First-time buyer asking prices and equivalent asking rents have risen three times faster compared with the years prior to the pandemic, new research from Rightmove has indicated.

Average asking prices for first-time buyer type properties, with two bedrooms and fewer, have increased by 13% (£17,557) since July 2020, compared with a 4% (£8,069) rise between July 2018 and July 2020.

For prospective first-time buyers looking to save while renting, Rightmove has suggested they are facing the challenge of record rents that are rising at the fastest rate ever recorded. Average monthly rental payments are 17% higher (£128) nationally than they were two years ago, while national average earnings are up by 14% over the same period.

First-time buyer type properties have hit a new record across the UK of £224,943, the property expert’s data has shown, meaning an average 10% deposit needed now stands at £22,493. This is £2,560 higher than two years ago when the deposit needed was £19,934. Furthermore, between July 2018 and July 2020, the deposit needed for an average first home only climbed by £807.

“Our affordability analysis highlights the many challenges first-time buyers are trying to navigate right now,” said Rightmove data expert, Tim Bannister. “For would-be first-time buyers who are trying to save up a deposit, they are chasing a fast-moving target as average asking prices for first-time buyer homes hit another new record, and rise more quickly than they did before the pandemic.

“For those that aren’t able to live with parents or family members while saving, they also have to manage paying record rents both inside and outside of London. We understand how difficult this challenge can be, and something we’ve seen more of over the last couple of years, particularly with working from home becoming more common, is people looking further away or at a greater number of different areas when looking to move, to see what is available within their budget.”

For new first-time buyers who have been able to save a deposit, get a mortgage and then secure a property, Rightmove warned that they are now facing average monthly mortgage payments that are 22% higher than two years ago, due to house price increases and interest rate rises.

Monthly mortgage payments for a new first-time buyer based on the current average rate is £976, £173 more than two years ago. By contrast, average monthly mortgage payments rose just £41 in the previous two years.

Bannister added: “Those that have been able to save up a deposit are now facing rising interest rates when considering what they can afford to repay each month. Given the economic uncertainty at the moment, first-time buyers may seek some financial certainty by locking in a longer fixed-rate mortgage term now, before interest rates rise again.”

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