Lovely town where you can buy three-bedroom houses for under £35,000 – and no problem

Potential homebuyers will be shocked to learn that there is still an area in Britain where three-bedroom houses cost more than £200,000 less than the UK average.

As house prices continue to rise, more and more Brits are struggling to realize their dreams of owning a home.

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Today, first-time buyers typically fork out well over a quarter of a million pounds for a home of their own.

Just this month, a report from Zoopla showed that the typical price of a house in the UK was £267,100 in August 2024.

But if you’re willing to be flexible, not all hope is lost. There are still some places in the UK where houses are well below the national average – and are easily transportable to big cities.

The stunning city of Durham and neighboring town of Hartlepool are full of properties costing less than £40,000 – and there’s a problem.

The location in the North East of England also has strong connectivity with the region’s major cities.

For example, a train from Durham to Newcastle takes just 16 minutes and a return ticket costs less than £4, while it takes just 45 minutes to York.

Meanwhile, a train from Hartlepool to the UK’s eighth largest city takes less than an hour.

Daniel Copley, consumer expert at Zoopla, told The Sun there are still parts of the country where “it is possible to buy a house for less than £40,000, well below the UK average of £267,100”.

“This includes areas such as Durham and Hartlepool, which provide easy access to the Northumberland coast and the city of Newcastle with its many amenities, including an international airport and high-speed train links to other major UK cities,” he said .

Take a look at the cheapest homes available in these areas.

Two bed terrace in Horden, County Durham – £34,950

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This two-bedroom terraced house is for sale on Zoopla for £34,950.

The property has one bathroom and is located in Horden

Even better, this house is just a six-minute walk from the local train station, which is around 30 minutes by train from the city of Sunderland.

This home will no doubt require a bit of work before you can move in, so it’s worth taking that into consideration when looking for an affordable property like this.

But, you might be able to get a mortgage on this house with a 10% deposit of just £3,495.

If you were accepted for a 25-year loan at 5% interest, you would be required to pay around £183 per month.

Two-bed terrace in Hartlepool – £34,950

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This two-bed property is also priced at £34,950 and is located in Hartlepool, also in County Durham.

A listing on Zoopla shows this property comes with two bedrooms, a bathroom and a reception room.

It is around a seven-minute drive from Hartlepool train station, which is well connected to Durham, and is 0.2 miles from the local primary school.

Again, this house would likely require new paint and some renovations before a family or tenant could move in.

You could get a mortgage with a 10% deposit of £3,495.

Two bed terrace in Durham – £35,000

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This two-bed has definitely seen better days, but it’s hard to complain at such a low price.

A listing on Zoopla shows this property in Sherburn Hill is for sale for £35,000.

It comes with a bathroom and a separate kitchen and living room.

A 16-minute car journey will take you to Durham train station, where you can catch trains to Newcastle or York.

However, the area where this house is located does not appear to be well connected to buses or other forms of transport, so it is worth keeping that in mind.

On a property like this, you may be accepted for a mortgage if you have a 10% deposit of £3,500.

Two-bed terrace in Horden – £39,950

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This two-bed house in Horden costs just under £40,000.

According to the Zoopla listing, it comes with a bathroom, kitchen and reception room.

It’s just a two-minute drive from the Horden railway hub or a 10-minute walk if you don’t use a car.

The area is also surrounded by a selection of parks that are just a short walk from the house.

A mortgage calculator shows you would need a deposit of £3,995 to buy this house.

Interest was calculated at 5% over 25 years, meaning you would pay £210 a month.

How to Save for Your First Home

Have you ever wondered how first-time buyers manage to go from savers to homeowners?

Getting on the property ladder may seem like a daunting task, but The Sun’s My First Home feature lets you find out exactly what it takes to finally get the keys to your own home.

Leanne Gem managed to buy her four-bedroom home for £456,000 with an “undervalued scheme”.

Karis Jacobs and her husband George used the 50/50 method to buy their first home just two years after losing their jobs.

Parents Chae and Cem used a “DIY Help to Buy scheme” to buy their first home for £466,000.

Anupam and his wife Shrabanti missed out on £6,000 in free money when buying their first home – here’s how you can avoid it.