Average age of first-time buyers on the rise
December 14, 2025 by Mark
Home owners
The average age at which people in England are buying their first home is on the rise, according to new figures that have just been released.
Those figures are taken from the new English Housing Survey and they show that the average first-time buyer age has gone up by two years. In the period immediately before the Covid-19 crisis, the average age at which people bought for the first time was 32. That has now risen to 34, while in the capital it stands at 35 – due to the higher house prices in London.
The scale of that difference in prices between London and the rest of England is made clear in the survey. London house buyers are making average mortgage payments per week of £375. By contrast, the average sum for other parts of the country is £242 per week.
One more encouraging aspect of the survey is the percentage of people who own their own homes. This has stayed at 65% from 2019/20 to 2024/25 – which is the time period that the survey looked at.
However, a more alarming finding is the rising pessimism among private renters. Just 58% told the survey that they think they will be able to buy in the future.
Sarah Coles works for Hargreaves Lansdown as personal finance head. Speaking to Mortgage Finance Gazette, she said:
“The combination of over-stretched renters and higher house prices means the average age of a first-time buyer has hit 34.”
Most mortgage advisors who have the CeMAP qualification will be aware that more houses are needed.
Written by
Mark
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