The cheapest and most expensive locations for first-time buyers to purchase a home in England and Wales have been revealed. In new findings which compare 328 locations by Barratt Homes based on official data, no areas in southern England or the Midlands feature in the top 10 cheapest locations for first-time buyers. The top 10 cheapest locations were dominated by locations further north, such as Burnley in the North West and County Durham in the North East. But there are options for buyers looking to buy a property in the Midlands or southern England. Bolsover was labelled as the cheapest location in the Midlands for first-time buyers.The average cost of a property for first-time buyers in Bolsover is £165,995, with an average deposit of £33,559, Barratt said. In the South West, Plymouth is a more affordable option for first-time buyers, with the average cost of a home at £214,000, using an average deposit of around £42,800. Plymouth was found to be the 82nd cheapest location for first-time buyers in England and Wales.
Cheapest locations for first-time buyers in England and WalesBurnley, Lancashire, was crowned as the cheapest location for first-time buyers, Barratt said. Buyers getting on the property ladder for the first time can expect to pay £116,000 for their first home in Burnley, 63 per cent less than the UK average national house price of £311,034. With average prices for first-time buyers at £125,000, County Durham came in as the second cheapest location. First-time buyers snapping up a home in County Durham will typically pay 60 per cent less than the average cost of a home in the UK. Hyndburn, Hartlepool, Kingston upon Hull were found to be the third, fourth and fifth cheapest locations for first-time buyers. In Kingston upon Hull, buyers can expect to pay around £131,000 for their first home. Blackpool is another inexpensive option for first-time buyers, with the average cost of an entry-level home at £131,250. Blaenau Gwent was the seventh cheapest location for first-time buyers and the first in Wales on the top 10 cheapest list of locations. In Blaenau Gwent, first-time buyers can expect to pay £132,500 for a property. Sunderland was the eighth cheapest location for first-time buyers in England and Wales, Barratt Redrow said. At £134,000, first-time buyers in Sunderland can expect to pay 57 per cent less than the average cost of a home in the UK. Pendle in the north west of England and Merthyr Tydfil in Wales were the ninth and tenth cheapest locations for first-time buyers respectively, Barratt Redrow said. Within all the top 10 cheapest locations, buyers can expect to pay £135,000 or less for a home. The North West had the most locations in the top ten, with four, while the North East had three. Wales had two and Yorkshire had one. CHEAPEST FIRST-TIME BUYER LOCATIONS Local authority name UK region Average first time buyer house price % under UK average house price (£311,034) Burnley North West £116,000 63% County Durham North East £125,000 60% Hyndburn North West £127,000 59% Hartlepool North East £130,000 58% Kingston upon Hull, City of Yorkshire and The Humber £131,000 58% Blackpool North West £131,250 58% Blaenau Gwent Wales £132,500 57% Sunderland North East £134,000 57% Pendle North West £134,000 57% Merthyr Tydfil Wales £135,000 57% Join the discussionIs it fair that first-time buyers now rely so heavily on family wealth to afford a home?What's your view?Many first-time buyers need a helping hand More than half of first-time buyers received financial help from family members to enable them to get onto the property ladder, research by Savills shows.While roughly three in five first-time buyers used their own savings for a house deposit last year, some 53 per cent were helped by their family to fund their deposit.The gifts had a total value of £8.3billion in 2025. When inheritance is included, family members gifted £11billion to first-time buyers, showing the reliance on family wealth to purchase property.Twice as many buyers received an outright gift from their family compared to those who received a family loan.More than half of those receiving gifts got them from other family members, not just parents. Last year, the average first-time buyer used £24,261 of their own savings to purchase a home, according to Savills.That is around 44 per cent of the deposit required for the average first home, meaning more than half of the average first-time buyer's deposit came from some form of financial assistance.The number of first-time buyers aged over 50 is also on the rise. Recent Financial Conduct Authority data showed the number of first mortgages taken by people over the age of 51 soared between 2020 and 2024, the last full year for which figures are available, as buyers struggle with house prices and affordability.On an annual basis, over-51 first-time buyers took out 5,511 mortgages to buy a home in 2020, compared to 7,865 in 2024, a 43 per cent rise.Best mortgage rates and how to find them Mortgage rates have shot up again due to inflation triggered by the conflict with Iran reversing hopes that the Bank of England would cut rates. This means those remortgaging or buying a home face higher costs.That makes it even more important to search out the best possible rate for you and get good mortgage advice, whether you are a first-time buyer, home owner or buy-to-let landlord.This is Money's partner L&C can help you with its fee-free mortgage service.> Compare mortgage rates> Find the right mortgage for you To help our readers find the best mortgage, This is Money has partnered with the UK's leading fee-free broker L&C.This is Money and L&C's mortgage calculator can let you compare deals to see which ones suit your home's value and level of deposit.You can compare fixed rate lengths, from two-year fixes, to five-year fixes and ten-year fixes.If you’re ready to find your next mortgage, why not use This is Money and L&C’s online Mortgage Finder. It will search 1,000’s of deals from more than 90 different lenders to discover the best deal for you.> Find your best mortgage deal with This is Money and L&C Mortgage service provided by London & Country Mortgages (L&C), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (registered number: 143002). The FCA does not regulate most Buy to Let mortgages. Your home or property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
