Scottish town 10th most affordable place to live in UK

With an average home price of £105,800, the town has been crowned once of the cheapest to buy property for it's price to earnings ratio.

In the town, the median income per household it £64,900 equating to a 1.63 ratio of price to income.

Amongst the top ten were seven Scottish towns including Cumnock, Ardrossan and Irvine.

The most affordable place in the UK was Shildon in North East England.

Zoopla said Scotland and the North East of England dominate the most affordable towns list, highlighting “a significant geographical divide in housing value for home buyers”.

The site compared average house values and based affordability calculations on a two-earner household on full-time local earnings.

Richard Donnell, executive director at Zoopla, said: “Our latest affordable towns research clearly highlights the wide gulf in the affordability of housing for home buyers across the UK and within regions.

“To have the most affordable town, Shildon in the North East, requiring barely more than one year’s local pay, contrasted against Beaconsfield where the cost is over 15 times average earnings, shows the challenges facing those looking to move home.

“Homes are most affordable across Scotland and the North East, but within these regions are pockets where affordability is a challenge.

“For those looking to buy in the South, there are areas which offer reasonably priced homes compared to local incomes, but there are large areas where homes are only affordable to those on higher incomes or with larger deposits.

“The affordability of home ownership and the cost of moving are big considerations for those planning their next move. The days of most people moving within five miles of where they live are over. We can see that a growing number of buyers are having to look further afield to find better value for money and they need the tools to make informed buying decisions.”