The average age of first- time homebuyers is now 34, but nothing’s average when it comes to buying your own home. Although in the past few years prices have soared, there are still house bargains to be had and Carrie Hunter and Tim Abrahams set out to find them. In this, The List’s first ever homebuying special, they explain where you can locate an affordable home, and how to go about getting your hands on it. Photographs: Colin Hattersley-Smith
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ccoming thc monarch of your oyyn glcn ix a littlc likc landing on thc ()ld Kcnt Road during a gatttc ol’ Monopoly. Bcl‘orc yott arc in a position to buy. you nccd to hay c pasxcd Go and collcctcd your £200. 'l‘hc rcality ol‘ gctting on thc propcrty laddcr l\ strikingly
similar to playing thc yy'orld's hcst—loycd propcrty gamc: you nccd to knoyy thc t‘lllC\ and hayc somc capital to gct you ~\tartcd. \ththcr you'rc an Old Boot. Scotty Dog or Top Hat. you nccd to takc a low (‘hanccx and — cycn il~ y'ou‘rc not cut out to
hc thc let ccntury‘s Donald Trump n could hc a homc—oyy'ncr.
Contrary to rcccnt rcportx. it's not all doom and gloom in thc propcrty markct ~ at Icaxt it docs not hayc to hc. ch. thc aycragc hoth pricc might hayc riscn to £|24.()t)l) and _\‘C\. yyith Ihc ay'cragc salary at £2().l)()(). it might hc taking longer to raisc thc capital for a LiC[)U\iI. But it's by no means lltlpnxxihic to gct your loot on tltc first rung of thc laddcr.
ll‘ you hayc a modicum ol‘ tastc and a good garnc plan. you can makc thc moycx that yyill take you a ~\tcp closcr to oyyning your lirst homc. It‘s a good timc ol' ycar to start planning to buy
you too
as the market is huoy ant and thc numhcr oi
mortgagc appt'oyulx ix on thc ttp. You might not hay c a millionairc‘x salary and hc hoh-nohhing in arcax likc Kclyinxidc or Harnton hut thcrc arc pockctx in both (ilaxgoyy and Izdinhurgh yyhcrc thcrc arc hat'gainx to hc had.
l-‘irxt timc htlycl'\ may hayc hccn thc y ictimx ol thc housing markct'x rcccnt \llL‘L‘L'\\ hut il you considcr arcax \yhcrc ncyy opportuniticx arc opcning up. ax \ycll ax thc dil‘l'crcnt approachcx to gcttittg your hands on tltc caxh. you can \lttl'l to play. .-\L‘cot‘dittg to Dan (ioolxxott. dit‘cclot' oi myht)ttscpricccom. thc marlch in (ilaxgoyy and lidinhurgh has calmcd doyyn iron] thc cyccptional groyyth that yyax c\pcricnccd in 2004 and 3005. "l‘hix ycar yyc arc likcly to \cc incrcascx.‘ ltc \ayx. ‘hut thcrc will still hc arcax yyithin thc citicx that yyill apprcciatc at highcr l';tlc\ and particularly lltoxc that arc pcrcciycd to hc "al'l'tirdahlc".'
'lilu' Us! has idcntil‘icd cight up and coming 'hotxpot~ location\ in both (ilaxgoyy and lidinhurgh yyhcrc lirxt timcrx can rcalixtically al‘l‘ord to buy. \t) ambitions don't hay c to hc l‘C\Il'lClCLi to a board gantc. \Vc'yc proy idcd a \ct ol‘ rulcs. somc top tipx on hoyy to min at buying and outlincd thc chanccx you may ttccd to takc.
So. \yhcn you arc rcady. roll thc dicc and \[itfl to play thc rcal lil'c propcrty gamc.