Best UK Spots To Buy Your First Home?

Looking to buy your first home is such an exciting yet daunting experience, as it’s the most money you will spend just at once and is a big decision to make based on multiple factors, such as location, prices, the home itself, and your working location if you aren’t remote.

If you are lucky enough to work remotely without the need to come into the office, then you essentially have free rein on choosing a location to set up shop if you aren’t particularly bothered in being close to family and friends.

Cost or bargain for your buck can be a really influential factor, which can drive people away from their long-standing home with their parents or rentals in locations such as London, as growing demand and house prices are too much for people to be able to buy their first ever home here so will resort to venturing out into towns beyond or completely relocating to a different city.

We will be using information from a Halifax study to discuss some of the best places and most popular locations for first-time buyers.

Manchester

One of the most thriving northern cities, it has been attracting significant attention and interest not just from first-time buyers but also from people relocating from smaller or more expensive towns.

This is a lively city with a love for football, drinking and social elements, which has led to this city having a rather successful economy, thriving job market and plans for the future of this city to get bigger and better. Depending on the area in Manchester, the cost will be dictated, but overall, it is a very competitively priced city compared to others.

Amongst all buyers, 75% where first time home buyers in Manchester, with the average home price being £212,891.

Leeds

Another northern city that is known for its charm, surrounding landscapes, and vibrant night and day life, such as the Otterly run, which incorporates dress up and pub crawls, which are two of the Brits’ favourite things.

Surprisingly it is a little more expensive than Manchester, with the average house price being £246,00 but that is, of course, completely dependent on the location, and there will be much more affordable homes for first-time buyers. But overall, it’s a great mixture of city life and rural life from Victoria Leeds shopping centre to Roundhay Park.

Liverpool

Another popular northern city, it’s common knowledge that northern suburbs and cities are a lot cheaper than those you find down south, which makes it a great relocation spot for a lot of first time buyers from the south as it’s becoming much harder to hop on the property ladder down there, but also northern cities such as Liverpool have so much charm and character which make them an absolute bargain for the areas you can move into.

Liverpool as a whole has some very nice areas, such as Otterspool, Lark Lane and the surrounding areas of Sefton Park, with some beautiful areas. Not to mention, they have an average house price of £179,000 as of 2024. This is extremely competitive but also means that you could end up buying cheaper and renovating for your style, or being able to afford a new build in a nice area.

Liverpool, like many northern cities, has its own quirks but is a great spot for those who are just trying to invest in their future and property.

Final Thoughts

Some of the most affordable average house prices include the north, midlands, scotland and wales which aren’t surprising really. All have their unique features and charm that can drive first-time home buyers to relocate to save a couple of grand or much more. While it’s all completely dependent on your mortgage deposit, salary and where you want to live, when it comes down to it, all but these 3 cities listed above are great options to consider.