Helping first-time buyers take the leap

7 November 2025

For many aspiring homeowners, the journey to buying a first home can feel less like an exciting milestone and more like a marathon they never signed up for. With property prices remaining high and rents continuing to rise, many first-time buyers are finding it difficult to save for a deposit – especially when rent could cost more than a mortgage payment.

At Skipton, we think it’s time to change that. With flexible products and a mindset that looks beyond a ‘typical’ buyer, we could work together to help make the first step onto the housing ladder feel possible for more people.

Understanding the challenge

In partnership with Oxford Economics, we launched the third edition of our Skipton Group Home Affordability Index to delve deep into the first-time buyer housing crisis. And the results are hard to ignore:

• around five million adults are still living with their parents in Great Britain**.
• 98% of adults living with their parents cannot afford the average first-time buyer homes in their local area based on their financial situation*.

It’s a wake-up call, and one we’re taking directly to policymakers. We’re pushing for sector-wide collaboration to unlock homeownership for a trapped generation. We want to see:

• reforms made to property taxes to remove the burden on first-time buyers. We believe this could make a significant difference to improving the flow of the housing market. A healthy market relies on free movement: older owners downsizing, families upsizing and – of course – first-time buyers getting on the ladder. Policy should encourage that flow, not restrict it.
• reforms to Lifetime ISAs and Cash ISAs. Both have acted as a valuable tool for many to save for a deposit, but we need to see reform from the government to meet the challenges of today and for the future.

We’re not just here to highlight the problem. We'd like to help fix it too. Over the past two years, we’ve launched a range of first-time buyer products designed to help you remove barriers and open doors for your clients.

When the cost of moving feels overwhelming – Skip to breathing room

For many first-time buyers, the financial pressure peaks right at the start. Between deposits, moving costs, furniture and sometimes paying rent and a mortgage at the same time, those first few months can feel like a squeeze.

That’s why we launched our Delayed Start mortgages. They allow buyers to delay their mortgage repayments for up to three months after completion, but interest does build up from day one.

That’s time to settle in, ease the burden of managing moving costs and wrap up any rental commitments they might have. It’s a simple way to take the pressure off and help clients start homeownership with confidence.

When a good rental history should count for more – Skip to opportunity

Many clients pay rent faithfully but struggle to save for a deposit at the same time. The great news is, our Track Record mortgage recognises that responsible rent history. With low to no deposit, eligible renters could take that step towards ownership.

Applicants must have paid all rent for a minimum of 12 months in the last 18 months, not owned a property in the past three years and be aged 21 or over. After all, if your clients have already proved they can pay rent at the same (or even a higher) level than a mortgage repayment, why should a deposit be the one thing holding them back?

When income alone doesn’t stretch far enough – Skip to a helping hand

Sometimes affordability isn’t about the deposit at all, it’s about borrowing power. With our Income Booster, up to three additional applicants can add their income to the mortgage application without becoming legal owners of the property.

It’s a flexible way of boosting borrowing power for your clients, without compromising their independence.

All borrowers share the legal responsibility for the mortgage and all supporting borrowers must get independent legal advice.

Products subject to eligibility and lending criteria. Only available in Great Britain.

Skip to hope – a new era for first-time buyers

Everyone deserves a place to call home, and together, we could help more people get there.

By thinking beyond standard lending approach and using these tools creatively, brokers could find a route to ownership even for clients who might otherwise struggle. It’s about taking a flexible, common-sense approach that works in real life — and Skipton is aiming to make that possible.

Helping people into homes has been part of who we are since 1853. Today, our purpose continues, and we’re determined to lower the ladder for the next generation of homeowners.

Explore our full first-time buyer range and see how we could help you guide more clients into a home of their own.

**Office for National Statistics (2021)

*Skipton Group Home Affordability Index 2025