Yahoo Finance UK towns with most in demand properties
Corsham in Wiltshire is the new buyer demand hotspot for January as buyer enquiries for properties available in the market town more than doubled in January compared to last year, new data shows.
The figures from property site Rightmove (RMV.L) revealed that average asking prices for properties in Corsham have risen by 6% annually and now stand at £329,494 ($444,652).
The coastal town of Prestwick in Ayrshire, Scotland, came in second, with demand increasing by 116% compared to last January and average asking prices increasing slightly to £172,166.
“Since the pandemic there has been a notable shift from buyers requiring more space — both inside and out for the family, and to work from home, meaning that proximity to 'Head Office' is now not the deciding factor for all buyers when choosing a property, rather quality of life has become the number one priority for most house hunters,” Richard Thomson, managing director at Stonefield Estate Agents in Ayrshire, said.
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“This is where Prestwick has won hands down offering some great schools, a fine selection of restaurants and bars not to mention some world class golf courses and a wonderful beach. Transport links are also excellent including an international airport, railway station with easy commuting to Glasgow by train or car.”
Dumbarton in Dunbartonshire on the River Clyde, also Scotland, came third on the list of new buyer demand hotspots, with enquiries jumping 114% and average prices increasing almost 2% to £138,836 per property.
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Asking prices in the top 10 hotspots rose by an average of 7.9% annually, in line with the national average of 7.6% in January.
“The variety of locations in this month’s buyer demand hotspots really mirrors what we’re seeing at a regional and national level, which is high buyer demand in all areas of Great Britain at the start of the year," Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s director of property data, said.
"While the hotspots suggest a home by the coast is still high on many buyers’ priorities, the demand in urban areas like Leicester city centre, or areas in commuting distance from the centre of cities like Liverpool and Manchester, suggests others are prioritising being near to their workplace or city amenities."
In London, Chelsea topped the list of buyer demand hotspots, with enquiries from buyers increasing by 88% compared to last January. The average asking price for a home in the affluent borough is currently £1,816,577.
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The district of Barnes in the borough of Richmond upon Thames came second with an 83% jump in buyer demand, with property prices jumping over 6% to £1,461,352.
At number three, with an average asking price of £842,892 and an increase in demand of 80% was Finsbury in Islington.
Kensington, at number six on the list of London’s buyer demands hotspots, commanded the highest asking price on the list at an average £2,092,362.
“The London picture certainly looks very different than a year ago, when further lockdown restrictions dampened some demand to live in the capital. To see enquiries nearly doubling in some areas of London demonstrates how much it has bounced back in popularity over the last year,” Bannister said.
