The property William and Kate could really afford
Thursday, 17 March 2011 2:43 PM
If Prince William and Kate Middleton depended solely on their salaries and no royal allowances, it seems their marital home would be a far cry from the opulent surroundings of St James's Palace.
According to new research from Santander, a 'rebuilt mobile home' in Windsor, a three-bedroom semi in St Andrews, or a just a parking space in Westminster would be all the royal couple could afford to buy.
Based on Prince William's salary of £37,170 from the RAF, the pair's only job-based income, the future king and his bride-to-be Kate Middleton could probably stretch to a mortgage of £142,246.
Santander's findings suggest that, if they chose to live in rural North Wales as reported, the royal couple might snap up a three-bedroom semi-detached home near Llandudno Junction and remain within budget.
However, if they opted to stay closer to Windsor, Prince William and his new wife would be limited to a two-bedroom bungalow that's actually nothing more than a rebuilt mobile home.
In Westminster, they could afford little more than a single parking space close to Hyde Park.
Nigel Lewis, of FindaProperty.com, said: "If William and Kate were an average young couple, without the additional sources of finance they enjoy in reality, they'd be able to find comfortable if modest homes in most areas of the country.
"If they wanted to live in London or the South-east, however, this would be much more of a stretch."
Lewis went on to say that, while the quality of home a modest budget can buy varies greatly between regions, it is clear from the findings that there are "still some real bargains to be had".
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