Wales has seen the biggest increase in house prices in the UK, according to property website Rightmove.

It said there had been a 2.3% rise in the past month alone and a 10.9% increase year-on-year.

Meanwhile, the Principality Building Society reported that average price in Wales hit a new peak of £215,810 earlier this year.

Prices in eight authorities – Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Conwy, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath Port Talbot, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Vale of Glamorgan and Torfaen – reached new peaks in the second quarter of 2021, according to Principality.

Amid an increase in homeowners looking for larger and more rural properties following a series of lockdowns during the Covid pandemic, Rightmove also reported changes in the nature of inquiries from prospective buyers.

“To look pre-pandemic versus what has happened since the market reopened we have looked at July 2019-June 2020 versus July 2020-June 2021,” said Rightmove in its report.

It added that there had been a significant increase in city-based house-hunters making inquiries about village properties by 124%, and seaside properties by 115%.

Rightmove’s director of property data Tim Bannister said: “This month’s data shows how the property market in Wales remains robust, seeing the largest monthly and yearly increase in average asking prices for property.

“This is driven by many factors – including the rise in the number of city buyers inquiring for homes in villages or near the coast, compared to before the pandemic, in the search for sea and space.”

He added that Saundersfoot and Tenby in Pembrokeshire were among the most popular seaside locations.

“Wales is filled with beautiful and varied locations to live, and with working from home now a longer-term option for many, this has opened new doors for buyers,” he said.

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