The 10 cheapest areas to buy your first house in the UK have been revealed, and two are only an hour away from Manchester.
After it was revealed that more than 70,000 home buyers across England are estimated to have missed the stamp duty relief deadline, which means that they’ll now be required to fork out thousands of pounds extra as of yesterday (1 April), the cheapest places to get your foot on the property ladder in 2025 have now been named.
While the end of the stamp duty relief will mostly affect those who had already previously purchased properties, first time buyers are sadly not exempt, as their current stamp duty threshold of £425,000 has now fallen back to £300,000.
So if you’re looking to buy your first home, this is a list to keep a close eye on.
The top 10 cheapest UK areas for first time buyers have been revealed / Credit: Pavel Danilyuk (via Pexels)
Property platform Rightmove has crunched the numbers and come up with a top 10 list for those on a budget and considering lower-priced areas they can move to, with the Scottish town of Kilmarnock in Ayrshire being named the cheapest area for a first time buyer to get onto the property ladder, as the average asking price for a typical first time buyer-type home here is just over £84,000.
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Scotland keeps on pulling through, as the twon of Greenock in Inverclyde is second on the list, with an average asking price of £88,862, followed by Grimsby in third at £93,427.
As far as the North West is concerned, no residential areas in Greater Manchester have made the cut this time around, but the region’s two representatives on the list are only around an hour away from Manchester.
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Top 10 cheapest UK areas for first time buyers
Kilmarnock – £84,325
Greenock – £88,862
Grimsby – £93,427
Blackpool – £93,711
Middlesbrough – £95,473
Hartlepool £99,525
Paisley – £99,570
East Killbride – £100,814
Ayr – £101,391
Burnley – £102,848
You’ll have to cross over the border into Lancashire if you’re looking for a budget-friendly first time home, as Blackpool takes the fourth spot on the list, with an average price of £93,711, and Burnley also makes an appearance at number 10 with an average price of £102,848.
The North overall is pretty well-represented, with other towns and cities such as Middlesbrough and Hartlepool featuring in the top 10, but according to the data, Scotland is by far the cheapest country to get on the property ladder in the UK.
Paisley, East Killbride, and Ayr also find themselves on the list lower down, as well as the two aforementioned Scottish towns in first and second place.
Experts at Rightmove explained that wage growth has unfortunately ‘outpaced’ the rise in average asking prices for first time buyer homes in the last five years, so while this has slightly increased the mortgage borrowing power of first time buyers, affordability is still said to remains ‘very stretched’ overall.
Featured Image – Benjamin Elliott (via Unsplash)
Property
UK’s biggest property show is coming to Manchester and needs house hunters for new series
Emily Sergeant
Are you looking to move but finding the house hunting process a lot harder than you thought it would be?
Well, this could be the helping hand you need.
The UK’s biggest property show, Location, Location, Location – which has been a fixture in Channel 4’s schedule for more than 20 years at this point – is looking for house hunters from across Manchester for the new series.
First airing all the way back in 2000, if you’ve never seen Location, Location, Location, it’s fronted by presenters and property experts Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer who head all across the UK to help buyers in search for their dream home.
Despite being on our TV screens for 26 years at this point, Kirstie and Phil have never tired in their efforts to match the nation’s hopeful house hunters with their perfect home.
For its next series being filmed this May, Channel 4 are now looking for individuals, families, and couples from Greater Manchester who need Kirstie and Phil’s expertise to find their next home.
The UK’s biggest property show is coming to Manchester and needs house hunters for its new series / Credit: James Feaver (via Unsplash)
Whether you’re upsizing, downsizing, first timer buyers, or looking for a forever home, Channel 4 wants to hear from you.
“We are casting for the new series, and we are interested in hearing from chain free (or SSTC) house hunters who would be ready to buy in May this year,” a spokesperson for Channel 4 said as the casting call was announced.
“Applications are now open and we’re looking for individuals, families and couples who need Kirstie and Phil’s expertise to buy their dream home.”
Anyone interested in appearing on Location, Location, Location can apply on the Channel 4 website here.
Applications will be received by a member of IWC Media and they will contact you directly if they wish to take your it any further.
Featured Image – Channel 4 (Supplied)
Property
Inside the regal Cheshire home for sale on one of Britain’s most expensive roads
Emily Sergeant
A stunning detached family home on one of Britain’s most expensive roads is currently on the market over in Cheshire.
In case you hadn’t heard, a recent report by The Times has revealed where you’ll find Britain’s top 20 most expensive roads for 2026, based off Rightmove data, and Congleton Road in Alderley Edge – slap bang in the middle of Cheshire’s iconic ‘Golden Triangle’ – has appeared in the top five most expensive outside of London.
So we snooped around to see what your money (… or your hypothetical money, at least) can get you on this street, and came across a regal residence currently for sale for a whopping £4.95 million.
This is Highclere – a six-bedroom detached family home occupying a private plot of over 1.3 acres and enjoying panoramic views across the adjoining Cheshire countryside.
This is Highclere – a stunning family home on one of Britain’s most expensive roads / Credit: Andrew J Nowell
Approached behind electric gates, and set back along a sweeping driveway, estate agents say Highclere has been ‘carefully and tastefully’ renovated by the current owners.
It now offers ‘spacious and versatile’ accommodation, and benefits from being within easy reach of Alderley Edge village centre and all the amenities it’s known and loved for.
Some of the stand-out features include an impressive reception hall with large sweeping staircase, open living kitchen with a large central island, large bedrooms, and a full leisure suite with a pool, jacuzzi, steam room, and showers.
There’s also a dedicated bar area, a games room, cinema room, and a gym.
Upstairs is where you’ll find what is described as the ‘unparallelled’ principal bedroom suite with two large dressing rooms, its own living area, en-suite bathroom, and a powder room, as well as four other large bedrooms.
Just as you’d expect, the outside of Highclere is as impressive as the inside.
The property is set within a private plot of over 1.3 acres enjoying panoramic views / Credit: Andrew J Nowell
Not only are there expansive terraced lawns with mature trees and shrubs and two large courtyards perfect for outdoor entertaining, but there is also a large driveway providing off-road parking for multiple vehicles and a detached double garage converted into annexe accomodation.
This property is currently on the market with Alderley Edge-based independent estate agents, Andrew J Nowell, for a Guide Price of £4.95 million, and if you fancy taking a closer look, then you can contact the agents to arrange a viewing.
Or you could just take the cheaper route instead and have a nosy at the Rightmove link here.
Emily Sergeant -
2nd April 2025 
