TWO areas of Gwent have been identified as some of the best up-and-coming property hotspots in the UK.

A new study has revealed that Welsh towns are particularly desirable in 2021, with half of the top ten located in Wales.

That includes Monmouth, which takes the number four spot on the list.

The research analysed how more than 600 locations fared against ten separate factors including house price increase, search demand and even the positivity of the news in each area.

Those factors were:

  • Percentage increase in house prices over a three and one-year period
  • Number of pubs, schools and gyms within the local area
  • Entrepreneurship (number of businesses in the area)
  • Crime rates
  • Percentage increase in search demand
  • Restaurant/takeaway reviews
  • Restaurant/takeaway option
  • Percentage increase in social media posts regarding a ‘move to [location]’
  • Positive/negative Sentiment of news articles about local area
  • Average earnings in the area

Based on those factors, Monmouth ranked fourth in the UK, while Torfaen was named as the tenth most desirable location.

It was the Gower that took top spot, followed by Wigan and Manchester.

READ MORE:

You can see the full research from Boomin here.

Michael Bruce, group CEO and founder of Boomin said: “At Boomin, we want to empower our customers to ‘get there first’ and find what really is their dream home.

"A huge aspect of this is finding the right area to live in before things get too competitive, so we wanted to go beyond just house price increases as an indicator of how ‘sought after’ an area is, and look at what the modern home owner really wants.

"Taking into account everything from proximity to schools and crime rates, to how many restaurant options there are in the area, has allowed us to shine a light on the places people might not have been considering, but could be just what they’re looking for.

"Be it Gower, Wigan or Romford, we’re excited to help people find the home that’s right for them”.

Boomin also spoke to Jonathan Morgan, director of BJP Residential who sell property in Gower and across West Wales about the results of the study.

He added: “It's no surprise to see Gower heading up the list of the most up-and-coming property hotspots in the UK. Being the UK’s first ever official area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and playing home to one of the most bucket-listed beaches in the world in Rhossili Beach, it's always been a hotspot, but with the rise in workplaces offering remote working following the pandemic, it's made Gower even more inviting than it already was.

Over the past year, many people have taken stock of what they want from their lives and the answer for many has been a better quality of life, without the constant hustle and bustle of a city and the need to live somewhere within quick commutable distance. Gower offers a beautiful remote setting, without leaving you feeling isolated. In under half an hour, you can be in the city of Swansea, which itself is undergoing heavy investment that includes a new 3,500 capacity indoor arena. Meaning if you want to see a show or have a big night out, you can, along with having the great transport links of the M4 and railways that can take you into the likes of London. Life in Gower provides you with the best of both worlds, which seems to be what everyone is after in 2021.”