UK Home Ownership and Mortgage Statistics - Key Facts in 2026

Owning your own home is something that brings a tangible sense of accomplishment and stability to your life. It provides you with a space that’s truly your own, reflecting your identity, bringing you security and warmth, as well as offering you the perfect environment in which to enjoy some of life’s most precious moments and milestones.

For the last few years, we’ve taken a deep dive into the UK housing market and buyer trends, and 2026 is no different. In June 2026, we commissioned a survey of 2,000 UK adults who have purchased a home in the last 5 years to uncover their expectations and experiences as buyers. We’ve also looked at the housing market overall and compared it to some of our previous findings to find out what’s changed, and what’s stayed the same.

So, let’s dive in!

Key UK Homebuying Statistics 2026

Buying a house often requires patience, but luckily, reading this article doesn’t! Here’s a quick summary of our key findings:

• According to the UK House Price Index, as of May 2026, the average property was worth £271,000, up by 2.7% on 2025.
• 9% of people who purchased a home in the last 5 years currently have a mortgage on the property.
• Almost 3 in 10 buyers surveyed, (28.2%), already own their home outright.
• Surprisingly, 32.4% of buyers aged 18-24 own outright; a higher proportion than in every age group apart from 55+.
• 7% of participants mainly funded their deposit through savings, with 37.3% primarily using savings accumulated over at least four years.
• 8% put down a deposit of 15% or less.
• 39% exceeded their original property-price budget, rising to 45.7% among those aged 25-34.
• The buyers we surveyed viewed an average of 3.62 properties before making an offer to buy.
• 5% of respondents say affordability or house prices were among their biggest first-time buyer challenges.
• Under-25s were more than four times as likely to report a lack of support or advice, (17.6%), as their main first-time buyer challenge than the over-55s with 4.1%.
• Location was the most important consideration for 37.5% of buyers, ranking higher than property condition, garden space, and communal room size combined.
• Almost one in five buyers aged 55 and over, (19.2%), would not compromise on any of their requirements if purchasing another property.
• Welsh buyers were almost four times as likely as Greater London buyers to prioritise a garden or outdoor space, at 16.7% compared with 4.2%.
• Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Liverpool were the three most searched for locations by people looking to purchase a home.

Part One: The Current UK Housing Market Picture

Before we can look at specific buyer journeys and the factors that influence their decisions, it’s important to first understand the housing market overall in 2026 and look at how this has evolved over the last few years.

What is the average UK house price in 2026?

In June 2024, we used the UK House Price Index to report on average property prices across the UK. However, the Office for National Statistics has since changed how average house prices are calculated so that the figures better reflect the types of homes being sold today.

The method used to calculate provisional prices was also improved in August 2025 to reduce the initial overestimation of new-build prices. This has made the latest average appear lower, but it does not mean the value of a typical property fell by the same amount.

Our analysis found:

1. In June 2024, the published average UK property price was approximately £288,000, representing an annual increase of 2.7%.
2. In May 2026, the UK House Price Index estimated that the average UK property was worth approximately £271,000, up by 2.7% compared with May 2025.

As the table shows:

3. England had the highest property price in May 2026, at approximately £292,000, following annual growth of 2.3%.
4. The average property in Wales cost approximately £215,000, with prices increasing by 4.2% over the year.
5. Scotland recorded an average property price of approximately £196,000 and annual growth of 4.4%.
6. The latest available figures for Northern Ireland showed the strongest country-level increase, with prices rising by 7.4% to an average of £198,015.
7. Within England, the strongest annual price growth was recorded in the North East and North West, where average prices increased by 5.9% and 5.8%, respectively.
8. Growth was considerably lower in the South East, at 1.2%, while average property prices in London fell by 3.7%.

House-price growth was also stronger in several parts of the UK outside England, particularly in Northern Ireland:

9. Northern Ireland shows annual growth of 7.4%, with the average property costing £198,015.
10. The average property price in Scotland increased by 4.4%, reaching around £196,000.
11. In Wales, they increased by 4.2%, taking the average to around £215,000.

 Which towns and cities have the highest demand amongst prospective home buyers?

