Property ladder out of reach for many Scots

  • Published
People looking in the window of an estate agent

A survey suggests that 40% of Scots who are not already on the property ladder do not believe they will ever be able to buy their own house.

However, only 14% said they were "concerned" about the prospect of never being a homeowner, according to a report from Bank of Scotland.

While 40% believed they will never own their home, 26% were more optimistic about being able to buy.

The remaining 26% said they did not know if they will ever own property.

The online survey, carried out by YouGov in December, asked more than 3,000 adults over 16 living in Scotland for their views.

Younger people were most optimistic, with almost half of 18 to 24-year-olds believing they would be able to buy property without the need to borrow money other than a mortgage.

Only 4% of people aged 50 and over were of the same mind-set, according to the survey.

Confident Aberdonians

People living in Aberdeen were most confident about buying their own home, with 40% believing they would.

Fife respondents were most pessimistic, with 37% believing they will never be able to own their own home.

Nicola Noble at Bank of Scotland said: "It's concerning that two-fifths of Scots don't feel they will ever be able to buy their own home, with a quarter of those thinking that this is a normal thing in this day and age.

"It's possible schemes such as Help to Buy and the Help to Buy Isa are making younger generations more optimistic about being able to afford a home one day."