22% of first-time buyers now aged over 40

Older first-time buyers are taking an ever-growing share of the market, with one in five (22%) first-time buyers in 2025 aged over 40, up from 18% in 2024, data from Santander shows.

While the average age of first-time buyers has been creeping closer to 40 over the past few years, data from the lender also shows a sharp rise in those over 60 buying their first property, up 14% compared to 2024. 

The oldest first-time buyer it helped in 2025 was 70 years old, compared to 67 in 2024.

Despite welcome advances in lending policy and regulation aimed at helping younger people onto the property ladder, the proportion of buyers aged 25 and under has fallen sharply in the last year, down by almost a quarter (23%) from 2024 to 2025. 

David Morris, head of homes at Santander, said: “Our recent data shows that it is never too late to realise your homeownership dream. This year has very much been the year of the buyer, with regulatory changes giving buyers renewed confidence that owning a home is within reach. Whether buying with family gifts, relying on inherited wealth or simply saving across decades to secure a deposit, we’re pleased to have helped so many first-time buyers across the generations. 

“But there is still more that can be done, and our data also highlights a growing disparity for first-time home ownership, with the gap widening between younger and older generations as the market grapples with the impact of stamp duty changes and a lack of supply.”