Map reveals the average age of first-time buyers across England

How old were you when you bought your first house? (Picture: Getty Images)

In the ever-evolving English property market, an unmistakable trend is emerging: first-time buyers are getting older.

Nowhere is this more pronounced than in the South East, where the average age of first-time homeowners has climbed to 34 — marking the most substantial increase nationwide over recent years.

This development, revealed through research by My Home Move Conveyancing, offers a telling glimpse into the interplay between affordability pressures, regional disparities, and shifting buyer behaviours.

Analysing over 39,000 property transactions from the first half of each year spanning 2021 to 2025, the research shows sharp contrasts in the age of first-time buyers across England’s regions.

Average age of first-time buyers in the UK

The South East has experienced a near three-year jump in average buyer age since 2021, reaching 34, the highest in the country.

In comparison, the East Midlands has bucked the trend slightly, seeing a small decline to around 31 years, while northern regions like the North West saw the average age rise from roughly 30 to 32.

Meanwhile, the North East also stands out for bucking the ageing trend, with younger buyers on average.

Areas with soaring property prices, such as the South East and London, inherently push aspiring owners into delayed homeownership, as higher deposits and costs require lengthier saving periods.

This contrasts with more affordable pockets like County Durham, where lower house prices enable younger buyers to make their first purchase earlier.

County Durham is one of the more affordable places for first-time buyers in England (Picture: Getty Images)

Alistair Singer, director at My Home Move Conveyancing explained the reasons behind the data.

‘The gradual increase in first-time buyer age over the past decade reflects the changing property market and how the cost-of-living crisis continues to affect this landscape,’ he said.

He added that buyers are increasingly adopting strategic approaches — saving for longer, carefully timing their market entry — rather than abandoning their homeownership aspirations altogether.

The challenges first-time buyers face

As of March 2026, the average asking price for a typical first-time buyer home (two bedrooms or fewer) in Great Britain is £226,955, according to Rightmove’s March 2026 House Price Index. 

The UK average asking price is now a steep £371,042, up from
£321,064 in March 2021.

Rightmove’s data also indicates an affordability gulf for solo buyers, based on average prices compared to average salaries. Their affordability graph is based on the Average Weekly Earnings (AWE) dataset from ONS multiplied by 4.5 to get the typical maximum that a person can borrow from a lender.

The picture is also shifting because the source of our deposits is changing. TSB Bank reports a decline in first-time buyers relying on family gifts — the so-called ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’ — from 34% in early 2024 to 30% in 2025.

This trend indicates that new buyers may be increasingly self-funding their deposit, naturally meaning some will be forced to wait for longer before picking up their first keys.

Corresponding with this, the average borrower’s age has edged up from 31 to 32 in the same timeframe.

There are many barriers to getting on the property ladder (Picture: Getty Images)

And last year, government data further revealed disparities based on ethnicity.

While the overall average age of first-time buyers in England stands at 32, white British buyers tend to enter the market younger — around 31 years old. Buyers from Asian and White Other ethnic backgrounds average closer to 35.

Further demographic trends underscore changing buyer profiles. Santander UK’s research shows that the share of first-time buyers with dependent children has doubled in 15 years, now comprising one in five buyers.

The area bucking the trend

Despite being in the pricey south of England, Harlow in Essex has been identified as the UK’s fastest-growing hotspot for first-time buyers over the past 10 years.

Since 2015, FTB mortgage applications here have risen by 87%, the steepest increase of any local authority throughout England, Scotland and Wales.

Given that Harlow sits within easy reach of the capital, but the average home sells for almost half, it’s a natural choice for budget-conscious commuters.

According to Rightmove, homes in Harlow sold for an average of £351,911 over the last year — a whole lot less than the London figure of £656,665.

Prices in the area have remained stable compared to the previous year, increasing by about 2%, but were slightly lower than the 2022 peak of £349,579.

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