Ian Beale among soap characters priced out of today’s property market

Ian Beale, Ken Barlow and Eric Pollard are among the soap characters who would have to up sticks if they were purchasing their properties nowadays.
Research by One 77 Mortgages has found the Albert Square resident – portrayed by Adam Woodyatt – wouldn’t be able to afford his Walford house if he had to buy the abode in the current financial climate after the price of his pad increased by a whopping 1,042 per cent.
Ian’s East End home is said to be worth an average £743,046, a fair bit more than the £65,072 it was estimated to be worth when he first stepped foot in Albert Square in 1985, and his typical small business owner salary of £28,759 would leave him a massive £119,850 short of the income required for a mortgage nowadays.
Alastair McKee, managing director of One77 Mortgages, said: "Unfortunately for our best-loved soap stars, the cost of getting on the ladder today would see many of them resigned to the rental sector.
"Luckily for them, they took that first step when prices weren’t as high and as a result have benefited from some very healthy price growth across the board."
‘Coronation Street’ character Ken (Bill Roache) would also be in a similar situation after his Manchester terraced house soared in value from an estimated £1,664 in 1960 to £209,985 in today’s market.
And despite his wheeling and dealing, Emmerdale’s Eric Pollard (Chris Chittell) would also struggle to find cash for a mortgage on his detached home in Arncliffe, which is worth an average of £459,684 now, compared to £21,389 in 1986.
However, ‘Doctors’ character Jimmi Clay (Adrian Lewis Morgan) would be OK with his GP salary of just shy of £70,000 when securing a mortgage on a terraced house in Birmingham B29.
Alastair added: "Of course, this research is just a bit of fun and in many cases mortgage affordability would be bolstered by a partner or spouses’ income, but it does raise a more serious issue.
"Regardless of property type, profession and location, there is a huge disparity between the price of UK property and the wages on offer and it highlights the struggle facing many aspirational buyers today when trying to secure a mortgage."