Couples wanting to buy a home are having to fork out nearly four times their joint annual income just to have somewhere to lay their hats, it’s been revealed by property website Zoopla.
On average, buying a home costs 3.8 times the annual household income and it’s even worse for singletons, who face a cost of 7.6 times their hard-earned salaries.
To find the most affordable areas within Britain’s nations and regions, Zoopla analysed house value-to-earnings ratios, based on a two-earner household on an average salary for the local area.
It found that in Cumnock in East Ayrshire, Scotland, and Shildon in County Durham in the North East of England, the average house price is 1.1 times typical household earnings.
The most affordable location in the London area was still above the national average affordability ratio for a two-earner household.
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Zoopla identified Croydon, described by some sources to be the knife crime capital of London, as the most affordable location in the capital, with homes there costing around 4.7 times local incomes.
Izabella Lubowiecka, a senior property researcher at Zoopla, said: “London remains the least affordable area for home-buyers.
“Those in London looking to get more for their money may want to consider buying in one of the South East and East of England’s commuter belt, where there are many towns that are more affordable than London.
“The same is true in markets around many regional cities and we see buyers seeking value for money.”
NAEA (National Association of Estate Agents) Propertymark president Toby Leek said: “Affordability for many is a real issue and, as purse strings remain tightened despite easing factors such as slight drops in inflation, prospective and current home-owners will be looking to enter the market with caution, but also, in some cases, further flexibility in where they nest themselves.
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“As many people no longer have the restriction of basing themselves from a static office full-time, they are able to look elsewhere to actually step on to the housing ladder for the first time or find their next, more affordable dream home.”
The report was released as research commissioned by Santander UK found that almost three-quarters (73%) of potential first-time buyers would consider moving to New Towns.
This compares with 57% of “second steppers” anticipating moving from their first-owned property and 41% of those looking to downsize later in life.
Among those who would not consider moving to a New Town, some people expressed concerns around housing quality – although some also said the availability of healthcare facilities and green spaces would make them more inclined to consider moving to one.
Some 47% of prospective first-time buyers cited affordability as a major hurdle, according to the survey of more than 4,000 people in September.
Graham Sellar, head of business development – mortgages, at Santander, said: “New Towns have incredible potential but, to maximise the impact they can have, they must be built with the people who will call them home in mind.
“Our research shows just how important it is to create lively communities with green spaces as well as easy access to healthcare when it comes to appealing to more home-buyers.”
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Here are the most affordable locations in each nation or region, according to Zoopla, based on a two-income household, with the postal town followed by the average house value, the estimated annual household income and the house value-to-earnings ratio:
- East Midlands, Gainsborough, £170,000, £70,500, 2.4
- East of England, Wisbech, £209,800, £70,900, 3.0
- South East, Dover, £250,000, £79,300, 3.2
- South West, Plymouth, £222,200, £68,300, 3.3
- Wales, Ferndale, £101,600, £67,700, 1.5
- West Midlands, Stoke-On-Trent, £139,200, £62,100, 2.2
- Yorkshire and the Humber, Hull, £119,800, £62,200, 1.9
- London, Croydon, £417,800, £84,800, 4.7
- North East, Shildon, £73,200, £65,800, 1.1
- North West, Workington, £123,700, £76,900, 1.6
- Scotland, Cumnock, £80,300, £75,800, 1.1