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14
Apr 2022
The booming housing market in the Harrogate district led to a record number of homes sold above £1million last year.
Land Registry data reveals 84 property deals passed the seven-figure threshold, more than any other previous year.
The number includes all detached and semi-detached homes as well as apartments.
The most expensive part of Harrogate is an area off Leeds Road —Fulwith Mill Lane, Fulwith Grove, Fulwith Drive and Fulwith Road — where five homes sold for over a million in 2021.
The Harrogate district beats large metropolitan areas in the North (Leeds, 55, York, 27, Manchester, 17) when it comes to bumper property deals.
Staveley Court. The most expensive property in the Harrogate district last year
In a sign of just how buoyant the property market is currently, the website Move Market suggests Staveley Court's value has increased by a whopping £449,000 since it was sold in January 2021.
Its price tag has trebled in two decades. It was sold in 2001 in a deal worth £950,000.
Peter Lacey is from Knaresborough Community Land Trust, a not-for-profit organisation that is hoping to develop a site in the town into affordable housing.
He said the record year for million pound houses indicates the market is currently imbalanced:
Mr Lacey said he is worried that expensive property deals will inflate the market and make it even more unaffordable for people earning average wages to buy a home here.
He added:
Last week The Sunday Times named Harrogate as one of the best places to live in the UK.
Judges cited the town’s schools, parks, shops, cafes and restaurants as among its attractions, describing it as “all the fun and fresh air of Yorkshire without any of the gritty bits”.
Mr Waddington said around 25% of Linley & Simpson's sales are from people moving up to the district from down south, which he said could be pushing prices up.
He expects a downturn in the market later this year but for those who can afford a £1m price tag, he said they are less likely to be affected by factors like the cost of living crisis and inflation.
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