Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Newsroom from a report by PropertyWire. Read the original article for full details.

Over Half of Aspiring UK Buyers Doubt They Will Ever Own a Home

More than half of aspiring homebuyers in the UK believe they will never be able to purchase a property, according to new research from the HomeOwners Alliance. The annual HomeOwner Survey found that 52% of those who want to own a home doubt they will achieve this goal, despite 73% of non-homeowners expressing a desire to buy.

The survey highlights a particularly pessimistic outlook among first-time buyers, with 51% saying now is a bad time to purchase, compared to 35% of British adults overall. Financial barriers remain the main obstacles to entering the property market, with respondents citing mortgage rates, deposit requirements, and stamp duty as key issues.

Three quarters of those surveyed said improvements in these financial factors would be necessary to facilitate property transactions. Lower mortgage rates would encourage 42% of homeowners to move, rising to 50% among those with mortgages. Additionally, 36% of respondents pointed to lower stamp duty as a factor that would enable them to move, while 31% identified reduced deposit requirements.

The research also found that 37% of homeowners believe reforms to the buying and selling process would help facilitate transactions. One in four respondents want transactions to become legally binding earlier to reduce fall-throughs, and 20% expressed a preference for a quicker, more digital process.

A shortage of suitable housing options is also restricting market mobility, particularly for older homeowners. Among those aged over 55, 32% said more appropriate homes, such as bungalows and later-life housing, would facilitate a move, compared with 27% of homeowners overall.

The HomeOwners Alliance noted that misunderstandings about mortgage requirements may be compounding confidence issues, with some buyers incorrectly believing large deposits are always necessary or that they must wait until finding a property before obtaining a decision in principle.

These findings suggest that both structural market factors and informational barriers are contributing to reduced confidence among prospective homebuyers, with potential implications for transaction volumes and market liquidity.