Spa towns see house prices jump £1,000 a month

Spa towns have seen huge house price growth, and there's little sign of this bubble popping!

House prices in spa towns have been among the most buoyant in England and Wales over the last ten years, according to new research from Lloyds TSB.

Homeowners in these desirable towns have seen the value of their properties rise by almost £130,000 in the last decade, from an average of £146,194 in November 2001 to £275,397 in 2011.

This enormous 88% increase is equivalent to a monthly rise in prices of £1,077. 

In addition, spa towns command a significant premium on their neighbouring areas, creating property bubbles in these often swanky enclaves.

Double bubble

In five spa towns house prices have more than doubled in the last ten years alone.

By far the largest increase was in Builth Wells in Powys, mid-Wales, where prices swelled 170%. Nearby spa town Llandrindod Wells saw the second biggest boost with a 109% rise.

At the other end of the scale was Epsom in Surrey, which saw the smallest increase in house prices (62%) of any spa town in England and Wales in the last ten years.

Indeed, there is a clear north/south divide in the fortunes of spa towns, with northern and Welsh towns experiencing enormous price rises, compared to more modest increases in the south.

Of course, this is probably related to the much lower bases that the northern and Welsh spa towns started from in relation to their southern counterparts.

When you look at Epsom, for example, which saw the smallest rise, it is still the most expensive spa town in the country, with an average house price of £339,231.

And despite having seen the biggest jumps in ten years, Llandrindod Wells and Builth Wells have the two lowest spa town prices in England and Wales at £155,469 and £183,050 respectively:

Spa towns: biggest risers

Source: Land Registry, Lloyds TSB

The spa town premium

Prices in spa towns are not just high, they are also particularly pricey compared to their surrounding areas – creating real property bubbles.

Buyers have to fork out an extra £48,123, on average, to live in a desirable spa town, with prices 27% higher than the average house price in their county.

And while spa towns have always commanded a hefty price tag this premium has almost doubled in the last ten years, from an average premium of £26,834 in 2001.

The biggest spa town premium is paid by purchasers in affluent Ilkley in west Yorkshire, where buyers have to pay an eye-watering £143,388 extra to live there compared to surrounding areas. Now that is a property bubble!

Boston Spa is similarly fizzy, with house prices on average £127,634 higher than neighbouring parts of west Yorkshire.

The table below highlights the five biggest property premiums paid in spa towns in England and Wales:

Source: Land Registry, Lloyds TSB

L’eau affordability

While high property prices are great for those lucky enough to already own a home in a spa town, they do have a debilitating impact on younger people in those areas who are looking to get onto the housing ladder.

In fact, half of the 18 spa towns have an average house price that exceeds £250,000.

When you consider that most mortgage lenders require at least a 10% deposit, £25,000 is a steep sum to save for many first-time buyers. Even if you managed it you would still need a pretty hefty income for a lender to offer you a £225,000 mortgage.

If you are planning a purchase in a spa town, or in an equally lovely area without its own spring water, below are some of the best mortgage deals available right now:

15 fab fixes

10 top variable deals

More: Cost of mortgage repayments falling | How to stand the best chance of getting a mortgage

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