At what age did you opt to buy your first property?

thecaveman

Recent statistics indicate that the average age for first buyers has risen to a staggering 33 years of age. Just interested to hear a little about your first buying experiences; at what age did you enrol into your first mortgage?

counting_down_the_days...

I was 18 and that was 14 years ago now.

harpoboy

26.

Only regret was that I didnt do it earlier.

Dukesy

I was 20, OH was 23. No parental/family help given. I'm not talking about decades ago, either - I'm only in my mid twenties now

mummyroysof3

10 years ago at 20. We were able to get 100% mortgage though and it was much cheaper than renting

ibizafan_2

In 1974 at the age of 21. Not many single women bought property at that age in those days, but I came home from finishing at college, and my father suggested that it was do-able on my salary. I did have lodgers to help pay the mortgage in the early days. Very grateful to my father, as I wouldn't have thought it possible until he mentioned it.

Calfuray

I was 18/19 when it was going through, 22 now

Sally22_2

I'm just buying my first property at 26, my partner is 27. We could have bought/put down a deposit 2 years ago with an inheritance I received but our finances were not great so have kept the money saved away until our debts were (are now) paid off. Wish I hadn't got a car on finance and run up credit cards but cant do anything about it now. Cant wait to have my first home.

Tenyearstogo

23 years old, in 1996. Bought a flat, then a terrace, onto a semi, back down to a terrace now in a detached. Staying here for another 10 years until children move out.

kloana

27, but partner (joint borrower) was 39. We turned 28 and 40, respectively, very shortly after singing on the dotted line. It wasn't so much a case of 'opting' to do so, more a case of finding the deposit. I had vague visions of personal home ownership myself, but always assumed we'd start with a small cheap flat or something (we're up north), so that we'd "only" have to save a deposit of as little as £5k. Even less if we bagged a 95% mortgage. In a way, knowing that I (intended sole borrower) had lots of time to become a FTB, and that the sums of money involved would be relatively small, I guess I/we became a bit lazy, and kept putting off serious saving.

Then things turned on their head when a relative suddenly died, and we had in the region of £23k to play with. We initially blew quite a bit of money (shock, grief, not knowing what else to do), then got our act together and pumped the remainder into deposit on a small/medium terrace (£15k), the usual fees (just over £1k), and furnishings (£2-3k).

So I guess we were definitely helped by a 3rd party, but it certainly wasn't planned help!

Jaybo10

I'm 32 and my other half is 34 and we are both FTBs house hunting. I would echo Kloana in that its not so much a case of 'opting' but saving the money for the deposit.