The 10 most affordable cities for first time buyers

New report suggests Brighton, Oxford and Chelmsford are the most unaffordable spots in Britain for those wanting to get on the property ladder

(Wikimedia Commons)

Brighton is the least affordable town in the UK for first time buyers, according to Adzuna.co.uk which puts Belfast and Hull high on the most affordable list.

Its research indicates that almost 80 per cent of homes in Belfast are within reach for first-time buyers on average local incomes. Oxford, Chelmsford, Cambridge and London all rank among the most unaffordable places to get a foot on the property ladder.

Figures from LSL Property Services last week suggest that the average price for a house is now £262, 291, up 7.2 per cent over the last 12 months.

The study shows that first-time buyers should head to northern locations like Sunderland, Salford and Hull where average property prices at £136,095 are only 2.5 times average earnings for the area.

Bargain hunters should also set their sights on Midlands cities like Stoke-on-Trent, Nottingham and Derby. In the South of England, Portsmouth, Plymouth and Southampton are among the most affordable cities.

However, Brighton, Oxford and Chelmsford are the most unaffordable towns and cities in the UK for first-time buyers. A typical home in Brighton now sells for over seven times the average Brightonian couple’s earnings, at over £400,000. Properties in London have become increasingly unaffordable for locals with 91 per cent of homes in the capital completely out of reach.

Top 10 most affordable cities for first time buyers

1. Belfast

2. Hull

3. Sunderland

4. Glasgow

5. Salford

6. Stoke-on-Trent

7. Derby

8. Manchester

9. Bradford

10. Nottingham

Top 10 least affordable cities for first time buyers

1. Brighton

2. Oxford

3. Chelmsford

4. Cambridge

5. London

6. Exeter

7. Guildford

8. Winchester

9. Reading

10. Chichester

Top 10 most affordable cities for all homebuyers

1. Belfast

2. Hull

3. Salford

4. Sunderland

5. Bradford

6. Glasgow

7. Middlesbrough

8. Manchester

9. Durham

10. Birmingham