Revealed: the top 10 UK cities for first-time buyers

Vibrant areas for young workers who plan to rent while saving for a deposit and then get on the property ladder The new 100% mortgages for first-time buyers The common property rite of passage for graduates and career-focused first jobbers has changed over the past decade. Many careers used to start in London, and an early house-share would be followed by a first flat purchase, then a move to somewhere bigger. However, the heavy burden of housing costs in the capital is making would-be first-time buyers stop and evaluate whether – even with London weighting on some wages – it is possible to get on the ladder there. Some surveys have indicated that the average deposit being put down on a first home in Greater London has reached about £130,000 even as rents continue to rise. So it is little wonder that people are looking beyond London. “For the past decade we have seen a subtle shift in housing and migration patterns, with graduates increasingly weighing up housing costs alongside career prospects, and some choosing to remain in university towns or move to regional cities where housing costs are lower,” says Frances McDonald, the director of research at the estate agents Savills. Thi

Jul 18, 2026 → Jul 18, 2026