IF YOU needed further proof that property prices are sky-high in this region then look no further than this run-of-the-mill garage in Hampshire.

With no distinguishing features and no other purpose than to store things, this 20ft by 13ft brick and wooden construction has been placed on the market with a £20,000 price tag.

"Why?" you may ask.

Well, according to estate agents Fox and Sons, its location in the heart of one of the most sought-after areas in the New Forest puts this garage in high demand.

Situated in the picturesque location of Woodgreen, near Fordingbridge, this garage is surrounded by historical - and importantly garage-less - rural cottages.

This puts a premium on the garage.

Sue Brooks of Fox and Sons in Fordingbridge said: "There are a lot of traditional cottage properties in this area and, of course, when they were built there weren't garages.

"We recently sold a cottage and the owners retained this garage for storage. When they no longer needed the garage they asked us if we would sell it.

"It is the sort of thing, remarkably, that does get a lot of interest and we've had a lot of interest in it already.

"Traders may want it to store their tools and some people may have a vintage car which they are looking to store safely."

The staggering price of the Woodgreen garage follows hard on the heels of the Daily Echo story about a cramped Winchester garage that went on the market for £55,000 - the same price as a home on Gosport's Rowner estate.

But alongside £70,000 beach huts on the local coastline, this garage brings further evidence that there is a north-south divide - at least as far as property prices go.

Just five minutes searching on the Internet and you will find dozens of properties in the north-east and north-west within the same price range and even cheaper.

Two homes in Liverpool are on the market for £13,995 and £16,000 respectively.

The first is a four-bedroom terraced house in need of modernisation and the second a two-bedroom terraced house.

Meanwhile, the average house price in Hampshire - £148,000 - continues to rise against a background of properties in short supply.