To ask about buying a house on one salary?

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Looking around here most are £200,000 + so not affordable.

How do people manage?

But there aren’t any cheaper! I’m looking at studio flats here

Then you need to look elsewhere. There are three main factors: size of property, location of property, price of property. You're already looking at the smallest properties and they are outside of your price range, so you need to change the other factor: location.

But then if I change the location I wouldn’t have a job. Not trying to be awkward but there doesn’t seem a way around it.

Can't you commute to work?

Well not from so far!

45k as th single income for two people is by no means a huge salary.

Op, how much is the salary?

For two people, no, £45k isn't huge. For one person, though? I'd define it as huge.

My first property was a flat - 2 bedroom. I wanted a house. Couldn't afford it. Got on the property ladder with a 10% deposit (saved myself, no help)

Then sold that and moved 3 years later into a house. Had made enough on the flat to put down around 25% deposit.

I was on £26k when I bought the flat - if relevant. And it was a huge struggle - but worth it now I have my house

If you are in SE might well mean job hunting and moving to another part of UK.

We've had to move around UK for work anyway - just as well as there is no way I could have bought anywhere near where I grew up - my siblings who remained there are all still renting.

You can't then. We were able to buy because our house had features that most people find extremely off putting, also it is at least 40 minutes commute from any city type jobs (not "the" City, but you know what I mean)

We had to consciously decide what to sacrifice, and for us, we wanted to own our own home and have plenty of time together as a family - that means fairly basic jobs in a fairly basic part of the UK. We deliberately chose a house cheaper than we could afford as I am self employed, and a one income mortgage is our safety net.

It isn't a choice that would suit everyone, I absolutely get that, but, like you, we were in a position where it was lifestyle change or no house, ever

Big deposit was how we did it.

In the long term could you consider looking for another job and relocating. It's shit, I once worked at a hospital that was struggling to get nurses because it was a high cost location and they were all doing that.

They buy in cheaper areas. Round here you Can get a small terrace for £60,000, I’ve just been on right move and there’s a one bedroom apartment for £28,000. I get that where you live it’s dearer, but the question wasn’t how do they afford To buy where you live.

OP i once commuted by car from Manchester to Liverpool daily, if i didn't i wouldn't have had a job!

People also commute from Birmingham to London, what i am saying is that if you really want to buy then you will make sacrifices.

Big deposit and a house that required some renovation and previous owner wanted a quick sale

I wish 45k was mine and my husbands combined salary! That is huge to some people.

But viva, that must have cost you hundreds in petrol.

You can borrow £200k with a £45k salary so you need to work towards getting a job which pays that salary.

Shouldn't be too hard if you're down South. What field do you work in?

Manchester to Liverpool is about 30 miles, hardly an epic trek.

If you have to travel at rush hour the traffic will drive you insane, but petrol won't be that bad for anyone on a half decent salary.

Depends what your wage is surely?!

Birmingham to London is not 30 miles though!