medalsJohn Walton/EMPICS Sport

If you want a house that's a sparkling investment, then you need to track down one of the rare streets paved with gold in the UK. There are apparently 61 streets with the word 'Gold' in the title, and according to Zoopla, they are worth more than those with silver or bronze names.

So what's in a name?

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The findings

The survey found that when it comes to house prices, having Gold, Silver or Bronze in your property address ranks in the same order as they do on the Olympic medal podium.

Apparently that the average property value on streets with 'Gold' in the name currently stands at £280,114, compared to £224,786 for streets with 'Silver' in the name and £198,537 for 'Bronze'.

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And, just like the metals, not only are 'Gold' streets more valuable but they are also far rarer than those with 'Silver' in the name. There are 61 residential streets in Britain with 'Gold' in the address compared to 559 'Silver' streets across the country.

Nicholas Leeming, Business Development Director at Zoopla.co.uk said, "Getting onto the property ladder these days probably feels like as much of an effort as winning a Gold medal at the Olympics to many people. Getting to live on a street with Gold in the name is certainly something for homeowners to work hard and strive for - something our athletes will be all too familiar with."

But why?

Some of this is aspirational naming. A Zoopla spokesman explained: "Sometimes it's purely the fact that gold signifies the best quality, so developers named the road where they were building the most exclusive homes."

Then, over time, the name 'Gold' will have become associated with the desirability of the area, pushing up demand, and inflating prices further.

Alternatively, it may refer to the historical use of the street. Streets with silver on the title may come from the fact it as a common area for silversmiths. They often operated in historical town centres, which may mean properties are desirable because of their location - although not top-end, because they do not have the room to grow. Of course, the naming of streets after Silver Birches does skew the figures.

TOP FIVE HIGHEST VALUE 'GOLD' STREETS

1 Gold Hill, Lower Bourne, Farnham, GU10 £1,478,822
2 Gold Hill, Batcombe, Shepton Mallet, BA4 £1,024,878
3 Gold Street, Cobham, DA12 £787,500
4 Gold Hill East, Chalfont St. Peter, Gerrards Cross, SL9 £629,647
5 Gold Close, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, EN10 £513,159
Source: Zoopla.co.uk (June 2012)

TOP FIVE HIGHEST VALUE 'SILVER' STREET

1 Silver Lane, Purley, CR8 £1,774,563
2 Silver Lane, Willingale, Ongar, CM5 £762,166
3 Silver Lane, West Challow, Wantage, OX12 £655,974
4 Silver Crescent, London W4 £648,316
5 Silver Birches, Small Dole, Henfield, West Sussex BN5 £642,405
Source: Zoopla.co.uk (June 2012)#

TOP FIVE HIGHEST VALUE 'BRONZE' STREETS

1 Bronze Barrow Close, Wigston, Leicestershire, LE18 £324,535
2 Bronze Close, Beggarwood, Basingstoke, RG22 £300,733
3 Bronze Street, Deptford, SE8 £192,299
4 Bronze Close, Bognor Regis, West Sussex, PO22 £136,602
5 Bronze Close, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV11 £126,738
Source: Zoopla.co.uk (June 2012)

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