At what age is 'normal' to buy? How old were you?

Deep_In_Debt

I bought in 1988 when I was 22 and interest rates were about 17% at the time. I had an inheritance of 12k which I put down as a deposit on a house worth 80k, my parents helped me with 13k, and the rest mortgage. House worth about £250k now.

Poor_Single_lady

I like seeing what other people did too. I always feel like its harder for single people. You did well getting 40k together even living at home this is fantastic. I didnt read everything and it may have been said but i feel like everyone's missed this massive achievement. I bought 2years ago at 28 with a lot of help. Parents were and are amazing.

booksurr

FIRSTTIMER wrote: »

Hi,

I just wanted to not feel so on my own by asking what age are people buying these days? I am 30 have a 40k deposit and am thinking I should be buying now as opposed to living with the parents.....thoughts?

Save More?

so you feel a failure in life because you do not own a property at age 30? You feel inadequate because you live with your parents? You feel a dunce because you have a paltry sum of money saved?

all are rubbish thoughts

you buy a place when it suits your lifestyle to own a place where you wish to (for a time) settle down not because you are conforming to a "norm". The experiences and performances of those who post on here have no relevance to your life - go live your own life not because you aspire to be Mr Average but because you made a decision about how to do it

if you really wish to benchmark yourself - use google for the answer to your question, you are indeed currently Mr Average, why not make yourself into something other than that ? .... http://www.homesandproperty.co.uk/property-news/buying/first-time-buyers/average-age-of-firsttime-buyers-rises-to-30-in-the-uk-and-32-in-london-a102966.html

glasgowdan

28, bought a house with my wife, putting down 15%. We paid it off in 5 years and have just bought a new place that we're significantly renovating. 35 now and it's the forever home.

And smugly, never a penny from family. We find the thought of it childish!

milasavesmoney

I was 26 when my husband and I bought our first home. We put down 10% and sold it 10 yrs later when our family had grown.

Jon_B_2

Last year, aged 27. Parents helped out for the last £4k of our £15k deposit. We were paying market rate rent, with a 1 year old in childcare. We would have got there in the end - but I will pay them back, I'm sure in their hour of need.

We all make choices in life and hindsight is a wonderful thing. We saved and paid £14k for a wedding back in 2010, when perhaps we should have done it all the other way round. Oh well, you live and learn.

Rain_Shadow

I was 22, in 1980. That wasn't an unusual age to buy at the time.

mozza78

I was 31 and it was 6 years ago. Moved to London in 1999 and stupidly always thought prices were crazy and to wait till they came off so I rented with friends. They never did come off but I don't regret it.. living with my mates was brilliant fun and gave me a lot of flexibility which I needed at that age tbh. Thankfully I moved abroad in 2004 and my company paid my rent for me abroad so I was able to save enough to buy back home and have saved hard enough to buy a few more places. It's nice to think that if worst case scenario everything goes wrong here, lose my job etc then I don't have to move back and impose on friends or move in with mum and dad and I will have a bit of income to rely on. That safety net makes me sleep so much easier.

zenshi

I bought my first house in 1986 when I was 19. Like someone else said rates were around 17% . I had a 100% mortgage and my little 2 up,2 down cost me just under £15,000 :rotfl: however wages were a hell of a lot lower

JoeCrystal

Bought a flat at 29 eight months ago without any help.