NEW data has revealed which areas of Wirral are the most expensive to buy a house in.

Data from the Office for National Statistics reveals that of the 22 council wards in Wirral, the highest median house price in 2021 was more than £400,000.

This was followed by West Kirby and Thurstaston (£348,000) and Hoylake and Meols  (£310,000).

By contrast, the cheapest parts of Wirral to purchase property were Birkenhead and Tranmere, which had a median house price of £91,500, Seacombe (£94,250) and Rock Ferry (£118,998).

The median – the middle number in a series – is used to ensure the figures are not skewed by extreme highs or lows.

Coming in as the most expensive area was Heswall which saw the highest median house price as £409,500.

Meanwhile, the number of homes sold in Wirral rose from 4,114 in 2020 to 5,041 last year.

Of sales last year, 6% (298) were in Hoylake and Meols – making it the busiest area for buyers.

At the other end of the scale, Rock Ferry saw just 152 properties sold in 2021, earning it the title of quietest area of Wirral's property market.

Grainne Gilmore, head of research at Zoopla, said property values vary widely in large part because of the differing housing stock between areas – some neighbourhoods will have a higher number of five-bedroom detached homes, while others will be home to more flats and smaller properties.

But she said the difference between more and less expensive areas may start to narrow.

She said: "The demand for larger detached homes during the pandemic has pushed average values for houses higher over the last year, while price growth for flats has lagged.

"But there are signs that demand for flats in city centres is gaining momentum, so we could see faster rising prices in this part of the market."

The ONS figures also reveal the trendiest area – the one which saw the fastest growth in sales – in Wirral.

Of the 22 wards with at least 100 properties sold, Bidston and St James saw 61% more properties sold in 2021 than in 2020, followed by Hoylake and Meols (45%) and Rock Ferry (41%).