According to the latest analysis, areas in Northumberland, County Durham, and the West Midlands are outperforming well-known high-end regions such as Surrey and Buckinghamshire when it comes to property price premiums at the postcode level.
The research, which compared average house prices within specific postcodes against wider local authority averages, found that select postcodes in these northern and midland regions are commanding significant premiums. This trend defies longstanding assumptions about regional property values.
In Northumberland, for example, properties in desirable coastal and countryside locations are selling for well above the county average. Similarly, parts of County Durham are benefiting from regeneration, commuter accessibility and increased demand from out-of-area buyers, pushing localised prices higher. Meanwhile, the West Midlands, particularly suburbs around Birmingham and Coventry, are seeing a surge in demand due to improved transport links, new developments and shifting buyer priorities post-pandemic.
The findings challenge the long-held belief that postcodes in the South East dominate when it comes to housing premiums. While Surrey and Buckinghamshire still command high absolute prices, they no longer dominate when comparing postcode-level values relative to surrounding averages.
Property experts suggest that the trend reflects a growing rebalancing of the housing market, as buyers increasingly look beyond traditional hotspots in search of better value and lifestyle.
As infrastructure projects, remote working and regional investment continue to shape the market, industry watchers expect this redistribution of premium postcodes to continue. The property map of England may look very different in the years ahead.