The surprising northern UK city where property prices are soaring quicker than London

A northern UK city that strikes the perfect balance between city centre buzz and green space is seeing property prices soar at a faster rate than London. It seems Salford is becoming a new favourite among property hunters.

Located just over 20 minutes away from Manchester, Salford is believed to be one of the best places to live in the UK after it was listed in the top 10 'best value cities for quality of life' in 2024 - promising a favourable ratio of property costs to household income and a desirable lifestyle. A notable success in Salford is the rejuvenation of Salford Quays which has become one of Europe's most successful water regeneration projects. It is the birthplace of MediaCityUK and home to thousands of residents as well housing Salford University and the Lowry theatre.

It seems Salford is only on the way up as MediaCity is set to double in size over the next decade and Salford Quays already has the highest number of renters in the city.

Salford is most definitely making a name for itself with the city offering residents a mix of urban and rural spaces.

Despite property prices tumbling in many parts of the country Salford is bucking the trend and is now the UK's best performing area with prices up 7.6%.

The majority of properties sold in Salford during the last year were flats, selling for an average price of £191,694, according to RightMove.

Terraced properties sold for an average of £238,161, with semi-detached properties fetching £290,542.

Analysis by eXp UK, the platform for personal estate agents, shows that house prices across England are now down 0.9% since the start of the year.

In London Camden (-8.6%), Hammersmith and Fulham (-7.8%), and the City of Westminster (-5.7%) are among the hardest-hit, reflecting a cooling at the very top end of the capital's prime market.

Middlesbrough and Uttlesford were the second best performing areas, both up by 7.5%.

Other strong growth areas are North Kesteven (6.8%), Basingstoke and Deane (6.7%), Tandridge (6.6%), East Staffordshire (6.4%), Ribble Valley (6.2%), Barking and Dagenham (5.9%), and Kingston upon Thames (5.7%).

Adam Day, Head of eXp UK and Europe, says: "This latest reduction in property values is a clear reflection of the impact government support can have on buyer behaviour - with the end of the stamp duty incentive pulling forward demand into Q1 and creating a vacuum in April. But beneath the headline figures, the market remains diverse and dynamic.

"We're seeing sustained buyer interest and price growth in a wide range of regions - from Salford, to Middlesbrough, Uttlesford and Tandridge. These hotspots show that well-connected, affordable, or desirable areas are continuing to attract strong interest.

"As always, property remains a hyper-local asset, and while some parts of the country are undergoing correction, others are thriving."