The best high ground home buying options to avoid the wet weather

October 16, 2019

The Met Office has today warned that 2 inches of rain could fall in the next 12 hours with severe weather warnings issued across parts of the country. With more wet weather inbound, leading fast sale estate agent, Springbok Properties, has looked at the nation’s highest cities to avoid wet feet and the cost of buying a house across them.

Springbok Properties looked at the 20 highest cities in England according to the ONS, the average price of a property in each, and which offers the best property price per a metre of elevation (house price/highest point in metres).

Want to buy a reasonably priced home with the best chance of avoiding the floodwaters?

Stoke-on-Trent may not be the highest city in England at 275.9 metres but with an average house price of £114,128, it’s home to a property cost of £414 for every metre of high ground available.

Bradford is the second-best bet and with the accolade of the nation’s highest city at 324.9 metres, the average house price of £136,316 means you pay just £420 in property costs for every metre of elevation.

Sheffield (£531), Birmingham (£752), Sunderland (£844), Wolverhampton (£865), Leeds (£936), Plymouth (£1,066), Nottingham (£1,084) and Coventry (£1,137) are also some of the most affordable options for homebuyers when it comes to property price and high ground.

St Alban’s is the least affordable, with the highest point in the city just 128 metres and an average house price of £499,198, it costs a staggering £3,900 in property prices for every metre of elevation!

Founder and CEO of Springbok Properties, Shepherd Ncube, commented:

“It certainly seems as if our weather is getting wilder by the year and with the autumn and winter months often bringing a lot of rain, we thought it would be interesting to see where offers the best mix of home buying affordability and high ground to avoid any water damage.

High ground could well be one of the most underrated property features in the nation and with floodwaters causing thousands of pounds in damage every year, taking your property search to higher ground could be a wise idea in the long run.”

Heights of cities in England based upon the highest single point within a city extent
City
Highest point (metres)
Average house price
Price per metre
Stoke-on-Trent
275.9
£114,128
£414
Bradford
324.9
£136,316
£420
Sheffield
298
£158,149
£531
Birmingham
246.6
£185,359
£752
Sunderland
136
£114,760
£844
Wolverhampton
175.9
£152,069
£865
Leeds
198
£185,231
£936
City of Plymouth
167.8
£178,948
£1,066
City of Nottingham
131
£142,012
£1,084
Coventry
161.8
£183,897
£1,137
Newcastle upon Tyne
126.2
£153,049
£1,213
City of Derby
128.5
£159,221
£1,239
Leicester
131.1
£177,339
£1,353
Bath and North East Somerset
229.9
£327,059
£1,423
Exeter
149.7
£247,785
£1,655
City of Bristol
127.4
£274,121
£2,152
Brighton and Hove
155.6
£358,983
£2,307
Oxford
152.6
£396,387
£2,598
Winchester
144.9
£415,446
£2,867
St Albans
128
£499,198
£3,900
Locations ranked by the average house price divided by the highest point in metres.

Properganda PR

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

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Rental supply climbs 15% despite landlord uncertainty

The latest research from Dwelly has found that, despite what has been an incredibly uncertain year for landlords – marked by political back and forth over the Renters’ Rights Act, its eventual approval, and the additional 2% tax hit delivered in last week’s Autumn Budget – there are currently 15% more rental homes available to…
Read More →
Breaking News

FCA sets out plans to help build mortgage market of the future

First-time buyers and the self-employed could get a step-up onto the housing ladder, under new plans from the FCA. Its priorities for reforms to the mortgage market also include helping homeowners unlock housing wealth for a more comfortable later life. The FCA will focus on 4 areas: First-time buyers & underserved consumers: Simplifying mortgage rules…
Read More →
Breaking News

UK housing market modest growth expected in 2026

UK housing market steady in 2025, modest growth expected in 2026 • UK housing market performed broadly in line with expectations over the last year • Limited annual growth of +0.7% lifted the average property price to a new high of £299,892 • Market activity was influenced by stamp duty changes but overall remained close…
Read More →
Breaking News

Cladding remediation work stalls – when will we realise that this is a matter of life and death?

The most recent government data shows that the UK is monitoring more high-rise buildings with potential cladding risks than ever before, yet fewer are actually entering remediation. Property Inspect UK is now warning that the widening gap between identification and action reflects a persistent structural issue in how remediation is managed, verified, and delivered. As…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

3 Top-Rated Garages in Northampton

Car maintenance can be stressful if you are unsure which garage to trust to deliver precise and timely service. Choosing a garage that handles repairs carefully ensures your vehicle remains safe and performs reliably on the road. In Northampton, several garages stand out for their consistent service quality and attentive customer care. They provide support…
Read More →
Breaking News

Slight easing in affordability pressures helps underpin buyer demand

Housing market activity remained resilient in 2025 House price growth expected to be in the 2% to 4% range in 2026 Looking back at the housing market in 2025 and what we can expect in 2026, Robert Gardner, Nationwide’s Chief Economist, comments: “The word that best describes the housing market in 2025 is ‘resilient’. Even…
Read More →