First-time buyer statistics UK: 2025

What is the average age of a first-time buyer in the UK?

Looking for your first home and getting your foot on the property ladder is a massive milestone in your life, but there are some things you need to consider before you buy. Along with saving up for a deposit and finding the perfect home, you also need to find the best first-time buyer mortgage for you. We look at the latest statistics on first-time buyers in the UK.

First-time buyer statistics: Highlights

  • The average age of a first-time buyer in the UK is 33.5 years.
  • The average house price for a first-time buyer in 2024 was £311,034, up 8% from £288,136 in 2022.
  • The average first-time buyer deposit was £61,090 in 2024, 20% of the purchase price.
  • There were 341,068 first-time buyers in the UK in 2024, up 19% from 287,060 first-time buyers in 2023.
  • There were 341,068 first-time buyers in the UK in 2024, up 19% from 287,060 first-time buyers in 2023.
  • County Durham in the North East is the cheapest place for first-time buyers in England.
  • Inverclyde in Scotland is the cheapest place for first-time buyers in the UK.

What is the average age of a first-time buyer in the UK?

According to government data, the average age of a first-time buyer in England is now 33 years and 6 months, an increase of around 2 years since 2012 and more than 3 years since 2007. The age of a first-time buyer has been mostly trending upward since the banking crisis in 2007 and 2008, in part due to stricter mortgage lending rules and house price rises.

Year Average age of a first-time buyer in England
2023 33.5
2022 33.5
2021 32.4
2020 32.2
2019 32.9
2018 32.9
2017 33.2
2016 32.4
2015 32.5
2014 32.8
2013 32.4
2012 31.6
2011 32
2010 31.9
2009 31.7
2008 30.9
2007 30.3

What is the average age of a first-time buyer in London?

The average age of a first-time buyer in London is now over 35, more than 2 years older than the average age of a first-time buyer outside of London. This has increased from a first-time buyer age of 31 years and 7 months in the capital in 2012 but is down from a decade-high of almost 37 years old in 2019.

Year Average age of a first-time buyer in London Average age of a first-time buyer outside of London
2023 35.3 33
2022 33.8 33.4
2021 33.8 32.1
2020 34.5 31.8
2019 36.7 32.1
2018 34.5 32.6
2017 34.1 33.1
2016 32.6 32.3
2015 32.9 32.5
2014 35.7 31.8

How many first-time home buyers are there per year?

In 2024, there were 341,068 first-time buyers in the UK. This was up 19% from 2023, when there were a total of 287,060 first-time buyers. During the last decade, there have been an average of 335,870 first-time home buyers each year.

The South East had the highest number of first-time buyers in 2024, with 67,200 residents purchasing their first home. This is followed by Greater London, where there were 44,521 first-time buyers. Although prices and deposits are higher in these regions, they are still highly populated areas, so properties for first-time buyers are in demand!

Northern Ireland had the lowest number of first-time buyers at 9,259, followed by East Anglia (12,693) and Wales (14,772).

Year Number of first-time buyers
2024 341,068
2023 287,060
2022 369,870
2021 405,310
2020 303,980
2019 351,260
2018 353,120
2017 345,920
2016 328,500
2015 298,200
2014 310,280

What is the average house price for a first-time buyer in the UK?

The average house price for a first-time buyer in 2024 was £311,034, up 8% from the average first-time buyer house price of £288,136 in 2023.

House prices for first-time buyers vary across UK regions, with the highest average price of £511,514 in London. The second highest prices for first-time buyers can be found in the South East of England, with the average house price at £367,974.

The North East boasts the lowest average house price for first-time buyers, with an average cost of £180,834, followed closely by Northern Ireland with an average price of £194,323.

London house prices for first-time buyers are 1.6 times higher than the UK average, while house prices in the North East are just two-fifths (58%) of the average house price in the UK. There is a substantial difference in house prices in different parts of the UK, which is a factor many first-time buyers will want to consider.

Region Average first-time buyer house price
London £511,514
South East £367,974
East of England £346,523
South West £291,362
West Midlands £255,373
East Midlands £249,130
North West £230,161
Wales £211,339
Yorkshire and The Humber £210,578
Scotland £200,356
Northern Ireland £194,323
North East £180,834

What is the average deposit for a first-time buyer in the UK?

The average first-time buyer deposit in the UK is £61,090, approximately 20% of the average house price for a first-time buyer, which is £311,034.

However, the average deposit for a first-time buyer in London is £124,688, more than double the national average! The South East follows London and is also higher than the national average, with an average deposit of £61,744.

In other regions across the UK, you can expect to pay less than the national average for your deposit. The North East has the lowest average first-time buyer deposit of £30,678. This is around a quarter of the average London deposit for first-time buyers.

Region Average first-time buyer deposit
London £124,688
South East £61,744
East of England £56,526
South West £55,083
Scotland £43,537
West Midlands £42,898
East Midlands £40,402
Wales £39,877
North West £39,574
Northern Ireland £37,898
Yorkshire and The Humber £36,731
North East £30,678

What is the average deposit percentage for first-time buyers in the UK?

The average deposit percentage for UK first-time buyers was 20% of the purchase price in 2024, meaning they would have to take out the remaining 80% as a mortgage.

You can have a minimum of 5% of the purchase price as a deposit to buy your first home and take out the remaining 95% as a mortgage. Generally speaking, if you can put down more as a deposit, you can access better deals and rates on your mortgage.

Londoners take the crown for the largest deposit as a percentage of the house price, at 24%. First-time buyers in the East Midlands and the East of England are putting down the smallest deposit percentage, at 16% of the overall purchase price on average.

Click here for more research. For all media enquiries, please contact –

Matt Mckenna
UK Head of Communications
T: +44 20 8191 8806

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