We’re all aware of the nightmare of finding somewhere to live with house and rent prices getting so out of control, and now we have some good or bad news, depending on your perspective. Manchester has been named as one of the most in-demand locations in the UK for first-time buyers – a flattering yet altogether frustrating conclusion.
The experts at Rightmove have analysed the 50 highest-populated cities in Great Britain to see where first-time buyers are looking to the most in 2025, with the national average first-time buyer asking price being £228,551. Manchester takes second place with average asking prices just below £211,000, and with all that Manchester has to offer, it seems to make sense.
With first-time buyers tending to skew fairly young – albeit, older than just a few years ago – Manchester has so much to offer, whether it’s nightlife, cafe culture, or somewhere to grow a young family. Manchester was just pipped to the post by Glasgow, which was named Great Britain’s most in-demand city for first-time buyers, with the average asking price for a typical first-time buyer property (two bedrooms or fewer) in the city being £148,979.
Fellow Scottish beauty Edinburgh came in third, at £251,000, showing a trend of first-time buyers looking towards northern cities, with five of the top 10 locations situated in the north of England, and clearly, Scotland. Leeds takes fourth place with an average asking price of £182,420, while Sheffield and Liverpool round out the top six.
The top 10 most in-demand locations for first-time buyers (with average asking price for a typical first-time buyer property) are:
- Glasgow – £148,979
- Manchester – £210,685
- Edinburgh – £251,088
- Leeds – £182,420
- Sheffield – £151,066
- Liverpool – £145,457
- Birmingham – £191,945
- Bristol – £283,342
- Nottingham – £161,359
- Southampton – £191,554
You can find the complete study and findings here.