Is the property ladder out of reach?
Sky high house prices, slow wage growth, student loans and rising rent costs mean that getting on the property ladder is challenging. But the desire to own a home remains strong for many young adults.
Now, the affectionately known ‘bank of mum and dad’ (or bank of other family members) lends or gives money for deposits and other house purchase costs. In fact family loans now count as the 11th-largest mortgage lender in the UK. (Source: Legal & General 2019).
Hear from some first time buyers and their family about getting onto the property ladder.
Saving for a deposit
Over half (52%) of first time buyers see raising a deposit as the biggest barrier to home ownership today (source: our survey (15.50 MB), 'Life after lockdown: the future of UK homeownership'). With the average deposit at £44,000, according to the Office of National Statistics, this is no surprise. (Source: ONS House Price data March 2019).
Our first time buyer survey (13.81 MB) suggests that first time buyers are aiming for an average deposit of £24,816. This might be more achievable, but in many locations, it'll put them on a higher loan-to-value (LTV) mortgage ratio. For example, if the house you want is worth £250,000 and you have a £25,000 deposit, the LTV ratio will be 90% as you'll need to borrow 90% of the property's value. With a larger deposit, you'll have a smaller LTV ratio and potentially better interest rates.
Family matters
Family are often the first ones to turn to for support with parents and grandparents playing an increasingly critical role.
Lending or gifting money to family doesn’t come without challenges. If you’re looking at helping a family member or loved one onto the property ladder, these pages will talk you through some of the key points. If you’re looking to get onto the property ladder yourself, maybe with the help of family, read on to see some of the things you’ll all need to think about.
Helping you help them
It can be tricky knowing where to start. So, we’ve put together a list of things you might want to know about:
- from getting up to speed on the property market
- to how helping out affects you
- as well as how you can help if you haven’t got money to contribute towards a deposit.
