How would the Monopoly board look in today's property market?

Even if Festive cheer is sorely lacking this year, many of us will still be playing board games over Christmas. And if you’ve ever pondered the Monopoly Board, wondering how it would look if the familiar London landmarks were updated to reflect today's property market, developer Barratt London has the answers!

In fact, the old familiar board would be significantly different if the 1936 London-based game was re-imagined to represent modern-day prices in the capital. Barratt Homes’ Around The Board Tour has found that only six of the 22 locations on the board would remain in the same place; The Angel Islington has climbed the most positions from the light blue squares to the greens - a 15 space jump.

 So what else would change if the game was launched today?

• The Angel Islington would be joined in the green positions by Marlborough Street, which enjoys a 10 space jump, the second-largest climb, and The Strand which completed the top three in terms of climbing in value, welcoming a seven space jump.
• Oxford Street, green on the original board, leapfrogs Mayfair to occupy the most expensive place on the board, with Park Lane maintaining its position as the second most expensive square on the board.
•  Similarly, the Old Kent Road and Whitechapel Road remain as the two cheapest locations on the Monopoly board, with Fleet Street making one of the biggest drops (eight) from the red spaces to the light blues, joining Pentonville Road and Euston Road, which remain in the same colour bracket.
• Bond Street would also drop by eight spaces into the red spaces, while Mayfair makes the biggest drop, joining Bow Street and Pall Mall in the orange positions, a drop of 11.

Of course, this is just a bit of fun - something we sorely need this Christmas! But it’s an interesting way to reflect on the many changes that have taken place in the capital over the decades. And with the ongoing pandemic now transforming the way we use both commercial and residential property, maybe the next big shift will come sooner than we think.