UK’s ten most affordable areas to buy a home – including properties with house prices starting from £71,000

BUYING a house seems almost impossible for most prospective homeowners, as prices rocket amid the current cost of living squeeze.

But Shildon, in County Durham, is supposedly the most affordable town to live in Britain.

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That’s because, according to Zoopla, the average house there costs just £71,000.

Three other County Durham locations also feature in the property experts’ top ten list of most affordable places to live.

Buyers can expect to pay only up to 1.5 times the average two-earner household salary for a house in the area.

And if affordability is front and centre of your decision making, when it comes to buying a house, it might be high time to pack up your bags and move to Scotland.

The northern tip of the UK made up another four more entries in the cheapest revealed list.

House prices have risen steadily in the area, in line with wages for most too, explained the experts at Zoopla.

In comparison, the average household anywhere else in the UK can expect to pay up to four times their combined salary for their new home.

Grainne Gilmore, Head of Research at Zoopla, said: “The cost of living crisis has meant that affordability has been pushed to the forefront of buyers’ minds this year, more than ever.

“Once again, we are seeing that many of the most affordable areas for potential home buyers are across Scotland and the North of England which could be attractive to those still searching for the perfect post-pandemic family space.”

It doesn’t mean other areas in the UK aren’t becoming more affordable than they once were though.

In the South East, Dorking is the most improved, where
buyers can expect to pay £552,000 for an average property, according to Zoopla.

Unsurprisingly, the country’s capital, London, didn’t make the cut for the most affordable place to live.

But if you decided to settle in areas like Barking, Dagenham or Bexley, you might get more for your money.

Kensington and Chelsea and the City of Westminster remain some of the most expensive London boroughs though.

Buyers in the three areas can expect to pay more than a whopping ten times their duel salary to purchase a home.

But Kensington alone is 7% cheaper than it was last year, thanks to wages growing faster than house prices in the borough.

The top 10 most affordable areas to buy a home

Zoopla revealed the average price of homes in the cheapest towns across the country.

1. Shildon, County Durham – £71,000
2. Cleator Moor, Copeland – £105,700
3. Ferryhill, County Durham – £80,400
4. Stevenston, North Ayrshire – £88,800
5. Cumnock, East Ayrshire – £89,400
6. Peterlee, County Durham – £84,200
7. Egremont, Copeland – £120,900
8. Girvan, South Ayrshire – £105,000
9. Irvine, North Ayrshire – £102,100
10. Millam, Copeland – £131,500

Meanwhile, one mortgage expert explains exactly how you can make sure you secure the loan you need.

And, if you’re looking at selling up, we reveal the improvement mistake that could wipe thousands off the value of your home.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk