Buxton house prices on the rise - thanks to town's starring role in TV drama

Data compiled by Trussle has revealed house prices in locations of popular picturesque television programmes rose by an average of six per cent in the past year, compared to neighbouring towns which saw a four per cent increase.

In Buxton which provided the backdrop to season four of ITV’s Unforgotten, there was actually an average increase of 9.51 per cent – 34 per cent higher than neighbouring Macclesfield – making it the fastest climber on the list of programme locations.

Miles Robinson, head of mortgages at Trussle, said: “The last year has seen a big shift in homeowner priorities. Searches for properties in small towns and villages doubled as city dwellers opted for countryside living.

“Increased time spent indoors led to one in seven adults considering a move to a home with more space and it seems our favourite TV programmes are inspiring us too, becoming much more than an ‘escape from reality.’”

The rise is not all necessarily due to the television effect. The Office for National Statistics reported this week that average house prices in England rose 10.2 per cent to £275,000 over the past year. Trussle puts the average price in Buxton at £236,277.

But the location phenomenon pre-dates the COVID-19 pandemic, with houses close to the set of serial crime drama Broadchurch rising 8.3 per cent when the show aired in 2013, and those close to Poldark’s scenic setting spiking by 11 per cent in 2015.

Other fast climbers for 2020-21 include the locations of Deadwater Fell, Sex Education, Pursuit of Love, The Bay, Afterlife, Bridgerton and Bloodlands.

The only place which topped Buxton on Trussle’s ranking for this year was Holkham beach in Norfolk, which featured in a family video produced by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to mark their tenth wedding anniversary.

Miles added: “The Government’s 95 per cent loan-to-value mortgage guarantee scheme, coupled with the extension of the Stamp Duty holiday, is likely to boost demand further in the first half of this year. As buyers with smaller deposits return to market we could see demand continue to increase, pushing up house prices even further.”

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