Number of FTBs surges along with energy efficient homes according to the latest English Housing Survey

The latest English Housing Survey has just been released and you’d be forgiven for thinking at first glance that today’s statistics from the government are largely ‘business as usual’ where the proportion of owner-occupied homes vs rental properties are concerned.

The data shows: –

  • A 64% owner-occupation rate, which is largely the same as five years ago. And the same goes for the percentage of private rental stock at 19% is roughly similar to 2014 albeit itself double that of the 1990’s

 

  • However, a deeper dive into the numbers highlights three big changes in household ‘behaviour’.

 

  • The number of young people owning a home (25 to 34) has bounced back from a low of 36% to 41% now

 

  • The under-utilised space in owner-occupied properties has risen amongst homeowners,  up 42% to 52% in the past twenty years whilst overcrowding in rented homes has increased.

 

  • Energy efficiency has improved dramatically. In the past ten years those homes with an EPC edging of A, B or C has improved from just 9% to 34%

Director of lettings and sale agent, Marc von Grundherr, commented:

“Despite all that we hear of the plight of the first time buyer, it seems that statistically speaking they’ve rarely had it so good.

Homeownership amongst youngsters is on the up and no doubt heavily influenced by Help to Buy, record-low mortgage rates and the Bank of Mum and Dad.

Either that or perhaps millennials have heeded the advice of consumer experts and some estate agents and have indeed cut back on avocados and trips to Ibiza, saving their earnings for a home purchase instead.

The even better news is that foot soldiers of Extinction Rebellion can now unglue themselves from various items of London transport, because housing, one of the biggest climate change protagonists, is officially significantly less harmful to the planet than a decade ago. This means that we don’t need to switch our central heating off just yet in order to placate Greta & Co.”

Properganda PR

National and local media coverage for property businesses. Journo quotes delivered in minutes.

You May Also Enjoy

Damaged timber from Dry Rot
Estate Agent Talk

Mould and damp – what you need to know ahead of winter

With the winter months just round the corner, problems with damp and mould can become far more prominent. Autumntime is when many people turn on central heating systems and choose to close windows, preventing fresh air ventilation needed to allow damp air to leave a property. Unfortunately, the combination of warm and damp air can…
Read More
Breaking News

Rental price and average salary tracker – September 2025

London and South East see biggest dips in required rental salary year-on-year London and the South East saw the sharpest dips year-on-year in the average salary needed in order to rent the average home in that area. London saw a 4.2% drop, whilst the South East saw a decline of 2.9%. Yorkshire and Humberside saw…
Read More
buying at auction uk
Breaking News

The cities where buying beats renting – with just a 5% deposit

British first-time buyer mortgage payments are typically 17% cheaper than renting, even with a low 5% deposit The average 5% deposit is £11,412 based on a typical first-time buyer property price of £228,233 Among major cities outside London, the biggest gap between owning and renting is in Glasgow, where buyers could save more than £4,750…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Rightmove’s Weekly Mortgage Rates Tracker

Average rates for 2-year and 5-year fixed-rate mortgages   Term Average rate Weekly change Yearly change 2-year fixed 4.51% +0.00% -0.37% 5-year fixed 4.55% +0.01% +0.01%   Lowest rates for 2-year and 5-year fixed-rate mortgages   Term Lowest rate Weekly change Yearly change 2-year fixed 3.77% +0.05% -0.07% 5-year fixed 3.97% +0.10% +0.29%   Average…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Data and commentary from Rightmove on stamp duty reforms

Colleen Babcock, Rightmove’s property expert said: “We’ve been calling for stamp duty reform for some time now, as it’s a significant barrier for many people moving home. Abolishing it completely would remove one of the biggest barriers to moving, unlocking more moves at all stages of the property ladder. “Our data shows that only 5%…
Read More
Breaking News

Second-time buyers dominate demand for longer term fixed mortgage deals

Second-time buyers are dominating demand for longer term fixed mortgage deals, fresh data from Moneyfacts Analyser can reveal. Of those looking for fixed term deals on moneyfactscompare.co.uk: Almost two-thirds (58%) of second-time buyers who compared mortgage deals using the moneyfactscompare.co.uk website were considering terms of three years or longer in the 30 days to 1…
Read More