Key takeaways
The average first-time buyer is now 34. They have rented for an average of 12.8 years, have experienced rising energy bills, and know what they want.
70% of Gen Z and 63% of Millennials see climate change as the biggest threat to civilisation. That mindset comes with them to the housing market.
42% of buyers say a good Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)* rating is very important to them. One in four say it influenced which property they chose.
Buyers are paying around 9.4% more for retrofitted homes, existing properties that have been upgraded with new technology and materials after they were built to improve energy efficiency, lower carbon emissions, and reduce energy bills.
Your conveyancer does more than check the EPC. Environmental searches cover flood risk, contamination, radon and more.
Forget the first-time buyer stereotype. The English Housing Survey 2024/25 puts the average age at 34 - 35 in London. In the mid-1990s it was 29. Back then, nearly one in four buyers was under 25. Today it is fewer than one in sixteen.
These are people who have spent a decade or more renting. They have lived through energy crises, rising bills and cold homes. They are not rushing. They are choosing carefully, and energy efficiency is high on the list.
Today’s first-time buyers are Millennials and older Gen Z. And the data on how these generations feel about the environment is striking.
YouGov found in 2024 that 70% of Gen Z and 63% of Millennials believe climate change is the biggest threat to civilisation. Cardiff University research found they experience more climate anxiety than older groups. Deloitte’s 2024 survey of 22,000 people across 44 countries found 45% of UK Millennials have rejected a job offer because of a company’s values. That same values-driven thinking is now shaping where and what they buy.
This is not just idealism. It’s practical. These are buyers who have paid high bills in draughty rented homes and do not want to repeat the experience when they finally own.
