Zoopla reveals Britain’s best places for job hunting first-time buyers

15th January 2020

 

• Property expert Zoopla launches new tool that reveals best places for first-time buyers to live in proximity to specific industries

• Those looking to work in agriculture, forestry or fishing should consider moving to Powys, Wales

• Elsewhere, South Cambridgeshire is best option for manufacturing; Epping Forest is the top location for construction, and Westminster is the most attractive option for financial services

 

January is renowned for being a popular time of the year to search for a new job, and Zoopla - the UK’s most comprehensive property destination - can reveal the best areas for first-time buyers looking to relocate for one of 18 different industries.

 

Zoopla has analysed data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) (November 2019) to find the number of business units in 18 key industries across Great Britain and divided them by the working-age population (by local authority) to ascertain the number of employment opportunities  for each industry. Based on search data, Zoopla has then provided the average value first-time buyers look for in each location and used both pieces of data to launch a new online tool that helps those looking to buy their first home in an area where they have the best chance of working in their chosen industry.  

 

For example, those first-time buyers looking to move somewhere with lots of opportunity in agriculture, forestry or fishing, Powys in Wales is their best option, with 44.4 businesses per 1,000 people, where the average price paid by a first-time buyer is £120,000. Following in second place is Eden District in Cumbria, where the average price of a home is £128,000, and where there are 44.2 businesses per 1,000 people in the  industry. Meanwhile, Ryedale in North Yorkshire is third (£160,000 average value and 36.4 businesses per 1,000 people).

 

Elsewhere those looking to work in manufacturing should consider moving to South Cambridgeshire, where there are 7.8 businesses per 1,000 people and the average price for a first-time buyer home is £270,000. Meanwhile those looking to work in construction should look for property in Epping Forest, where the average price of a first-time buyer home is £325,000 and there are 20.6 businesses per 1,000 people. For those looking to work in financial services outside of London and the South East, Salford has the third most businesses in the field where the average first-time buyer home is worth £148,000.

 

Harry Foges, consumer spokesperson at Zoopla comments: “We understand what being close to work is worth for first-time buyers looking for their first home.

 

“It could be assumed that first-time buyers who are looking for a home based on employment opportunities should automatically head to one of the major cities. However, our research finds that this might not necessarily be the best approach. 

 

“While the biggest cities will be home to the most businesses for some industries, first-timers will also face stiffer competition for jobs due to the bigger population. When you add into the mix increasingly-stretched affordability, especially in London, our research shows how it could pay to look further afield to areas with more affordable homes but that are still rich in opportunity within a given industry.”

 

Britain’s best places to buy for a job (ranked by businesses per 1,000 people)

 

-ENDS-

- Ends -

For further information, please contact PR Team on pr@zoopla.co.uk or +44 (0)20 3873 8770.

To ascertain the average value of property that first time buyers are interested in Zoopla analysed a three month period of leads from those identified in that group until November 2019.

 

Zoopla analysed data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) (November 2019) to find the number of business units in 18 key industries across Great Britain. You can see a summary of business definitions under this ONS Summary of Structure document (PDF).

Note that a business unit refers to a single building such as an office, shop or warehouse. Each Tesco store, for example, is counted as a separate entity within a local authority. Only businesses that are registered for VAT and/or for PAYE are counted in the ONS figures.

To ensure results are proportionate, we've divided the number of places to work (business units) by the working age population (16 to 64) within each local authority (2018 ONS data) and multiplied it by 1,000.

About Zoopla

Hello. We're Zoopla. A property website and app.

We know you're not just looking for a place to live. You're looking for a home.

Yeah, we've got over a million properties for you to browse.

Tools that let you filter them in all kinds of clever ways.

And reliable house price estimates, so you can be sure you aren't paying over the odds.

But we know you're looking for more than that.

Because that first flat won't just be a 'great investment opportunity'.

It'll be the feeling of starting out on your own.

That extra bedroom won't just mean another £20K on the re-sale price, it'll mean having your sister over to stay.

And that bungalow won't just be a way to release some equity, it will be a chance to spend more time with the grandkids.

We know that searching for a home is about more than just checking its price, location and features (important as all those things are).

What really matters is how it makes you feel.

We know what a home is really worth.

So let us help you find yours.

Zoopla is part of Zoopla Limited which was founded in 2007.

Zoopla Limited, The Cooperage, 5 Copper Row, London, SE1 2LH
Registered in England and Wales with Company No. 06074771
VAT Registration number: 191 2231 33
Data Protection number: Z9972266

Back to Press releases