Will your first home be your forever home?

The traditional climb up the property ladder had long been a rite of passage for first-time buyers but if the results of a fresh survey are to be believed, there is a new fast-track trend in homeownership.

New analysis by Barclays found a fifth (22%) of first-time buyers are purchasing homes with more bedrooms than they need at the time of completing. Looking at the trend in more detail, the bank used its mortgage data to establish that more than a third (33.5%) of first-time buyers made a semi-detached their inaugural property. Interestingly, 33% of first-time buyers considered their purchase to be a ‘forever home’, citing the need to never move again as the reason.

If you are a first-time buyer in West Sussex, how much can you expect to pay for a ‘forever home’?  Of course, the type of property you plump for will depend on your future plans, income and lifestyle but Rightmove does provide a snapshot indication. As of November 2025, a semi-detached property in Chichester sold for an average of £427,424 in the last year. In Bognor Regis, this cost was £333,558.

While affordability has always been a barrier to making a grand first purchase, it appears first timers are growing tired of having to move repeatedly, and paying the legal fees and stamp duty that goes with each purchase. Instead, first time buyers are being more creative with mortgages as a way of leaping up the property ladder.

The Barclays survey also found 2 in 5 of its first-time buyer customers chose a mortgage that allowed them to make repayments over a 30 year term. This is five years up from the traditional 25 year term, making each repayment more affordable.

In November 2025, another report illustrated the serious purchasing intent of first-time buyers. Analysis of Moneyfacts Analyser data by Moneyfactscompare.co.uk found almost 1 in 5 first-timer buyers are coming to the table with hefty 40% deposits, allowing them to secure mortgages with a 60% loan to value. If you took Rightmove’s price of an average semi-detached property in Chichester, a 40% deposit equates to £170,969.

The financial comparison site said first-timer buyers were most likely drawing on savings, using investments and/or relying on family assistance to supercharge the value of their deposits.

If three bedrooms is your ‘forever home’ idyll but you have a budget of less than £400,000, White & Brooks can help. We have a wide selection of family-sized properties that we think are more affordable for property novices.

This three-bedroom, well-presented townhouse in Felpham is move-in ready. Bonus rooms include a study and an en-suite shower room to the principal bedroom, while a double garage is currently used as a games room (there are two allocated parking spaces in front of the garage). Priced at £365,000.

Or how about this three-bedroom, mid-terrace cottage in Tangmere, just outside of Chichester? Also priced at £365,000, it is being offered chain free, with two bathrooms, a car port and solar panels.

Please contact White & Brooks to book a viewing at either of these properties, or at one of the many other ‘forever homes’ we are currently selling.