PROPERTIES in the New Forest command £286,442 more than homes in the surrounding area on average, a report has found.

That meant buyers could expect to pay nearly double the amount they would spend on a home situated just outside the Forest.

Lloyds Bank looked at house prices in 12 national parks and found that generally prices were around £118,711 – or 49 per cent – higher than the average for their surrounding county.

An average home in a national park nationally was worth just over £360,670, while one in the surrounding county was just under £241,960.

But the New Forest had the highest price premium in the survey, with a price 98 per cent higher in the national park than the surrounding area.

A home in the Forest cost an average of £577,979, compared with £291, 537 for the surrounding county.

Andrew Mason, Lloyds Bank mortgage products director, said: "Quality of life and an attractive environment are two major factors for people eyeing their next home move, and our national parks provide both of these in abundance.

"It's therefore not surprising to learn that many home movers are prepared to pay a premium to live in some of the most beautiful parts of the country.

"These highly attractive areas are also very popular with second home purchasers.

"However, as some of the homes in these areas can cost as much as 15 times the local average wage, there is a risk that some people living and working in these areas could be priced out of the market."