A property near a Waitrose supermarket could fetch a hefty price premium, according to research.

Online estate agency eMoov says that a home near one of the chain’s 300+ UK stores could be worth double the national average.

It says the average value of a property near a Waitrose is £456,000, while the national average is now just over £220,000.

In Upminster, for example, the average value of a property near a Waitrose store has increased  by 10% in the last year, while in the wider area prices have only increased by 3%.

Other strong perfroming areas were Dorchester, Sandbach, Farnham and St Ives.

“Although Waitrose positions their stores in more affluent areas, it is clear that the presence of a Waitrose supermarket can influence surrounding property values in a positive manner and in many cases, can see homeowners double the price potential of their property,” says Russell Quirk, eMoov chief executive.

“Waitrose is a byword for ‘well to do’ and therefore for those that place a high importance on such an image, a walk to the local Waitrose justifies a higher asking price to similar nearby properties.”