10 March 2026
Helping a client into their very first home has to be one of the best parts of your job. But perhaps you’ve spotted something over the last few years – your first-time buyer clients are getting older.
You’re not imagining it.
It’s the big theme from the latest edition of our Skipton Group Home Affordability Index. We’ve gone back in time to the mid-90s – the era of Britpop bands and Euro 96. And unlike Oasis, we are looking back in anger. Because 30 years ago, Sally didn’t have to wait this long.
Here’s what we’ve found*:
- The average age of recent first-time buyers in England is now 34. Back in the mid-90s, it was 29.
- The number of under-25s buying a home has almost collapsed. Three decades ago, one in four first-time buyers were under 25 (23%). Today, it’s just one in 15 (6%).
- Over half of recent first-time buyers (52%) need two or more full-time incomes to afford a home – up from 40% in the late 1990s.
The data makes it clear. The typical amount you need for a deposit has grown much faster than wages. The average first-time buyer deposit is now more than their annual income.
“Tell me something I don’t know…”
Fair point. You probably see this every day. You’re already dealing with the challenges of tighter affordability and changing criteria across lenders. And when all you want to do is say "yes" to your first-time buyer client, you may end up being the bearer of bad news. Too often.
But here’s something you might not know: there’s good news in our latest findings too.
We’re forecasting buying affordability will improve in the next couple of years. And even now, the first-time buyer market is already nearly 40% bigger than in 2008/09 (the time of the global financial crisis, which greatly impacted mortgage availability for first-time buyers). We see that growth continuing, which should keep you nicely busy.
And while the home-buying challenges have changed, so have the solutions.
That’s where we come in.
Built differently – built for you
At Skipton we listen. We listen to our members. We listen to you. You’ve told us what you need from a lender – and we’ve acted.
- We were the first to launch Track Record and Delayed Start mortgage options. They’re designed for first-time buyers struggling to save a deposit or worried about upfront costs.
- Our Shared Ownership mortgages help your clients buy a share of a home – usually between 25% and 75%. They rent the rest of their home from a housing association or registered landlord, usually below the market rate. That means they can apply for a smaller mortgage – and the deposit they’d have to find is smaller too.
And because flexibility matters, we’ve recently improved how these products work.
With Delayed Start, clients can now delay mortgage repayments for up to the first three months (1, 2 or 3 months - depending on the product chosen) after completion.
Interest still builds up from day one. This means your clients will pay more in interest over the term of their mortgage and their monthly repayments will be slightly higher than if they’d started paying in month one.
Your clients can now also combine the delayed start feature to our Track Record and Shared Ownership mortgage options, so it works for them.
- Track Record is available if your client is 21 or over, with a deposit of less than 5% – or even no deposit at all. They need to show they’ve paid all rent for 12 months in a row, within the last 18 months and not owned a property in the last three years in the UK.
- With Shared Ownership, rent payments to the housing association or registered landlord are still due from the start of the term. Our Shared Ownership mortgages are only available in England and Wales.
Mortgages are subject to eligibility and lending criteria.
That’s not all
The latest Skipton Group Home Affordability Index findings are stark – and we’re using them to push for change. For example, our research suggests loosening loan-to-income (LTI) ratios is one factor that could help more first-time buyers afford a home. We’ve already started the conversation, and we’ll continue to lobby for what’s right for your clients. And for you.
Because everyone deserves the chance to own their own home. And we want to help you say "yes" to more first-time buyers.
Explore our full first-time buyer range to see how we could help you do what you do best.
*Skipton Group Home Affordability Index 2026
