Thurrock in Essex, has experienced the biggest increase in house prices in the UK over the last decade, according to Project Etopia.

The modular housing developer said that average house prices in the area soared 76.2% over the last 10 years, from £156,741 to £276,164.

Three Rivers and Watford, Hertfordshire, were not far behind with 75.2% and 74.3% rises respectively.

On average, prices have risen by 38.8% in the UK, excluding London.

Top 10 price rises of the decade

Thurrock: 76.2%
Three Rivers: 75.2%
Watford: 74.3%
Bristol: 73.6%
Harlow: 72.8%
Dartford:70.6%
Corby: 70.3%
Hertsmere: 70.3%
Southend-on-Sea: 69.9%
Broxbourne: 69.7%

Only three parts of the country, all in the north of England, saw prices decrease, falling by 7.8% in Hartlepool, 1% in Redcar and Cleveland and 0.4% in Blackpool.

Joseph Daniels, CEO of Project Etopia, said: “The staggering extremes of some of these house price increases this decade, topping 76% in 10 years, means owning a home remains an unachievable dream for many.

“In Three Rivers, for instance, buyers would now need mortgages of close to half a million pounds to buy an average home, leaving many properties out of reach for average earners.

“Healthy appreciation will be welcomed by many homeowners but for the wider country this is a totally unsustainable situation. The UK must accelerate house building to increase supply over the next decade and temper Britain’s affordability problems. Only Modern Methods of Construction can deliver new homes fast enough to meet the demand and ensure ordinary hard-working people can afford to buy property right across the UK.”