BRITAIN’S first-time buyer “new town” hotspots have been revealed and some boast properties which are around 15% cheaper than the national average.
More than two million people live in these areas, which were built by the government after World War II to provide homes for people whose properties were destroyed during the war.
It’s typically much cheaper to buy a house in these towns than in their surrounding region, saving first-time buyers money while helping them to get on the property ladder.
Peterlee in the North East has emerged as the cheapest new town to buy a first home in, with a typical property worth £127,853.
Buyers looking to purchase their first home can expect to spend around 41% less on their property than if they bought a typical house in the North East, which is worth £218,228.
A first-time buyer with a 95% mortgage and a deposit of just 5% would only need to save £6,392.65 to get their foot on the ladder.
Meanwhile, those who are able to save a 10% deposit would only need to put down £12,785.30.
Second on the list was Washington, which is also in the North East.
A typical home in the town costs £165,157, which is 24% less than the regional average.
New homeowners can save £53,071 by purchasing a property in Washington compared to the price of a typical home in the North East.
A buyer looking to purchase a home in this town would need to save £8,257.85 for a 5% deposit, or £16,515.70 for a 10% one.
In Scotland, Irvine is the cheapest new town to purchase a home in.
First-time buyers can expect to spend £178,322 on their first property.
To purchase this home they would need to save £8,916.10 for a 5% deposit or £17,832.20 for a 10% one.
Buyers looking to get on the housing ladder can expect to spend 27% less on their property than if they bought a typical house in Scotland, which is worth £243,707.
Glenrothes is another region where new homeowners can make a saving on their first property.
IF you're looking for a traditional type of mortgage, getting the best rates depends entirely on what's available at any given time.
There are several ways to land the best deal.
Usually the larger the deposit you have the lower the rate you can get.
If you’re remortgaging and your loan-to-value ratio (LTV) has changed, you’ll get access to better rates than before.
Your LTV will go down if your outstanding mortgage is lower and/or your home’s value is higher.
A change to your credit score or a better salary could also help you access better rates.
And if you’re nearing the end of a fixed deal soon it’s worth looking for new deals now.
You can lock in current deals sometimes up to six months before your current deal ends.
Leaving a fixed deal early will usually come with an early exit fee, so you want to avoid this extra cost.
But depending on the cost and how much you could save by switching versus sticking, it could be worth paying to leave the deal – but compare the costs first.
To find the best deal use a mortgage comparison tool to see what’s available.
You can also go to a mortgage broker who can compare a much larger range of deals for you.
Some will charge an extra fee but there are plenty who give advice for free and get paid only on commission from the lender.
You’ll also need to factor in fees for the mortgage, though some have no fees at all.
You can add the fee – sometimes more than £1,000 – to the cost of the mortgage, but be aware that means you’ll pay interest on it and so will cost more in the long term.
You can use a mortgage calculator to see how much you could borrow.
Remember you’ll have to pass the lender’s strict eligibility criteria too, which will include affordability checks and looking at your credit file.
You may also need to provide documents such as utility bills, proof of benefits, your last three month’s payslips, passports and bank statements.
An average house in the town is worth £194,691, which is £49,016, or 20%, less than a typical home in the region.
A 10% deposit would be equivalent to £19,469.10 while a 5% deposit would total £9,734.55.
In the South East of England, Basildon is the new town with the largest discount compared to regional property prices.
A typical home in the town costs £327,314, around £116,782 less than the price of a typical home in the South East.
A 5% deposit on a property in Basildon would cost £16,365.70 while a 10% one would total £32,731.40.
This is equivalent to a saving of 26% compared to the average cost of a home in the region, which is £444,096.
The full list of new towns which offer the biggest discount compared to their regions, with the average cost of a home is below:
Amanda Bryden, head of Halifax mortgages, said new towns have played an important role in providing additional and affordable housing across the UK.
She said: “With the government’s ambitious plan to build a new generation of new towns, our research shows that while they offer homeowners the potential to benefit from significant price growth, they also present attractive opportunities for first-time buyers.”
The government has announced plans to build 1.5 million homes in England in the next five years, which could provide further affordable areas for first-time buyers.
The First Homes Scheme was launched in 2021 to help prospective buyers to get a foothold on the property ladder.
Through the programme prospective first-time buyers in England can get homes at 30% and 50% discounted rates compared to market price.
But if the homeowner wants to sell the property in the future, the new value will be made available to any further buyer too.
These homes can be a new property built by a developer or a home bought through an estate agent, which someone else purchased through the scheme.
To qualify you must be aged over 18, able to get a mortgage for at least half of the price of the home and not earn more than £80,000 a year before tax, or £90,000 if you live in London.
Each council has its own criteria so you will need to check with your local one whether the scheme is available and if you qualify.
You can check who your local council is by using this tool.
Another option is a 95% mortgage, which lets you buy a property with a 5% deposit.
This means that you borrow 95% of the value of your home and pay 5% of what it is worth upfront.
Most banks will only let you borrow up to 90% of your home’s value, which means you need to save 10% of its price as a deposit.
This can be very difficult for many first-time buyers who may also be paying rent and other household bills at the same time.
Lenders including Halifax, Nationwide and NatWest currently offer 5% mortgages.
In some cases you will not be eligible to apply if the property is worth more than £600,000.
You also cannot combine a 95% mortgage with other housing schemes such as shared ownership, shared equity or Right to Buy.
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