10 most affordable rural areas to buy a home in the UK

County Durham in North East England is the most affordable rural area to buy a home in the UK, with the average property price coming in at just £109,980.

According to the 2021 Rural Property Report by Coulters Property, the beautiful countryside region is the most attractive to those buying a home on a budget, closely followed by Copeland in Cumbria and the scenic district of Wyre in Lancashire.

A rural idyll may not be for everyone, but the pandemic has pushed up the demand for countryside properties at the expense of city homes. In fact, their research found that more people are relocating to the countryside for more green space, fresher air and an overall slower pace of life.

Other rural areas worth having on your radar include Northumberland, West Lindsey in Lincolnshire, and Fenland in Cambridgeshire. As well as having attractive property prices, these areas are famed for their strong sense of local community spirit, pretty backdrops and country charm.

On the other end of the scale, the most expensive area is Waverley, nestled in the south-west corner of Surrey, with the average property price coming in at £473,536. Sevenoaks and Winchester round off the top three most expensive regions.

Copeland in Cumbria also made the list

John Finney Photography

Getty Images

Planning to make a move this year? Take a look at the full findings below…

10 most affordable rural areas

County Durham (£109,980 average house price)
Copeland (£136,378)
Wyre (£160,562)
Bassetlaw (£163,570)
Allerdale (£167,962)
Northumberland (£177,394)
West Lindsey (£180,769)
East Lindsey (£184,366)
Fenland (£196,835)
East Riding of Yorkshire (£197,994)

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Lisa Joyner

Senior Digital Writer, House Beautiful and Country Living

Lisa Joyner is the Senior Digital Writer at House Beautiful UK and Country Living UK, where she’s busy writing about home and interiors, gardening, dog breeds, pets, health and wellbeing, countryside news, small space inspiration, and the hottest properties on the market.