Prices may have moderated in the capital but they continue to rise in the countryside. See which rural regions have joined the million-pound home club, where one in five properties is worth over £1million, as we enter the world of countryside prime property.
London might be the epicentre of the UK’s prime real estate market but its full-on lifestyle doesn’t suit everyone. Even if it does, many want a home in the country to escape to at weekends.
Fortunately, of the 700,000 or so £1million-plus properties in the UK identified by premium estate agency Savills, half are outside the capital.
The spread of country prime property
The countryside has been catching up with urban property values for some time. The pandemic, its concomitant rush to the countryside and rise in remote working accelerated a trend that started before the pandemic.
As highlighted by the Nationwide Building Society, which said: “Between December 2018 and December 2023, average prices in predominately rural areas increased by 22%, compared with 17% in predominately urban areas.”
The rest of the country’s five-year capital growth figure is three times that of London’s (58% vs 16% in London). Of course, London will always be super-prime – especially in the three boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea, Westminster and Camden – but where are the primest of country areas?
Countryside prime property: an English manor house
Outside London, the South East accounts for the largest number of £1million residences comfortably, with a total of almost 160,000. But also high in numbers are the East of England (64,339), South West (46,324), West Midlands (22,065) and North West (20,764).
Working from home two or three days a week has widened the commutable area considerably
South-eastern country areas offer the chance to commute to town, but working from home two or three days a week has widened the commutable area considerably. Said Peter Daborn, head of residential sales at Savills in the West Midlands: “We see many buyers still taking advantage of flexible working and the appeal of living in the countryside is still a big draw, with London commutable in little over an hour from the likes of Stafford station. The recent changes to school fees are also having an impact on the region’s property market, with more buyers driven to the West Midlands to take advantage of the abundance of highly regarded public schools on offer.”
Already firmly on the UK’s luxury property map are Sandbanks in Poole (Dorset), parts of Surrey and the Cotswolds.
Sandbanks, Dorset
Last July Rightmove ranked the exclusive seaside community of Sandbanks as the UK’s most expensive coastal location to buy a home, closely followed by Canford Cliffs next door. Average asking prices in each are £1,582,000 and £1,242,000 respectively.
Sandbanks, Dorset
That’s still a bargain compared to London’s prime spots. Football manager Harry Redknapp couldn’t wait to swap the jungle and get back to this Sandbanks home after winning I’m a Celebrity. His Scottish footballing peer Graeme Souness lives nearby, while Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher also reportedly enjoys downtime at his house there.
Steve Isaacs, Director at Luxury and Prestige Realty in Poole, said: “The areas of Sandbanks and Canford Cliffs continue to be very popular, and prime waterfront properties in Sandbanks have been doing particularly well. For those that can, the lifestyle of living in a beautiful location by the sea will always be appealing and is not to be underestimated.”
The Cotswolds
The Cotswolds is an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) covering most of Gloucestershire, West Oxfordshire and southwestern Warwickshire. It is blessed with chocolate-box villages and large estates suited to people who prefer country pursuits to sailing is.
Painswick, in the Cotswolds (PJ photography / Shutterstock.com)
Especially desirable spots are around Tetbury, Broadway, Burford and Chipping Norton. This last gave rise to the so-called ‘Chipping Norton Set’, which includes former-PM David Cameron, celebrity broadcaster Jeremy Clarkson and various members of the Murdoch family. If popping next-door for drinks perhaps leave the Prosecco at home. You could also be rubbing shoulders with the Beckhams, Kate Moss, Simon Cowell, even a royal or two. The A-listers with a Cotswolds manor have been bolstered by Americans lately too, with Ellen Degeneres reportedly moving here.
Surrey with a fringe on top
Elsewhere, excellent access to central London, airports and world-class amenities, including private schools, have helped make the boroughs of Runnymede and Elmbridge exclusive enclaves in the north Surrey commuter belt.
Surrey is home to luxury communities such as the Wentworth Estate in Virginia Water and St George’s Hill, known for their grand mansions, sprawling gardens, and access to world-class golf courses. There, towns like Cobham and Walton-on-Thames attract Chelsea footballers and London-based financiers and HNWIs.
Growing appetite from US
Rising interest in prime real estate in the South West, particularly the Cotswolds, from wealthy American buyers has been identified by high-end estate agency Chartwell Noble. A specialist in the region, the agency notes how US demand is spreading from London, with buyers drawn to the South West’s combination of stunning landscapes, historic estates, and accessibility to the capital and international connections.
According to official data provided by LonRes and reported in The Times, Americans accounted for a staggering 25% of purchases in London’s £15m+ super-prime segment in 2024, surpassing other international groups such as Middle Eastern and South Asian buyers. This trend reflects the broader cross-Atlantic migration of wealth and has significant implications for the UK property market, not just in London, but in key regional hotspots such as Central England and the Cotswolds.
Americans accounted for a quarter of purchases in London’s £15m+ super-prime segment in 2024
“The surge of American buyers in the UK property market is both an opportunity and a responsibility. It’s encouraging to see such strong international interest, but it also pushes agents to elevate their game,” said Chartwell Noble’s CEO Ross D’Aniello.
Sussex joins the club
For international buyers searching for a luxury residence outside London, the choice of destination grows every year as more towns become seven-figure property markets. According to analysis by premium estate agency Knight Frank, a postcode becomes a £1million market when at least 20% of home sales are above £1million in two or more quarters in a year
In 2024, three towns joined this club, two of them on the south coast, Chichester (postcode PO18) in West Sussex and Winchelsea (TN36) in East Sussex. “The enduring appeal of waterfront living has significantly bolstered property values in areas like Chichester and Winchelsea,” said Hamish Humfrey, head of national waterfront at Knight Frank. “Their relative proximity to London enhances their appeal, providing an accessible retreat from urban life without compromising convenience. The limited availability of waterfront properties in these regions further intensifies demand, leading to notable increases in value.”
The village of Bosham, within Chichester’s postcode
Previous years saw higher numbers of postcodes earning this badge. Newcomers to the £1million market club in 2023, most being within a 90-minute commute of London and an average of 66 miles from the capital, included: Oxford (OX44) and Watlington (OX49) in Oxfordshire, Woking (GU23) and Ashtead (KT21) in Surrey, Haywards Heath (RH17) in Sussex, Berkhamsted (HP4) in Hertfordshire, Ambleside (LA22) in the Lake District National Park, Southwold (IP18) in Suffolk, Broadway (WR12) in the Cotswolds and the EX3 area of Exeter.
