Summer of 2025 saw a 59% increase in first-time buyers getting on the property ladder compared to the same period in 2024, according to a report by Compare My Move who surveyed users purchasing a house with a conveyancing solicitor.
| Average Percentage of First-Time Buyers | ||
| Year | Entire Year | Summer Months |
| 2024 | 66% | 64% |
| 2025 | 68% | 69% |
Out of more than 12,000 buyers who used a Compare My Move conveyancer during the summer of 2025, 69% were first-time buyers. This marks an increase from 64% in summer 2024, showing a clear rise in those purchasing their first home. In fact, first-time buyers now make up the majority of movers, outnumbering those who’ve bought before.
This trend isn’t limited to the summer months either, across the whole of 2025, 68% of buyers were first-time purchasers, up from 66% in 2024. However, the shift has been most pronounced during the summer, when first-time buyer activity reached its peak.
Dave Sayce co-founder and managing director of Compare My Move, comments on why this increase has happened and why 2025 might be a better year to be a first-time buyer.
“The summer of 2025 has been far more politically stable than the same period in 2024, when the General Election caused many potential buyers to delay moving or taking out mortgages due to uncertainty about the economy and housing market.
Since then, there’s been a strong push to make homeownership more affordable for first-time buyers, supported by a significant drop in the mortgage base rate from last year’s highs.
The government has also introduced mortgage guarantee schemes, allowing buyers to secure mortgages with smaller deposits, and committed to building more new homes. These factors, combined with lower borrowing costs, have made it easier for first-time buyers to get onto the property ladder. Looking ahead, it’s likely that next summer will see even more first-time buyers entering the market. Especially with new reforms that the government are proposing, we are going to see a first-time buyer boom.”
