What’s Happening with House Prices in B96?

Property prices in B96 carry a sense of suburban aspiration, but scratch the surface and the contrasts between property types are rather striking. The gap between detached homes and everything else is not just wide - it is positively cavernous. For those seeking space, detached houses promise abundant square footage, but at a price that would make most first-time buyers blanch. It is tempting to see these larger homes as a calm harbour away from the storm of city living. Still, how accessible is this dream when costs consistently soar above comparable villages?

Semi-detached and terraced properties paint a different picture. The semi-detached bracket, sandwiched awkwardly in the middle, seems stunted. Why so few transactions? Is it lack of supply or buyers simply drifting towards the extremes, either scaling up to detached sprawl or settling into more compact terraced living? For terraced homes, the price falls dramatically compared to the rest, but so does the living space, and with it, the chance for upward mobility. It leaves buyers caught between an affordable but limited stepping stone, and aspirational family houses that can feel frustratingly out of reach.

Then there are flats. Their tiny sliver of sales activity and modest average value suggest that apartment living here struggles to compete. Perhaps this fits with the B96 blueprint - more hedges than high-rises, more quiet cul-de-sacs than city squares. Still, when cost per square foot rivals larger homes, it is puzzling why buyers would settle for less space unless their options are truly dwindling.

So, what should we remember?

• The price chasm between detached and other options in B96 remains uncomfortably wide.
• Semi-detached homes are the wild card - rare on the market, and perhaps restricted by local supply quirks.
• Flats struggle to find their place, with sales thinner than a Worcestershire drizzle.
• For most buyers, ambition needs to be weighed against stark reality here.