A fifth (21%) of aspiring first-time buyers wish to spend up to £100,000 on their first home; while a third (34%) plan to buy a home costing between £100,000 and £150,000. Of those in the lower price range, the majority wish to spend around £350 a month on their mortgage, with those in the £100,000 to £150,000 bracket expecting their mortgage to cost in the region £550 each month.
However, in both instances the aspiring buyers’ maths could leave them thousands of pounds a year worse off. According to My Home Move’s research, a home costing £100,000 commands a mortgage of £450 a month (28% more than expected), while a property worth £150,000 costs £676 a month in repayments, 23% more than the aspiring first time buyer’s calculations, when they purchase with 5% deposit.
The only exception comes when a buyer finds a property for £125,000, as their expectations regarding monthly mortgage repayments and the reality aligns at around £550 – however this leaves them with only a 1% chance of finding a home at this price, according to price paid data for 2016.
The financial problems begin to intensify as property prices rise. For example, those looking to spend between £150,000 and £200,000 on a first home would have to pay between £676 and £900 a month in mortgage repayments, to cover the 95% loan-to-value. However despite the increase in property value, most aspiring first time buyers still expect their mortgage to cost around £550 a month; with only 7% of those surveyed accurately calculating their mortgage repayment.
Commenting on these findings, Doug Crawford said: “As we know from our research, the majority of aspiring first time buyers (88%) are currently in rented accommodation, and as such their prime comparison for a mortgage payment is the amount they pay in rent each month. According to industry figures the average rent outside of London and the South East hovers around £600 a month – suggesting that most aspiring first time buyers want a like-for-like swap in monthly out goings, or even a saving.
“With around 0 house-hunters chasing after each available property, we’d strongly recommend aspiring first time buyers check their figures and have their mortgage agreed in principle as soon as possible. This will enable them the very best chance possible of securing their first home, putting them one-step ahead of other speculative house-hunters.”