With location being the top result, we also wanted to take another look at which towns and cities have the most demand among homebuyers.

In 2024, by using Ahrefs data to analyse Google search volumes for the term 'homes for sale in X', with 'X' being each major town and city in the UK with a population of 100,000 or more, we found:

• The most in-demand UK cities when it comes to home ownership were Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Sheffield, with each receiving more than 7,500 searches per month.
• This was closely followed by Swansea and Leicester, with 7200 and 6900 searches being conducted for houses in these areas.

But how does this compare two years later, in 2026? The table below shows the complete changes from 2024 to 2026.

Our 2026 analysis found:

12. Glasgow remained the most searched location in 2026, receiving approximately 9,200 monthly searches, while Edinburgh retained second place with 8,600.
13. Liverpool experienced the largest rise, moving six places from ninth to third after its average monthly search volume increased from 5,300 to 8,000.
14. London also became more prominent, moving four places from tenth to sixth, while Bradford, Blackburn and Manchester each rose by at least two positions.
15. Stoke-on-Trent recorded the largest fall in the ranking, moving from sixth to eleventh. Leicester and Swindon each dropped four places, while Birmingham and Dundee retained their previous positions.

Part Two: How Recent Buyers Financed Their Homes

In our nationally representative survey back in July 2024, we found that 53% of UK adults owned their own home. That was an increase of 3% compared to 2023, when 50% of UK adults owned their home.

Our 2026 survey wasn’t sent to a nationally representative sample and instead went specifically to people who have purchased a home in the last five years. However:

16. According to the latest report from the government, 65% of households in England own their homes.

What we’ve explored in more detail is how many of those households own outright or have mortgages.

How many recent homebuyers still have a mortgage?

In our survey, we found that:

17. 7 in 10 respondents (6.9.9%) have a mortgage on the property they purchased in the last 5 years.
18. Just 28.2% own their home outright.
19. The over 55 age group is the demographic where outright owners outnumber mortgage holders, with 67.7% owning their home fully.
20. Surprisingly, an unexpectedly high amount of 18–24-year-olds also own their homes outright; 32.4%. In comparison, this is:
21. Surprisingly, an unexpectedly high amount of 18–24-year-olds also own their homes outright; 32.4%, in fact. This is:
    • 3 percentage points higher than 25-34-year-olds
    • 4 points higher than among 35-44-year-olds, and
    • 6 points higher than among 45–54-year-olds.
22. In terms of location, Wales recorded the lowest amount of mortgage holders with 61.5%, followed by 64.5% in the North East, 65.6% in Scotland, 66.9% in the East Midlands, and 67.6% in Greater London.
23. In terms of outright purchases, East of England came in top with 11.7%, followed by Wales at 11.5%, and the South West with 11.2%. Greater London had the lowest outright-purchase figure, at 3.7%. Some 94.2% of its respondents reported putting down a positive deposit.

How did buyers fund their deposits?

Looking at how recent buyers funded their deposits, we found:

24. Just under 6 in 10 respondents (58.7%) mainly funded their deposit with their own savings.
25. Saving was often a long-term process. 19% saved for longer than 5 years, 18.3% saved for 4-5 years, 18.2% saved for 1-2 years, and just 3.2% saved up for less than a year.
26. More than 1 in 4 respondents, (26.7%), primarily used money they received as part of an inheritance, a gift, from a co-buyer, or from a trust fund for the bulk or all their deposit.
27. Inheritance was particularly prominent among the youngest and oldest respondents. It was the main deposit source for 17.6% of 18–24-year-olds and 17.2% of buyers aged 55 and over, compared with 8.4% of those aged 25–34.
28. Respondents aged 35-44 were most likely to say their co-buyer provided the deposit. This applied to 11.9%, followed by 10.4% of those aged 25-34.
29. The complete breakdown is as follows:

• 7% mainly used savings.
• Just over 1 in 10 used funds they inherited.
• 6% relied mainly on a co-buyer’s contribution.
• 3% primarily used a gift.
• 1% used a trust fund.
• Only 1.6% named a government scheme as the main source.

What size of deposit are buyers putting down?

