Bradford and Huddersfield named as UK locations with the biggest rises in house prices in 2023

The city of Bradford and the market town of Huddersfield saw the biggest rises anywhere in the UK in average property value between 2022 and 2023.

In Huddersfield, the average home now costs £22,000 more than it did a year ago – from £253,000 to £275,000. In Bradford, the increase is around £15,000, from £178,000 to £193,000. In the UK as a whole, values actually fell by three per cent.

Although both locations, known for their historic links to the woollen industry, have well-documented issues with urban deprivation and are trying to regenerate their traditional commercial centres, postcodes on their rural fringes have proved particularly attractive to buyers.

The Telegraph interviewed estate agent Oliver Bolton of Ryder & Dutton, who said Huddersfield’s appeal lay in its easy access to the M62 for commuting to Manchester and Leeds and proximity to the Pennine countryside and the Peak District National Park.

Many buyers looking in villages around the town are remote or hybrid workers looking for a semi-rural lifestyle, with Mr Bolton citing the Holme Valley and Colne Valley as popular areas. Holmfirth and Slaithwaite, both known for their mill heritage and independent businesses, are hotspots.

The M62 corridor includes clusters of high earners in villages such as North and South Fixby, Bradley, Kirkheaton, West Golcar, Honley, Brockholes, Lepton and Flockton, as well as the Kirklees town of Mirfield. Upperthong, Holmbridge, Meltham, Shelley and Shepley in the Pennine fringes are also popular.

The newspaper asked Mark Bower of Hamilton Bower about Bradford’s appeal, with the city’s rise in desirability attributed to its good value for money compared to nearby Leeds and range of diverse restaurants. The city centre has a good cultural offering, with numerous museums, theatres and galleries, and its profile has been boosted by its frequent use as a TV filming location.

The wider Bradford district does have some hotspots, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Saltaire and the Worth Valley villages of Haworth and Oxenhope, known for their Bronte links. The spa town of Ilkley has some of the region’s highest prices.