Home buyers are heading west for ‘rural city’ living and Bristol is one of the most popular places for newly-built property hunters in the UK. Its popularity could fuel long-term property price rises in the area according to data from a leading new homes website.

‘Greenshifters’, professional couples moving out of large cities for a greener lifestyle are finding their ‘rural city’ lifestyle in new developments west of Bristol.

The SmartNewHomes migration monitor, which measures the number of homebuyers moving in or out of an area, shows that the South West has the highest number of homebuyers looking to move into the area, with a migration figure of 3.6%. This backs up figures from the Office of National Statistics which shows that the South West has the highest net migration of any UK region with an influx of nearly 25,000 people each year. SmartNewHomes data also reveals that the Bristol area has seen new home prices rise by around 15% over the last year whilst nationally, prices are on average 4% lower than 2004.

Redevelopment

Bristol has long served as the prime city for large parts of the south west, but in recent years the city has grown and redeveloped and is now attracting visitors and residents from further afield.

A number of factors can be seen as contributing to its new-found popularity, including the regeneration of the city centre and harbourside areas with new office schemes, shops, bars and restaurants. In addition, Bristol has excellent transport links with a 1½-hour train journey to London, as well as the M4 motorway and an international airport.

Areas such as Clifton, West Hill and Downend are amongst the most sought-after parts of the city, but towns on the outskirts of Bristol are also proving popular. Portishead, along the coast to the south west of Bristol, is one such area. A £500 million development project has been undertaken to create Port Marine docks where Crest Nicholson are currently marketing a full range of properties, including apartments, townhouses and houses. The scheme is proving very popular with ‘greenshifters’; professional couples and families moving out of the London and into more rural areas; as well as local homebuyers. When complete, the entire development will comprise of almost 1,000 new houses set around the redeveloped marina area.

David Bexon, managing director of SmartNewHomes.com, said, "Bristol has advanced massively over recent years and is now a very trendy and cultural city. Its location in terms of a city within a rural setting make it popular with those seeking an improved quality of life, and the two universities along with the new shopping areas, bars and nightclubs make it an attractive city for young professionals. These factors are causing the city to boom in terms of new developments and in turn, house prices."