Get out of here! Welsh estate agent claims Ant & Dec are pushing up prices

An estate agent in North Wales has claimed that the decision by BBC TV show I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here to shoot its next series at Gwrych Castle overlooking in North Wales has pushed up local property prices by up to 20%.

Ian Wyn-Jones, who is one of Wales’ more colourful estate agents, is a former Purplebricks territory manager who quit the hybrid agency in March last year to take up a Welsh franchise with competitor EasyProperty.

He has also appeared on BBC series Home Under The Hammer and presents a property show for local TV station S4C.

The 42-year-old (pictured, left) persuaded The Sun newspaper that prices have jumped by between 15% and 20% around the village of Abergele, which is overlooked by the castle, since I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here made its announcement.

Wyn-Jones is believes, like many other estate agent firms in North Wales, that the show’s arrival at Gwrych Castle will super-charge the local economy.

“Abergele was always a quiet, sleepy village and the property market was a little bit hit and miss,” he says.

Wyn-Jones says he recently sold a house initially on the market for £425,000 for £495,000 to a buyer from Chester keen to get into the area before the tourism trade kicks off.

“Expectations are high as many people can see the money that can be made from tourism on the back of this so are keen to move in,” he says.

The show will also have a temporary effect on the local short-lets market – some 300 crew, contestants as well as Ant & Dec (pictured, above) are due to descend on the area to make the show.

Read more about EasyProperty.com.