HOUSE prices in Southend have rocketed by a whopping 70 per cent in a decade, according to experts.

And the borough is among ten prosperous areas where house prices have rapidly risen in the south or South East.

Buoyant estate agents believe the huge lift is due to many factors, including the quality of local education and the ever expanding airport.

Darren Emmett, owner of St George Homes in Rayleigh, said: “I’ve been working as an estate agent for 30 years now and when I first started a one bed flat in Southend would sell for about £18,000... that’s now worth at least £100,000.

“The increase is probably because of the growing popularity of the area. With Southend Airport developing and with transport into London improving, this brings people into the area.”

Stuart Turner, from Turner Estates in Leigh, said the train lines having a direct, and time effective link to London makes people want to live here.

Mike Gray, 59, managing director of Dedman Gray, also can’t praise the area enough.

He said: “There has certainly been a substantial increase in house prices since the credit crunch, that was about ten years ago.

“In addition to this general increase, the market in Southend is seen as premium which is down to the revived interest in the area. It’s a great place to live. This is down to regeneration projects in the area such as the expansions to the colleges and university campuses, the amazing progress of the airport and the growth of new hotels too.

“It is also down to the airport business park being built. We’ve also seen the added attraction of more interest from people who want to live and work in Southend.”

In Thurrock, the average home is currently priced at £276,164, that’s 76 per cent higher than in 2010, when the same home was £156,741, according to analysis of Land Registry data by modular housing developer Project Etopia.

The company compared average house prices in January 2010 and the most recently available data, from October 2019, in 346 local authority areas.