Affordability continues to be a key factor in driving first-time buyer activity.

Data from our sales teams shows flats and small terraced homes are property types in demand in the Midlands with average budgets up to £400,000 for couples and £160,000 for those looking on their own.

Almost all first-time buyers are finding it difficult to enter the market without financial assistance such as from family.

The figures are in contrast to those published by Barclays Bank in September which showed first-time buyers across the UK are increasingly looking for their forever homes, with semi-detached homes rising in popularity.

However Sheldon Bosley Knight’s Stratford sales manager, Lisa Hunt, said affordability was the key factor influencing the buying decisions of most first-time buyers.

She said: “As properties in Stratford are significantly higher than the UK national average, it makes entry into the market very difficult for those buyers without substantial financial assistance.

“As a result, flats and smaller terraced homes are the most common entry point for this demographic. There are a few developers catering to this demand by offering affordable housing schemes such as shared ownership, however this means buyers will not target these properties as their forever home but merely as a stepping stone to get their foot on the ladder.”

In Shipston, sales manager Amy Nicholson said: “Most of our first-time buyers are looking for two-bed properties under £300,000. A few can only afford flats of about £150,000 with gifted deposits from family and a few single first-time buyers are looking at property up to £325,000.

“Most actually have financial help from family. If they are tradesmen or have handy people in the family, they seem to like the idea of a project so they can live at home with parents whilst renovating.”

Associate director Andrew James said price points for first-time buyers ranged from between £300,000 and £400,000.

He added: “Child-free first-time buyers in Leamington are consistently looking for character Victorian homes, withing walking distance of the town centre with its vast array of boutiques, restaurants and bars and the train station which offers a direct service to London in just over an hour.”