In 2026, £675 might just about get you a new iPhone. In 1926, it got you a semi-detached house in Clayton.
That eye-catching comparison comes from a century-old property advert published in the Telegraph & Argus on October 20, 1926, offering homes across Bradford with deposits as low as £25.
The advert, placed by Bradford housing specialist Arthur Mann, listed vacant houses in areas including Clayton, Thornton, Bradford Moor, Manningham, Bowling and Barkerend.
Looking at the prices today, it is hard to imagine just how different the property market once was.
The most expensive home in the advert was a "new semi" in Clayton, described as "artistic", "well equipped" and close to the bus terminus.
Buyers could pick it up for £675, with a deposit of just £25.
The advert placed on October 20, 1926. (Image: T&A Archive)
According to the Bank of England, £675 in 1926 would be worth around £37,000 today.
Yet even that figure is well below the price of most homes currently on the market in Bradford.
Elsewhere, a modern house in Bradford Moor was advertised for £395.
In today's money, that is roughly £21,700.
The advert described the property on Heath Terrace as being in "good condition".
A century later, comparable terraced homes in and around Bradford Moor are commonly marketed for between £140,000 and £200,000, according to Zoopla.
An advert for a property in Manningham offered a two-bedroom cottage near the station for just £210, with a deposit of £45.
Adjusted for inflation, that purchase price would be worth around £11,500 today, while the deposit would equate to about £2,400.
By comparison, a two-bedroom cottage in Manningham has recently been marketed for £125,000, with a typical 10 per cent deposit coming in at around £12,500.
Over in Bowling, buyers could pick up a two-bedroom cottage on Bowling Old Lane for £290 with a deposit of £35.
That £290 price tag would be worth around £16,000 in today's money.
Yet a comparable two-bedroom terrace on Bowling Old Lane has recently been marketed for around £90,000.
The century-old advert serves as a reminder of how dramatically house prices have changed over the last 100 years.
In 1926, a few dozen pounds was enough to secure a family home.
In 2026, that same sum might just about cover the first month's mortgage payment.