Aldermore’s latest First Time Buyer Index research has found that first time homeowners are feeling increasingly stressed with more strain on their personal relationships going through the home buying process than 12 months ago.
47% said they had to rebuild their lives due to the compromises made, compared to 40% in 2017. Due to the complexity of house buying, 52% were made ill by the stresses of the process; a significant increase from 2017 of 35%.
With 48% of first time buyers having a property fall through, Aldermore says it is understandable that the stress of buying a first home is also impacting relationships. In 2017, 34% of recent first time buyers cited that the buying process caused issues in their relationships, and this has increased to 46% in 2018.
43% of recent first time buyers gave up being self-employed due to the difficulties of securing a mortgage. This compares to 32% in 2017.
Damian Thompson, director of mortgages at Aldermore, said: “With the average first time homeowner taking almost six years to get on the property ladder, it is understandable that they will face challenges and hurdles along the way.
“However, it is concerning how negatively the house buying process is impacting health, personal relationships and careers. First time buyers experience huge amounts of pressure when looking for their first home, and our latest research shows that this has significantly increased over the past 12 months; this can be assigned to the fact that buying a first home feels more out of reach than ever before.”
Nicky Lidbetter, CEO of Anxiety UK, added: “Moving house can be a stressful event for anyone and frequently represents a time of transition and change. For first time buyers, typically young people, this big life event can come at a time when people are already coping with other life stressors including maintaining employment, building relationships and starting a family.
“As such, I am not at all surprised to hear that their wellbeing has been found to be adversely affected through the buying process, particularly with the rise in house prices. This has been somewhat reflective of the increased rates of anxiety, stress and anxiety-based depression that we are seeing in all areas of society, and indeed here at Anxiety UK.”
Despite the sacrifices first time buyers have to make, Aldermore said there is light at the end of the tunnel once they have the keys to their new home. 72% believe the stress was worth it in the end, compared to just over a half (53%) in 2017. In addition, over eight in 10 (84%) found the experience empowering (69% in 2017).
Although concerns were raised about the impact the house buying process was having on personal relationships, over seven in 10 (72%) believe buying a home with their partner has actually brought them closer together. This is a significant increase from 55% in 2017.
Thompson added: “Becoming a homeowner can be a very satisfying and rewarding experience. It is reassuring to see so many first time buyers express a sense of empowerment that has made navigating the pitfalls of the house buying process worth it.
“At Aldermore we recognise that each prospective first time buyer’s circumstances are different, so we offer a range of product options and personal service to provide the best opportunity for them to find their dream home.”
Lidbetter said: “Buying your first house is part of life and something we all have to learn to cope with. Getting through successfully and with relatively little stress is much more likely if you take care of your mental wellbeing – the good news is that this doesn’t necessarily mean spending more money.
“The five ways to wellbeing, an evidence based approach, recommends connecting, being active, taking notice of your environment and learning (this doesn’t necessarily mean going back into education). These simple and often cost-neutral steps have been proven to bring about positive mental wellbeing.
“For those with higher levels of stress and who may be at the point of developing an anxiety disorder, we recommend seeking help. Your GP is well-placed to provide advice and information; Anxiety UK too offers a range of accessible support services, including a national network of trained anxiety experts, developed to fit around people’s modern, busy schedules.”