New data reveals the current best and worst places to be a first time buyer in the UK

Digital broker, Mojo Mortgages, has been crunching the numbers and released the findings of research that cross-referenced the monthly mortgage cost in comparison to an area’s average income, creating what it claims to be a true first-time buyer affordability index.

Related topics:  Property
Warren Lewis
3rd March 2020
FTB 777

According to the data, Derby, Northampton and Liverpool were found to be some of the most expensive places to purchase for first-time buyers. The cost of a property based on the price per square metre was relatively high in these areas, while the average salary was relatively low.

As well as looking at the average local salary and the average monthly mortgage cost, Mojo Mortgages also examined the average costs of monthly bills, commuting expenses and the price per square metre to buy a house or an apartment in that area.

The price per square metre in Newcastle was £1,650, making it cheaper than any other city in the UK, and the average mortgage payment is just 29.05% of a buyer’s income.

Aberdeen ranked second, where the average monthly mortgage payment is 29.57% of a buyer’s average income and the price per square metre at £2,250.
Along with Derby, Northampton and Liverpool, London was also named as the worst place to purchase if you’re a first-time buyer. If you buy a city centre apartment here, you’ll need to earn 45% more than the average monthly net salary to be able to afford your mortgage payments. The price per square metre also stands at a staggering £13,068.95.

Richard Hayes, CEO and Co-Founder of Mojo Mortgages, said: “Getting on the property ladder as a first-time buyer is notoriously difficult unless you happen to have a few grand stashed away in your savings account or can ask the Bank of Mum and Dad to help with the deposit.

“Our first-time buyer index gives potential homebuyers the chance to see where they could buy, and what’s affordable for them in some of the most popular towns and cities in the UK. What’s more, if they think they need some help in getting mortgage ready, our MortgageScore service can really help them to understand how a lender sees them and what they need to do to get the best possible mortgage.”

Martin Reynolds, Chairman of Association of Mortgage Intermediaries, said: “The output from the inaugural Mojo Mortgages’ property index provides an interesting take on where the current first-time buyer hot spots and challenges are. Whilst some of the data shows expected challenges in London it is surprising in other areas. Mojo Mortgages is working hard for the first-time buyer and the launch of its property index in conjunction with its innovative MortgageScore™ proposition means that they are ahead of the curve with support.”

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