Property prices in the UK have reached record highs in 2024, with sales up by 6% year-on-year and demand from buyers up 5%. Yet despite the average British home now selling for an eye-watering £375,110, new research shows there are still a few enclaves around the country where you can bag a bargain. Unsurprisingly, London dominated the least affordable category in the study by Hopkins Homes, which analyzed house prices, percentage changes since 2020, house price-to-couples earnings ratios, and average council tax. The most expensive spot was Kensington and Chelsea, where you’re looking at asking prices upwards of £1.2 million, while the City of Westminster came in second with an average of £936,715.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, however, Scotland made up all of the top 10 most affordable areas. In fact, only four of the top 20 were south of the Scottish border. Angus ranked in first place, gaining an overall score of 85 thanks to its average house price of £164,076, £70,959 average wage for a couple (giving it a house price-to-earnings ratio of 2.31) and steady 3.94% property price increase since 2020.
The vast majority of the most affordable spots were in Scotland (Picture: Metro.co.uk) It was followed by West Dunbartonshire, Aberdeenshire, North Ayrshire, and North Lanarkshire, beating nearby competitors with its relatively low council tax and stable growth. But while most of us know you’ll get plenty more bang for your buck buying property in Scotland (especially compared to the likes of South East England) what sets Angus apart, and what does it have to offer residents beyond low prices?
Angus is a region in the East of Scotland with a population of just over 116,000, bordering Dundee City, Perth and Kinross, and Aberdeenshire. The largest town in this council area is Arbroath, and while much of Angus is made up of rural land and small villages, it also encompasses more densely populated spots like Carnoustie, Forfar, and Montrose. As well as being packed with history, inhabited since the Neolithic period, there’s no shortage of natural beauty here. Alongside rugged coastlines and an array of lochs, it’s also home to part of the Grampian Mountain Range, the Mounth hills and the Five Glens of Angus.
In terms of what it’s like to live there, @Klumber on Reddit said they had ‘not a moment’s regret’ after moving from England to Angus, which they described as ‘just a lovely part of the world’. On a different thread, they added: ‘I will repeat ad nauseum that Angus is one of the best kept secrets in the UK. Dundee and Aberdeen are nice cities to have access to, but we can still be in Edinburgh and Glasgow in a couple of hours. The towns here are nice (Montrose being particularly attractive in my opinion) and the pace of life is definitely toned down from the rat race you get in Lothian and greater Glasgow.’ Another user, @flanmagnet, who lives in rural Angus said: ‘Every car journey, even to Forfar, I think how lucky I am to live in such a green and beautiful area.’
If you’re looking to commute to work in one of Scotland’s cities like Dundee or Edinburgh, your best bet is a one of the towns on Scotrail’s Waverley to Aberdeen train line – this will get you from Arbroath, Montrose or Carnoustie to Dundee in around 20 minutes, or to the capital in roughly an hour and a half. As mentioned, getting out in nature is one of the main pastimes for residents and visitors of Angus. A walk around the glens or at Crombie Country Park is a great way to blow away the cobwebs, and you can spot all sorts of wildlife at the Montrose Basin.
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If you like golf, there are some renowned courses here, particularly in Montrose and Carnoustie, or you can explore the sandy beaches of the region such as Lunan Bay, Monifieth Beach and Buddon Ness. For those who like a bit of history, take a tour of Glamis Castle, or visit the Signal Tower Museum to learn about the Bell Rock Lighthouse, which is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Industrial World. There’s also Arbroath Abbey, Brechin Cathedral Angus Folk Museum and the the Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre. Don’t forget to try Arbroath’s world-famous smokies too. This delicacy of smoked haddock may not sound particularly appetising, but there’s a reason they landed the town an award of Protected Geographical Indication.
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