An insurance firm’s analysis of official figures show there are now no fewer than 760,821 vacant properties in England, Scotland and Wales.
Rank | Area | Median Property Price (£) | Housing Waitlist | Vacant Properties Per 100,000 People |
1 | Gwynedd | 136,095 | 1,932 | 5,286 |
2 | Argyll and Bute | 133,753 | – | 4,887 |
3 | Pembrokeshire | 153,402 | 2,578 | 4,331 |
4 | Isle of Anglesey | 145,242 | 1,859 | 3,752 |
5 | Ceredigion | 166,125 | 4,671 | 3,595 |
6 | Highland | 147,903 | 613 | 2,917 |
7 | Blackpool | 99,394 | 1,294 | 2,257 |
8 | Kensington and Chelsea | 778,622 | 799 | 2,229 |
9 | Liverpool | 110,139 | 799 | 2,216 |
10 | Camden | 490,494 | 7,017 | 2,141 |
Sitting in first place is Gwynedd in north-west Wales with over 5,286 vacant properties per 100k people, 6,204 overall. The county with only 117,360 people, recently welcomed the news of plans for 30 new affordable homes in Bethel, a small village with a clear demand for affordable housing.
Gwynedd is known for its alluring coastline and natural beauty, acting as a beacon for tourists, this has meant 77% (4,858) of vacant properties are actually second or holiday homes. This overwhelming amount of empty homes has prompted Gwynedd council to contact vacant property owners to inquire about selling. The incredible amount of empty homes has sadly left many Welsh natives unable to own property within their own communities and drives up house prices making the average property price £136,095.
Argyll and Bute, an area steeped in history and magnificent views, sits in second place for the number of vacant properties per 100k people with 4,887. This is more than 10% of the total number of households in the area. Scotland has an incredible number of empty homes, so much so that the Scottish Government has recently increased The Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS) which amounts to 6% of the property purchase price if you already own one or more residential properties anywhere around the globe, with an average property price of £133,753 this could amount to more than £8000.
In third place is Pembrokeshire, another Welsh county. The incredible haven for nature and a rich history has also suffered from the influx of holiday-home owners, with 74% of empty homes belonging to those with second properties. There are 4,331 empty homes per 100k people in the county, with 5,346 overall.
Rounding up the top 5 is the Isle of Anglesey in Wales with 3,752 empty homes per 100k and Ceredigion also in Wales with 3,595 vacant properties per 100k.
The analysis was carried out by Alan Boswell insurance.
