Santander UK reveals rise in solo first-time buyers as affordability changes pave way for more to climb the property ladder
04 December 2025
- Latest data from Santander UK reveals that there has been a 13% increase in sole borrower first time buyer mortgage applications between June-Oct 2025, compared to Jan-May 2025
- Changes to stress rate and loan-to-income (LTI) limits in March and August have helped unlock more money for would-be buyers
- Women now account for nearly half (48%) of all individual first-time buyers, a steady increase from a decade ago (42%)
Santander UK has revealed a significant rise in solo first-time buyers, as the effects of this summer’s FCA mortgage rule changes begin to take hold.
New figures show a 13% increase in sole-borrower, first-time buyer mortgage applications received between June-October, compared with January-May 2025 - suggesting that recent changes to stress rate and loan-to-income (LTI) criteria introduced earlier in the year, are helping more individuals secure a mortgage on their own.
Exclusive data released today by Santander UK shows that 2025 is set to be the year of the solo buyer – with individual applicants outstripping joint applicants consistently for the first time in five years. What’s more, 50 years on from the change in law that allowed women to buy a property on their own (Sex Discrimination Act 1975) Santander has seen women account for nearly half (48%) of all individual first-time buyers in 2025. This is a steady increase from 42% of female first-time buyers it recorded a decade ago, in 2015.
The bank data shows a peak in April, when sole applicants accounted for 56% of all new applications received, following Santander’s move in March to be the first bank to respond to the FCA’s clarification over stress rates. The lender calculated at the time that the adjustment in its lending policy could allow potential buyers to access up to £35,000 more in borrowing.
Similarly, August 2025 saw the second highest volume of individual applicants (53%) for the year, following the bank’s adjustment to its loan to income limits. An example given at the time calculated that a sole buyer, earning £75,000 looking to take out a 25 year Capital and Interest repayment mortgage could borrow a further £33,000, from £267,000 up to £300,000, following the change on 12 August.
David Morris, Head of Homes at Santander UK, said:
“We’ve seen a real shift in who’s driving the first-time buyer market. Where once joint applications dominated, more people are now stepping onto the ladder on their own. This year’s mortgage changes have helped to level the playing field for solo buyers, and the data shows that momentum has held firm. It’s clear that confidence among single buyers is growing as lending policy changes bring more of them closer to the homeownership dream.”
