Choosing the perfect location to invest in or settle down is a formidable challenge. When searching for a home, most individuals begin with the fundamentals: What is my budget, and what offers the best value for my hard-earned money? However, numerous factors can influence the quality of life, ranging from noise pollution and local crime rates to everyday household expenses and rates.
Our aggregator partner at Quotezone, a price comparison site, has created the ultimate buyer’s index to assist home seekers with their research. This comprehensive guide compares regions across England based on house prices, crime rates, noise pollution, council rates, and insurance costs.
The findings reveal that London, the North West, and Yorkshire are prime areas for burglary, with between 24,000 and 38,000 incidents reported in the past year. London and the South East have the highest overall crime volumes, while Yorkshire and The Humber are regions with significant crime rates.
House price fluctuations suggest potential value in the West Midlands, where annual house prices have dropped by 2.9%. However, prospective buyers should be cautious of council tax hikes, with Birmingham anticipating an annual increase of nearly £400. Conversely, the North East has seen a 2.9% rise in house prices over the last year, boasting the lowest average house price of £160,406.
The South West is considered 37% safer than the overall crime average in England, with a crime rate nearly half that of Yorkshire at 56 and just over 10,000 burglaries.
Other aspects, such as noise pollution and proximity to busy roads, are also crucial when selecting a property. It is no surprise that London leads in the number of people irritated or sleep-deprived by road noise. Interestingly, the North West is close behind, with 99 and 79 people per 100,000, respectively, affected by noise-related sleep disturbances.
Greg Wilson, Founder and CEO of Quotezone.co.uk, remarked: “This is an incredibly tough period for those trying to climb the property ladder. The cost-of-living crisis has made people hesitant to move, and securing a mortgage is challenging. As the economy begins to show initial signs of recovery, we may see more activity in the housing market by 2024.
“Since relocating is neither quick nor easy, buyers must exercise extra caution in choosing where to buy. They must thoroughly research to ensure the property and the area suit their household’s needs now and for the foreseeable future.
“Our index is designed to aid house hunters’ research, highlighting critical elements such as burglary incidents and excessive noise.
“Most mortgage lenders require a home insurance policy to safeguard their investment, which must be in place before moving day when accidents are more likely to happen. However, this insurance doesn’t have to be expensive. Homebuyers can shop around for competitive prices and add or remove extras as needed to find savings and protect their finances. Our index can assist by showing the average home insurance prices in various areas, enabling homeowners to determine if they’re getting a good deal. If not, they can renegotiate or switch providers.”
If we can assist with your home insurance, get an instant quote at the link below or call 0207 965 7467 for a broker service:
https://www.provenanceinsurance.co.uk/home-personal-insurance/
References:
Crime rate and total crimes – https://crimerate.co.uk/england.
Burglary statistics – https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/policeforceareadatatables.
Average house price – UK House Price Index summary: February 2024 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Road traffic noise DALY rates (per 100,000 people) by English regions (2018). Appendix A Supplementary materials – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412023002398#:~:text=Results,%E2%88%BC17%2C000%20from%20aircraft%20noise.
Insurance Data – The sample used 100,000 home insurance policies from Q1 2023 – Q1 2024, based on the UK average three-bedroom property.
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