According to new research from Nottingham Building Society, nearly two out of three first-time buyers apply for a mortgage as a couple, with just 18% of those saying they could afford to buy on their own.
The data revealed that raising a deposit is still the biggest hurdle for around half of first-time buyers. However 33% said it was finding a house they could afford and 20% said it was applying for a mortgage.
One in three brokers say the number of joint applications has increased over the past two years with just one in five of first-time buyer clients buying on their own.
Ian Gibbons, Senior Mortgage Broking Manager at Nottingham Mortgage Services, said: “Rising house prices increase the pressure on first-time buyers and makes saving for a deposit more challenging. Clearly two salaries are better than one and that is driving the rise in the number of first-time buyers who can only afford to buy as part of a pair. It is striking that just one in five who bought as couples believe they could have managed it on their own.
However there is a lot of help for first-time buyers from the Government and mortgage lenders with special deals and even Help-To-Buy ISAs. You don’t have to be part of a couple but the key to buying your first home is to search the whole market and get specialist advice on the wide range of options available.”
