From town to country: savvy first-time buyers are turning to the Home Counties for bigger properties with green spaces

Back in 1960 the average first-time buyer was 23. More than half a century later, most are 30 or older before they get on the ladder.

Having done a decade or so of renting in the capital they are turning to the countrified commuter belt which offers fresh air, more space and cheaper housing.

The prospect of starting a family is also a factor changing the list of must-haves from bars and restaurants to primary education and back gardens.

“First-time buyers are older so safe, child-friendly areas and access to good schools are a higher priority now,” says Joss Cooper, of Seymours.

He is seeing more young buyers heading down the A3 corridor which cuts through leafy Surrey to towns such as Guildford and Godalming. More bedrooms are also needed to include a nursery and a guest room for helpful grandparents.

So how much more bang do you get for your buck outside the Greater London boundary?

Reading: for new homeowners

Reading is one of the most popular destinations for novice homeowners buying in the South-East.

With one eye on the arrival of Crossrail — four high-speed trains an hour will leave Reading for London as of December next year — first-time buyers accounted for 52 per cent of sales from January to December last year, according to new research from Hamptons. Reading is on the Thames and bordering the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

For buyers who want to live in the surrounding Berkshire countryside rather than the urban centre of Reading, new three-, four- and five-bedroom homes are for sale in the picturesque village of Shinfield.

The Bell & Bottle pub overlooks the green, as does the 310-year-old Shinfield Infant & Nursery School.

Prices in Bellway’s Littlebrook scheme range from £390,000 up to £950,000 and Help to Buy is available on selected plots. Call 0118 988 3321.

Bedford: for lovers of the great outdoors

Bedford suits the outdoorsy type. It hosts the annual International Kite Festival and every two years stages the Bedford River Festival.

Nearly 40 per cent of sales in and around this county town of Bedfordshire went to first-time buyers, latest figures show, with 90 per cent of new-build homes priced below £600,000.

A 152-home development by Storey Homes, De Montfort Place, on a former university site, is a 12-minute drive from 360 acres of lakes, meadows and woodland at Priory Country Park.

Just to the north of the town, the scheme, set along tree-lined streets, is also an 11-minute walk from Bedford station, from where fast trains reach London St Pancras in 39 minutes.

Prices at De Montfort Place start at £190,000 for a one-bedroom apartment and £247,500 for a two-bedroom apartment. Help to Buy is available. Visit storey-homes.co.uk or call 01582 742165.

London: for those looking for green developments

In a bid to offer buyers more green space, many London developers are building parkland and gardens into their schemes, or carefully creating new homes around existing nature conservation areas.

One of the UK’s largest regeneration sites, Barking Riverside is set for £500 million investment into transport links, parkland and other community facilities.

Once completed, the scheme will deliver 11,000 homes. Near the Thames, Bellway’s Caspian Quarter follows an eco-friendly design as part of Barking Riverside, with green roofs, communal gardens, locally sourced timber and high levels of insulation to reduce energy consumption.

Prices start from £247,995 for a one-bedroom flat. Visit bellway.co.uk or call 020 8594 9709.