Brits obsessed with own and neighbours' house prices

Homeowners in Britain have always been gripped by how much their own home is worth, but are now increasingly obsessed with their neighbours' house values, according to property website Zoopla.co.uk, which provides free, instant value estimates on every UK home.

The research reveals that the more interested people are in how much their own home is worth, the more likely they are to keep tabs on their neighbours' too. Zoopla.co.uk analysed hundreds of thousands of property value estimates provided using the website's unique real-time valuation tool to uncover Britain's "knowsiest" neighbours - those who are nosey and keep tabs on their neighbours' property values along with remaining informed by regularly checking their own home's value.

It found that people in London and the South East are most likely to check up on their own and their neighbours' property values and are four times more likely to do their homework than residents in the North East, the least knowsey homeowners in the UK (see tables in appendix for full regional breakdown). Residents of England were found to be the knowsiest, followed by Scotland and then Wales where residents are least likely to track their neighbours' house values.

Wealthiest homeowners are nosiest about house prices

Residents in the wealthiest areas in the UK are most clued up about the value of their homes along with being most curious about the value of their neighbours' properties. Reigate and Banstead in Surrey topped the rankings of areas where owners are most 'in the know' about their own home's value (see appendix for top areas). Chiltern in Buckinghamshire finished in top spot when it comes to residents tracking the value of their neighbours' properties. And, residents of well-to-do Harrogate appear to be far more concerned about next door's house value than their own - the North Yorkshire spa town finished 71st in the national rankings for those who keep track of their own home value but 13th for looking at their neighbours.'

The knowsiest street in the UK

Grand Avenue in Camberley, Surrey, is the curtain twitching capital of the UK. More checks are made by Grand Avenue residents on their neighbours' property values than in any other street in the country.

However, not everyone is prepared to readily admit to virtual curtain twitching. Out of 3,732 people polled on Zoopla.co.uk, only 42% admitted to looking up the value of their neighbour's property on the website. Work colleagues' properties were the second most likely to come under scrutiny by respondents (viewed by 18% of people), followed by the house prices of family members (12%), perhaps as people keep an eye on their inheritance.

Alex Chesterman, CEO of Zoopla.co.uk, said: "As a nation, we're obsessed with the value of our homes, but, as house prices have fallen it seems it's not only our own houses that are under the spotlight. Homeowners are increasingly monitoring their neighbour's house values either looking for reassurance that their own property's value hasn't fallen by as much or taking some comfort in the knowledge that they are not alone...misery loves company."

"Whether you're looking to buy or sell a property, it pays to do your research, be knowsey and gather as much information as possible on current property values, recent sold house prices and local trends before making any property related property decision."