Manchester is the most popular spot for first-time buyers (FTBs) outside London, according to research from Lloyds.<\/p>\n
Last year, FTBs made up 70.2% of all mortgaged home purchases in Manchester, up from 67.2% in 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Worcester saw the fastest growth in the FTB market.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Buyers now account for around half of all mortgaged home purchases across Britain, rising to more than 70% in the hotspots.<\/p>\n
Manchester drew in more buyers last year than any year since 2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The average first-time buyer property price in Manchester stood at \u00a3230,090, nearly \u00a325,000 below the British average of \u00a3254,920.<\/p>\n
Sandwell in the West Midlands came next, with FTBs making up 69.7% of the market.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Birmingham saw 69.4%, Luton 69.4%, Thurrock 68.2%, Leicester\/Oadby 66.9%, Coventry 66.5%, Harlow 66.1%, Stevenage 65.9% and Salford 65.6%.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Great Britain average, excluding London, was 46.3%.<\/p>\n
Amanda Bryden, head of mortgages at Lloyds, said: \u201cChoosing your first home is a huge moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAffordability is the number one priority for most first\u2011time buyers, and we\u2019re seeing more people cast their net wider to find places that match both their lifestyle and their budget.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat flexibility can quite literally open up more doors. Manchester is a magnet for those seeking modern city-living, while increasing demand for Worcester\u2019s more historic charm shows just how quickly new and unexpected hotspots can emerge.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bryden added: \u201cHomeownership remains one of the most effective ways to build long\u2011term financial security.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re thinking about buying, speaking to a mortgage expert is a great first step.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey can explain what\u2019s affordable for you and talk you through the support available, including low\u2011deposit options.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mary-Lou Press, president of NAEA Propertymark, said: \u201cIt\u2019s encouraging to see first-time buyers accounting for such a large share of purchases across Britain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cA steady flow of new entrants is crucial to a healthy housing market, and cities like Manchester show how job growth and relatively accessible pricing can drive demand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, significant barriers remain. Saving for a deposit, meeting affordability checks and navigating a complex buying process still present real challenges, while high first-time buyer concentrations highlight strong competition for suitable homes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Press added: \u201cGrowth in areas such as Worcester also suggests buyers are widening their search in response to pricing pressures.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTo maintain momentum, we need increased housing supply, a stable mortgage market and better support to help consumers buy with confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Manchester is the most popular spot for first-time buyers (FTBs) outside London, according to research from Lloyds. Last…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":789110,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5018,3,4],"tags":[748,393,510,4884,58370,2465,1144,2343,712,16,15,1764],"class_list":["post-789109","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-britain","category-uk","category-united-kingdom","tag-britain","tag-england","tag-first-time-buyers","tag-great-britain","tag-lloyds","tag-manchester","tag-northern-ireland","tag-research","tag-scotland","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-wales"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/789109","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=789109"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/789109\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/789110"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=789109"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=789109"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=789109"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}