Should you try to take a big jump up the property ladder?

This is Money Podcast

This is Money

Business News, News, Investing, Business

4.4 • 734 Ratings

🗓️ 20 September 2025

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

First-time buyers are borrowing big to try to skip the first rungs of the property ladder and buy bigger homes, a new report suggests.
That comes alongside a slump in demand for flats, as buyers push for houses instead.
So whether you are a first-time buyer or a home mover should you extend as far as you can to buy a home that will last you longer, or do you risk damaging your finaces by overstretching?
Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert talk property on this episode of the This is Money podcast, from mortgages, to house prices, why buyer tastes have shifted and why flats can be great.
Plus, how does this all fit in to the fading buy-to-let dream and can investing in property still work out?
Also on the show, why Britain has an inflation problem and what we can do about our sketchy public finances.
And finally, there's a new savings account with a prize draw on offer - should you open one?

Email us hello@dmgmedia.co.uk

Text us 020 7938 6000.

Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane

Producer: Georgie Frost

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Welcome to This Is Money podcast, sponsored by Charles Stanley Direct. I'm Georgie Frost and joining me and Simon Lambert today is Helen Crane.
0:09.7	And coming up, first time buyers take out mega mortgages to buy their forever homes. Should you go all out to take a big jump up the property ladder though?
0:19.2	As almost one quarter of flat sell at a loss,
0:21.8	we ask why have home buyers fallen out of love with leasehold? Plus, is Baita Let really dead?
0:28.2	Also, State Britain has an inflation problem, so what can we do about it? Interest rates stay unchanged,
0:33.7	no surprise is there, and an alternative to premium bonds. Coventry Building Society has a new prize-drawer savings account.
0:40.6	Would you sign up?
0:42.0	Don't forget you step to date with all the latest breaking money news.
0:44.6	Just go to this ismoney.co.com or download the app.
0:49.2	But first, do you love talking money as much as listening to it?
0:52.2	Then you'll love this.
0:53.3	Charles Stanley directs financial
0:54.8	coaching service gives you a real human, yes, an actual expert to help you make sense of your finances.
1:01.0	No jargon, no pressure, just clear answers to your money questions. Book free, 15-minute call
1:06.5	today at Charles Stanley.com.com.com.com.com slash financial financial coaching. Go on your future self will thank you.
1:14.3	Remember, investment involves risk. Right, that's it from our sponsors. Now back to the podcast.
1:19.8	According to new data from Barclays, first-time buyers are turning their backs on flats and
1:25.0	terrace houses and stretching their finances to buy their
1:28.5	forever homes now. More than a third are opting for more expensive semi-detached houses,
1:34.2	that's an increase of 1.7% year-on-year, with three-bed properties the most popular. Meanwhile,
1:40.2	the number buying flats was down 2.7% to just 19%.
1:45.7	Buyers are also taking out longer mortgages of 30 years or even more to finance this.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from This is Money, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of This is Money and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.