Owning a home is more important - study

Getting a foot on the property ladder is overtaking the desire to get married and have children among under-40s, according to research.

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London - Getting a foot on the property ladder is overtaking the desire to get married and have children among under-40s, according to research.

A quarter believe that owning a home is a more important milestone than marriage, becoming a parent or enjoying a successful career. However, many have become so disillusioned with rising house prices and high deposits, they fear they will never achieve their goal.

Asked to rank five important life milestones - owning a property, getting married, becoming a parent, career aims and educational aims - home ownership came top for a quarter of those questioned.

The study by social research group NatCen also found that half of those in their late 30s who do not own a home think it is unlikely they ever will.

Their pessimism was offset by those in the 18-24 age group - 80 percent of whom believe they will one day own a property.

The researchers found that the majority of 18 to 24-year-olds associate owning a home with becoming more grown-up. Three quarters said it would make them feel more rooted in their area, while seven in ten saw it as proof of having “succeeded in life”.

Daily Mail