What’s occurring? Barry tops the list for house price growth in Great Britain

The home of one of the nation’s favourite sitcoms is currently Great Britain’s hottest market for property asking prices, new Rightmove data can reveal.

Barry, in the Vale Of Glamorgan in Wales, which fans of BBC’s Gavin and Stacey will know as Stacey’s hometown, is currently the most thriving housing market with average asking prices rising by 11% over the past year.

The average asking price of a property in Barry is currently £191,050, up from £172,752 this time last year. The 11% increase compares to an increase in Wales overall of 2.9%.

Average asking prices in Barry are more than 20% higher than they were five years ago when they were £156,878.

Perhaps it’s down to Nessa’s slots arcade doing a roaring trade, or Dave’s Coaches business boosting the local economy.

Rightmove’s property expert Miles Shipside said: “It’s great to see Barry named as the country’s hottest property market right now. It’s a great tourist spot thanks to the popularity of Gavin and Stacey, and not forgetting Barry also boasts some quite stunning coastal views.”

Andrew Fenton, sales director at Vale of Glamorgan-based Chris Davies Estate Agents, said: “Barry is the place to be so I’m not at all surprised by Rightmove’s findings. “Property prices here compared with Cardiff and its suburbs are comparatively reasonable. We’ve seen a lot of economic growth and there are 2,500 new homes being built down at the waterside called The Quays. We’ve also got very good schools down here.

“I think even five years ago, Barry was popular with home-hunters, but a major factor recently has been the abolition of the Severn Bridge tolls. Since then, people in Newport have been priced out of their own town by investors from Bristol and what have you, so those people have been coming to Barry. But we all love the Gavin and Stacey connection, why wouldn’t we? It certainly makes a difference, there’s no question of that. We’re in the public domain and are a topic of conversation.

“Mr Danter, who owns the pleasure park on Barry Island, has ploughed so much money into it, everyone knows about it. The show has been great for the town, it’s put us on the map and has promoted the local area. It’s been brilliant.”

ENDS

All data from Rightmove’s asking price dataset.