For property professionals considering lifestyle-led investment opportunities, it seems sunshine comes at a cost. New research has revealed the UK regions where property buyers are paying a premium for the country’s rarest resource – a respectable amount of sun. From coastal escapes to commuter counties, the data shows the premiums investors are paying for each extra hour of daily sunshine in the UK’s sunniest property hotspots and also what regions boast the highest number of warm days where thermometers most frequently top 25°C.
The analysis combines Met Office weather data with house price figures to calculate how much buyers are really spending for a brighter, hotter location. Join us as we review the data.
The UK’s sunniest property hotspots
The Isle of Wight tops the chart as the UK’s sunniest property hotspot, averaging just over five hours of daily sunshine across the year. With an average property price of £257,170, that equates to £835 for every minute of daily sunshine – the lowest cost-per-sun among the ten sunniest counties, according to the research.
Elsewhere, buyers in Surrey are spending more than double that rate. With just under 4.5 hours of daily sunshine and an average property value of £526,311, the price per minute jumps to £1,956.55 – making it the most expensive sunshine county on a cost-per-minute basis.
Kent, East Sussex and West Sussex also rank among the sunniest counties, with buyers paying between £1,141.03 and £1,352.06 per minute of sunshine. In Cornwall, where property prices are slightly lower, the figure stands at £1,085.36 per minute of average daily sunshine.
By contrast, the UK-wide average is just 3 hours and 48 minutes of sunshine a day, and a cost-per-minute of £1,190.42 based on average property values of £271,415.
The UK’s property hotspots boasting the most days over 25 degrees
The study also reveals where buyers are paying the most per day of 25°C+ heat, offering another lens through which to compare a region’s property hotspot status.
London records the highest number of hot days per year, averaging 34. But with an average house price of £552,073, investors are effectively paying £16,237.44 for each of those warm days, according to the research.
Surrey ranks as the second most expensive per hot day at £17,543.70, despite only enjoying 30 qualifying days of temperatures above 25 degrees. Hertfordshire, Essex and Hampshire also sit high on the list, with buyers spending between £12,435.55 and £16,010.79 per warm day.
On the other hand, Cambridgeshire offers relatively better value. With 32 hot days per year and an average price of £343,066, the cost-per-hot-day stands at £10,720.81 – one of the lowest among high-temperature counties.
Tim Simmons, Sales & Marketing Director at Regency Living, which conducted the research, commented: “We are not completely starved of hot summers in the UK, but the best weather tends to be concentrated in the south, which also means higher average house prices.”
The southeast also performs well in other lifestyle property hotspot comparisons, like Britain’s happiest places to live.
For investors with an eye on lifestyle-led acquisitions – whether for buy-to-let, holiday lets or retirement moves – the data highlights a key trade-off: the southern counties offer the best weather, but often at a significant premium while areas like the Isle of Wight and Cambridgeshire stand out for offering a more balanced blend of climate and relative affordability. Either way, investors would hope that the premium for buying in these warmer regions will be reflected in the prices tenants are willing to pay.
