First-time buyers at record low
The number of first-time buyers in Scotland has reached a record low, according to new research.
A report revealed that the number of people entering the housing market in 2005 was estimated to be 9% lower than in 2004 and 58% lower than in 2002.
However, the Bank of Scotland study showed that first-time buyer numbers picked up in the second half of 2005.
The research also found that a deposit for a first home now costs three times more than it did five years ago.
It takes the typical first-time buyer four years to save a deposit in Scotland, according to the report.
Least affordable
The study revealed that in 2000, the average deposit was about £5,000, equivalent to 23% of average earnings.
However, it said the typical deposit currently stood at more than £15,000, equivalent to 57% of average earnings.
The report said that first-time buyers made up 24% of the Scottish housing market, which, along with the south-west of England, was the smallest proportion of any part of the UK.
In 1995, first-time buyers accounted for 37% of property transactions in Scotland.
The research also found that Edinburgh was the least affordable area for first-time buyers in Scotland, while Lochgelly was the most affordable.
News date: 28 January 2006 - 14:52
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