Back to nature: the New Forest named most expensive national park in England and Wales — but Snowdonia is a steal

Homes in England and Wales' national parks cost an average of £116,500 more than homes in the surrounding county.
1/12
Jess Denham29 November 2017

Nature lovers dreaming of buying a home in a national park will need to stump up an extra £116,500 to afford one.

House prices in 12 major national parks in England and Wales are, on average, 46 per cent higher than the average for their county, with four — the New Forest, the South Downs, the Peak District and the Lake District — attracting a price premium of more than £150,000.

Buyers can expect to pay an average of £368,804 for a home in one of the UK's 15 national parks, according to new research by Lloyds Bank.

Prices have risen by more than £51,000 over the last decade, with South Downs, stretching from Hampshire to East Sussex and The Broads in Norfolk and Suffolk seeing the biggest hikes.

MORE EXPENSIVE IN THE SOUTH

The New Forest in Hampshire and Wiltshire is the most expensive national park to live in with average house prices of £581,448.

Andrew Rome, Regional Chairman at Knight Frank, put the high costs down to the area's natural beauty and range of housing options.

"The New Forest attracts a variety of buyers — families moving out of London, older couples downsizing — but connecting them all is the desire to live near the great outdoors," he says. "The forest offers renowned walking, riding and cycling, and you can be by the sea within half an hour.

"In terms of a premium, the park is sought-after as it offers a range of housing stock, from large country houses and coastal homes around Beaulieu to townhouses in villages such as Brockenhurst."

The South Downs and the Lake District are the next most expensive national parks.

Properties in the Lake District — the UK’s most visited national park — command the heftiest premium, with average house prices more than double those in the surrounding county.

Popular: Lake Windermere in the Lake District
Shutterstock/Neil Mitchell

GO REMOTE FOR LOWER HOUSE PRICES

Snowdonia in Wales is the most affordable national park to live in, with the average home costing just £180,126. It is the only national park where house prices in the park are lower than elsewhere in the county, costing three per cent less.

Christopher Thomas, branch manager at Bob Parry Estate Agents in Llanrwst on the outskirts of Snowdonia, believes the park’s affordability is mainly down to its remoteness.

“Property prices have been static over the past couple of years and I don’t see a rise coming anytime soon,” he says. “There isn’t a great amount of well-paid jobs in the area and amenities in some villages are non-existent.”

“Snowdonia appeals most to buyers wanting second homes but the extra three per cent stamp duty and 50 per cent higher council tax on second homes tends to keep prices down."

Remote: Snowdonia is the UK's most affordable national park
Shutterstock/Joanne Dunbar

LACK OF NEW HOUSING TO BLAME

Oliver Knight, an associate in Knight Frank’s Residential Research team, blames high prices in national parks on a lack of new housing developments.

“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,” he says.

“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.

“Wider trends we’re experiencing in the housing market are also evident, not least the north-south divide in terms of pricing, with the New Forest and the South Downs topping the pricing charts. The London ripple effect is also evident within popular commuter locations such as the Surrey Hills and the Chilterns.”

Close to London: Prices are also high in the South Downs
Shutterstock

COULD LONDON BE THE FIRST NATIONAL PARK CITY?

Londoners may soon get their own taste of national park life after Mayor of London Sadiq Khan launched plans in August to help make the capital the first National Park City and “the greenest city in the world”.

The Mayor’s intends to use planning regulations to protect the Green Belt and incorporate ‘green roofs’ covered in grass and plants into new developments to help boost air quality.

He plans to fund thousands of trees and improvements to community green spaces as part of the new £9 million Greener City Fund for London and will launch a formal bid for National Park City status at an international parks summit in spring 2019.