‘Bank of mum and dad’ funding multiple moves up property ladder, survey finds

A fifth of homeowners who have taken their second step on the property ladder received financial help from family members or friends, a survey indicates.

The research highlights how the “bank of mum and dad” may be called upon more than once by an adult child for help with a home purchase.

While 30% of first-time homeowners said they received financial help from family and friends, this was also the case among 20% of people who had taken their second step on the property ladder, according to Barclays’ property insights report.

First-time buyers getting this additional support had received £76,239 on average, while “second steppers” had received £81,451 towards purchasing their home.

And nearly three in 10 (27%) homeowners who had financial help for their second or third homes also report receiving support for their first property.

Among those who received financial help, the most common forms of support were lump sum gifts from parents, an inheritance, and loans from family or friends.

Around half (52%) of renters in the survey also said they would find it impossible to buy a home without an inheritance or loan from a family member.

One in six renters (16%) said they plan to buy property in the next year, but more than two-thirds (68%) of these prospective home buyers said property prices are an obstacle to achieving that goal. Six in 10 (59%) also said they were struggling with “moving goalposts”, with the savings goal increasing to keep pace with house price growth.

Jatin Patel, head of mortgages, savings and insurance at Barclays, said: “Our latest data highlights a market in transition. Though first-time buyers are often thought of as the main beneficiaries of the bank of mum and dad, second-steppers’ reliance on family support underlines the impact of cost-of-living pressures on all sections of the market.”

Julien Lafargue, chief market strategist at Barclays, said: “With the budget now published, clarity has improved allowing economic actors to start planning ahead. For the property market, this should mean a greater level of activity as we move into the new year.

“That said, affordability remains a challenge which can be overcome through a combination of lower interest rates, greater housing availability, and financing innovation.”

Barclays commissioned Opinium Research to survey 2,000 people across the UK in November and December.

Aneisha Beveridge, head of research at property firm Hamptons, said: “The bank of mum and dad is no longer just a lifeline for first-time buyers – it’s increasingly supporting second and even third steppers.

“Upsizing has become significantly more expensive in recent years, largely because house prices have risen much faster than flat prices.

“Traditionally, homeowners would borrow more to cover the higher purchase price and stamp duty bill, but with mortgage rates still elevated, stretching affordability has become far harder and more costly.

“As long as rates remain above the ultra-low levels of the past decade, family assistance looks set to become a more permanent fixture of the housing market.”