The Real Cost of Buying a First Home in St Ives
A first purchase at the £365,000 St Ives average needs about £43,050 in cash, made up of £36,500 deposit, £3,250 stamp duty with first time buyer relief, and roughly £3,300 in fees.
The introduction costs you nothing. If you go ahead, we may be paid a fee by the firm we introduce you to. There is no obligation.
A first purchase at the £365,000 St Ives average needs about £43,050 in cash, made up of £36,500 deposit, £3,250 stamp duty with first time buyer relief, and roughly £3,300 in fees.
What a first St Ives purchase costs in cash
On the local average the deposit is £36,500, stamp duty is £3,250 and fees are near £3,300. Total cash needed is about £43,050.
First time buyer relief saves you £5,000 against the standard charge of £8,250 at this price. Rates are those in force from April 2025. Confirm the current position on gov.uk before you exchange.
Where the upfront cash goes
The commercial page for this town sets out the introduction itself: Mortgage advice in St Ives.
Borrowing power on a St Ives income
The costs that start the day you move in
Band D council tax in Cambridgeshire is £2,601 a year, which is £217 a month. Add energy, water, insurance and maintenance.
Protection belongs in the same budget. If the mortgage depends on two incomes, it depends on both people staying well enough to earn. That is the part of the purchase we advise on directly.
The St Ives detail first buyers ask about
The schools families ask about here are St Ivo Academy, Wheatfields Primary School and St Ives primary schools. 1 local school was rated Good or Outstanding overall at its most recent graded Ofsted inspection. Ratings age between inspections, so read the latest report before you rely on one.
On getting about: St Ives to Cambridge (guided busway) takes about 35 to 45 min.
By price, St Ives ranks 5 of the 12 Cambridgeshire locations we cover, at £365,000 against a county average of £353,750. Band D council tax here is £2,601, against an average of £2,575 across the towns we cover in the county.
Average prices sit below the £500,000 relief ceiling, so most first purchases here still qualify. Check your own price against the threshold.
What your money buys in St Ives
St Ives is a handsome, desirable historic market town on the River Great Ouse (St Ives, Cambridgeshire, not Cornwall).
The full local guide covers schools, transport and the market in detail: St Ives property and area guide.
| Budget | What it buys here |
|---|---|
| Around £260,000 to £320,000 | A terrace or a starter home, the more accessible way into a desirable town. |
| Around £340,000 to £480,000 | A suburban semi or a modern/newer family house, a classic St Ives family home. |
| £450,000 and above | A larger detached, period or riverside house with a garden, the top of the local market (check flood risk near the water). |
- A handsome, desirable historic market town
- A rare medieval chapel-on-the-bridge & riverside setting
- A genuine guided-busway commute to Cambridge
- Good schools (St Ivo Academy) & a strong community
- The Norris Museum, the Monday market & Houghton Mill nearby
- No railway station of its own
- River Great Ouse flood risk is material (the Waits genuinely floods)
- A daily London commute means going via Huntingdon
- On the dearer side for the local area
- Period/timber-framed & riverside homes need survey & flood work
St Ives is known locally for The chapel-on-the-bridge, and The Norris Museum. St Ives's fifteenth-century bridge over the Great Ouse carries St Leger's Chapel, one of only a handful of surviving bridge chapels in England, and the town's rare and defining landmark.
Practical detail for St Ives: the PE27 postcode district, no station in St Ives, the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway links to Cambridge & to Huntingdon station (East Coast Main Line, for London) and nearest A and E is Hinchingbrooke Hospital, Huntingdon (Hinchingbrooke Park, PE29 6NT), a 24-hour Type 1 major A&E, ~10 to 15 min by road (North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust); verify with NHS.
St Ives at a glance
| Upfront cost | St Ives figure |
|---|---|
| Average price | £365,000 |
| Deposit at 10% | £36,500 |
| Stamp duty, first time buyer | £3,250 |
| Stamp duty, standard rate | £8,250 |
| Legal, survey and moving | £3,300 |
| Total cash needed | £43,050 |
| Monthly repayment illustration | £1,920 |
Figures are local averages used for illustration. Confirm your own numbers before acting on them.
Ask about St Ives
Three details is all we need. You are told before anything is passed to a partner firm.
Your checklist
- Total cash of about £43,050, not just the deposit
- Your stamp duty position confirmed on gov.uk
- A first year running cost budget including £2,601 council tax
- Income protection quoted before completion, not after
The introduction costs you nothing. If you go ahead, we may be paid a fee by the firm we introduce you to. There is no obligation.
Check broadband before you make an offer in St Ives
Broadband speeds can vary street by street in St Ives, so check the exact address before you commit. Ofcom's free checker shows which broadband speeds and mobile coverage are available at any UK property.
We can introduce you to a specialist who can combine your mobile, broadband and utilities into one bill. There's no fee for the introduction.
We don't provide these services ourselves. Switching household bills is not a regulated financial service, so FCA protections and the Financial Ombudsman do not apply. We'll only pass your details to the specialist if you ask us to. See our privacy notice.
Questions people ask
How much money do I need to buy a first home in St Ives?
Do first time buyers pay stamp duty in St Ives?
What is the biggest hidden cost?
How do I check broadband speed at a property in St Ives?
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