Rated Excellent
National Homebuyers’ First Time Buyer £100,000 Challenge
What does £100,000 get first-time buyers in England?
We keep on hearing that house prices in London and the South East continue to rise and that first-time buyers are having the rungs cut off the ladder each time they try to make the step up.
We are also regularly informed that housing available to first-time buyers is few and far between and that they are currently facing stiff competition from investors looking to add properties to their portfolios.
Zoopla has recently stated that the typical value of a home in the UK is £214,003, while on average, first-time buyers pay nearly £154,000 for a property, which is up by almost a whopping 7% compared to last year.
With this in mind, National Homebuyers decided to investigate and see if it is possible for a first-time buyer to buy a house for £100,000 in England.
The East Midlands
Courtesy of zoopla.co.uk
Located in the heart of England in the eastern half of the Midlands and encompassing Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire, this is a region that, whilst being traditionally industrial, it also has areas of outstanding natural beauty.
This is a diverse region and if you are looking to purchase a property in the East Midlands you are presented with a choice between living in busy vibrant cities or the blissful countryside including the Peak District. Or if you prefer the hustle and bustle of a city, then Leicester was recently put on the map with the discovery of King Richard III buried in a car park, and the city has undergone major development in the last few years and it now is vying for the title of the cultural centre of the Midlands.
Further north in the region there is the myth and legend of Robin Hood that never fails to captivate and entertain children of all ages. Or, if you are something of a nautical lover who has found themselves stranded in the centre of the country then Rutland Water offers you the chance to get out on the water.
So, what exactly can you buy in the East Midlands for £100,000?
It took us a mere 10 seconds to find this 3 bedroom semi-detached house for a very generous £100,000! First-time buyers in the East Midlands can certainly have no complaints and this would make an ideal starter home for a young couple starting a family or even parents who already have a couple of kids knocking about. You can just imagine a lucky dad scoring the winning goal in a World Cup final on that sizeable garden.
Affordability for First Time Buyers: 9/10
The West Midlands
Courtesy of zoopla.co.uk
Like the East Midlands, this too is a highly diverse region and both the main urban areas, Birmingham and Coventry, have a lot to offer both visitors and residents alike. The recent redevelopment of the canals in Birmingham looks stunning and one could be forgiven for believing that they have been whisked away to the Dutch capital, Amsterdam.
To the east of Birmingham there is the beautiful town of Stratford-upon-Avon which brings in hundreds of thousands of visitors to the region every year. You can continue your historical journey in the county of Warwickshire and visit the town of Rugby, which is of course the home of the sport of the same name.
Heading north-west out of Rugby you will find the city of Coventry, which has some of the most beautiful and oldest medieval housing and streets in England. Coventry was once the capital of England is the city oozes history and is the only city in England which boasts three cathedrals.
If you are a first-time-buyer and like the sound of the West Midlands, then you will be delighted to learn that you can bag this 3 bed end of terrace property in Binley, Coventry for £100,000!
Affordability for First Time Buyers: 8/10
The North West
Courtesy of zoopla.co.uk
The North West of England could prove to be one of the most important areas of the country if the Conservative’s plans to create a ‘Northern Powerhouse actually’ come to fruition. The region includes two of the most important “core cities” in Liverpool and Manchester and is famous throughout the world for producing some of the greatest English music of all time.
If you are someone who seeks the serenity of the countryside then the North-West is bounded by the Peak District to the east and has the coastline looking out onto the Irish Sea to the West. If you someone who prefers the countryside and rural life, the north of the region boasts Cumbria and Northern Lancashire, with parts of Cheshire Plain and Peak District to the south.
So, what exactly can £100,000 get you in the North West of England?
Affordability for First Time Buyers: 8/10
The East of England
Courtesy of zoopla.co.uk
Similarly to the Midlands, the East of England is highly diverse, from the beautiful beaches in the tourist county of Norfolk, down to Essex in the south. Many people forget that the region also includes one of the World’s leading universities in Cambridge. We were slightly apprehensive about finding a decent property for around £100,000, particularly due to the more affluent areas in the south of the county and their close proximity to London. Funnily enough, we hit gold and found this delightful 3-bed terraced property in the town of Wisbech, Cambridgeshire.
If you have a family then this could be a worthwhile choice of property for you, Wisbech is located less than 2 hours by train from the capital and is less than an hour away from Hunstanton if you ever fancy taking the kids to the beach on a sunny day.
