A report by Compare My Move has found that fewer first-time buyers are opting to buy new build homes, dropping 2.31% since 2022, and 1.52% drop from 2024.
| Year | % of first-time buyers buying new builds |
| 2022 | 10.03% |
| 2023 | 9.12% |
| 2024 | 9.24% |
| 2025 | 7.72% |
Dave Sayce, founder and managing director of Compare My Move comments on why we are seeing a decline in first-time buyers looking at new build homes,
“Being a first-time buyer is getting harder, the average cost of a new build home in England as of October last year was £420,000, rising 18% from the previous year, and now with the reduction of the Stamp Duty relief for first-time buyers, the tax they will have to pay on an average new-build home will be £6,000, even with a 5% deposit first-time buyers will have to pay £27,000 up front on average. That’s without the mortgage, conveyancing, snagging, and removals costs.”
The reduction in first-time buyers opting for new builds is consistent across the UK, with the East Midlands and Wales seeing the largest drops in first-time buyers buying new build homes. The only exception is Scotland, which has seen a significant increase in first-time buyers buying new build homes.
| Region | % of first-time buyers buying New Builds 2024 | % of first-time buyers buying New Builds 2025 | Percentage Change |
| Scotland | 6.94% | 9.38% | 2.43% |
| North West | 8.93% | 8.02% | -0.91% |
| South East | 8.79% | 7.65% | -1.14% |
| East of England | 11.18% | 10.01% | -1.17% |
| North East | 10.71% | 9.05% | -1.66% |
| West Midlands | 10.32% | 8.52% | -1.80% |
| Greater London | 8.48% | 6.48% | -2.00% |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 8.82% | 6.48% | -2.34% |
| South West | 9.85% | 7.33% | -2.52% |
| Wales | 6.89% | 4.27% | -2.62% |
| East Midlands | 11.46% | 8.46% | -3.00% |
Scotland saw the largest increase in first-time buyers buying new builds between 2024 and 2025 so far, one of the main factors of this is that Scotland is building more new build homes. When looking at the new build home completions compared to the country population, Scotland is building 0.89 more new builds per 1000 people than England.
· Scotland: 3.64 new builds per 1,000 people
· England: 2.75 new builds per 1,000 people
· Wales: 1.51 new builds per 1,000 people
As well as having more new build homes available, Scotland on average have more affordable homes than England, as well as their New Supply Shared Equity scheme which allows governments to buy up to 40% of the property with you to alleviate deposit and mortgage payments, while keeping you as the owner of the house.
