According to analysis from Rightmove, which compared data between January and May 2015 and the same period in 2025 for first-time buyer enquiries, the number of potential first-time buyers looking to move to cities is up by 16%.
There is variation between cities, with Dundee seeing the most significant increase in first-time buyer enquiries, going up by 176% over the period.
This was followed by Edinburgh with a 91% increase and Doncaster with a 74% rise.
| Location | Change in first-time buyer demand in 2025 versus 2015 (0-2 bedroom homes) |
| Dundee | +176% |
| Edinburgh | +91% |
| Doncaster | +74% |
| Liverpool | +73% |
| Plymouth | +71% |
| Glasgow | +65% |
| Preston | +63% |
| Winchester | +51% |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | +38% |
| Newport, South Wales | +29% |
The report found that, on average, the number of future first-time buyers looking to move to coastal areas is flat compared to 10 years ago.
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Rightmove added that London has bucked the city trend, as demand is down 7% compared to a decade ago. This was attributed to house prices.
The report said city and coastal locations have grown in price by 41% over the last decade.
Colleen Babcock, Rightmove’s property expert, said: “We’ve seen a number of changes to the property market over the last 10 years. Perhaps most notably is during the pandemic, when many people temporarily left cities and looked to the coast or countryside.
“Comparing where we are now versus a decade ago, it looks like there’s even more appeal from potential first-time buyers to live in cities, though the data does show that it can vary quite widely from city to city, and it will also depend how first-time buyer friendly a particular location is, in terms of the type of homes that are available for sale.
“Coastal areas haven’t seen the same level of growth as cities from this type of buyer, and again it may be partly due to the availability of suitable homes in these areas for first-time buyers as well as affordability.”
