FANCY asking your boss for a 212 per cent pay rise?

That’s what the average person would need in order to get a mortgage for the first time in Poole, a report has found.

In Bournemouth, you could get onto the property ladder with a 133 per cent hike in salary, while the figure for the rest of the county averages 178 per cent.

The latest figures follow a recent report in which the Bournemouth area ranked alongside Hong Kong, Sydney and San Francisco as one of the least affordable places to live.

Poole’s average property price is £339,201 – meaning a buyer would need to earn £77,532 to be approved for an 80 per cent mortgage, rather than the £24,846 average salary the town has at present.

The average East Dorset worker would need a 206 per cent pay rise to £78,320 to buy the £342,648 average home, while in Christchurch it would take a 197 rise to £77,113 to snap up a home worth £337,368.

East Dorset, Poole and Christchurch are all among the top five most expensive places to buy a home in the south west, with house prices at least 13 times the average salary.

The figures are contained in the report Home Truths, published by the National Housing Federation, which also spells out the high cost of renting in the area.

Average rents locally range from £705 a month in North Dorset to £905 in East Dorset, eating up a large share of incomes and making it even more difficult to become a buyer.

Jenny Allen, external affairs manager for the National Housing Federation in the South West, said: “As one of Britain’s most expensive regions, the South West has experienced first-hand the brunt of the housing crisis. The spike in house prices has had a devastating impact on rural communities, especially with young families being priced out. This is having a knock-on effect on local amenities, including shops and schools, and is detrimental to everyone.

“As this year’s Home Truths report shows, the number of homes built is far below what the region needs to keep up with demand. Housing associations are a vital part of the solution to the housing crisis. The sector is buoyed by the additional funding and flexibility secured in the Autumn Statement and is ambitious about delivering even more houses.”

Bournemouth-based housing and training provider BCHA said: “This report highlights the importance of building more homes to increase supply. There are fewer and fewer homes that are affordable to buy or rent, so it is becoming increasingly difficult for people to get onto the property ladder. With such a significant shortage of housing, prices will continue to rise, so we need to see more homes being built, so that prices begin to fall.

This report follows a recently published survey which placed Bournemouth in the Top 10 of the least affordable places to live in the world with house prices 8.5 times higher than the average household income. Not only are prices growing too fast but rental levels are increasingly unaffordable for people on lower wages. The inequality gap is widening and we need to be investing more time and resources into reducing it.”

The pay rise you’d need to get a mortgage (based on mean prices and salaries and an 80 per cent mortgage):

Bournemouth: 133 per cent rise from £24,045 to £56,056 for a £245,247 home

Poole: 212 per cent rise from £24,846 to £77,532 for a £339,201 home

Christchurch: 197 per cent rise from £25,958 to £77,113 for a £337,368 home

East Dorset: 206 per cent rise from £25,574 to £78,320 for a £342,648 home

North Dorset: 143 per cent rise from £24,508 to £59,779 for a £261,532 home

Purbeck: 232 per cent rise from £21,819 to £72,488 for a £317,133

West Dorset: 171 per cent rise from £24,357 to £66,063 for a £289,026 home

Weymouth and Portland: 123 per cent rise from £22,682 to £50,616 for a £221,443

New Forest: 138 per cent rise from £32,864 to £78,309 for a £342,602 home

Average monthly rents in Dorset and New Forest:

Bournemouth £750

Poole £813

Christchurch £902

East Dorset £905

North Dorset £705

Purbeck £788

West Dorset £752

Weymouth and Portland £642

New Forest £916