Lifetime ISA Maximum House Price | What a £450K House Looks Like Across the UK in 2023
Desperately want to get on the property ladder in the not-too-distant future? We hear you. In 2023, the average UK house price is £288,000 – a staggering £16,000 higher than 12 months ago, according to the Office for National Statistics.
If that figure seems higher than you anticipated, though, don’t feel too deflated. With a Lifetime ISA (LISA), you’ll get a 25% Government top up on your savings.
You can put aside up to £4,000 annually, meaning you can receive up to £1,000 a year from the Gov –as long as you are aged between 18 and 39, live in the UK and have never owned your own property.
There is a limit to what you can spend on a house with a LISA (£450,000); you can buy a property that is worth less than that, though, meaning you’ll also pay a smaller deposit.
How far will your money stretch?
What can you get for that sum of money in 2023, then, given the recent surge in house prices?
Whether you’re on the lookout for a home that costs much less than £450k, or you live in an area of the country where your first property is likely to cost every penny of that sum – or more – it’s worth taking a look at how far your money will stretch.
We’ve picked a few places at random from some of the UK’s major cities – it’s important to bear in mind, though, that the cost of housing will vary from town to town in the city of your choice. Read on…
What a £450K House Looks Like in…
- London
Image Credit: Acorn Group
In some areas of the UK, you might find a property with up to six bedrooms for £450,000. That won’t be the case in London, where space is at a premium. This apartment is in ‘a modern, well-maintained block in SE22’ and measures in excess of 800 sq. ft comes with two bedrooms, a balcony, and off-street parking.
Image caption: Two-bedroomed apartment in a modern, well-maintained block, in SE22. Credit: Flat for sale in Highwood Close, London, SE22 | Acorn (acorngroup.co.uk).
Spending £450,000 of the Lifetime ISA limits in the capital can get you a two-bedroomed apartment, like the one above, in a nice residential area.
- Liverpool
Image Credit: rightmove / Nexus Residential
Liverpool has a thriving social scene – and it offers plenty of opportunities to progress your career, with the city’s universities and colleges, and its football club, offering a wealth of vacancies.
Spending £450,000 of the Lifetime ISA in Liverpool will get you a three-bedroomed, three-bathroom apartment in the Baltic Triangle area of the city. This centralised residential island is being created, close to Liverpool’s main landmarks, offering a host of on-site facilities.
Image caption: Three-bedroomed apartment in Liverpool in a thriving residential area: 3 bedroom apartment for sale in L8 Off Plan, Brassey Street, Liverpool, L8 (rightmove.co.uk).
- Sheffield
Image Credit: rightmove / Blundells
Choose Sheffield as your city of residence and you could secure a property with four to five double bedrooms, such as this detached family home. This home has a guide price of £450,000 and it is situated in a rural part of the city.
Image caption: Four-bedroomed, detached property in Sheffield: 4 bedroom detached house for sale in Springwood Gardens, High Green, Sheffield, S35 (rightmove.co.uk).
- Leeds
Image Credit: Zoopla / Manning Stainton
Spend £450,000 in Leeds and you could get the keys to a three-bedroomed, semi-detached property in the Garforth area. With good transport links into the city centre, you can travel into Leeds easily for work, schools or leisure.
Image caption: Three-bedroomed, semi-detached property in the Garforth area of Leeds: New home, 3 bed semi-detached house for sale in Plot 1 The Studley, Springmead Place, Springmead Drive, Garforth, Leeds LS25 - Zoopla.
- Manchester
Image Credit: On the Market / Jullian Wadden
Stockport is a mere eight minutes on the train away from Manchester– and £450,000 will get you significantly more for your money here than it would in the city centre.
If you’re looking for a three-bedroomed, semi-detached house with good transport links to the city, properties of this size pop up online regularly.
Image caption: Three bedroomed semi-detached house in Stockport, Manchester: Broadstone Road, Heaton Chapel, Stockport, SK4 3 bed semi-detached house for sale - £450,000 (onthemarket.com).
- Newcastle
Image Credit: Zoopla / Brunton Residential
Looking for a larger property in the Newcastle area? For the maximum LISA limit of £450,000, you can get a five bed maisonette in Highbury, Jesmond – in stark contrast to a four-bedroomed property in London, which could cost more than three times as much. Whether you're looking for space for a large family, or it's your dream to have home office space, and maybe a workout studio - you can do it all with a Lifetime ISA in Newcastle.
Image caption: 5 bed maisoneete for sale, Highbury, Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 (Zoopla).
- Edinburgh, Scotland
Image Credit: rightmove / Ballantynes
The Leith area of Edinburgh is a sought-after residential spot, with good links to the city. A two-bedroomed apartment in Leith will cost much less than a two bed property in Edinburgh centre.
Image caption: Two-bedroomed apartment in Leith: 2 bedroom apartment for sale in 1/1, 47 Timber Bush, Leith, EH6 6QH, EH6 (rightmove.co.uk).
- Cardiff, Wales
Image Credit: rightmove / Darlows
Want four bedrooms and two bathrooms? In Cardiff, you can get a property worth £450,000 in Llanishen, which is unbeatable for transport links – with the motorway close by and trains to Cardiff Central Station every 15 minutes.
Buy a property in Cardiff itself and you’re likely to spend much more for the same sized house.
Image caption: Four bedroomed semi-detached house: 4 bedroom semi-detached house for sale in Everest Avenue, Llanishen, CF14 (rightmove.co.uk).
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Birmingham
Image Credit: rightmove / Connells
In Birmingham – providing you shop around – you may be able to find a property with up to five bedrooms for the maximum LISA limit of £450,000. You may have to choose a home outside of the city centre, but you can enjoy plenty of space and good transport links to the city centre.
This is a property that has five bedrooms, two bathrooms, bags of character and a basement-level garage/wine cellar (!!).
Image caption: Five-bedroomed terraced house: 5 bedroom terraced house for sale in Trinity Road, Birmingham, B6 (rightmove.co.uk).
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Plymouth
Image Credit: rightmove / Mayer Estate Agents
Fancy a five-bedroomed property down south? While you won’t find it for £450,000 in London, you may well find it in Plymouth – or at least on the outskirts. This five bed, detached home has a separate two-bed flat underneath and is located in a quiet part of Plymouth.
5 bedroom detached house for sale in Erlstoke Close, Eggbuckland, PL6 (rightmove.co.uk).
Top Tips on Saving for a Deposit
Where to start when saving for a house deposit? An Individual Savings Account, the Lifetime ISA (also known as a LISA) can help you get on the property ladder sooner. Providing you save £4,000 per year, you could have up to £10,000 in just two years (thanks to the Government top-up of £2,000 over the two-year period).
Psst: if you’re saving as a couple, you can both use separate LISAs to get up to £1,000 each in bonuses each financial year – which will help you reach your house-buying goal faster.
On top of the £1,000 per year you could receive from the Government, we offer an interest rate of 1.5%* - a market-leading rate.
If you’re looking to open a Lifetime ISA*, click here.
*Terms and conditions apply