Overall, of the people we surveyed who’d bought a home in the last 5 years:

30. Almost half, (46.8% to be exact) paid a deposit of 15% or less. This breaks down as:

• 45% paid a deposit between 1% and 5%
• 4% paid a deposit between 6% and 10%
• 0% paid a deposit between 11% and 15%

31. 18–24-year-olds had the lowest average deposit for buyers under 55 with 13.02%.
32. In contrast, the 31%-plus deposit band was most common among over-55s at 9.6%.

The average deposit amount also differed between regions:

33. 6-10% ranked first in the East of England, North East, North West, South East and South West.
34. 11-15% ranked first in the East Midlands, Scotland, West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber.
35. 16-20% narrowly ranked first in Greater London and Wales.

How many buyers exceeded their property budget?

One surprising finding from our most recent survey is how frequently buyers spend more than originally planned.

36. Almost 2 in 5 buyers, (39%), exceeded the property price budget they set for themselves; with some exceeding it by over 10%. This included:

• 2% who exceeded it by 1-5%.
• 6% who exceeded it by 6-10%.
• 3% who exceeded it by 11% or more.

37. A further 28.6% of respondents had the funds available to go over budget but reserved them for other house buying costs.
38. Less than one third of buyers, (30.6%), had a strict budget they either couldn’t exceed or refused to exceed.
39. Buyers aged 25-34 were the most likely to exceed their budget, at 45.7%, followed closely by 35-44-year-olds at 43.4%, and those aged 55 and over with 27.9%.
40. Almost half of respondents in Greater London did exceed their original budget, at 48.3%. The figure was also high in the North West, sitting at 46.2%.
41. The South West was the region with the lowest percentage of buyers exceeding their budget, coming in at 31.6%.

In our UK representative survey from 2024, 17% of respondents admitted they would stretch their finances for the right property, and this updated data shows many likely did when the opportunity arose.

Part Three: How Buyers Choose a Home

Our previous research from 2024 found that 88% of buyers considered kerb appeal important, including 39% who considered it very important. This demonstrated that most buyers care about how a property looks. However, when respondents in the latest survey were asked to select just one factor above all others, location came first, followed by property condition.

42. Location was the most important factor among recent buyers with more than a third of respondents, (37.5%), selecting it as their main priority.
43. Property condition ranked second, at 16%, meaning location was more than twice as likely to be named as the deciding factor.
44. Location alone attracted a larger share than the next three highest-ranking factors combined. Property condition, garden or outdoor space and communal room size collectively accounted for 32.2% of responses, compared with 37.5% for location.
45. Location also ranked first in every city included in the survey. The highest figures were recorded in:

• Norwich: 44.4%
• Brighton: 43.3%
• London: 42.3%
• Liverpool: 40.0%
• Glasgow: 39.7%

And the lowest figures were recorded in:

• Newcastle: 27.2%
• Southampton: 29.3%
• Belfast: 29.4%
• Sheffield: 30.4%
• Manchester: 31.6%

46. The contrast between London and Newcastle is particularly notable, as 42.3% of London respondents prioritised location, compared with 27.2% in Newcastle; a gap of 15.1 percentage points.
47. Interestingly, the importance of location also increased consistently with age:

• 18-24: 28.7%
• 25-34: 31.4%
• 35-44: 37.4%
• 45-54: 43.1%
• 55 and over: 45.9%

48. Other leading priorities included garden or outdoor space at 8.5%, kitchen and communal-room size at 7.7%, bedroom size at 5.2%, low crime levels at 4.4% and nearby schools at 4.2%.
49. Local amenities were selected by 3.5%, while energy efficiency and parking each accounted for 3.2%. Transport links were selected by 3.0%.
50. Buyers aged under 25 placed greater emphasis on bedroom size and communal space, while respondents aged 55 and over were much more likely to prioritise location.
51. Garden space showed both regional and age-related differences. 16.7% of Welsh respondents selected a garden or outdoor space as their main priority, compared with just 4.2% in Greater London.
52. Its importance of a garden also increased steadily with age, rising from 6.5% among 18–24-year-olds to 10.5% among buyers aged 55 and over.

What are buyers willing to compromise on?

