An interesting new report from Knight Frank has revealed the most expensive National Parks in England and Wales in which to purchase a property.
The data looks at the average sold price for detached homes within the boundaries of National Parks in both England and Wales in the year to January 2017. Results show that the average price paid in the South Downs was just over 674,000 – almost double the £350,000 average price of a property in England and Wales.
Prices
The New Forest- only given National Park status in 2005-was the second most expensive area, with homes here selling for £620,000 on average.
In comparison, the average price paid for a detached property in the county of Hampshire over the same period was just over £444,000.
Figures from the report are shown in the table below:
Average price paid: 12 months to Jan 2017, detached property
| National Park | Average price
(detached) |
County | Average price
(detached) |
| South Downs | £674,268 | West Sussex | £487,926 |
| New Forest | £620,883 | Hampshire | £444,287 |
| Peak District | £417,878 | Derbyshire | £244,222 |
| Lake District | £416,970 | Cumbria | £265,250 |
| Dartmoor | £372,980 | Devon | £326,261 |
| Exmoor | £345,277 | Somerset | £347,048 |
| Yorkshire Dales | £344,397 | North Yorkshire | £290,344 |
| The Broads | £319,864 | Norfolk | £280,652 |
| North York Moors | £296,038 | North Yorkshire | £290,344 |
| Brecon Beacons | £281,774 | Powys | £225,140 |
| Pembrokeshire Coast | £261,589 | Dyfed | £203,055 |
| Northumberland | £242,327 | Northumberland | £263,431 |
| Snowdonia | £205,124 | Gwynedd | £212,096 |
Where are the most expensive National Parks for property?
Quality of Life
Oliver Knight, Associate in Knight Frank’s Residential Research team, observed: ‘The high quality of life connected with living in some of the most distinctive landscapes in England and Wales is an obvious attraction for many home buyers, but this often comes with a premium. More restrictive planning regimes in place within National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty means supply can often fall short of demand and this – along with the nature of existing stock, which tend towards older, larger homes with land – has underpinned pricing.’[1]
‘Wider trends we’re experiencing in the housing market are also evident, not least the north-south divide in terms of pricing, with the South Downs and the New Forest topping the pricing charts. The London ripple effect is also evident within popular commuter location such as the Surrey Hills and the Chilterns,’ he continued.[1]
[1] http://www.propertyreporter.co.uk/property/where-are-the-top-performing-national-parks-in-terms-of-house-prices.html