Living in a picturesque English market town costs homeowners £41,633 extra with the most expensive within the London commuter belt.

Record low rates are a thing of the past as fixed mortgage deals increase in cost over the year despite competition from lenders.

The number of remortgage buyers locking into attractive deals has increased 23% ahead of the Bank of England rate rise.

The Bank of England has raised interest rates by 0.75% which increases the cost to homeowners with variable rate mortgages.

First time buyers must have a deposit of £115,000 to secure their first home as London house prices rise 48% in the last ten years.

London house prices exceed first time buyer annual earnings by 13 times and is more than twice the multiple of the North East.

Residential mortgage numbers have reached a new high and of these 40% are offered without arrangement fees from lenders.

The number of first time buyers increased 20% for the month and up for the year even though higher house prices limit affordability.

Lenders are eager to attract long term business with competitive five year fixed deal only slightly more expensive than shorter term rates.

Desirable seaside towns on the South coast will cost you £627,000 but much less in the North of Britain and still rank highly on the happiness score.

The number of people remortgaging has increased by 36% for the year as homeowners lock into new competitive deals.

Having a premium brand supermarket on your doorstep can add over £40,000 to the value of your home or twice that of budget stores.