First-time buyers in the UK are now more confident of getting on the property ladder than at the start of 2023, according to research conducted on behalf of HSBC UK.
The findings coincide with numerous positive changes in the UK housing market, including reductions in mortgage rates and house prices stabilising, despite the continued challenges faced by many in the current economic environment.
The survey reveals the reasons people want to own their own home and how they are saving money to afford a mortgage.
Nearly seven in ten (68%) people hoping to buy their first home in the next 12 months say they’re more confident about getting the keys to their dream property than they were at the beginning of the year.
And when it comes to the overall market, nearly three-quarters of homebuyers (73%) say they’re looking for a house that needs work to keep the initial costs down.
A variety of reasons were highlighted for wanting to buy, with first-time buyers stating it is cheaper than renting (21%), closely followed by wanting their independence (20%), financial security (17%) and providing for their family (14%).
Only one in nine (11%) said it was because they regarded their first home as an investment.
Andrew Matson, Head of Mortgages at HSBC UK said: “It’s encouraging to see more optimism amongst first time buyers. The first half of this year has been challenging, but the shift in attitudes is reassuring and highlights the resilience of the housing market.
“At HSBC UK, we have been supporting our customers through the recent economic challenges in a number of ways, this includes providing support under the Mortgage Charter. We have also developed an online guide for first time buyers and I would encourage anyone looking to purchase their first home to use the guide.
“While we don’t have a crystal ball to see what the future holds, it is pleasing to see the positive sentiment running throughout our research and we will continue to lean in to help support our customers.”
The survey also found that in some major cities such as London, Manchester and Newcastle “independence” came out on top for reasons to buy a property, while in Liverpool it was “financial security”.
Meanwhile, those in Wales (64%) and Yorkshire and the Humber (63%) were found to be the most confident about affording a mortgage deposit now or within the next 12 months. Those in East Midlands (52%), the North East (53%) and Northern Ireland (53%) were the least confident.
Around seven in ten (68%) people were found to use a savings account to put money away for a deposit, with just under one in four (24%) using an ISA.
How consumers find a mortgage provider was clear from the survey, with using a broker or financial adviser the most popular way to get information about the market, followed by the websites of mortgage providers themselves.
Top 5 sources for mortgage information
And when it comes to picking a mortgage provider, cost is the number one driver, but it is closely followed by getting a recommendation from an expert and choosing a brand they trust.
Top 5 reasons for choosing a mortgage provider
HSBC UK is supporting its customers as much as possible with their financial challenges and is offering support in numerous ways. This includes increasing the number of people available on the financial support teams and proactively contacting customers about ways to help, as well as giving customers appropriate time and breathing space to return to financial health, agreeing affordable solutions, or restructuring credit commitments, tailored to suit their circumstances.
HSBC UK also provides free financial health checks and webinars for customers and non-customers, with an HSBC UK financial wellbeing consultant. If a customer is experiencing financial difficulty, we encourage them to reach out to us as soon as possible.
Becky Hume | 07387246305 | Becky.louise.hume@hsbc.com
Email: UKPressOffice@hsbc.co.uk
Notes to editors:
Survey devised by Sticky and carried out by Censuswide on behalf of HSBC UK. 2,017 UK respondents aged 18+. (1,017 mortgage holders and 1,000 seeking a mortgage in the next months). Carried out online between 20.6.23-26.6.23.
HSBC UK
HSBC UK serves over 14.75 million customers across the UK, supported by 24,000 colleagues. HSBC UK offers a complete range of retail banking and wealth management to personal and private banking customers, as well as commercial banking for small to medium businesses and large corporates. HSBC UK is a ring fenced bank and wholly owned subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc.
HSBC Holdings plc, the parent company of HSBC, is headquartered in London. HSBC serves customers worldwide from offices in 62 countries and territories. With assets of $3,021bn at 30 September 2023, HSBC is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organisations.