Huddersfield is a new hotspot for housing in the UK, according to a survey.
In what may seem a surprise ranking to Southerners, the town was the third most searched for area on property website Zoopla, after London and Greater Manchester.
From January to June 2016 London has fallen from number one for growth in housing prices, tumbling to number nine.
In the same period Huddersfield has boomed, seeing the highest growth in house prices of any town in the UK, according to the Sunday Times.
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These results seem to show that interest in property has moved up north towards the town from the once dominating capital.
The house prices in the area have swelled by 4.71% over the past six months alone to an average of £167,306, seemingly showing a confidence in investment in the town. This is comparison to just 0.09% growth for London during the same period.
Liam Doran, branch manager at Reeds Rain estate agents in Huddersfield, believes people are beginning to see the many attractive qualities Huddersfield has to offer buyers.
He explained: “The central position from a commutable point of view is a great selling point for the town.
“With good transport links to Leeds and Manchester, this can be a deal breaker for people who work in the two cities, but want a cheaper or more rural alternative.”
Liam added price is also a main attraction and that, in comparison to some other areas in the North, housing in Huddersfield can offer “better value for money.”
However, according to experts, the standout success story that seems to have solidified Huddersfield’s boom in the demand for housing is the University of Huddersfield.
Liam said the University of Huddersfield – which won the University of the Year award in 2013 – has established a growing status as a well known and “up and coming” university.
This has pushed up numbers of students studying there and with that comes an increase in buy-to-let investment in the town.
There has been some suggestion that the vote to leave the European Union has shaken confidence in Huddersfield’s property as it has done elsewhere, albeit slightly.
However, for the most part, the property market in Huddersfield seems to be full steam ahead as more and more people take interest in the town’s attractive and unique offerings.
