Deposits are one of the hardest aspects of home buying for a first time buyer. With no existing property under their ownership to sell to help boost them past this obstacle, having to save up for a deposit can take a very long time. Research has found that people are setting aside up to five years to try and save for their deposit.
The Annual First Time Buyers Research from Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks discovered that 46 per cent of people are expecting to have to save up money for three years to save the cash, while 10 per cent had a more pessimistic expectation of five years.
Scotland seem to have the worst general outlook, as just under a quarter believe it will take them four years to save up enough for a deposit.
Those renting, are planning to have saved up enough for a deposit within four years, according to the research, which contrasts with those who have rented before, but ended up back living with their parents. Half of these first time buyers think that saving for a deposit will take them a comparatively short two years.
These years translate to a lot of time, and a lot waiting, until people can get onto the housing ladder. It will mean that the end of their mortgage will be further away, and they will be even older before they eventually own their eventual home.
Those with large monthly outgoings are, according to this research, expecting it to take the longest to be able to save up for a deposit, as do people living in Scotland.
The Help to Buy schemes allow people to become homeowners by negating a large portion of the deposit that they will have to save up, in some cases allowing lenders to offer as little as five per cent deposits, whereas 15-20 per cent of the property value is the norm.
Still, it is a controversial scheme that has helped 120,000 individuals, but has been argued to have lifted house prices in general, making it harder for everyone else to scrape together their deposits.
