Why Kirstie Allsopp's house buying comments are good advice - Yorkshire Post letter from Kevin Hollinrake, Conservative MP for Thirsk and Malton

Following your recent opinion piece entitled ‘‘All of Yorkshire the poorer if ‘brain drain’ gets worse’’, I was disappointed I had not been approached for comment or clarification of my tweet (that presenter Kirstie Allsopp offered “good advice” when sharing a headline suggesting she said young people could afford a home if they “just move somewhere cheaper”).

It’s the sort of advice I’d give to anyone who’s keen to get on to the housing ladder, including my own children.

The key is to get onto the ladder as soon as possible rather than being locked into a particular location. Looking for cheaper areas doesn’t have to mean moving from one end of the country to another.

For instance, a two bedroom terrace house in York costs from £150,000 whilst you can buy a similar home in Selby (14 miles away) for £100,000.

Similarly, you can find a two-bed terraced house in Easingwold for £185,000 but in nearby Thirsk (11 miles away) find one for £120,000.

The other principal barrier to entry is raising the deposit and the key point Kirstie was also making was the cutting out of all non-essential spending (lattes, gym memberships, foreign holidays) so that you do that as quickly as possible.

The Government has also helped by its mortgage guarantee scheme, which has increased the number of 95 per cent mortgage deals, its Lifetime ISA which makes a 25 per cent contribution to first time buyers saving for a deposit, shared ownership and First Homes schemes.

Of course, the above won’t work for all people in all circumstances but they will make it easier for most people most of the time.