Where city slickers are most tempted to move to?

Caz Blake-Symes • September 14, 2018

Find out what Bristolians are looking for in a property

Zoopla's research shows city-dwelling Brits' most popular property searches within their hometown and beyond.

Adapted from an article by Annabel Dixon

Looking to escape the big smoke? Well it seems many city-based Brits are hankering after a home on the coast. Zoopla examined property searches in some of the largest cities over the past 12 months - and found that residents in nearly half of Britain’s top 10 sprawling conurbations were looking to move to the seaside.

Top of the list for Londoners was Margate, dubbed Shoreditch-on-Sea, which has benefitted from the opening of the Turner Contemporary gallery and the reopening of Dreamland amusement and entertainment centre.

Liverpudlians mostly eyed a relocation east to the holiday resort of Skegness, while those in Cardiff looked west to Swansea and residents in Edinburgh considered a move further north to Angus.

What are Bristol dwellers looking for?

Surprisingly despite lovely seaside towns within easy reach of Bristol, like Portishead or Clevedon, people were searching for properties in Bath. We think this may be influenced, in part, by the excellent choice of both state and private schools in Bath. This also puts the searches ranking as the highest average price too. Take a look at the list below.

City of search Most searched-for area Average property price

London Margate £231,506

Birmingham Droitwich £287,364

Manchester Wallasey £145,382

Liverpool Skegness £168,010

Leeds Bradford £132,524

Bristol Bath £424,464

Cardiff Swansea £173,763

Edinburgh Angus £156,251

Glasgow Lesmahagow £121,407

Newcastle Peterlee £97,149

Sheffield Pontefract £150,597

And here's a second table, below, showing the most popular area searches within key cities:

For Bristol the choice is Bedminster. We arrange lots of mortgages for clients looking to move to the Bedminster, Ashton, Southville and all BS3 areas. The popular, tractional terraced Victorian houses offer spacious living with lots of character and period features

City of search Most searched for area inside the city Average property price

London Wimbledon £804,500

Birmingham Northfield £175,035

Manchester Salford £169,608

Liverpool Belle Vale £47,588

Leeds Churwell £187,260

Bristol Bedminster £263,259

Cardiff Rhondda £133,208

Edinburgh Haymarket Station £180,749

Glasgow Dalmuir £114,195

Newcastle Westerhope £139,020

Sheffield Bradfield £182,993

Whether you are a First Time Buyer or moving house we would be delighted to get you a great deal on your mortgage. For more information or to book your FREE CONSULTATION please visit one of our websites or contact us

www.bristolmortgagesonline.com 0117 325 1511

www.bathmortgagesonline.com 01275 584 888

www.exetermortgagesonline.com 01392 690 888

email info@swmortgages.com

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Boost to buying power from changes to affordability tests

By Caz Blake-Symes • May 1, 2025
Adapted from Zoopla’s April 2025 Housing report I mage: The analysis uses average house prices from the house price index and for first-time buyers to assess mortgage payments at different mortgage rates applied to a 30- year mortgage, at different loan-to-values. One emerging trend that we expect to positively support market activity in the coming months is a relaxation in how lenders assess the affordability of new mortgages. While buyers focus on the mortgage rate they will pay, lenders also check whether the borrower can afford a 'stressed mortgage rate' at a higher level than the borrower will pay. ​ While the average 5-year fixed rate mortgage is around 4.5% today, many lenders are currently 'stress testing' affordability at 8-9%. This makes it harder to secure a mortgage without a large deposit. If average mortgage stress rates were to return to pre-2022 levels of 6.5% to 7%, this would deliver a 15-20% boost to buying power. ​ An average first-time buyer with mortgage repayments of £1,020pcm at a 4.5% mortgage rate would typically have to prove they could afford monthly repayments of £1,550pcm at an 8.5% stress rate. If the stress testing is relaxed to 6.5%, repayments would fall to £1,275pcm, boosting buying power. It's a similar pattern for the average homeowner, while the actual impact will vary by lender and type of borrower. ​ This change would consequently supporting demand and sales volumes, helping to clear the stock of homes for sale, rather than boosting house prices. Other existing rules and regulations that remain in place will continue to impact the availability of mortgage finance.  Comment from Phil Clark “This is potentially very exciting news and will give borrowers a greater choice of products if these rules are relaxed. Regardless of whether you are a First-time Buyer, Looking to move, remortgage or invest in property, there are a huge range of competitive mortgage deals on the market. I will be delighted to discuss your specific requirements and offer you the most suitable deal!” Please call Phil on 0117 3251511 or email info@swmortgages.com For more information about the Mortgage and Protection products we offer, please visit www.bristolmortgagesonline.com Your home/property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on a mortgage or other debt secured on it.

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By Caz Blake-Symes • April 15, 2025
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By Caz Blake-Symes • March 31, 2025
This edition includes fantastic new mortgage products, updated guides for those with adverse credit, 17 great tips to follow before making and application and lots more. If you need help with any of the items covered, please call Phil on 0117 325 1511.

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By Caz Blake-Symes • March 18, 2025
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By Caz Blake-Symes • March 11, 2025
Here at Bristol, Bath and Exeter Mortgages Online, we understand that getting your first mortgage, or even a remortgage, especially if your circumstances have changed, may look like an impossible task, but we are here to help. We hold your hand from your initial enquiry through to the completion of your purchase. It's not that tricky and there are ways you can improve your odds and boost your chances of a successful mortgage application.
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Some mortgage rates cut below 4% as competition picks up

By Caz Blake-Symes • February 19, 2025
Adapted from BBC Article by Kevin Peachey, Cost of living correspondent 13 February 2025 Two major lenders launched mortgage deals on Thursday with interest rates of less than 4%, as competition picks up in the sector. The prospect of further cuts in the base rate by the Bank of England has given mortgage providers confidence to reduce their own rates. But the attention-grabbing sub-4% deals by Santander and Barclays will not be available to all borrowers, particularly first-time buyers, and may come with a hefty fee. The return of such deals might prompt other lenders to follow suit after a period of tepid competition. Nationwide, the UK's biggest building society, has said it will reduce some of its rates on Friday. Mortgage deals with interest rates below 4% have not been seen since November. Across the whole market the average rate on a two-year fixed deal is 5.48%. The typical rate on five-year deals is 5.29%, according to latest figures from Moneyfacts. Time to decide Some tracker and variable rate mortgages move fairly closely in line with the Bank's base rate, which was cut to 4.5% a week ago. However, more than eight in 10 mortgage customers have fixed-rate deals. The interest rate on this kind of mortgage does not change until the deal expires, usually after two or five years, and a new one is chosen to replace it. About 800,000 fixed-rate mortgages, currently with an interest rate of 3% or below, are expected to expire every year, on average, until the end of 2027. That means a higher monthly bill for many homeowners on their next renewal, but there are signs that the rate they could pay is on its way down.  Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey said the interest-rate setting committee expected to be able to cut rates further "but we will have to judge meeting by meeting, how far and how fast". This will affect savers who are seeing lower returns, but could bring better news for borrowers. The Bank's next rates decision is on 20 March. Message from Phil Clark “Regardless of whether you are a First-time Buyer, Looking to move, remortgage or invest in property, there are a huge range of competitive mortgage deals on the market. I will be delighted to discuss your specific requirements and offer you the most suitable deal!” Please call Phil on 0117 3251511 or email info@swmortgages.com For more information about Mortgage and Protection please visit www.bristolmortgagesonline.com
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