UK Attractions That Send House Prices Skyrocketing

With the summer holidays and summer tourism coming to an end, homeowners living near popular UK attractions may be interested to know the effect this can have on their properties. 

But, which UK attraction has the most positive impact on increasing property value? 

To help find out, buy-to-let insurance experts at Alan Boswell Group analysed the impact the UK’s most popular attractions have on the housing market, discovering which UK attractions increase your property value the most. 

Key Findings:

• Compton Acres in Dorset is the UK attraction increasing property value the most 

• Homes near Harewood House in Leeds are more than double the cities average (123%)

• Chester Zoo rounds of the top 15, driving house prices up by an average of 19%

• Stately Homes, Gardens, Animal Parks and Museums all make up the top 15 UK attractions that have a positive effect on average house prices 

• Theme parks (such as Drayton Manor, LegoLand, Thorpe Park, and Alton Towers) either increase property by less than 3% or negatively impact property value

Top 15 UK Attractions Boosting Property Value 

Rank	Attractions	Location	Average house price within a 1-mile radius	Average house price in the wider area	Average percentage difference
1.	Compton Acres	Dorset	£865,000	£322,000	169%
2.	Harewood House	West Yorkshire	£495,000	£222,500	123%
3.	Durham Cathedral	County Durham	£300,000	£150,000	100%
=4.	Woburn Safari Park	Buckinghamshire	£641,625	£345,000	86%
=4.	Whipsnade Zoo	Bedfordshire	£640,000	£345,000	86%
6.	Drusillas Park	East Sussex	£572,000	£315,875	81%
7.	Chatsworth House	Derbyshire	£620,000	£378,750	64%
8.	Yorkshire Wildlife Park	South Yorkshire	£240,000	£165,000	46%
9.	Ashmolean Museum	Oxfordshire	£600,750	£450,000	34%
10.	Bewilderwood	Norfolk	£360,000	£275,000	31%
11.	Peak Wildlife Park	Staffordshire	£242,500	£196,000	24%
=12.	Beamish Museum	Durham	£105,000	£86,750	21%
=12.	RHS Garden Harlow Carr	North Yorkshire	£375,000	£310,000	21%
=12.	Cadbury World	West Midlands	£265,000	£220,000	21%
15.	Chester Zoo	Cheshire	£315,500	£265,500	19%

The full dataset is available here. 

Living Near Compton Acres in Dorset Can Increase Your Property Value By 169% 

Buy-to-let insurance experts at Alan Boswell Group can reveal that living near the stunning gardens, Compton Acres, located in Poole, can increase your property value the most. With an average house price in the wider area costing around £322,000, compared to a staggering £865,000 within a one mile radius of the attraction. Living near the 105 year old picturesque gardens, filled with hidden trails and waterfalls can boost your property value by an impressive 168%.

Harewood House, in West Yorkshire is the second UK attraction adding the highest value to properties that are nearby. The beautiful country house increased property values by around 123% with house prices in the wider area averaging at £222,500 compared to over double for houses within a mile radios (£495,000). As the house featured in popular UK television, such as Downton Abbey and Emmerdale, as well as transforming into an outdoor cinema during the summer months, it's no wonder the location sky rockers house prices. 

Increasing house prices by an average of 100% is Durham Cathedral. House prices in the wider area typically cost around £150,000, however if your house is located within a mile radius of the stunning cathedral, it’s typically worth £300,000 which is double the original price (100%). With seasonal events hosted at the cathedral, such as the upcoming lightshow in October, expecting to welcome thousands of visitors being local to the Cathedral is a big positive to add value to your homes. 

A common theme to round off the top five, are animal parks, with Woburn Safari Park and Whipsnade Zoo both ranking as the joint fourth UK attraction to increase property values the most.  Living by the animal parks can increase your property value by 86% if you live within a one mile radius of the attraction, compared to in the wider area of Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire.

Living Near The National Media Museum In Bradford Will Devalue Your Property The Most

Of all the attractions included in this study, living near The National Media Museum in Bradford has the largest negative impact on your property value. Houses in the wider area of Bradford are typically valued at around £150,000, compared to £95,000 near the Museum. Living within a one mile radius of The National Media Museum reduces property value by a staggering -37% compared to in the wider area, with the caveat that there are several large blocks of flats nearby that probably skew the figures.

Heath Alexander-Bew, on behalf of the buy-to-let insurance experts at Alan Boswell Group comments:

“Being aware of the wider surrounding area of their property is increasingly critical for landlords, especially as the location of key attractions can impact property value, both positively and negatively. Being close to a well known, popular attraction can be very advantageous, especially adding to the value of your property. Popular attractions drive high footfall which increases the demand for short-lets and increases rental opportunities. This is even more impactful if attractions have a year-round appeal, as it can generate interest beyond the typically popular summer season. 

Proximity to an attraction is also a key factor for those considering buying a property, as this may help enhance the appeal of the area or it may not add anything, other than increased footfall in the area. This is a very fine balance, if you get it right your property value can see a significant rise and rental returns can outperform the wider market.”