So far so good! Next could prove to be slightly more difficult as we head down to the South East of England!
Affordability for First Time Buyers: 7/10
The South East of England
Courtesy of zoopla.co.uk
Our initial research actually proved to be quite surprising, there seemed to an abundance of decent one bedroom houses and two bed flats for sale in the south east, all for only £100,000! Our surprise quickly evaporated though, as we soon realised that these were only for those aged 65 or older.
Eventually, we came across this cozy one bedroom flat in Sittingbourne in the self-proclaimed garden of England, Kent. Despite the fact that it is a little small, this would make an excellent investment for a first-time buyer looking to get onto the property ladder. Ok, so it may not be located in the more popular cities like Brighton, but we are glad to report that there are, whilst limited, affordable properties available to buy in the South East.
Right, it’s time to take the plunge and head into London, to be honest, we aren’t expecting to find anything apart from maybe a shed without a door in someone’s garden to rent. Let’s see what we can find!
Affordability for First Time Buyers: 3/10
London
Courtesy of zoopla.co.uk
There isn’t much to say about London that we don’t already know. London is one of the greatest cities in the world and this is reflected in the number of people who flock to the capital from both within England and from around the world. The consequence of this is that house prices have sky rocketed and show little sign of decreasing any time soon. This hasn’t been helped by the influx of recent foreign investors looking to build a property portfolio within the capital.
As you would expect, we didn’t have much hope of finding a suitable property that could be bought outright and this certainly proved to be the case.
This delightful ‘property’ is described as a studio and will set you back £100,000. As you can see that while it is a little cosy, it has the added benefit of featuring an electrical door that will ensure that you are the envy of your friends and family. Ok, maybe not!
Affordability for First Time Buyers: 0/10
The North East of England
Courtesy of zoopla.co.uk
After facing the prospect of paying 100 grand to live in a garage in London, we were hoping to have some better look in the north east. After wolfing down a couple of stotties, we were on the hunt to find a property that even a first-time buyer would be able to afford. As we have seen in the rest of the country, there certainly appears to be options out there for first-time buyers that won’t break the bank!
It is said that the people from the North-East of England are said to be some of the most friendly people in the country, and if they are as half as accommodating as their house prices, then who are we to argue?! This house in available for only £100,000 and is described as an ideal family home with the potential to house 5 bedrooms! This has to be the most impressive property we have seen so far for £100 grand and with Newcastle not too far away, this represents great value!
Affordability for First Time Buyers: 10/10
The South West of England
Courtesy of zoopla.co.uk
Following our trip up north we are wrapping up our £100,000 first-time buyer challenge by heading down to the South West of England. This is the largest region in England and home to 5 million people. The size of the region is conveyed in the fact that northern part of Gloucestershire, near Chipping Camden, is as close to the Scottish border as it is to the tip of Cornwall.
The region has eight cities: Salisbury, Bath, Wells, Bristol, Gloucester, Exeter, Plymouth and Truro. It also includes two National Parks- Dartmoor and Exmoor – and even four World Heritage Sites, including Stonehenge and the stunning Jurassic Coast.
With so much to see and do in the region, we had to be realistic about this and be prepare to not get as much for our money.
This one bed end of terrace house us described as an excellent opportunity for first time buyers. After seeing the size of property 100 grand can get you in the North East, I hope that you are able to excuse our lack of over enthusiasm for this property. There are, however, a couple of redeeming feature of this property due to the fact that it has a sizeable garden and represents good value for the South of England.
Affordability for First Time Buyers: 4/10
Homebuyer Man Says:
Homebuyer Man Says:We are often told that the landscape is barren for those looking to buy their first home. While options may be limited, there are certainly properties available for first-time buyers with a limited budget. Unfortunately, this seems to depend on which part of the country you find yourself to be living in.
The most obvious, though unsurprising finding, is the great disparity between the North and South of the country. More needs to be done to close this gap and open up options for people living in the South of England who wish to get on the property ladder. As it stands, the North East of the country seems to offer first-time buyers the best value for money.
It has been reported that house prices are actually on the rise in the North East of England, so with this in mind why not consider moving up the ladder while the prices are high? National Homebuyers are a national quick house sale company and guarantee to buy your property for cash no matter its condition or location.
If you are looking for a sell house fast service then contact National Homebuyers. We can offer you a quick and guaranteed house sale, so why not apply for your no obligation cash offer now and sell your home quickly to one of the UK’s leading cash buyers?
