First-time buyers in East Renfrewshire have experienced one of the biggest house price hikes in Scotland over the last six years.

According to UK Government figures, compiled by estate agency Springbok Properties, the average house price for new buyers in the region has soared from £133,252 to £170,572 since 2013 – a 28 per cent increase.

This eclipses the 17.7 per cent price increase in neighbouring Renfrewshire and also exceeds the Scottish national average of 19.9 per cent.

READ MORE: New figures lay bare East Renfrewshire housing price gap

The date reveals that would-be homeowners in East Renfrewshire have seen the seventh highest jump in the country as they attempt to clamber onto the property ladder.

Springbok Properties looked at the average cost of a first-time buyer property across the UK to uncover the largest uplift in price growth since the Help to Buy government scheme was introduced in 2013 to offer financial support to prospective homeowners.

The estate agency said that, while Help to Buy has helped many househunters, the influx of additional demand has also pushed the cost of Help to Buy homes up considerably.

Shepherd Ncube, founder and CEO of Springbok Properties, said: “First rung homes are supposed to be more affordable but we’ve seen the average price paid by a first-time buyer accelerate to similar levels as the wider market.

“Not only has this made it more difficult for today’s aspirational homeowner but perhaps some taxpayers might also question the wisdom of using their money to fuel house prices even further?”

Other areas of Scotland have only seen modest rises for first-time buyers over the same period, with average house prices in Inverclyde increasing by just 6.6 per cent and South Ayrshire rising by 6.9 per cent.