A beautiful, historic or interesting view from a property has always been one of those features that is hard to put a price on. A fact highlighted by a visit to a fairly non-descript bungalow in Dorset that I visited recently, that had an outstanding view.

In this instance, the property sold at a premium of approx £60,000 because of its views but in many parts of the country a spectacular view costs a lot more. It seems that the ?mark up' for a view can vary quite dramatically depending on the location of the property and in some cases houses with a river frontage or sea view can fetch 50%  more than a house that doesn't enjoy such a sought-after location.

So, how much can you expect to pay for a property with a desirable view?

It seems that data on this variable is quite hard to come by and until County Homesearch carried out a national survey on the level of premium that buyers will pay for the privilege of overlooking a village green or having a sea view it was difficult to gauge what effect a view may have on the asking price of a property.
 
Jonathan Haward, Managing Director of the County Homesearch Company, says, "The survey shows that houses with 'something extra' such as being adjacent to a common or park, overlooking a river or perched above a city can add a great deal of money to the price of a property."

But this uplift can vary, for example, it seems that  there's the comparatively low seven per cent increase in the price tag of a Central London house overlooking a park or garden square compared with one facing other property compared to a 600 per cent hike on a terraced property overlooking the 18th Green of St Andrews Old Course where the British Open Golf championship is played.

Sea Views

Our property in Dorset benefited from a wonderful sea view - and of course it's hardly surprising that the view made the property more valuable. But even amongst sea view properties, there can still be quite a differance on just how much extra pounds on the purchase price will be attributed to the view - and it all depends on whereabouts the property is located.

For example in Dorset and Devon (as in our case), a property benefiting from a 180 degree sea view could fetch up to 40% more than a similar one without.

This is borne out by research from the Halifax/Bank of Scotland, which has analysed the 10-year appreciation of properties in waterside locations. The biggest increase was in Falmouth in Cornwall, where prices rose by 311 per cent in the 10 years to 2006, compared with an average for all UK homes of just 186 per cent in the same period. Four other West Country ports, Penzance, Bideford, Mevagissey and Brixham, were also in the top 10, as were favourites further along the South Coast like Brighton, Whitstable and Hythe.

Devon and Cornwall have a holiday home tradition, so it is natural that prices rise more there as a result, but clearly wherever you have proximity to the water, especially direct views, it will boost prices further.

What about Countryside Views?

Countryside views are also important but, to some extent, are under threat. Government targets to have 10 per cent of the UK's electricity from renewable sources by 2010 make the siting of wind turbines especially critical to a property's view in the future. A few of the 500 turbines in Britain are off-shore but most are in the countryside, and 1,800 more are required in the next three years.

An estate agent in the North Yorkshire moors area, summed up the demand for countryside views; "The classic request is a property with the patchwork of fields and the odd isolated barn in view, but no homes visible, and there are plenty of such views available." This is typical of other rural areas around the country.
And if you are fortunate enough to have property in one of the country's National Parks, then clearly, the strict planning regimes help to preserve views so you are less threatened by other development than other countryside area. Interesting, the biggest protection of views comes from the countryside itself. If you think about it, whilst a property that is nestled into a hillside, miles from anywhere and with no other properties in sight might seem appealing to some, the fact is that lanes are narrow, the nearest motorway might be over an hour's drive away and local facilities and infrastructure are difficult to reach. This tends to deter development.

Urban Views?

Whilst coastal and country views produce high prices based mainly on emotion, the pricing structure for city centre apartments is a little more scientific. Here you can expect to pay a higher price for the same apartment as you move upwards in a block. This is justified by the fact that often the lower floors' views are obstructed by other properties nearby.

Apartment towers have been a popular choice for developers in cities because it satisfies local and central government guidelines for high-density development but, until recently also gives builders and estate agents the scope to push up prices of the higher located units. Penthouses are often large, sometimes over two storeys, and obviously enjoy great views. In today's market where there is a glut of city centre apartments in tower blocks available to sell by developers, it is the lower storey ones that are being offered at seemingly ridiculous discounts. The penthouses have faired better.

How Safe Is Your View?

It's vital to do your homework when buying a house with a view. Unless you've also bought the land you overlook, can you be sure it won't be built over?

And if it could be, how would this affect your enjoyment of the property and the value of your investment? Even if a sprawling estate is unlikely to come between you and your view, is there a possibility that you could end up living in the shadows of, for example, a windfarm?

So it seems there is no exact calculation that you can put on the value of a view from a property - it all depends on the initial location, how protected it might be and of course, the emotional drive of the potential purchaser.

Homes with a view are not only expensive, they also tend to be rare, and may be sold before they make it to the open market.

If there's a view you just can't live without, make yourself known to the estate agents in the area and be ready to move when your perfect riverside / coastal / countryside property comes up - just don't expect it to be cheap..