A new study has revealed that the average price of a brick has risen 33% in the past decade to more than £47, reflecting the wider trend of UK house price rises.
According Barclays Mortgages and the Centre for Economics and Business, the cost of a single brick, when calculated from the average price and size of a house in Britain, is now worth £47.44.
A brick from a DIY shop costs on average only 89p, more than 50 times less that the average cost of a brick as part of a home in the UK.
The research by Barclays also found that the cost of bricks varied significantly between different regions.
The most valuable brick in Britain can be found in London, with a cost of £121.08. This is followed by Oxford (£95.50), Cambridge (£91.61), Brighton and Hove (£71.53) and Bristol (£47.24).
Belfast is the place to get the most brick for your buck with the cheapest bricks in Britain at £22.09. However, Glasgow (£22.55), Liverpool (£25.87), Nottingham (£27.19) and Leicester (£28.58) are all challengers to this title.
Sarah Beeny, UK property expert and TV personality, said: “It is fascinating to see just how valuable each brick that makes up a home works out to be, and how this can change over time.
“Of course, there are no guarantees on which way house prices will go in the future, it is very much lead by planning law and supply and demand, but this research should go some way in boosting the confidence of home owners around the country. It really shows that property can be a great investment, and I would encourage people to get on the property ladder as soon as they can, even if this means looking in a new area where those all-important bricks are a little more purse-friendly.”
Raheel Ahmed, head of Barclays Mortgages, said: “We know how important it is for people to be able to buy their own home, and our latest research is a creative way to show how house prices are changing, as reflected by the 33% increase in the average cost of a brick since 2006.
“It is particularly interesting to see the regions and cities outside of London which are experiencing significant growth in house prices. While a North-South divide does remain, cities such as Sheffield, Nottingham and Leicester are experiencing strong growth, and this is forecast to continue through to 2020.
“It is also encouraging to see cities that have slowed down in growth, such as Belfast, showing signs of recovery in the future.”
