West Oxfordshire tops list of first-time hotspots defying national trend

• New analysis by the UK’s largest property platform Rightmove reveals the first-time buyer hotspots where buyer demand is increasing, bucking the national trend over the last month
• West Oxfordshire leads the way, with demand for typical first-time buyer properties up by 45% year-on-year:
  • A 37% increase in available first-time buyer type homes for sale and flat house prices are helping first-time buyers in West Oxfordshire
  • East Staffordshire (+31%) and Bracknell Forest (+28%) are next on the list
• Nationally, first-time buyer demand was 4% lower in April than the same month last year. However, first-time buyer demand is holding up better than the wider market, despite higher mortgage rates:
  • The average first-time buyer monthly mortgage payment is now £998 per month, up from £904 in February
• Data from UK Finance shows that first-time buyers make up around 55% of home purchases, up from 39% 15 years ago, highlighting continued desire and drive to get onto the ladder for the first time

New analysis from Rightmove, the UK’s largest property platform, reveals the top locations across Great Britain where first-time buyer demand is defying national trends.

The local authority of West Oxfordshire leads the way, with demand for typical first-time buyer properties up by 45% year-on-year.

First-time buyer type properties are defined as 0-2 bedroom homes, which someone would usually use as a first step onto the housing ladder.

The data suggests that a significant increase in available first-time buyer type properties (+37% year-on-year) and flat house prices (-0.8% yoy) are supporting greater demand for starter homes in West Oxfordshire.

East Staffordshire (+31%) and Bracknell Forest (+28%) are next on the list of demand hotspots. Nationally, first-time buyer demand is 4% lower than the same period last year, meaning these areas are bucking the national trend.

However, first-time buyer demand is holding up better than the wider market, despite higher mortgage rates. The average new first-time buyer monthly mortgage payment is now £998 per month, up from £904 in February.

Further highlighting the resilience of the first-time buyer market, data from UK Finance shows that first-time buyers make up around 55% of home purchases, up from 39% 15 years ago, demonstrating continued desire and drive to get onto the ladder for the first time.

The trends driving increased demand

Looking at the top 25 areas where first-time buyer demand has increased the most year-on-year, some themes emerge.

Commuting is playing its part, with several of the areas having strong links into London, while others are well-connected to other major cities and key employment hubs.

Affordability is also key. 17 out of the top 25 areas have average asking prices below the national average for a first-time buyer property, which is currently £228,048.

Additionally, more supply is likely helping increased demand in these areas. The number of available first-time buyer type properties for sale has increased year-on-year in 21 out of 25 hotspots, at an average of 14%, outpacing the national trend where available supply of typical first-time buyer properties is up by 4%.

Colleen Babcock, Rightmove’s property expert says: “First-time buyers are more exposed to mortgage rate rises, so it was quite surprising to see this sector holding up more strongly than the wider market. While overall buyer demand is lower than last year, there are pockets of Great Britain seeing more activity, where local factors are making a real difference. In some of these areas, a rise in the number of suitable starter homes coming onto the market, alongside prices edging down year-on-year, is helping to improve affordability and support demand for first-time buyer properties, with each local market shaped by its own unique dynamics and local economy.”

 Local trends

ENDS

 About Rightmove

• Rightmove has the UK’s largest selection of properties for sale and to rent, adds more listings than anyone else
• Latest view from Comscore is over 80% of all time spent on property portals is on Rightmove, and latest view from SimilarWeb is over 70% of time spent on property portals in the UK is on Rightmove (two datasets used across the industry to track time spent on portals)
• Rightmove’s vision is to give everyone the belief that they can make their move by giving people the best place to turn and return to for access to tools and expertise to make it happen
• Users can search Rightmove for residential resale, new homes, rentals, built for rent, commercial property and overseas properties. Rightmove also provide an extensive range of tools and information assisting their home moving journey, including but not limited to: local sold prices, online property valuation, agent visit requests, moving guides, mortgage in principle certification, renovation calculator, extension explorer, home services for renters like utilities, media and insurance, school information, moving guides and sustainability information
• Partners (Rightmove’s customers) include the following key groups: estate agents, letting agents, new homes developers, rental operators, commercial property operators, overseas property agents, financial services operators and home services providers for insurance, utilities and media
• Using the UK’s largest housing datasets, we issue a number of regular reports to track housing market indicators: our monthly House Price Index (established 2002), quarterly Rental Trends Tracker (established 2015), weekly Mortgage Rates Tracker (established 2023) and quarterly Commercial Insights Tracker (established 2024). Historical data is available on request
• Founded in 2000, Rightmove listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2006 and is a member of the FTSE 100 index