea Breeze, our holiday let arm.
What should a new resident know about the ponies?
The ponies, cattle and donkeys belong to commoners and graze the open Forest, crossing roads and village streets. Gates have to shut and fences need keeping in order, feeding or petting the animals is banned, and you drive slowly on unfenced roads. Some properties carry rights of common, which riders and smallholders value.
Areas near The New Forest
What is your property worth to let or to sell?
A free, no obligation valuation from a local team that knows what each street lets and sells for. For a quick figure first, the instant rent estimate takes under a minute.