Properties located close to some of Britain’s most prominent military bases are commanding price premiums of up to 51% compared with the wider local housing market, according to new analysis from eXp UK.
The estate agency network examined house prices across 12 postcode districts surrounding key Army, Navy and RAF locations, comparing average sold values in each area with those across their respective local authorities.
The research found that HMNB Clyde in Argyll and Bute – home to the Royal Navy’s submarine service – tops the list as Britain’s most desirable military town.
Homes in the G84 postcode, which includes the base and the nearby town of Helensburgh, command an average price of £308,476, a 51% premium compared with the local authority average of £183,122.
AROUND THE REGIONS
In second place is RAF Northolt in west London, where homes in the HA6 postcode average £783,822, 46% above the wider Hillingdon average of £489,761.
RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall ranks third, with homes in TR12 averaging £461,232, also a 46% premium on the local figure of £288,513.
Other high-performing areas include RAF Halton in Buckinghamshire (22% premium), Warminster in Wiltshire (12%), and Aldershot in Hampshire (10%).
NOT ALL PLAIN SAILING
However, not all military towns enjoy a pricing advantage. Homes near RAF Brize Norton, York Garrison, Colchester Garrison and HMNB Devonport all fall below their wider local averages, with Plymouth’s PL2 postcode sitting 14% lower than the citywide figure.
Adam Day (main picture, inset), Head of eXp UK and Europe, says: “Military towns are an integral part of the fabric of communities across the UK. They tend to benefit from stable local economies, strong infrastructure and a distinctive sense of community – all of which help make them particularly desirable to homebuyers.
For sellers, proximity to a well-established military presence can be a valuable asset that helps support property values, even when wider market conditions are more challenging.”
