Generation Rent or Generation Patient? Why Tadley’s Under-34s Are Taking Longer to Buy a Home
It’s no great revelation that young people in Tadley are finding it increasingly difficult to buy a home. Rising living costs, modest wage growth, and stricter mortgage lending rules have all contributed to a noticeable shift in the housing landscape.
Generation Rent or Generation Patient?
Why Tadley’s Under-34s Are Taking Longer to Buy a Home
It’s no great revelation that young people in Tadley are finding it increasingly difficult to buy a home. Rising living costs, modest wage growth, and stricter mortgage lending rules have all contributed to a noticeable shift in the housing landscape. For many under 34, homeownership feels more like a long-term goal than a near-term reality.
But just how challenging is the situation? And what might the future hold for younger Tadley residents trying to take that first step onto the housing ladder?
A Snapshot of Housing Realities for Tadley’s Young Adults
Across Basingstoke and Deane, there are approximately 76645 households.
Of those, only 1.9% are headed by people aged 16 to 24, and 14.2% by those aged 25 to 34. Interesting when compared with the national averages of 2.6% and 13.5% respectively.
Let’s dig into how these young residents are actually living.
For 16 to 24-year-olds in Basingstoke and Deane:
- Owned outright: 3.0%
- Owned with a mortgage: 15.8%
- Social housing: 34.1%
- Private renting: 47.1%
(Nationally: Owned outright 3.6% / Owned with a mortgage 10.2% / Social housing 22.8% / Private rented 63.5%)
For 25 to 34-year-olds in Basingstoke and Deane:
- Owned outright: 2.5%
- Owned with a mortgage: 44.3%
- Social housing: 21.5%
- Private renting: 31.7%
(Nationally: Owned outright 4.1% / Owned with a mortgage 35.5% / Social housing 17.7% / Private rented 42.7%)
These figures reveal a clear picture: homeownership is happening later than in the 1980s, and renting, especially privately, is the norm for many young adults in Tadley (and Basingstoke and Deane as a whole).
Why Is This Happening?
There’s a widespread belief that rising house prices and stagnant wages are locking young people out of the property market. And while that perception isn’t without merit, the reality is more complex.
Yes, property values have increased, and saving for a deposit is undeniably challenging for many. The % of deposit (a minimum of 5%) hasn’t changed, yet the size of the deposit needed in pound notes is larger than ever, especially for those balancing increases in rent, bills, and student loans. Mortgage lending criteria have also tightened in recent years, creating additional hurdles.
However, some numbers challenge the narrative. Real wages today are 23.8% higher than they were in 2000, meaning people are, on average, earning nearly a quarter more in real terms than 25 years ago. That’s a crucial point often overlooked in media headlines.
Yet, while ‘real’ incomes may be higher, the proportion of household income spent on mortgage payments tells a different story. In 2002, the average first-time buyer household spent 24.6% of their income on mortgage costs. Today, it’s 34.9%, a noticeable jump, though still below the 44.9% peak seen in 2007 before the financial crisis.
So, while incomes have improved, affordability has been squeezed by rising house prices, higher deposit requirements, and costlier monthly repayments. The perception that homeownership is harder now isn’t without foundation, it’s just that the causes are layered, not linear.
The Changing Face of Tadley First-Time Buyers
It’s easy to romanticise the past, where buying a home in your early 20s was the norm. But the reality is that this was largely limited to previous generations. In the 1980s, the average first-time buyer was around 26 years old. Today, it’s 31 (and 34 in London).
This isn’t unique to Tadley and the UK. In fact, many developed countries have seen similar trends. In Germany, for instance, it’s common for people to rent into their late 30s or early 40s before buying, often when they have greater financial security and a larger deposit, resulting in less mortgage debt overall.
It’s a slower start, but potentially a more stable one in the long term.
The Silent Power of £15.78 Billion in Basingstoke and Deane
One of the most overlooked aspects of Tadley’s property future lies in the wealth of its older generations. Across Basingstoke and Deane, the over-50s collectively hold over £15.7 billion in property equity.
Many of them bought their homes decades ago when prices were significantly lower. As they begin to downsize or pass on their estates, this could unlock a huge transfer of wealth to younger generations.
In Tadley, where family ties often run deep, this could be the key to many younger residents finally stepping onto the property ladder, not by scraping a deposit together alone, but through inheritance or family assistance.
So What’s Next for Tadley’s Young Homebuyers?
The outlook isn’t all negative. While current ownership rates among under-34s are low, it doesn’t mean they’re permanently shut out of the market. In many cases, it’s just a matter of timing. The real shift will likely come from a combination of cultural change (more young people willing to wait) and financial support from older generations.
Delayed doesn’t mean denied.
With more young people getting financially prepared, and intergenerational wealth set to play a bigger role, Tadley could see a gradual rise in homeownership among younger adults in the years ahead.
The challenge is real, but so is the potential.
Tadley’s younger generation aren’t being locked out forever. They’re just waiting longer to find the right door to walk through.
What do you think? Is this the calm before the next wave of first-time buyers?