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  "path": "/money/skipton-group-first-time-buyer-england",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-18T19:30:08.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "Mortgage rates surge £788 in two weeks as borrowers brace for further volatility",
    "Mortgage warning as nearly one million homeowners face £5,652 jump in bills",
    "Mortgage alert: Property market faces 'uncertainty' amid inflation and rising interest fear fears",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\nThe typical age for purchasing a first property in England has climbed to 34, marking a significant shift from the mid-1990s when buyers were on average just 29-years-old.\n\nThe findings come from Skipton Group's annual home affordability index, which tracks the mounting obstacles facing those attempting to enter the property market.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nGovernment statistics confirm this upward trend has been building for some time, with the average age remaining above 33 since the 2021/2022 period.\n\nSkipton Group, which operates as the parent company of Skipton Building Society, published the data highlighting how dramatically the landscape has changed for prospective homeowners over the past three decades.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe proportion of buyers aged under 25 has fallen sharply, declining from nearly a quarter of all first-time purchases in the 1990s to just six per cent today.\n\nFinancial pressures have also reshaped how people fund their first homes, with more than half now relying on two full-time salaries to secure a mortgage, compared with just 40 per cent three decades ago.\n\nMortgage commitments have lengthened considerably, with more than half of new buyers now signing up for terms of 30 years or more.\n\nDeposits have grown substantially relative to earnings and now average around 10 per cent more than a buyer's annual salary.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nFamily support has become increasingly important, with nearly one in three deposits now funded by gifts from relatives and almost a tenth coming from inheritances.\n\nLocation continues to play a significant role in affordability, with notable regional differences across Great Britain.\n\nAt the close of 2025, Scotland dominated the list of most affordable locations, claiming nine of the top 10 spots.\n\nEast Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire and Aberdeenshire were identified as the most accessible areas for first-time buyers, while Harborough in the East Midlands was the only area outside Scotland to appear in the top 10.\n\n### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS\n\n\n\n\n  * Mortgage rates surge £788 in two weeks as borrowers brace for further volatility\n  * Mortgage warning as nearly one million homeowners face £5,652 jump in bills\n  * Mortgage alert: Property market faces 'uncertainty' amid inflation and rising interest fear fears\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nLondon presented a markedly different picture, with all of the 10 least affordable areas located within the capital.\n\nHackney was ranked as the most challenging borough for first-time buyers, followed by Westminster and Tower Hamlets.\n\nStuart Haire, chief executive of Skipton Group, said: \"The aspiration of homeownership has been pushed further out of reach for many younger adults, delaying independence and stability.\"\n\nCharlotte Harrison, CEO of home financing at Skipton Building Society, added: \"By evolving products, improving flexibility and finding new ways to support customers, the industry has a vital role to play in helping keep homeownership accessible at different life stages.\"\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nDespite the challenges, the research identified some more positive developments in the market.\n\nToday's first-time buyers are more likely to purchase a larger, higher-quality property that costs less to run than at any previous point this century.\n\nThe data also showed a growing preference for houses over flats among those entering the property market for the first time.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n**Our Standards:The GB News Editorial Charter **",
  "title": "Average first-time buyer age rises to 34 in England as affordability crisis deepens"
}