UK home owners waiting longer than expected to move up housing ladder

Taylor Scott International News

Some 33% of home owners in the UK expected to be further along the housing ladder than they are now, according to new research, rising to 44% for first time buyers. The survey from Lloyds Bank also found that 83% believe home owners have to wait a lot longer to reach their long term family home than a decade ago while 36% of first time buyers hope to achieve their housing aspirations by the time they are 45. Despite recent improvements in the housing market, 40% still consider the housing market to be having an impact on aspirations, although this figure has fallen since 2013 when it was 47% and 2012 when it was 53%. Almost half, 48%, of first time buyers think that the housing market will have an impact on how long it takes them to reach their family home. Even with anticipated delays in moving up the housing ladder, 44% expect not to make any compromises and believe their long term home is a realistic achievement and 18% expect it to be a better property than their childhood home. ‘Many current home owners clearly still feel that they are not progressing up the ladder as quickly as they would like, with higher house prices in some regions meaning people are waiting longer to move into to their long term family home,’ said Andy Hulme, mortgages director at Lloyds Bank. ‘Despite this, almost two thirds still believe they’ll be in their long term home in less than five years, with the vast majority thinking this will only require one more move,’ he added. The research also shows that despite an increase in the number of people feeling they need a bigger property, the house that the majority of home owners in the UK aspire to own has three bedrooms with 43% seeking this kind of property. Some 24% want four bedrooms, with many people aspiring to have nice gardens, conservatories and high quality kitchens and bathrooms. Some 63% of home owners believe they will reach their long term family home in less than five years while 64% of those who are still waiting to be in their long term home think they will only have to make one more move to achieve their housing aspirations. Applicants for three bed properties, which are seen by many as long term homes, are on average 35 years old in London and the South East. This is a year older than the national average. These regions remain the least affordable in the UK for three bed houses, as a result of the high house prices. In contrast, long term family homes in the North and Wales are more affordable with the average three bed property costing £129,447 in the North and £135,070 in Wales. Average incomes of the applicants are lower at £38,606 and £36,390 respectively, but long term homes are still more affordable in both regions. Continue reading →

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