UK’s best places to live revealed

Buyer demand increasing in some parts of the country, reports Vicky Shaw

Blackpool and Swindon are among the urban areas seeing a bounceback in home buyer activity, according to a property website.

Zoopla said the supply of homes being put up for sale generally is building momentum, although the overall choice of properties remains constrained.

The stock of homes available to buy is still 42% below the fiveyear average, although it was down by 47% in December 2021, Zoopla said.

The website has also seen an increase in demand from buyers in major cities such as Newcastle and Birmingham since the start of the year.

Towns such as Blackpool on the Lancashire coast and Swindon in Wiltshire have also seen a recent jump in demand, Zoopla added.

The strength of buyer demand amid constrained stock levels is continuing to put upward pressure on prices, the website said.

Across Britain, the average house price was up by 8.1% in the year to February, pushing the average home to a market value of £245,200.

Grainne Gilmore, head of research, Zoopla, said: “Demand is strongest for family houses, indicating a continued appetite for additional internal and external space.”

Zoopl apr edicts that increased pressure on household finances and wider global uncertainty will act as a drag on buyer demand during the year.

It said mortgage rates have already started to rise after the recent rise in the Bank of England base rate to 0.75%.

The report said: “All of these factors signal that potential sellers currently have a ‘window’ of strong buyer demand, especially those selling family houses.”

And a separate report has revealed the best places to live in the UK.

Ilkley in West Yorkshire (pictured) topped a list of 70 locations compiled by the Sunday Times.

The town was praised for its top schools, interesting shops, spectacular scenery and convenient rail links.

Judges were also impressed by its sports clubs and opportunities for young people, and by the energetic community spirit.

The guide also includes a list of regional winners.

The Isle of Bute was identified as the best place to live in Scotland while Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, was placed top in Wales.

The comprehensive guide is released online on Friday and an edited version will be available in the paper on Sunday.

The Sunday Times’s expert judges assessed a wide range of factors from schools, transport and broadband to culture, green spaces and the health of the high street.

Helen Davies, the Times and Sunday Times property editor, said: “The Sunday Times Best Places to Live list is necessarily subjective.

“Leave it just to statistics and you will never capture the spirit of a place. For that, you need to visit to take into account that ‘you have to be here’ feeling.

“Is the pub dog-friendly, for example? Can you live car-free? What are the schools and houses like? Is it multicultural and multigenerational, and can it offer a good way of life to lots of different sorts of people?”

She added: “We hope there is something to suit everyone.”