Last summer, the estate agent Purplebricks listed two Liverpool postcodes as 'the most in demand areas to live' in the entire country.
During July 2021, as covid lockdown rules were lifted and people looked to move house and make a change, Liverpool was top of the search rankings on the estate agent's website as people considered the idea of settling down in the city.
One of the reasons Liverpool is so popular with buyers is that property prices are lower compared with other cities - meaning people can enjoy city living and all that comes with it, having forked out less cash.
Read more: Two Liverpool postcodes are 'most in demand areas' in the UK
Of those looking to move and buy in Liverpool, the L17 postcode in the south of the city is at the top of the list and according to Purplebricks is up there with the most sought after on a national scale.
This is perhaps not too hard to understand.
The L17 postcode - which includes the areas of Aigburth and St Michael's - is blessed with a myriad of beautiful parks and green spaces and has great transport links to the city centre and beyond.
At its heart lies the legendary Lark Lane - a utopia of cool bars, craft shops and independent restaurants.
But with demand ever increasing, how difficult is it for people now to settle down in the area and how competitive has that process become?
We spoke to people who have recently bought homes in L17 and those who are trying to do so, but finding the process hard going - to build up a picture of what is going on in the area.
Julia Rampen is from Edinburgh, she spent nearly 10 years living in London before moving to Liverpool a few years ago when her husband got a job in the city.
She said: "I spent my entire twenties renting, and while I had great housemates, I really resented paying as much as £750 a month for a room in London when the landlord was rude and unwilling to fix anything unless she absolutely had to.
"When I moved to Liverpool, the rent was cheaper in comparison, but I had a bad experience myself during the winter lockdown when the boiler broke and the landlord took a week to fix it.
"In London, because of the high rents, I ended up living far away from many friends or restaurants, so the fact Lark Lane was on the doorstep and lots of people like to come there was also amazing.
"We looked at other neighbourhoods, but we kept coming back to St Michael's. We had friends in the area, and as I only moved to Liverpool in 2019, it was quite important to me to be able to socialise."
She added: "During my time as a renter, I was always saving, but it wasn't easy at all to buy a flat in London. When my husband got a job in Liverpool, I moved to be with him and loved the city.
"It's definitely the friendliest in the UK and it's also got brilliant arts, culture and sport, as well as beaches. It was nice to be able to think about putting down roots in it."
Julia said she didn't have a postcode in mind and was mainly thinking about public transport and green space.
A former financial journalist, Julia says she can't help thinking about investments and believes the couple's decision to buy in L17 is a sound one - but hopes local people will not be priced out of the area.
She said: "I do think L17 will continue to be popular given the amazing parks and public transport, as well as all the restaurants.
"At the same time, though, I think houses should be homes first, investments second, and it worries me that L17 could become so pricey that the original community is pushed out.
"I saw it happening in London, and I know how it feels as a private renter when your landlord jacks the prices up. I'd like to see Liverpool come up with a proper plan to avoid that happening."
This is definitely a concern as the demand for properties in the area means that on average a house will instantly have 20 to 30 viewings when it comes on the market.
This demand means that almost all properties that come on the market in L17 will receive multiple offers and often go over the asking price.
Michael Potter says he feels fortunate to have been able to buy in the area two years ago, before the post-pandemic bubble added to the already challenging process.
Originally from Cambridge, he spent several years living in the Wirral, before deciding he wanted to be near Lark Lane, Sefton Park and Festival Gardens.
He said: "I wanted to buy here because it is close to town, with good transport links and is near Sefton Park and Lark Lane.
"It has a lot of options. Also I wanted to buy somewhere where the rental and resale is high.
"The process was competitive and hard but thankfully I managed to get under the asking price - partly the reason I brought here was knowing house prices would retain value.
"When I purchased the house two years ago the prices hadn't gone as high as they are now so on reflection it was a good investment."
Those growing prices Michael speaks of are a concern for those who are renting in the area and dreaming of one day settling down in a permanent L17 home.
Sara Garstecka, 33, is originally from Poland, but moved to study and work in Liverpool seven years ago.
Her entire time in the city has been spent living in the L17 area that she loves, but she worries her dream of buying a house here is growing more difficult as demand in the area grows.
That demand has also impacted the rental sector, with Sara finding the recent process of moving to a new rental property in the area very competitive.
She said: "My university supervisor recommended looking for a place to rent near Lark Lane when I first arrived in Liverpool and I have been here ever since.
"I love the area’s architecture, independent cafes and restaurants, and green spaces - Sefton Park is amazing all year round.
"I didn’t have any issue finding the first property I moved to seven years ago, but when looking to move again about half a year ago, it was really hard to find any properties in this area .
"The properties were rented out sooner than the estate agents updated online ads, so it was much more stressful."
She added: "I’d love to buy here one day.
"The house prices have increased substantially, which is a worry. It looks like now my budget would cover a dilapidated three-bedroom house. Pre pandemic this budget would cover a newly renovated 3-bedroom house.
"But I would love to buy here and stay in the area. I feel at home here and part of a little community."
For now, it seems like the demand to buy houses in L17 shows no sign of slowing down.
Donna Lewis, Local Property Partner for Purplebricks said: "L17 is one of our busiest postcodes within South Liverpool.
"The majority of properties we bring to market have on average 20-30 plus viewings on them shortly after they go live.
"Buyers tell us they want to live in this postcode because it’s close to the city centre, there are amazing green spaces and many recreational facilities including Sefton Park, Princes Park and Otterspool Promenade, and Lark Lane boasts an array of boutique shops, restaurants, coffee shops and bars.
“The area is also within the catchment for some of the outstanding schools within South Liverpool, for all ages.
"The schools are inundated with applications year on year so the best chance of getting in is the postcode you live in and church attendance for the catholic or C of E secondary schools.
“Almost all of the properties we bring to market in L17 will have multiple offers on them and will exceed the asking price."
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