New research from Santander Mortgages shows that with average housing deposits reaching £37,375 or 17% of overall property value, a third of all non-homeowners believe they will never own a property.
However, one in four current non-homeowners (26%) say they are hoping to buy within the next five years.
Over a quarter (28%) of hopeful first-time buyers say they will turn to second jobs or overtime to secure their deposit funds and 27% say they are prepared to take on extra debt by taking out a personal loan to raise the money.
This differs considerably to current homeowners, who purchased their properties an average of 12.5 years ago, of which just 5% say they relied on overtime or a second job and 4% took out a loan to raise their deposits.
Savings (54%) remain the most popular way of funding a deposit but the proportion of potential buyers relying on inheritance money has almost doubled, moving from 8% for current homeowners to 14% for aspiring first-time buyers.
Renting out a spare room (7%) and sharing the deposit payment with friends (6%) are also increasingly popular methods of affording a deposit.
Phil Cliff, director of Santander Mortgages, commented: "The housing market is a tough place, particularly for first-time buyers and with property prices averaging over £200,000 it's no wonder people are becoming increasingly resourceful when it comes to raising deposit.
“Despite a somewhat stagnant housing market, the mortgage market is actually very competitive, which is why it's vital that people shop around to ensure they are getting the best possible mortgage deal.”
In the past, aspiring homeowners saved for an average of 29 months for their deposit, while today's first-time buyers expect to save for around 40 months for theirs.