Unlike buyers’ priorities where location was the clear frontrunner, when it comes to compromising, there was no single feature that respondents were willing to sacrifice.

53. The four most common answers were separated by less than one percentage point:

• Location: 12.4%
• Number of bathrooms: 12.2%
• Budget: 11.8%
• Property condition: 11.5%

54. Property size and garden space followed closely, chosen by 10.8% and 10.1% of respondents. This relatively even split implies that the trade-offs buyers are prepared to make depend heavily on their own circumstances and what they truly want out of a home.
55. Buyers seem more willing to compromise on bathrooms over bedrooms. 12.2% selected the number of bathrooms as the feature they'd most likely compromise on, compared with 7.8% who would compromise on the number of bedrooms.
56. Parking was chosen by 6.2%, while kitchen size or condition sat at 4.8%.
57. 5% of respondents said they wouldn't compromise at all.
58. The willingness to hold firm on their must-haves increased considerably with age:

• 18–24: 4.6%
• 25–34: 5.1%
• 35–44: 5.6%
• 45–54: 10.1%
• 55 and over: 19.2%

59. Almost 1 in 5 buyers aged 55 and over would therefore refuse to compromise on any of their requirements, making this the most common answer within that age group. By comparison, budget was the leading compromise among 18–24-year-olds, selected by 17.6%.
60. Younger buyers were also more willing to sacrifice parking, with 12% of 18-24-year-olds selecting it, compared to just 5.2% of respondents aged 55 and over.
61. The youngest buyers were particularly reluctant to compromise on property condition. Only 4.6% of 18-24-year-olds selected it, compared with 12.8% of those aged 35-44.

This could suggest that younger buyers place more value on finding a property that is already in good condition, rather than taking on significant repairs or improvements before or after moving in.

62. The leading compromise also differed considerably between regions. Location ranked first in Greater London and the North East, while budget led in the East Midlands.
63. Buyers in the South West and West Midlands were most likely to compromise on a garden, whereas bathrooms ranked first in Wales, the South East and Yorkshire and the Humber.
64. Property size stood out most in Scotland, where 16.4% would compromise on it; almost three times the 5.9% recorded in the South West.
65. Welsh respondents were particularly willing to compromise on the number of bathrooms at 19.2%, compared with just 6.6% in Greater London.

The city findings showed a similarly varied picture:

66. Location was the leading compromise in London, at 13.8%, and Newcastle, at 15.5%.
67. Garden space ranked first in Birmingham, at 14.5%.
68. Bathrooms were the leading compromise in Leeds, at 15.6%.
69. Property condition ranked first in Nottingham, at 14.7%, and Manchester, at 12.3%.
70. Newcastle respondents were particularly likely to compromise on parking, at 13.6%, more than twice the overall figure of 6.2%.

How many properties do buyers view before deciding?

According to our findings:

71. Buyers viewed an average of 3.62 properties before making an offer on a home. This suggests that most people focused on viewing a shortlist of properties over a wider selection of ones available at their price point.
72. Viewing two or three properties was the most common experience, reported by 34.1% of respondents. A further 28.1% viewed between four and six, meaning almost two-thirds of recent buyers, (62.1%), viewed between two and six properties before deciding.
73. The number of homes viewed generally increased with age:

• 18–24: 2.58 properties
• 25–34: 3.25 properties
• 35–44: 3.56 properties
• 45–54: 4.24 properties
• 55 and over: 4.15 properties

74. Buyers aged 45-54 viewed the most properties on average.
75. Those aged 55 and over were also the most likely to carry out a more extensive search, with 19.5% viewing seven or more properties. This compared with just 3.7% of buyers aged 18–24.
76. 8% didn’t view a property in person. Instead, 4.5% purchased a new-build plot before a completed home was available to view, while 3.4% relied on online, printed, or other information and bought without seeing the property in person.
77. Viewing habits varied across the UK, too. Buyers in the South East viewed an average of 3.95 properties before making an offer, closely followed by the East of England at 3.93. By comparison, respondents in Scotland viewed an average of 2.89 properties.
78. Leeds recorded the highest average number of viewings, at 3.82, followed by Nottingham at 3.77 and London at 3.65.
79. Manchester buyers viewed an average of 3.34 properties, while those in Newcastle viewed 3.39.

