Premium prices to live in UK’s prettiest spots
BEAUTY comes with a high price tag, especially if you are buying a home in one of Britain’s national parks.
The average property situated within a national park costs 22 per cent more than an otherwise identical property, according to new research from Nationwide.
This adds £46,000 to the cost when compared to buying the average UK house, which is now valued at £210,000.
There is also a fringe benefit for homes just outside the park, with a 5 per cent premium on properties within three miles.
Andrew Harvey, senior economic analyst at Nationwide, said beautiful countryside drives up demand for properties in national parks.
“Development is also controlled, with limited new housing construction, which is also why prices tend to be relatively high,” he added.
The New Forest is the most expensive national park to buy in with the average house costing £525,000 across settlements such as Ashurst and Lyndhurst.
Nationwide calculates this is £115,500 more than prices would be for similar houses outside a national park.
It is followed by the South Downs, England’s newest national park spanning Hampshire and Sussex, including Petersfield, Liss and Midhurst, where property prices average £350,000.
The Lake District is the largest of the 13 national parks in England and Wales with prices across towns such as Keswick, Ambleside, Windermere and Bowness-on-Windermere averaging £250,000.