Regional guide
South East
The second most expensive English region. Commuter-belt price pressure keeps first-time-buyer entry high; LISA and Shared Ownership are both common.
- Average house price
- £390,000
- Typical FTB price
- £325,000
- 10% deposit on FTB avg
- £32,500
- SDLT (FTB)
- £1,250
- 90% LTV 5-yr fix
- 5.20%
- Est. monthly payment
- £1,585
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 South East, 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
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.
First Homes
New-build homes sold at 30–50% below market value, with the discount locked in for every future sale.
A rough affordability picture
Use the numbers above as a starting point, then load the affordability calculator, set the region to South 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 South East?
Across England, 15-25% is typical but 5-10% is very usable with high-LTV products or schemes. In South East specifically, average FTB prices are around £325,000, so a 10% deposit is about £32,500. 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 South East?
At the regional average FTB price of £325,000, first-time buyers pay £1,250 in SDLT. Non-FTB movers pay £6,250. Above £500,000, FTB relief doesn't apply — a reality for parts of this region.
Which schemes work best in South East?
For this region, we'd direct you first at Lifetime ISA and Shared Ownership. Save up to £4,000/year and the government adds a 25% bonus — free deposit top-up (£1,000/year max).