2 Bedroom Middlesbrough or 2 Bedroom Dagenham.

There has always been a North and South divide and this is of course not just in terms of football… House prices have also been very wide apart, though with increasing prices in London this is surely at a level which was never the case before?

Of course, if we compare a detached residential property in Mayfair with a one bedroom flat in an ex mining village in Wales, then we will see a difference in figures that a pocket calculator would not hold… But I have picked two property on Rightmove, one North and the other South, very similar in location ie a major town, same sized and similar style of property and neighbourhood. Both nice property and ideal for first time buyers, young family or for retired couples etc.

Comparing both with a 15 year mortgage, first we have this two bedroom terraced in South Bank, Middlesbrough coming in at £17,500. A monthly repayment of £118 and a deposit of 10%, ie £1,7500.

or 16 times more expensive price and 16 times more expensive in monthly mortgage payments in a similar location, ie prominently ex-council property estate is this:

Both are close to major towns, though of course the property in Dagenham is close to London which is the Holy Grail it would appear for everyone… But the property in South Bank is still only 2.5 miles from a major town, Middlesbrough, has the same local amenities, though of course employment situation may be slightly different both in availability of work and average salary. If you have a business online though, and you are not precious on living near to London, the divide in prices in immense.

We have not looked at prices in between though which at some point will meet in the middle, not sure how far North / South you’ll be required to travel to get that ‘middle price’.

Land Registry, House Price Index 29th January 2016 report.

Christopher Walkey

Founder of Estate Agent Networking. Internationally invited speaker on how to build online target audiences using Social Media. Writes about UK property prices, housing, politics and affordable homes.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Property auctions generate complaints at four times the rate of the wider housing market

Property auctions account for just 2% of home sales but generate more than four times their share of complaints, according to a new insight report by the Property Ombudsman. The report highlights that while auctions remain a relatively small part of the wider residential property market, they are generating a disproportionately high level of consumer…
Read More
Breaking News

UK rents see upward trend in early 2026

Lomond’s report finds UK average rents rise to £1,384pcm in the first three months of 2026, compared to 2025. Average rent in London reaches £2,339pcm, 69% higher than the UK average. Kent records the network’s highest rental uptick of +9%, in early 2026. Tenant demand strengthens with a +28% increase in viewings activity in 2026.   Lomond observed the average rent across its network of lettings…
Read More
Breaking News

Landlord repossessions rose 6% ahead of Renters’ Rights Act

Landlord possession claims rose by almost 6% in the first quarter of 2026 as property owners moved to regain control of homes before the Renters’ Rights Act came into force on 1 May, according to analysis by LegalforLandlords. LegalforLandlords analysed the latest repossession data* and found that during Q1 2026, a total of 22,733 possession…
Read More
Letting Agent Talk

Tenant confidence in RRA compliance sits at just 32%

Barely a third of managed tenants believe their management company is compliant following RRA changes   The latest insight from property management specialist, Rushbrook & Rathbone, reveals that whilst managing agents had until 31st May to distribute new documentation following the latest RRA implementations, almost 60% of tenants living in managed properties have seen no changes…
Read More
Breaking News

Six issues that make your property unmortgageable

The latest market insight from House Buyer Bureau has revealed six common issues that could see a homeowner’s property deemed unmortgageable by lenders, drastically reducing the pool of potential buyers and making it far harder to sell on the open market. House Buyer Bureau analysed some of the most common reasons properties fail lender criteria, alongside the…
Read More
Breaking News

Homebuyers could make over £26,000 before completion

Buying off-plan: London homebuyers could make over £26,000 before completion The latest research from Foxtons has found that buying a home off-plan can deliver a significant financial uplift, with London buyers potentially making more than £26,000 in added value before they’ve even picked up the keys to their new home. Foxtons analysed average monthly new-build…
Read More