Want to get on the property ladder? This is the UK's most affordable location
If there's one thing the pandemic has taught us, is that there's no place like home – to work, rest, cook delicious meals and relax with loved ones.
And in recent months, many people have taken the opportunity to create a more comfortable environment, with more space or amenities, sending house sales soaring.
More than 31,300 people took advantage of the recent stamp duty holiday, by purchasing houses valued between £500,000 and £1m.
What's more, the month of June saw a record number of completions, standing at an incredible 213,120.
Read more: The affordable rural locations house-hunters should have on their radar
Purchasing a house, however, isn't cheap. So if you're keen to step onto – or up – the property ladder, a new survey has revealed the most affordable areas in the UK to buy.
It's particularly handy since remote working has proved that many of us can now look much further afield than we previously thought to put down roots.
In the study, by packaging supplier RAJA, the UK location where you'll get most value for your hard-earned money is the North West.
The region is one of the few places in Britain to have moved up this year – seven percentage points, to be exact, to 24 per cent – in terms of the economic indicator, the 'Affordable Housing Starts on Site'.
Living in the North West offers easy access to Manchester with its shopping, entertainment and business hubs, Liverpool's nightlife, heritage and docks, top universities, several airports and a vast spread of beautiful countryside from the peak district to the Cheshire plain.
The region is dotted with affordable towns and villages within easy commuting distance of the city centres.
Next, on the list are the South East, at 18 per cent, and the East of England with 13 per cent.
These are closely followed by the West Midlands (11 per cent) and then South West and East Midlands (both with 10 per cent).
The Yorkshire and the Humber then ranks with nine per cent, and the North West places at six per cent.
Unsurprisingly, London comes in ninth with just one per cent – albeit an improvement from zero per cent on last year.
Read more: Good news for renters: It's now cheaper not to own your home
The most affordable regions in the UK to buy...
1. North West - 24%
2. South East - 18%
3. East of England - 13%
4. West Midlands - 11%
5. South West - 10%
6. East Midlands - 10%
7. Yorkshire and Humber - 9%
8. North West - 6%
9. London - 1%
Watch: These are the top five happiest places in the UK
