For many dreaming of stepping onto the property ladder in the UK, the question of ‘how long must I save?’ reveals more than just the size of a deposit — it exposes stark regional differences in the UK housing market.
A recent study by housebuyers4u looked at how long first-time buyers must save for a deposit on a detached house across the UK, and the results offer a detailed map of this divide.
The findings revealed that geography not only influences house prices, incomes and rents, but dictates the very feasibility of homeownership for thousands — with some London buyers facing up to 41 years of saving for a 25% deposit.
In contrast, those living in the most affordable areas need to save for less than five years.
The most affordable areas for first-time buyers
For first-time buyers in Stoke-on-Trent, the path to owning a detached house appears surprisingly within reach.
Averaging just over £229,000 in price, detached homes here require a 25% deposit attainable with four years of diligent saving.
This is buoyed by a median household income of around £57,815 and rental prices sitting comfortably below national averages.
Cities like Kingston upon Hull, County Durham, Derby, Sunderland and Doncaster form a constellation of similarly accessible markets, averaging between four and five and a half years to save for a deposit.
The least affordable areas for first-time buyers
In contrast, there is an almost surreal saving horizon for prospective buyers in Westminster.
Here, acquiring a 25% deposit means setting aside funds for more than 41 years. The average detached property price has soared past the £4 million mark—even as median household income lingers just below £97,000.
London, unsurprisingly, dominates the list of areas where it takes longest to save for a deposit, and other affluent boroughs such as Haringey, Camden, Wandsworth and Merton do no better, demanding saving periods stretching from 34 to nearly 39 years.
This gulf in affordability underscores London’s housing market as a fortress that, thanks to skyrocketing prices far detached from average wages, remains locked to the majority of buyers.
The housing crisis here is not only an affordability issue, but an overwhelming chasm between aspiration and economic reality.
And looking beyond these extremes, the wider national picture reveals further complexity.
The average deposit for first-time buyers now hovers around £68,000, according to financial advice company Unbiased, reflecting price inflation and stricter lending requirements.
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And Hamptons estate agents previously revealed that first-time buyers earning roughly £30,000 annually face a waiting game spanning over 11 years before they can accumulate the necessary deposit — a daunting prospect in a world where wages have struggled to keep pace with both price inflation and living costs.
Meanwhile, Barclays Property Insights data paints a grim scenario for renters trying to save.
The proportion of renters currently saving for a deposit has plunged from 31% at the start of 2025 down to 17% by mid-year. This drop coincides with widespread rent hikes impacting about two-thirds of renters, significantly squeezing disposable income and saving potential.
First-time buyers living with parents instead of renting could reduce their saving time for deposits by over four years, simply by avoiding the additional burden of rent.
This dynamic exacerbates inequalities between renters stuck in high-rent markets and their counterparts benefiting from alternative arrangements, highlighting the intergenerational complexities of homeownership.
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