Are you looking for somewhere to live in the North East that’s affordable but still has stunning views?
Two areas in the region have been revealed among the UK’s top 10 most affordable and picturesque places to buy a house, according to new research.
So, if you’re hoping to wake up to a scenic landscape or pretty buildings within a price-friendly new home, you’re in luck.
It comes as Hammonds Furniture surveyed 2,000 UK adults to find out more about the nation’s housing preferences and found that the majority (57%) consider “the beauty of the surrounding area as an important factor”.
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Hammonds Furniture added: “To find out more, we asked the public to choose which locations they find the most picturesque and compared local house prices to the UK average to reveal whether living in a beautiful area necessarily always has to cost more.
“In fact, our research shows that there are many affordable ‘hidden gems’ which offer similar environments to the most well-known spots.”
2 North East locations among UK’s most affordable and picturesque places to buy a house
The data by Hammonds Furniture ranked Teesside in 4th place with an average local house price of £177,009.
This was compared to a -£107,941 difference to the UK average.
The historical city of Durham also ranked highly in 9th place, with an average local house price of £189,845.
The area's difference compared to the UK average was -£95,105.
Elsewhere during the research, Hammonds Furniture asked respondents how important the beauty of the surrounding area is for a potential house purchase.
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The experts discovered most Brits agreed that this is an important factor, with just 4% saying this is "not at all crucial".
Additionally, a further one in four (28%) said that it is somewhat of an important consideration, but other factors such as price, commute time and house size take priority.
But for the majority of survey respondents, an unsatisfactory location can be a “real dealbreaker”.
This is because a “significant number” of respondents (31%) said it is quite important that the house is near a beautiful location, and one in four (26%) said it is key to consider when deciding whether to go ahead with the purchase.
Hammonds Furniture concluded: “With remote and hybrid working shifting the need to live close to the office, Brits are freer than ever to choose a new place to live, and it’s clear that the UK has many picturesque places to move to.
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“For those looking to move to a storybook village amidst the hustle and bustle of the capital, the price tag may seem to be out of reach.
"But our research shows that there are many photogenic locations that can fit smaller budgets, too.
“We hope this ranking has unearthed some hidden gems that may have been overlooked so far and that we have provided some with inspiration for your property hunt."
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