Here are the UK's new housing hotspots, where property is prized
After more than a year of working from home, living in a city is looking a lot less desirable - or necessary.
Now, Rightmove has revealed that house prices outside of London have risen further in the last month, as city dwellers continue the mass exodus that began during lockdown.
The property website revealed that asking prices advertised on its site between 11 April and 8 May were 1.8% higher than the previous month, when they rose by 2.1%.
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Compared to March 2020, asking prices are now 6.7% higher, with the national average sitting at a hefy £333,564.
However, asking prices for homes in London are just 0.2% higher than they were a year ago, with the rise in prices outside of London “defying predictions”.
"Last year's unexpected mini-boom is rolling on into 2021, with new price and market activity records again defying many predictions," Tim Bannister, Rightmove's Director of Property Data, said in a statement.
So where's everybody going? Earlier this month, data from Rightmove listed the towns that have seen the highest number of alerts set up for available homes.
The chic Manchester suburb of Didsbury topped the list, with an average asking price of £367,429. And city types may want to book that ticket north, with Greater Manchester home to another four hotspots. Meanwhile, Merseyside's desirable Wirral Peninsula offers waterside living with miles of unspoilt beaches, and West Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire are also hugely appealing to home buyers. Just two London suburbs - Walthamstow and Chiswick - made the top 10, suggesting that some want to move further out of the city, but still want to stay on the tube line.
The top 10 property hotspots in the UK
Didsbury, Greater Manchester (average price: £367,429)
Walthamstow, London (£499,534)
Wirral, Merseyside (£287,243)
Prestwich, Greater Manchester (£277,643)
Horsforth, West Yorkshire (£312,460)
Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Greater Manchester (£359,377)
West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire (£365,370)
Heaton Moor, Greater Manchester (£307,040)
Bramhall, Greater Manchester (£482,311)
Chiswick, London (£969,350)
It’s not just home buyers - London renters are also looking to leave the city as lockdown ends.
A survey from rental site SpareRoom found that 77% of London renters who are planning to move are set to leave the city post-lockdown, with the majority wanting to live closer to friends and family.
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"Over the past year we’ve seen the effect Covid-19 had on London rents, with averages falling consistently in four consecutive quarters," SpareRoom spokesperson Matt Hutchinson said.
"That's driven largely by a drop in demand compared to supply, as renters left the capital during lockdown. At the same time, rents have risen slightly in the rest of the UK."
As well as wanting to be closer to friends and family, those looking to leave also want more access to nature and green space, dream of a place without flatmates and would like to have more space to work from home.
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However, as London reopens, Hutchinson says there could be a surge in popularity for the capital again.
"As the country starts to open up more over the coming weeks and months, we'll see pent up demand being released. We'll also see the return of jobs in sectors like entertainment, hospitality and tourism, on which London relies so heavily.
"Whether that means a mass return to the capital, or whether some of those who left won't return remains to be seen. But we do expect things to shift over the summer."
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