First-time buyers rely on family support

First-time buyer affordability has improved, but many still rely on family help for deposits. Data from Nationwide shows house prices rose just 0.6% in 2025, while wages increased faster and mortgage rates fell, easing repayment pressures. The typical first-time buyer now spends about 32% of take-home pay on their mortgage, down from 38% in 2022, and the house price-to-earnings ratio has dropped to 4.7 - its lowest since 2013. First-time buyers accounted for nearly 55% of transactions last year, the highest share on record. However, saving a deposit remains difficult: building a 10% deposit can take six years on average, and far longer in London or the southeast. As a result, Nationwide estimates more than a third of first-time buyers still depend on the "Bank of Mum and Dad" to get onto the property ladder. 

City AM (20/01/2026)   Financial Times (20/01/2026)   The Times (20/01/2026)