The impact of proximity to cell phone towers on residential property values

Purpose – This paper aims to determine if proximity to cell phone towers influences house prices with a focus on isolating the impact of tower aesthetics on nearby property values. Design/methodology/approach – Sales transaction data from the Auckland Region during 2005‐2007 were analysed using a series of hedonic models testing various proximity specifications across two populations of cell towers: residential‐only and global (all towers). Findings – The study could not establish a relationship between cell towers and house prices with the exception of armed monopole towers located in residential areas due to such towers' acute visual disamenity. Practical implications – The study's findings can be directly applied to residential valuation practice and can assist government regulators and telecommunication companies in siting new cell towers. Originality/value – This research provides three distinct methodological improvements: unconventional geocoding that improves spatial accuracy, separate analysis of towers in residential areas that enhances internal validity and inclusion of tower mast data to isolate the impact of tower aesthetics.