Home / Business and Economy / Britain's Housing Divide: £200 Buys a Sliver or Two Sheets
Britain's Housing Divide: £200 Buys a Sliver or Two Sheets
15 Apr
Summary
- £200 buys a quarter sheet of A4 space in Westminster, but over two sheets in Burnley.
- London's least affordable areas cost hundreds for A4 floor space.
- The analysis highlights a significant national housing affordability gap.

Recent analysis has quantified the dramatic disparities in UK housing affordability, highlighting a significant national divide.
In London's prestigious Westminster, a mere £200 would only purchase floor space equivalent to a quarter of an A4 sheet. This starkly contrasts with locations like Burnley in the North West, where the same £200 could secure over two full A4 sheets of space.
Major cities across England, including Manchester, Leeds, and Birmingham, offer a full A4 sheet of floor space for £200. Conversely, in Scotland, Edinburgh typically charges £204 for such an area, and York in Yorkshire costs around £209.
Richard Donnell, executive director at Zoopla, emphasized the scale of this divide, stating it's the difference between a 'sliver of a page and two full sheets of paper.' This highlights a crucial understanding for all prospective buyers and homeowners when considering their next move.
The analysis also detailed the most and least affordable locations by region. For instance, in the East Midlands, Boston is most affordable at £115, while South Northamptonshire is least affordable at £206 for an A4-sized floor space. In the North East, Sunderland is the most affordable at £83, with Northumberland being the least affordable at £134.