People in Reading are the most likely to check how much their neighbours’ homes are worth – while those in Milton Keynes are the most inclined to check the value of their own property, analysis by a website has found.
Zoopla made the “nosey neighbour” findings by examining how frequently visitors to its website used the estimates tool to get an instant valuation on a neighbouring property during 2018.
The analysis was based on Britain’s 50 biggest towns and cities and Zoopla looked at the number of times property price estimates were run in each area and divided this by the total number of properties there.
It found that as well as being the most likely to check the value of their own properties, people in Milton Keynes were also the second most keen, after those in Reading, to find out how much their neighbours’ homes are worth.
At the other end of the spectrum, people in Middlesbrough, Rotherham and Dundee were the least likely to be checking up on the value of their neighbours’ properties.
Annabel Dixon, a spokeswoman for Zoopla, said: “Whether Brits are plotting their next move, or simply curious, it’s fascinating to see the stark contrasts in nosey behaviour from town to town.”
She said that getting such valuations can help those looking to buy or sell, when they are researching their local property market, to make an informed decision.
Here are the top 10 towns and cities where people are most likely to check out how much their neighbours’ homes are worth, with the average property value there, according to Zoopla:
1. Reading, £422,153
2. Milton Keynes, £306,453
3. Bedford, £328,873
4. Swindon, £260,003
5. Colchester, £323,626
6. Cambridge, £458,482
7. Stockport, £266,979
8. Newport (South Wales), £181,787
9. Bournemouth, £306,289
10. Coventry, £211,600
And here are the towns and cities where where people are least likely to check out how much their neighbours’ homes are worth, with the average property value there, according to Zoopla:
1. Middlesbrough, £145,645
2. Rotherham, £152,180
3. Dundee, £171,469
4. Hull, £142,233
5. Doncaster, £156,414
6. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, £210,272
7. Barnsley, £142,874
8. Liverpool, £173,400
9. Glasgow, £191,832
10. Oldham, £155,282
Here is how likely people are across Britain’s nations and regions to check the value of their neighbour’s property ranked from most likely to least, with the average property value, according to Zoopla:
1. South East England, £408,968
2. London, £655,107
3. East of England, £360,720
4. South West England, £309,077
5. West Midlands, £233,669
6. East Midlands, £222,323
7. North West England, £197,001
8. Yorkshire and the Humber, £180,387
9. Wales, £191,299
10. Scotland, £194,242
11. North East England, £191,747
And here is the list of towns where people are most likely to check the value of their own homes, with the average house price there, according to Zoopla:
1. Milton Keynes, £306,453
2. Bedford, £328,873
3. Colchester, £323,626
4. Swindon, £260,003
5. Reading, £422,153
6. Northampton, £262,394
7. Bristol, £332,135
8. Southampton, £293,424
9. Bournemouth, £306,289
10. Cambridge, £458,482