Regional guide
East of England
Cambridge and St Albans pull averages up. First Homes is actively promoted in several local authorities here.
- Average house price
- £340,000
- Typical FTB price
- £285,000
- 10% deposit on FTB avg
- £28,500
- SDLT (FTB)
- £0
- 90% LTV 5-yr fix
- 5.20%
- Est. monthly payment
- £1,390
Figures derived from HM Land Registry UK HPI and our live rate table (see rates). Updated 18 April 2026.
What the headline numbers hide
Regional averages are useful for planning but they smooth over significant variation. In East of England, the gap between the most and least expensive postcodes is often 2-3x — a country-cottage-and-greenbelt pocket next to a post-industrial town can sit in the same ONS average. Use the regional price as a sanity check, then look at the specific town or postcode you care about.
Schemes that work well here
First Homes
New-build homes sold at 30–50% below market value, with the discount locked in for every future sale.
Lifetime ISA
Save up to £4,000/year and the government adds a 25% bonus — free deposit top-up (£1,000/year max).
Shared Ownership
Buy a 10–75% share of a home (5% on new AHP-funded homes) and pay rent on the rest.
A rough affordability picture
Use the numbers above as a starting point, then load the affordability calculator, set the region to East, and adjust from there. The calculator will apply the current best-buy rate for your loan-to-value and give a cash-on-day-one figure that includes stamp duty and fees.
Frequently asked
What's the typical deposit for a first-time buyer in East?
Across England, 15-25% is typical but 5-10% is very usable with high-LTV products or schemes. In East specifically, average FTB prices are around £285,000, so a 10% deposit is about £28,500. The Lifetime ISA (25% government bonus on up to £4,000/year contributions) is especially useful here because the £450,000 property cap covers almost all FTB-bracket homes.
Does stamp duty bite in East?
At the regional average first-time buyer price of £285,000, first-time buyers pay no stamp duty (the FTB nil-rate band covers the whole price up to £300,000). Non-FTB movers at the same price pay £4,250.
Which schemes work best in East?
For this region, we'd direct you first at First Homes and Lifetime ISA. New-build homes sold at 30–50% below market value, with the discount locked in for every future sale.