The 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.
The findings come from Skipton Group’s annual home affordability index, which tracks the mounting obstacles facing those attempting to enter the property market.
Government statistics confirm this upward trend has been building for some time, with the average age remaining above 33 since the 2021/2022 period.
Skipton 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.
The 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.
Financial 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.
Mortgage commitments have lengthened considerably, with more than half of new buyers now signing up for terms of 30 years or more.
Deposits have grown substantially relative to earnings and now average around 10 per cent more than a buyer’s annual salary.
First-time buyers now 34 as homeownership pushed further out of reach
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Family support has become increasingly important, with nearly one in three deposits now funded by gifts from relatives and almost a tenth coming from inheritances.
Location continues to play a significant role in affordability, with notable regional differences across Great Britain.
At the close of 2025, Scotland dominated the list of most affordable locations, claiming nine of the top 10 spots.
East 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.
Unsurprisingly, London was by far the least affordable city
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GETTYLondon presented a markedly different picture, with all of the 10 least affordable areas located within the capital.
Hackney was ranked as the most challenging borough for first-time buyers, followed by Westminster and Tower Hamlets.
Stuart 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.”
Charlotte 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.”
Despite the challenges, the research identified some more positive developments in the market.
Today’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.
The data also showed a growing preference for houses over flats among those entering the property market for the first time.