Which buyers take the most considered approach?

Our previous survey from 2024 found that 43% of recent buyers aged 55 and over preferred to research thoroughly before deciding on a home. Our latest findings further support this, highlighting that older buyers tend to take a more considered and selective approach.

80. Respondents aged 55 and over:

• Viewed an average of 4.15 properties.
• Were the most likely to view seven or more.
• Were the least likely to exceed their original property budget.
• Were the most likely to say they would not compromise on any requirements.

81. Buyers aged 45-54 also appeared to take a deliberate approach. They viewed the highest average number of properties, recorded the highest average deposit, and were less likely than those aged 25–44 to exceed their budgets.
82. In comparison, under-25s were particularly reluctant to compromise on property condition but more willing to adjust their budget or sacrifice parking. This may suggest that younger buyers favour homes that are ready to move into, even where that means being more flexible in other areas.

When combined, these findings suggest that older buyers are more likely to explore a wider range of options and hold out for a property that meets their requirements, whereas younger buyers will opt to view fewer homes and make an offer sooner.

83. Buyers in the South East also viewed more properties than those in most other regions. This could potentially be put down to the fact that higher property prices in the region may encourage buyers to consider their options carefully, but our survey does not establish that price was the reason for the broader search.

Part four: Which aspects of the homebuying journey do buyers find most challenging?

We also wanted to gain insight into what the average buyers feels is the most challenging part of the house buying process, and how different demographics are affected.

84. Affordability and house prices were comfortably the biggest challenges respondents recalled facing as first-time buyers. 2 in 5, (or 40.5%), selected this as one of the two most difficult parts of the process.
85. Saving for a deposit ranked second, at 26.7%.
86. Understanding the buying process was almost as common, at 25.1%.
87. Securing a mortgage followed at 21.1%, while 18.9% struggled with competition from other buyers and 18.5% experienced legal or conveyancing delays.
88. The results show that financial pressure is only part of the challenge. 1 in 4 respondents struggled to understand the buying process, while just 7.1% said they had faced no significant difficulties at all.

Younger buyers were more likely to need support

89. Younger respondents were particularly likely to struggle with guidance and financial preparation, with almost a third of 18–24-year-olds, 32.4%, saying they found saving for a deposit difficult.
90. A lack of support or advice was also reported by 17.6% of under-25s, compared with just 4.1% of respondents aged 55 and over.
91. Buyers aged 25–34 were the most likely to struggle with understanding the process, at 30.5%.

These findings suggest that support for younger buyers needs to extend beyond mortgages and deposits to include clearer explanations of each stage of the purchasing journey.

Challenges differed considerably by location

92. Competition from other buyers stood out in Scotland, where it affected 31.1% of respondents, compared with 18.9% nationally.
93. Greater London respondents were the most likely to report difficulty securing a mortgage, at 26.0%. By comparison, only 9.3% of North East respondents selected mortgage access as a major challenge.
94. North East buyers were more likely to encounter problems later in the process. One in four, (25.2%), experienced legal or conveyancing delays, compared with 13.1% in Scotland.
95. Almost half of Leeds respondents, (49.5%), cited affordability or house prices as their biggest challenges.
96. 1% of Newcastle respondents experienced legal or conveyancing delays. Yet only 8.7% of Newcastle buyers struggled to secure a mortgage, suggesting that difficulties were more likely to emerge after financing had been arranged.

Overall, affordability remains the biggest obstacle for first-time buyers, but the challenges do not end once a deposit and mortgage are secured. Understanding the process, competing for a home and navigating conveyancing can all create further barriers before a purchase is completed.

*The question allowed respondents to select up to two challenges, so the percentages do not add up to 100%.

UK Home Ownership and Mortgage Statistics 2026

We hope you’ve found our home ownership statistics, facts and figures to be of interest! If you’d like any more information about our study or any of the above statistics, please let us know.

If you’re currently thinking about buying a new home in the UK, head over to our website to browse our range of new build homes for sale.