New research has found that the nation’s first-time buyers are turning to social media platforms, such as TikTok, as a source of advice and guidance when tackling the alien task of homeownership.
The survey of first-time buyers, aged 18 to 35 to have purchased a home in the last year, commissioned by the Gradual Homeownership provider, Wayhome, asked homebuyers about their use of social media during the initial purchase and ongoing ownership of their property.
The results show that 25% of respondents stated they had used a social media platform for advice during the initial process of actually purchasing a property.
The most popular platform in this respect was Facebook, followed by Instagram and then TikTok, with the most common area of advice sought by first-time buyers being the time it takes to purchase a home.
They also utilised social media most frequently to seek advice on how to go about their initial property search, the costs incurred when buying a home, how to make an offer on a property and how to hire a solicitor or conveyancer.
The survey by Wayhome also revealed that once they had achieved homeowner status, 84% of first-time buyers utilised social media for guidance, advice and hacks on homeownership.
In this instance, TikTok was the most popular platform, with Facebook and Instagram again proving popular.
In terms of the most searched subject matters, decorating hacks ranked top, followed by general DIY hacks, gardening advice, how to reduce costs, as well as how to maximise space.
Co-founder and CEO of Wayhome, Nigel Purves, commented:
“Social media can be a great resource of information, guidance, hints, tips and hacks and so it’s no surprise that the nation’s first-time buyers are turning to the likes of TikTok, Facebook and Instagram when embarking on the path to homeownership for the first time.
Of course, it can be a source of fake news and so it’s important that when seeking advice, you do it from verified sources and profiles. The good news is that there are a host of bonafide property professionals from across the sector providing informative and accurate information across social media, helping you to get ahead of the game when purchasing your first home.”
