The Building Societies Association’s (BSA) latest Property Tracker survey shows that the barriers preventing people from buying a home remain financial rather than attitudinal.
A survey of 2,000 adults carried out in January 2026 identified the three main obstacles as raising a deposit (64%), affording monthly mortgage repayments (50%) and access to a large enough mortgage (45%). The research, by YouGov, also highlights that barriers facing older adults may limit the number of properties coming on to the market, which in turn, slows down activity further down the chain.
Objections to the cost of stamp duty land tax (SDLT) have intensified amongst the over 55’s with three in ten (30%) in this age group citing it as a barrier to moving; an increase on the same report last year in which 24% of respondents said it was a barrier to moving. A third of people aged 55 and over say concerns over job security are an obstacle to buying a home, again an increase on 2025 when the percentage was 25%.
Together, BSA says, these pressures risk discouraging older homeowners from moving, which reduces the supply of homes coming on to the market.
The BSA says that with the major barriers clustered around mortgage affordability and availability, changes to lenders’ products and policies have the potential to unlock significant first-time buyer activity.
Commenting on the latest report, Paul Broadhead, head of mortgage and housing policy, BSA, said:
“We are starting to see more encouraging signs for first-time buyers. The aspiration to own a home is clearly strong, with potential buyers sensibly waiting for the right moment. As lenders continue to innovate and affordability pressures begin to ease, we are seeing how flexible mortgage products are turning that pent-up demand into home ownership.
“But unless the barriers which are starting to impact older buyers, including lack of job security and concerns about stamp duty costs, are addressed, movement across the wider housing market is likely to remain constrained.”
