Nine in 10 tenants registered with Your Move and Reeds Rains wanted to become homeowners in June.
And the proportion of registered tenants who expect to buy in the near future is increasing.
In June 2013, only 12 per cent of tenants expected to buy in the next twelve months. A year later, that proportion has risen to 17 per cent.
A further 38 per cent of tenants surveyed in June 2014 believe they will be able to buy within the next five years. Another third (29 per cent) expect to buy at some point in the future.
But the number of tenants who believe they will never be able to afford to buy is also on the up. One in seven tenants (14 per cent) were never expecting to be able to afford to buy in June 2014, up from 9 per cent a year ago.
Financial help for first-time buyers
Financial support from family members remains a key factor supporting first-time buyers, according to research from LSL Property Services.
Four in ten (39 per cent) first-timers received family help in building a deposit in June 2014, slightly higher than 36 per cent a year ago.
A further 7 per cent used money from an inheritance to help them get on the ladder, while 4 per cent made use of a government scheme like Help to Buy to help them fund their purchase.
Just under half (45 per cent) of first-timers completely self-financed their purchase in June 2014.
Why buy now?
More than a third (35 per cent) of first-time buyers surveyed in June 2014 had only recently been in a position to be able to buy.
Other popular reasons for getting onto the housing ladder were the desire to settle down (30 per cent) and the desire to own a home with their partner (28 per cent).
Just 6 per cent of first-timers chose to buy as an investment for the future.
