The cost of moving from a flat to a house is increasing at such a fast pace it will cost average of £150,000 to upsize by 2028.
That is according to online estate agent Housesimple which has analysed Land Registry data to discover the cost of stepping up a rung on the property ladder.
It found, in 2008, the average price of a ‘step up’ from a flat to a house in the UK was £37,225 but this has soared by more than double to £75,225 today.
Housesimple calculated that if this trend continued, so-called Second Steppers – who are primarily moving from a flat to a terrace or semi-detached family home – will have to find an average £150,000 to make their next move in a decade’s time.
Most expensive second stepper areas
Sam Mitchell, CEO of Housesimple, said as more first-time buyers were getting onto the property ladder Second Steppers were facing a major jump to transition from a starter to a family home.
“Despite Government commitments to building more stock, family homes remain at a premium,” he said. “The problem is particularly acute in London and the south of England, where the gap for Second Steppers can feel more like a chasm.”
Indeed, the analysis revealed London was the most challenging city for second steppers as the average difference between the first and second rungs of the property ladder were just over £343,000. Oxford and Cambridge were not far behind.
Durham, meanwhile, emerged as the area with the cheapest prices between first and second homes, with second steppers paying an average of just over £23,000 to make the leap. Doncaster, Bradford, Hull, Blackburn, Oldham and Liverpool were also on the list of the most affordable towns for second steppers.
Mitchell added: “Things look brighter for those living or heading north, where house prices, although on the up, are still in affordable territory.
“And with healthy local economies in northern cities like Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool and Manchester, the wealth of job opportunities are attracting homeowners who are looking for a fresh start, a better quality of life, and buying a family home is not just a pipe dream.”
The best places to be a second stepper
The best towns and cities for Second Steppers, based on the smallest average price difference between a flat and a house (source: Housesimple)
| Town/City | Region | (A) Avg price – flat (£) | (B) Avg. price – house* (£) | Price difference between (A) and (B)(£) |
| Durham | North East | 69,288 | 92,606 | 23,318 |
| Nottingham | East Midlands | 115,112 | 141,673 | 26,561 |
| Stoke-on-Trent | West Midlands | 76,678 | 103,705 | 27,027 |
| Blackburn | North West | 74,285 | 102,492 | 28,207 |
| Middlesbrough | North East | 68,898 | 98,070 | 29,172 |
| Doncaster | South Yorkshire | 79,870 | 109,167 | 29,297 |
| Bradford | West Yorkshire | 101,340 | 130,758 | 29,418 |
| Oldham | North West | 98,496 | 128,393 | 29,897 |
| Hull | East Yorkshire | 82,220 | 112,600 | 30,380 |
| Liverpool | North West | 110,542 | 141,553 | 31,011 |
| Manchester | North West | 161,253 | 192,979 | 31,726 |
| Barnsley | South Yorkshire | 77,605 | 109,881 | 32,276 |
| Chesterfield | East Midlands | 101,160 | 133,682 | 32,522 |
| Salford | North West | 131,337 | 164,910 | 33,573 |
| Mansfield | East Midlands | 77,640 | 111,298 | 33,658 |
* Housesimple only looked at terraced and semi-detached houses in each town and city. Detached houses were not considered a realistic second stepper home
