A POPULAR Netflix show may have had a significant impact on house prices in a Herefordshire beauty spot, new data has revealed.

New data by online mortgage broker Trussle has revealed house prices in locations of popular picturesque TV programmes rose by an average of five per cent in 2020 compared to neighbouring towns which saw a two per cent increase.

View the TV effect map from Trussle

In a year where we spent more time at home than ever before, time on streaming services doubled and more and more households subscribed to streaming platforms to pass the time in lockdown.

Topping the list was Dunlop, East Ayrshire, the set of hit ITV drama Deadwater Fell, where properties not only rose by 9.5 per cent in 2020 but are more than double the local town of East Kilbride.

This was followed by Symonds Yat East in Herefordshire, home to the first and second series of Netflix original Sex Education, where prices rose an impressive 8.82 per cent.

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Featuring prominently in the show is stunning Symonds Yat property, The Chalet, home to main characters, sex therapist Dr Jean Milburn, played by Gillian Anderson and her son Otis, played by Asa Butterfield.

Coming up just behind was Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, the location of Ricky Gervais’s comedy-drama, Afterlife, where properties surged by 7.75 per cent.

This location phenomenon pre-dates the Covid-19 pandemic, with houses close to the set of serial crime drama, Broadchurch lifting 8.3 per cent when the show aired in 2013, and those close to Poldark’s scenic setting spiking by 11 per cent in 2015.

Therefore, whilst there are undoubtedly a number of contributing factors to an increase in house prices over the last year, it seems more than ever, we are taking inspiration from our screens.

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Miles Robinson, Head of Mortgages at online mortgage broker Trussle, said: “The last year has seen a big shift in homeowner priorities.

"Searches for properties in small towns and villages doubled as city dwellers opted for countryside living.

"Increased time spent indoors led to one in seven adults considering a move to a home with more space and it seems our favourite TV programmes are inspiring us too, becoming much more than an ‘escape from reality.’

"Since the first lockdown in March last year, it’s not just the TV effect which has impacted house prices.

"The announcement of the stamp duty holiday, as well as an increase in buyer demand has bolstered the market considerably.

"The recent announcement of the Government’s 95 per cent LTV mortgage guarantee, coupled with the extension of the Stamp Duty holiday, is likely to boost demand further in the first half of this year.

"As buyers with smaller deposits return to market we could see demand continue to increase, pushing up house prices even further.”