House prices rise in prosperous areas

A survey by the Halifax has shown the value of homes in more prosperous areas are growing much faster than those in more deprived areas.

The survey showed that in the 10 areas with the highest growth rates, including Edinburgh, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, property values had risen 219% in the decade between 1998 and 2008 whereas those in the least prosperous areas, which included Coventry, Stoke-on-Trent and Blackpool, had risen by 195%.

The survey also showed that since 2008 there had been a 24% fall in house prices in those areas with the biggest drop in economic activity while there had been only a 13% decline in those areas with the smallest economic decline.

Suren Thiru, housing economist at Halifax, said: “Unsurprisingly, house price growth over the past decade has been stronger in the areas that have seen the biggest increases in economic activity. The North-South divide that has opened up recently with the general outperformance of the housing market in southern England appears to reflect the stronger economic performance of these regions.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/house-prices-surge-in-prosperous-areas-2300052.html