Morecambe has become a new property hotspot, thanks to ITV drama The Bay. Rightmove has reported a 71-per-cent surge in searches for homes in the area.
Related: House prices are at a record high, but Rightmove has a warning for sellers... (opens in new tab)
TV dramas boosting local property markets is a long-standing phenomenon. Downton Abbey famously made house prices shoot up in north Hampshire by more than 40 per cent. Recently, shows like Poldark, Broadchurch, and Midsomer Murders have all contributed to upping local house prices. Now it’s Morecambe’s turn.
The shocking crime drama returned for a second series this month, and searches for homes in the seaside town immediately shot up. Morecambe had the biggest increase in searches over a single week than anywhere else in Great Britain.
New property hotspot - Morecambe
The Bay has already made impressive changes to the local property market in Morecambe. The average asking price in the town has gone up 6.4 per cent over the past year. In the last five years, house prices have increased by a whopping 16.7 per cent, pushing them up to £151,607.
Cornwall is experiencing another coastal area seeing a surge in interest overall. This is a combination of pandemic-spurred relocating and a never-ending supply of shows and movies filmed in the picturesque county, including the recent version of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca by Netflix.
The beautiful St Ives never seems to go down in popularity and is currently experiencing a 149 per cent increase in buyer interest. Other picturesque Cornish locations are surging even higher. The tiny town of Looe came out as the most in-demand town, up 176 per cent in popularity.
‘As a nation, we’re fascinated with property, but what’s really interesting about this research is that it clearly shows the link between home-hunters’ searches and their everyday lives,' says Rightmove’s Director of Property Data Tim Bannister.
'People are watching TV shows such as The Bay and then scrolling through Rightmove on their devices to see what’s available. And that’s why we’ve seen such a big spike in interest for property in Morecambe. The same is true of Devon and Cornwall.'
'There’s a number of Cornwall-focused lifestyle shows on TV at the moment and it’s hard not to get swept away dreaming about a life in the south-west. Rural and seaside areas are rising in popularity, so it’s a trend that bodes well for sellers in these locations.’
Related: See Zoopla's most viewed homes since the Stamp Duty holiday announcement – we're loving the cute cottage in Wales (opens in new tab)
There’s always a link between what people watch on TV and their fantasy lives. So while we might not all be packing our bags for the coast, who doesn’t dream about living by the sea, at least occasionally?
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