Reading residents are Britain's nosiest neighbours
17th October 2016
- Reading residents check out the value of their neighbours’ homes nearly twice as much as the average Brit
- Dundee, Middlesbrough and Hull are home to Britain’s least nosey neighbours
- Top 10 nosiest towns have also experienced an annual increase in property value of at least 2.5 per cent
Reading is home to Britain’s nosiest neighbours, according to new research from leading property website, Zoopla. The Nosey Neighbours Index reveals that residents of this popular commuter belt town check out how much their neighbours’ homes are worth almost twice as much as the average Brit.
Compiled by examining how many times visitors to the Zoopla website used the property estimates tool to get an instant valuation on a neighbouring property, the Nosey Neighbours Index compared 50 of Britain’s biggest towns* against an average national ‘nosiness’ score of 100. Residents of Reading topped the table, indexing significantly higher – almost double the national average – with a score of 189.1.
The South East of England as a region appears to be full of residents wanting to boost their local property knowledge by getting the inside track on how much their neighbours’ properties are worth. A further three of the top 10 ‘nosiest’ towns - Milton Keynes (176.6), Southampton (129.9) and Brighton (118.5) – are all located in the area.
Comparing the top of the Index to the bottom shows a true north-south divide, with southern Britain seemingly keener on staying well-informed on neighbouring property values than the north. Dundee came in last place, with residents checking out their neighbours’ property prices 58.5 per cent less than average (a score of 41.5), and a range of towns in Yorkshire and Humber make up most of the bottom 10, with Hull (49.6), Doncaster (58.8), Rotherham (59.2) and Barnsley (64.7) placing third, sixth, seventh and ninth ‘least nosey’ respectively.
On a regional level, the research reveals Greater London locals to be the nosiest overall area, with the capital’s residents checking local property prices 79.6 per cent more than the average (a score of 179.6). London was closely followed by the South East (160.7) and East of England (135.2).
There also appears to be a correlation between the level of nosiness and property price growth in the last 12 months – generally property prices in the towns making up the top 10 have experienced a much larger growth rate than those in the bottom end of the table. Towns in the top 10 have all increased in average property value by 2.5 per cent or more in the last 12 months, compared to the least nosey towns where most have a growth rate of around one per cent, or less.
Lawrence Hall, spokesperson for Zoopla, comments: “Whether you are buying or selling, one of the best things you can do as you start this journey is to research the property market to get an idea of what is happening to house prices in your local area. Residents in Reading are clearly well aware of this and have their finger very firmly on the pulse when it comes to knowing their local market.”
Top 10 Nosiest Towns
| Rank | Post town | Nosey Neighbours Index Score | Average property price | Average property price growth in last 12 months |
| 1 | Reading | 189.1 | £418,515 | 4.88% |
| 2 | Milton Keynes | 176.6 | £290,273 | 5.58% |
| 3 | Cambridge | 159.6 | £442,717 | 2.74% |
| 4 | Central London | 157.6 | £1,355,793 | 4.79% |
| 5 | Colchester | 144 | £301,903 | 3.58% |
| 6 | Bedford | 138.5 | £309,838 | 5.94% |
| 7 | Swindon | 135.3 | £232,930 | 2.57% |
| 8 | Southampton | 129.9 | £278,960 | 3.68% |
| 9 | Bristol | 121.2 | £304,411 | 5.75% |
| 10 | Brighton | 118.5 | £377,030 | 3.12% |
Bottom 10 Nosiest Towns
| Rank | Post town | Nosey Neighbours Index Score | Average property price | Average property price growth in last 12 months |
| 1 | Dundee | 41.5 | £159,718 | 1.08% |
| 2 | Middlesbrough | 45.4 | £139,866 | 0.41% |
| 3 | Hull | 49.6 | £124,358 | -1.86% |
| 4 | Glasgow | 57.9 | £175,896 | 4.16% |
| 5 | Liverpool | 58 | £159,580 | 3.21% |
| 6 | Doncaster | 58.8 | £150,072 | -1.09% |
| 7 | Rotherham | 59.2 | £140,949 | 0.92% |
| 8 | Stoke-on-Trent | 60.3 | £140,019 | 1.37% |
| 9 | Barnsley | 64.7 | £130,523 | 0.35% |
| 10 | Wigan | 64.9 | £149,895 | -2.67% |
Regional Nosey Neighbours
| Rank | Region | Nosey Neighbours Index Score | Average property price | Average property price growth in last 12 months |
| 1 | Greater London | 179.6 | £653,485 | 3.92% |
| 2 | South East England | 160.7 | £392,264 | 5.99% |
| 3 | East of England | 135.2 | £338,322 | 7.54% |
| 4 | South West England | 103.4 | £282,297 | 3.91% |
| 5 | East Midlands | 92.4 | £198,953 | 0.67% |
| 6 | West Midlands | 89.7 | £208,725 | 3.68% |
| 7 | North West England | 80.3 | £182,721 | 2.33% |
| 8 | Yorkshire and The Humber | 76.9 | £167,130 | -0.49% |
| 9 | North East England | 64.4 | £182,459 | 0.40% |
| 10 | Wales | 62.5 | £175,543 | 0.18% |
| 11 | Scotland | 54.9 | £182,507 | 2.21% |
- Ends -
For further information, please contact PR Team on pr@zoopla.co.uk or +44 (0)20 3873 8770.
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