Swanley’s a house price hotspot

HOUSE prices in Swanley, Kent, have risen the most for towns that are within an hour’s commute of a major city.

Annual house price growth near 10 large cities found Swanley prices went up 10.8%, followed by a 9.7% increase in Dursley, near Bristol, and a 9.6% jump in Bromsgrove in Birmingham, a study by property website Zoopla found.

Spokesman Lawrence Hall said: “These figures show just how valuable it can be to live within easy reach of a city.”

He said an easy commute is “often near the top of the property wish list”.