The coronavirus pandemic caused an unprecedented economic shock in the UK, closing businesses and putting people out of work left, right and centre.
But despite that, average house prices held up across England and Wales – even if there was a drop in sales.
Prices rose by 4.1% between October 2019 and September 2020 compared to the same period the year before, reaching an average of £310,782, according to the Office for National Statistics. Over that time, the volume of house sales fell by almost a quarter (24%).
The ONS also publishes house price figures by Middle Layer Super Output Areas (MSOAs) – small geographic areas containing an average population of 7,200 people.
These show 4,631 of the more than 7,000 MSOAs in England and Wales saw a rise in house prices over the same period.
Here we reveal which neighbourhoods saw the strongest growth in the year to September 2020.
9. Everton West, Liverpool
Heading north to Liverpool, and it’s Everton West up next. Here prices increased from £64,221 to £100,199, an increase of 56%. Transactions were down by 90% though, with just 38 sales compared to 370, so a stall in the lower end of the market could be behind the rise. Photo: Google Maps
10. Highfield and Lowfield, Sheffield
Average prices in the Highfield and Lowfield area of Sheffield rose by 53.9%, climbing from £110,739 to £170,440. Sales fell from 224 to 63, a drop of 72%. Photo: Google Maps
11. Oxford Central, Oxford
Oxford Central in – you guessed it – Oxford saw prices rise by 50.1%, from £668,238 to just over £1 million. Sales only fell by 5%, from 40 to 38. Photo: Google Maps
12. Sparkbrook North, Birmingham
In Birmingham’s Sparkbrook North, prices rose by 49.6% while sales fell by 5%. There were 19 sales in the year to September with an average price of £194,684, compared to 20 sales averaging £130,105 the previous year. Photo: Google Maps