This interactive map shows the first-time buyer hotspots within your budget, which are in commuting distance to Manchester
An interactive map shows the most affordable areas for first-time buyers looking to purchase a home around Manchester. With house prices continuing to rise, it is now even more difficult for people to get a foot on the property ladder.
Manchester is becoming more unaffordable for first-time buyers, with the average price of a house at £282,042 over the last year, according to Rightmove.
First-time buyers are now looking to areas around Manchester that offer cheaper house prices, whilst still within commuting distance to the city centre.
A new interactive map created by ReallyMoving now allows first-time buyers to search by their budget and number of bedrooms to find the locations that offer them access to the greatest choice of properties.
For those searching in and around Manchester, that means heading north, where eight of the top 10 most affordable locations can be found within easy commuting distance of the city centre.
With a budget of £178,000, which is the average price for a first-time buyer purchasing a two-bed property in Greater Manchester according to reallymoving’s data, 88 percent of two-bed properties in Bolton (BL3) are within reach – making it the most affordable location to buy a first home.
With a budget of £150,000, the typical budget for a one-bed property, 92 percent of homes in Bolton are accessible.
Wigan (WN2) is the second most affordable location, with 87 percent of two-beds and 97 percent of one-beds within budget, followed by Kearsley, Ashton-under-Lyne and Rochdale.
By contrast, the average first-time buyer could afford to buy just five percent of two-bedroom properties in Altrincham, five percent in Sale, 13 percent in Manchester Piccadilly – and not a single property in upmarket Deansgate, central Manchester.
Top 10 most affordable locations for first-time buyers around Manchester
Rank
Location
Postcode
% of 1-beds
Budget £150,000
% of 2-beds
Budget £178,000
1
Bolton
BL3
92%
88%
2
Wigan
WN2
97%
87%
3
Kearsley
BL4
90%
86%
=4
Aston-under-Lyne
OL7
91%
82%
=4
Rochdale
OL16
91%
82%
6
Warrington
WA1
91%
81%
7
Harpurhey
M9
88%
80%
8
Heywood
OL10
88%
78%
9
Newton-le-Willows
WA12
88%
77%
10
Atherton
M46
83%
74%
Rob Houghton, CEO of ReallyMoving, said: “If first-time buyers focus only on average house prices, the dream of owning a home may seem like an impossible task, but those numbers don’t tell the full story.
“First-time buyers in and around Manchester will find plenty of choice within a 40-minute commute of the city centre, particularly in the north and northwest of the city where the most affordable locations are concentrated around Bolton and Wigan.
“But there are also locations east of the city centre such as Ashton-under-Lyne, where first-time buyers with an average budget can access huge swathes of the market.
“While high house prices are a challenge, affordability is key and with interest rates now coming down we will see lenders become increasingly competitive in terms of Loan to Values and rates, so there’s every reason to be hopeful.
“I would urge first-time buyers to focus their search on the areas with good transport links which offer them a really wide choice of properties, rather than assuming a purchase is unachievable.”
Map showing first-time buyer hotspots across the UK:
By putting in your ideal number of bedrooms and budget, you can find the areas with the best availability for your first house.
The map highlights the most affordable locations in green, indicating more than 90 percent of properties are available within budget, through to red where first-time buyers can access less than 10 percent of homes.
