Tongue twisters home to higher house prices

The latest research by leading estate agent comparison site, GetAgent.co.uk, has looked at the cost of buying in pockets of the nation’s property market with the hardest to pronounce names.

GetAgent.co.uk looked at 10 areas that cause the most confusion when it comes to pronouncing the name, the cost of getting on the ladder in these areas, and how it compared to the wider local area.

The research shows that despite the difficulty in actually saying their names, these areas are home to an average house price of £271,167, 19.9% higher than the average cost of buying in the wider districts in which they are located.

The biggest difference is in Beaulieu, or Bew-lee, where the average property costs £605,181 compared to the wider average in the New Forest of £340,135 – a 77.9% difference! Beaulieu is also the tongue-twisting location with the highest average property price of the lot.

Ballachulish (Ball-a-hoolish) is home to the second-highest increase at 46.5%, with the average property going for £247,221 compared to £168,705 across the rest of the Highlands.

Homes in Quernmore (Kwor-mer) go for an average of £235,367 which comes in at 45.3% higher than the average across Lancaster as a whole, while Bicester (21.5%) and Omagh (20.4%) are also considerably higher than the wider area despite the hard to say place names.

It’s not all good news if you live in a tongue-twisting property market though. Ynysybwl (An-is-abull) in Rhondda Cynon Taf is home to the lowest average property price at £116,963 and is also some -2% lower than the wider regional average, while Godmanchester (Godmunchester) is home to the biggest difference and the only other drop when compared to the wider area of Huntingdonshire at -53.7%.

Founder and CEO of GetAgent.co.uk, Colby Short, commented:  

“We know that some house numbers and even road names can deter homebuyers from a particular property but it would seem that being unable to pronounce the name of an area doesn’t have the same impact, with house prices across the majority of these locations coming in much higher than the surrounding districts.

In fact, while they might be a struggle to say, homeowners in these areas have well and truly avoided the Brexit blues and are enjoying particularly buoyant property values despite the market turbulence of recent months. So perhaps this is the key for current buyers looking for a sound investment.”

Ranking – by the biggest difference between area and wider district
Location
Average House Price
UA / District
Average House Price
Difference (%)
Beaulieu
£605,181
New Forest
£340,135
77.9%
Ballachulish
£247,221
Highland
£168,705
46.5%
Quernmore
£235,367
Lancaster
£161,936
45.3%
Bicester
£349,546
Cherwell
£287,630
21.5%
Omagh
£159,647
Fermanagh and Omagh
£132,642
20.4%
Rampisham
£338,906
Dorset
£295,349
14.7%
Frome
£298,291
Mendip
£263,317
13.3%
Woolfardisworthy
£240,387
Torridge
£233,793
2.8%
Ynysybwl
£116,963
Rhondda Cynon Taf
£119,290
-2.0%
Godmanchester
£120,165
Huntingdonshire
£259,525
-53.7%
Average
£271,167
Average
£226,232
19.9%

Source: Propdex, PropertyData and the Land Registry House Price Index

Properganda PR

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

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Attic bedrooms can boost the price of a home by a quarter

Latest research from Nationwide reveals how home improvements can boost property prices in 2025 Analysis based on Nationwide’s HPI data shows extensions or loft conversions with a bedroom can increase value by up to 24% But kitchen and bathroom renovations most popular improvements amongst homeowners in last five years 34% made green improvements, such as…
Read More
Breaking News

Prime London sellers exit the market

Prime London sellers exit the market, as high-end for sale stock falls in Q3 The latest look at prime London property supply from Jefferies London has shown that the volume of homes priced at £2m or more listed for sale across the capital fell by 4.3% during the third quarter of 2025, accounting for just…
Read More
Planning disputes on new build land
Breaking News

Government’s last-minute Planning Bill amendments will tackle blockers and boost growth

The Government has announced several major amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which further streamline the planning process. They include reducing the length of consultation, stripping uncooperative councils of the right to make certain decisions, and paring back the impact and ability to raise legal disputes. Richard Beresford, Chief Executive of the National Federation…
Read More
Breaking News

Next budget a “pivotal moment for the property market”

The UK government is due to unveil its next budgetary statement in November, with many rumours circulating on how it’ll affect the property market. While many rumours are circulating among thought leaders and economists, Mitchell Martyn, property expert from Pure Property Finance, a property finance specialist based in the UK, says that this next budget…
Read More
Breaking News

28% Increase in Brits Moving to Australia

The number of people moving to Australia in the summer of 2025 increased by 28% year on year, making it the busiest quarter for Australia-bound movers in recent years. According to data from international movers surveyed through Compare My Move, September 2025 recorded the highest share of moves to Australia for the year, capping off an…
Read More
new build homes colchester essex
Breaking News

New-build transaction volumes fall by 62%

New-build sales volumes fall by 62%, but market improvements are driving accessibility for homebuyers The latest insight from Yopa has found that, whilst average monthly new-build sales volumes are down 62% so far in 2025, new-build homebuyers are benefitting from improvements to market affordability, with mortgage lenders currently introducing a range of new initiatives and…
Read More