Prime property financing platform CapitalRise says that housing in the Home Counties, areas surrounding London, saw home prices increase by 37% more than homes in the rest of England. The Home Counties are deemed to be desirable areas outside of London.
Specifically, house prices in the region rose by £312,749 between 1999 and 2024, an increase 37% higher than the amount at which the average house price in England grew during the same period.
Surrey was said to have the highest average property value £497,934 among the group, just £ 6,514 behind London (£ 504,448). Surrey saw the most considerable absolute increase in house prices over the last 25 years at £371,827, though properties in Essex had the largest relative price increase of 371%.
Surrey has emerged as a popular, exclusive location. It is home to the Wentworth Estate – which had an average house price of £1,260,338 over the last year. This is more than double the current average for Surrey as a whole.
Elsewhere in the Home Counties, Buckinghamshire has the second-highest average property price of £446,892 and experienced the third-highest absolute increase in price of £328,978 between 1999 and 2024.
Uma Rajah, CEO and co-founder at CapitalRise, noted that traditionally the prime property market focuses on areas of London like Mayfair and Belgravia. While these remain very exclusive neighborhoods, prime locations outside London have gained significant traction in the last 25 years.
“One factor driving the trend is the natural constraint on supply in relation to the high demand within the Prime Central London property market. As such, the Home Counties also offer plenty of opportunities for ambitious developers looking to deliver high-end property in the South East. Combined with moves towards more flexible working arrangements, this has also made relocating to the commuter belt more attractive for many professionals working in London, increasing demand for property in these key areas,” said Rajah.
CapitalRise, an online platform that matches investors with prime property developers, has benefited from this trend. To date, CapitalRise has originated over £400 million in prime property development finance, reporting zero losses for investors.
| County | 1999 | 2024 | Increase (%) |
| Surrey | £126,107 | £497,934 | 295 |
| Buckinghamshire | £117,914 | £446,892 | 279 |
| Hertfordshire | £101,340 | £442,322 | 336 |
| Berkshire | £105,328 | £392,474 | 273 |
| Essex | £75,885 | £357,039 | 371 |
| Kent | £73,092 | £339,497 | 364 |
