HOUSE prices have leaped up by more than 15 per cent in Maldon last year, the highest rise in Essex and second highest in the country.

Statistics released by the Office of National Statistics reveals the major increase saw the average price of a house in Maldon shoot up from £278,178 in May 2016 to £321,676 in May this year, a change of 15.6 per cent.

Maldon’s price hike is the highest for all of Essex and the second highest in the country, more than three times the national change average for the year of five per cent, with an average property price of £237,662.

Last year, the Maldon district was ranked as one of the most desirable places to live in the Halifax Quality of Life Survey after coming in at 36th place.

The survey takes into account factors such as happiness, wages, employment rates, housing, life expectancy, crime, weather, traffic, house prices and broadband.

A three bedroom detached cottage in Heybridge Basin could cost you £525,000, whereas a two-bed apartment in Market Hill retails at £440,000.

Neil McAninch, branch manager at Beresfords in Maldon, said the town has benefitted from a period of positive press.

He said: “In the year and a half that I’ve worked in this branch I’ve had several news outlets call me up asking what makes the town so popular.

“It was voted a while ago as the 58th best place in the country to live – that’s saying something.

“Robson Green’s documentary on the Maldon Mud Race saw him talking about how nice the town was, which all helps boost the profile.

“We at Beresfords get a lot of people that have been initially attracted to Chelmsford, as they want somewhere on the outer London ring to make use of the lesser fees than the city centre.

“When they look, they often find it too busy or more expensive, but then they branch out a little further afield and find Maldon, which many say they’ve not heard of before, and found they can get better value for money. It averages out at around 20 per cent less than homes in the Chelmsford borough.

“There’s been many new developments as people will be well aware, the majority of our sales in the past few months have been for them.

“Maldon’s a lovely little town and has great heritage attached to it, it’s got a high street which hasn’t been taken over by big corporations and scenic places within a short walk, it’s as popular as it’s ever been.”

Simon Putnam, Senior Manager for Church and Hawes in Burnham, said: “We get many people from the East London area and from the likes of Dagenham, Brentwood and Ongar who just want a better quality of life.

“People enjoy the surroundings and the nature of the area at a better price from where they’ve been before, and they can still only be an hour via train from London.”

Burnham resident Nicola White said: “What makes Burnham and the rest of the Maldon district so peaceful to live in is that there’s a whole peninsula of practically untouched marshlands and greenery to get lost in, and its right on your doorstep.”