Rent and mortgage spending increased slightly to 2.0 per cent year-on-year in January according to the latest Barclays Property Insights report.

Despite this increase, consumers’ confidence in their ability to afford rent and mortgage payments remained unchanged month-on-month at 52 per cent.

Anticipating the Bank of England’s recent decision to cut the Base Rate, consumer concerns around rising interest rates dipped slightly to 61 per cent, down from 62 per cent in December.

Confidence in the UK’s housing market reached a six-month low of 24 per cent as buyers contend with rising housing prices and upcoming stamp duty changes.

Half of renters (51 per cent) reported property prices as a main barrier to owning a home, up 11 percentage points from December. Similarly, 44 per cent see the cost of a deposit as a major blocker, up from 37 per cent in December.

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However, renters are still hopeful despite rising costs, as one in five (23 per cent) believe that home ownership is within their reach within the next five years, with three in 10 currently saving for a deposit (31 per cent).

Young buyers eye up new builds

Despite declining confidence in the housing market, many are still hopeful that housebuilding is the solution. Two thirds (65 per cent) believe that new builds are necessary to provide more housing in the UK, and two in five (42 per cent) say that new build developments create a halo effect for communities, bringing economic benefits to the area.

Over two-fifths (42 per cent) of UK adults say they would consider buying a new build, rising to over half of 18–34-year-olds (52 per cent). Compared to over 55s, younger generations are three times more likely to consider new builds better value for money than existing properties (34 per cent of 18-43-year-olds vs 11 per cent of 55+). Regionally, people from Northern Ireland (55 per cent), London (51 per cent), and the West Midlands (46 per cent) would be most willing to buy a new property.

Three in 10 homeowners (28 per cent) say they have previously purchased a new build property. The main factors influencing their decision were: that it was new (51 per cent), desired location (51 per cent), lack of property chain (38 per cent) and modern features (35 per cent).

These sit alongside environmental and economic factors. New homes are perceived as being more energy efficient (24 per cent) as well as more affordable than older properties (20 per cent).

Energy efficiency upgrades

Barclays customer spending on utilities dropped -10.1 per cent in January, despite the recent increase in Ofgem’s energy price cap.

This comes as both renters and homeowners are considering how to make savings. Three in 10 homeowners (28 per cent) say they are updating their homes to increase energy efficiency, whilst a fifth (21 per cent) of renters are thinking about moving to a more energy efficient home, to save money on their bills.

Rate expectations

While the Bank of England base rate (4.5 per cent) has fallen from its peak of 5.25 per cent, that doesn’t necessarily mean that individuals’ monthly mortgage repayments are falling. Most mortgage holders surveyed (72 per cent) report being on a fixed rate, which means that their repayments only change when their fixed term comes to an end.

Of those who have remortgaged in the past year (14 per cent), nearly six in 10 (59 per cent) say that their monthly repayments have increased, by an average of £242.70 a month, or £2,912.40 a year. This is likely because they had previously taken out a fixed-rate mortgage before mid-2022, when mortgage rates were lower than they are today. Meanwhile, 10 per cent say their monthly costs are now lower after remortgaging – likely those who took out a shorter-term product during the higher-rate environment.

Sian McIntyre, Managing Director of Mortgages and Savings at Barclays, said, “The start of 2025 saw a slight increase in mortgage and rental spend, though encouragingly this hasn’t knocked consumers’ confidence in their ability to make payments. This month’s reduction in the base rate was a further signal that we’re headed in the right direction.

“Housebuilding is increasingly a focus, with the nation’s outlook on new developments pragmatic, recognising the necessity for new builds as part of the solution to increase housing supply, as well as the advantages they can bring to both homeowners and communities. Ahead of April’s looming stamp duty changes, prospective buyers will continue to look for ways to pair aspiration and affordability, with energy efficiency a clear priority when choosing the right home.”