London revealed as 'nosey neighbour' capital of Britain
10th November 2010
- Londoners do more virtual curtain twitching than anywhere else in Britain
- Liverpudlians are least nosey about their neighbours' property values
- Bournemouth homeowners most clued up about their own property's value
- Residents of Richmond-upon-Thames are the nosiest neighbours of all
London is the online curtain-twitching capital of Britain, where more residents monitor the value of their neighbour's homes than anywhere else in the country, according to the latest research from property information website Zoopla.co.uk. Meanwhile, Bournemouth has the highest proportion of informed homeowners, who regularly track the value of their own properties online.
Continued housing market uncertainty has increased British homeowners' obsession with keeping tabs on the value of their biggest asset and comparing it to that of their neighbours, made easier by Zoopla.co.uk, which provide free, instant value estimates for every property in the country.
The figures, based on over two million value estimates run by users of the Zoopla.co.uk website, show that London is home to the 'nosiest neighbours' in Britain, who regularly check the value of their neighbours' properties online, followed closely by residents of Reading and Milton Keynes. At the other end of the scale, residents in Liverpool, Hull and Wolverhampton show the least interest in keeping up with the values of their neighbours' homes.
When it comes to owners monitoring the value of their own homes, Bournemouth takes the prize for having the 'most-informed' property owners. In contrast, homeowners in Middlesbrough appear the least informed and interested in staying up-to-date with the current value of their homes.
Within London, the research revealed that the nosiest residents are to be found in Richmond-upon-Thames, Wandsworth and Hammersmith & Fulham, whilst those least interested in keeping up with the Joneses can be found in are Hackney, Barking and Dagenham and the City of London.
Nicholas Leeming, Commercial Director of Zoopla.co.uk comments: "The constant stream of conflicting house price reports makes it hard for property owners to make sense of what is really happening in their local housing markets. Nosiness is a particularly British trait, but it isn't a bad thing when it comes to property. Monitoring the value of an individual property and staying on top of local market statistics and recent transaction prices allows both buyers and sellers to make more informed property-related decisions. Being in the know, doing your research and gathering as much information as possible is the smart thing to do and the internet makes this infinitely easier to do via sites such as Zoopla.co.uk. Perhaps the British should be regarded as 'knowsey' rather than 'nosey'?"
Britain's nosiest neighbours
| Rank | Town | Nosiness Index* | Avg. property value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London | 157.7 | £395,892 |
| 2 | Reading | 145.3 | £283,077 |
| 3 | Milton Keynes | 128.8 | £204,715 |
| 4 | Aberdeen | 120.1 | £205,684 |
| 5 | Cambridge | 113.6 | £297,231 |
| 6 | Bristol | 110.8 | £221,071 |
| 7 | York | 109.8 | £217,589 |
| 8 | Southampton | 105.9 | £215,116 |
| 9 | Stockport | 104.3 | £189,751 |
| 10 | Northampton | 103.7 | £183,409 |
Source: Zoopla.co.uk
Britain's least nosey neighbours
| Rank | Town | Nosiness Index* | Avg. property value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 55.8 | £142,678 |
| 2 | Hull | 56.5 | £110,906 |
| 3 | Wolverhampton | 62.7 | £158,756 |
| 4 | Rotherham | 64.5 | £122,853 |
| 5 | Manchester | 69.7 | £138,604 |
| 6 | Doncaster | 72.0 | £131,603 |
| 7 | Newcastle | 73.4 | £173,814 |
| 8 | Wigan | 74.0 | £136,932 |
| 9 | Leicester | 74.9 | £169,451 |
| 10 | Nottingham | 75.1 | £152,482 |
Source: Zoopla.co.uk
* 100 is UK average nosiness based on valuations run relative to number of homes.
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Notes to editors
About Zoopla.co.uk
Zoopla.co.uk is the UK's most comprehensive property website, focused on empowering consumers with the resources they need to make better-informed property decisions. We help our users make sense of the residential property market by combining property listings with market value data, local information and community tools.
Zoopla.co.uk was founded on the principles of transparency and efficiency and everything we do aims to make the market more effective for both property consumers and professionals alike. By combining free, instant value estimates for every UK home with sold prices, local market information and hundreds of thousands of properties available for sale and to rent, Zoopla.co.uk has rapidly become the ultimate destination for property consumers to search for property and do their market research. Our unique features allow users to gain an insight into the market and discover information they won't find anywhere else. And, as a result, we have become one of the most valued sources of both applicant and vendor leads for UK estate agents.
Launched in 2008, we are the fastest growing property website in the UK, now attracting over 12 million visits per month and are proud to have been awarded numerous accolades including being listed in the Top 10 UK Tech Companies (Guardian) and the Top 10 Most Innovative UK Companies (Smarta 100) as well as being voted the UK's Best Property Portal (Web User, Daily Mail Awards, Website of the Year).
Zoopla Limited is a privately held company with a highly experienced and proven management team, led by Founder and CEO, Alex Chesterman, and backed by well-respected angel investors and leading venture capital firms Atlas Venture (atlasventure.com) and Octopus Ventures (octopusventures.com).