Research by lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, has revealed which cities are currently seeing the most demand from homebuyers for properties eligible for Help to Buy
Bristol is currently the UK’s Help to Buy homebuyer hotspot with 60% of all homes eligible for the scheme already Sold Subject to Contract (SSTC) or under offer, research from lettings and estate agent Benham and Reeves has revealed.
Portsmouth and Swansea also rank high, with half of all homes listed with the help of Help to Buy already taken by homebuyers.
Oxford is home to the next highest level of Help to Buy homebuyer demand at 48%, with Leeds (35%), Southampton (34%), Glasgow (33%), Cambridge (32%) and Bournemouth (31%) also ranking within the top 10.
It’s a three-way tie for the tenth spot, as London, Manchester and Liverpool all see Help to Buy demand from homebuyers sitting at 29%.
Marc von Grundherr, director of Benham and Reeves, said: “While the stamp duty holiday has been a great way of boosting market health during a very tough period, further fuelling demand has only helped push house prices further out of reach for many first-time buyers.
"This has made the aspiration of homeownership all the harder and it’s clear that many are reliant on a leg up via the Help to Buy scheme as a result, with high demand for homes that qualify in cities all over the UK.
"Of course, it’s fair to say that Help to Buy in its various forms has also helped drive demand with homebuyers purchasing property that they would otherwise have been unable to afford.
"So perhaps instead of introducing yet another demand-based initiative to artificially inflate house prices, it’s time the government really start looking at building more houses if they do wish to ‘help those that need it most’.”
