Nestled in quaint countryside and picturesque landscapes, the villages across the UK offer an alluring place to put down roots. Working from home during the pandemic caused a rush of relocations out of bustling concrete jungle metropolises. With the resurgence of employees returning to the office, is the appeal of village life still as strong and where are the trending villages that everyone longs to live in?
Our analysts have looked at the most desirable villages in the UK. Let’s examine the results:
The top 10 most desirable villages in England:
The top 10 most desirable villages in Scotland:
The top 10 most desirable villages in Wales:
The top 10 most desirable villages in Northern Ireland:
Hutton Henry in County Durham came out as the English village with the highest growth in desirability, with the average price of a property at £354K, up by a massive 12.2% on average per annum since 2019. With 247 properties in the village, it takes only 32 days to sell a property. The allure of the Lake District may have powered Arlecdon, Great Salkeld and Kirkby Thore into positions six, seven and ten.
In Scotland, Muirkirk, located on the north bank of the River Ayr, took the top slot with an average property price of £107K. Just 20 miles south, Muirkirk’s neighbouring village Kelloholm made it into the runner-up spot. The draw of the beach likely helped boost Cullen into fourth spot.
Powys’ Llanfyllin is the Welsh village with the highest growth in desirability with a much higher average property price of £444K. For Northern Ireland, Camlough in County Armagh, at £352K and 61 days to sell was the most desired village. County Antrim faired the best in terms of counties, with the villages of Carnlough, Doagh, Cushendall and Toome all making the list.
We’ve compiled the desirability improvement rating based on the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of prices and the time it takes to sell a property in the village. We have equally weighted the two metrics and compared 2019 to 2024 to find out the top villages that have become more desirable post-Covid.
Listings gone in the blink of an eye
When we look closely at the time to sell village properties, it’s compelling stuff. The time to sell is measured as the number of days between the property being listed by an estate agent to becoming Sold Subject to Contract.
The average number of days to sell nationally is a substantial 72 days. As you can see from our tables, most villages sell well below the national average, showing just how sought-after village life is. Properties in Amotherby are snapped up quickly, at just 11 days followed by Cullen in Scotland at 18 days. All of the top 10 most desirable villages in England and Scotland came in under the 74-day average as the UK population long to seize a slice of tranquillity away from busy city life.
Conclusion
The charm of UK village life continues to captivate far beyond the pandemic. As many people continue to work from home or have an established hybrid working contract, village life is the perfect escape from urban living.
Investing in or relocating to one of these hotspots promises not only the benefits of living in some of the most beautiful parts of the UK but also the potential for growth and appreciation.
Notes on our analysis:
- Figures based on comparing June 2023 to May 2024 with a pre-Covid period - June 2018 to May 2019
- Only villages with a minimum of 75% of housing stock classified as having rural urbanity have been included
- The village must have more than 100 homes
- The village must have at least 10 New Instructions in both periods of comparison
- The village must have had at least 5 Sales Agreed in both periods of comparison
TwentyCi analyse UK property data and we write a quarterly residential property report reviewing the state of the UK residential property market.