Our researchers found affordable housing in all of our northern cities. Let’s start with the most expensive: York. North Yorkshire’s capital has seen very healthy capital appreciation in the last 12 months (around 22%) but a traditional terraced house can still be bought for under £85,000 (albeit a one bed property).

“The bottom end of the market is more competitive than ever, but we are seeing no decline in first time buyers signing up to buy in York,” confirms Ben Hudson who owns Pink, a division of his estate agency Hudson Moody, which markets properties specifically to first time buyers.

Over in West Yorkshire, it’s a similar picture; in the regenerating market towns of Huddersfield and Dewsbury, buyers have a choice of duplex apartments in newly converted mills such as Sprinkwell for £115,000 or studios for under £80,000. With access into Leeds and Manchester child’s play, virgin homeowners can enjoy loft living and the prospect of healthy capital appreciation from towns yet to fully mature.

Even in central Manchester, first time buyers can buy into the city’s biggest urban village, The Green Quarter, by reserving an apartment from Crosby Homes NW for under £110,000. Over in Leeds, Hunters has studio apartments in the Concord Street scheme in the Northern Quarter for £115,000 or one-bed apartments for £119,950.

In Sheffield, Blundells is offering smartpads at Jet Centro in the vibrant cultural industries quarter for under £73,500 rising to £99,950 (completion is due this Summer 2004). Across town, at the ritzy West One development in Devonshire Green, uqube studios can be snapped up for £87,500 to £94,950. (The rental return on a 507 sq ft uqube is around £450 pcm.) For £94,950 a one-bed apartment at West One can be yours (the rental return is £475+).

Grab the ladder in these cities:
Sheffield: Blundells Centro - 0114 275 3853 blundells.com
Manchester: The Green Quarter – 0161 839 8879 green-quarter.co.uk
York: Pink – 01904 600000 hudson-moody.com
Leeds: Hunters – 0113 244 5111 huntersnet.co.uk
Huddersfield: Magellan - 01274 534 120 magellanproperties.co.uk
Dewsbury: Hudson Moody Leeds - 0113 245 7887 hudson-moody.com