Areas with fewer smokers see properties sell for 82% more on average

Leaked papers recently revealed that the Government plan to wipe out smoking across the nation by 2030, but for those that are already against the habit, leading property finance specialists, One 77 Mortgages, has looked at where you can get on the ladder smoke-free and the property premium you’ll have to pay.

One 77 Mortgages looked at recent ONS data on the proportion of current smokers by local authority aged 18 and above. The data shows that in areas where just 4-10% of the population smoke, the average property price is £335,716.

This is 82% higher than the average house price of £184,878 found in areas where 19-26% of the population smoke – the highest bracket.

In fact, as the percentage of the population that smokes increases, property prices steadily decline so not only is smoking in your home detrimental when finding a buyer and securing a good price, but simply living in an area with more smokers also seems to have an impact.

But non-smoking aspirational homeowners need fear not. There is a total of 12 areas where the proportion of the population that smoke is in the lowest band but are still home to an average house price below the UK average of £228,903.

Chorley in Lancashire is the best location for a smoke-free property purchase with smokers accounting for just 8.02% of the population while the average house price costs just £175,092. North East Derbyshire and Staffordshire Moorlands are also home to a low proportion of smokers and an average house price under £190,000 at £181,149 and £182,340 respectively.

Selby, Eden, Stafford, Richmondshire, Oadby and Wigston, Ribble Valley, East Dunbartonshire, Cheshire East and Torridge also made the cut with below average property costs and a low proportion of smokers.

Should you want to stick two fingers up to the Government’s plans to stamp out smoking, head to Burnley where 24.84% of the population smoke and the average house price is just 384,206, or Lincoln, home to the highest percentage of smokers at 26.14% and an average house price of just £155,024.

Managing Director of One 77 Mortgages, Alastair McKee, commented:

“It’s common knowledge that smoking can impact the sale and price of an individual property, acting as a huge deterrent for those buyers that don’t smoke, but it would seem that it also plays a part on a much broader scale.

Properties in areas home to a lower proportion of smokers are selling for a much higher price on average and while this may not have been a selling point for those listing their homes on the market traditionally, it certainly should be now.

Particularly in slower market conditions, savvy sellers should look to utilise every positive aspect they can think of to stand out from the crowd and although a lower proportion of smokers might not be important to everyone, for some it certainly will be.”

Average House Price by % of current smoker categories
Category (% of current smokers)
Ave percentage who are smokers
Ave House Price
4-10%
8.27%
£335,716
10-13%
11.45%
£320,983
13-16%
14.51%
£247,613
16-19%
17.31%
£193,991
19-26%
20.57%
£184,878

 

Most affordable house price and lowest proportion of smokers (4-10%)
Location
Percentage who are smokers
Ave House Price
Chorley
8.02
£175,092
North East Derbyshire
9.31
£181,149
Staffordshire Moorlands
8.73
£182,340
Selby
6.81
£193,636
Eden
8.73
£196,050
Stafford
9.23
£205,208
Richmondshire
6.31
£208,266
Oadby and Wigston
6.33
£211,725
Ribble Valley
8.32
£212,192
East Dunbartonshire
8.27
£212,535
Cheshire East
8.70
£222,299
Torridge
7.13
£227,522

 

Properganda PR

National and local media coverage for property businesses. Journo quotes delivered in minutes.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

UK monthly property transactions for May 2025

Headline statistics from the latest transactions data include: the provisional seasonally adjusted estimate of the number of UK residential transactions in May 2025 is 81,470, 12% lower than May 2024 and 25% higher than April 2025 the provisional non-seasonally adjusted estimate of the number of UK residential transactions in May 2025 is 80,530, 13% lower than May 2024 and…
Read More
Breaking News

Construction Skills Mission Board (CSMB) shows the Government has a plan

The Construction Skills Mission Board (CSMB) held its first board meeting today (26 June 2025), where it set out a roadmap for recruiting 100,000 more construction workers a year by the end of Parliament. Richard Beresford, Chief Executive of the National Federation of Builders (NFB), said: “The Construction Skills Mission Board (CSMB) is a recognition…
Read More
Paint Stripper Tools
Estate Agent Talk

5 Strategies to Optimise Your Warehouse for Real Estate

The term fixer-upper can mean many things, from ‘slap some paint on the walls and it looks brand new’ to ‘will this building collapse if we open the front door?’ Indeed, in the dicey world of commercial property acquisition, each warehouse you buy will probably fall into both camps. Thinking about the viability of warehouses…
Read More
Breaking News

HMOs sell for up to 50% above market average

New research from Excellion Capital, the boutique debt advisory and investment firm, reveals that HMOs sell for as much as 50% above the average house price, further increasing their investment potential after it was revealed that HMOs also create rental yields of up to 12.5%. After previous research from Excellion Capital recently showed that the…
Read More
Breaking News

UK buyers struggle while 50,000 homes sit empty

As the UK housing crisis deepens, new analysis by Open Property Group exposes a worrying surge in so-called “zombie homes”- properties that sit unoccupied and deteriorating while millions struggle to access affordable housing. Key insights: 50,000+ long-term vacant homes in England alone 23,000+ of these have been empty for more than two years Estimated £13.6…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 26/06/25

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   The UK is Europe’s second most distressed market despite headline GDP growth Retail and Consumers Goods has emerged as the most distressed sector in Europe, with distress levels now the highest since the global financial crisis, according to the latest Weil European Distress Index (WEDI). The…
Read More