Is your home first-time buyer friendly?

If you are considering selling a home you own, don’t be surprised if a healthy number of enquiries and viewings are made by first-time buyers.

Despite some dubious wider economic conditions, it’s often cheaper to live in a property you own rather than rent. In fact, Zoopla found 40% of homes were cheaper to buy with a mortgage than to rent. This percentage, released in February 2026, was up from 25% a year ago.

And now, in April 2026, TwentyCi’s Property & Homemover Report from Q1 2026 showed, on average, UK homeowners save £493 per month compared to tenants. This saving jumped to almost £1,000 per month in London.

The lending landscape is also working in first-time buyers’ favour. What Mortgage? recently reported on the widest choice of low-deposit mortgages ideal for property novices in almost two decades. Adding to the picture is an array of banks and building societies, including Nationwide, Halifax and Barclays, moving towards 5.5 and even 6 times income multiples to boost people’s chances of borrowing.

First-time buyers can have different motivations when looking for a property. They are making the leap into homeownership at a time when the cost of living is at one of its highest.

Although they can usually (and comfortably) afford mortgage payments, especially after years of paying record-high rents, they’ll be aware that running their own home means picking up bills their landlord was previously responsible for.

As such, they’ll be looking for a home that’s cheap to run, easy to maintain and has potential for the future. Your home might already have some of these features, while you may consider adding others before you put your home on the market.

If you’re planning to spend money on home improvements, talk to us about the potential return – we want you to add value to your property and make back what you’ve spent.

Air source heat pump and/or solar panels: renewable energy is cheap and the unit price is less likely to be affected by political instability. First-time buyers will appreciate a home where fuel bills are kept low.

Excellent insulation: first-time buyers will want to know once they’ve spent precious money heating the home, warmth won’t leak out. High-quality loft insulation is a must but don’t rule out cavity wall insulation, as well simpler jobs such as fixing draughts and filling gaps around windows.

Smart energy meters & thermostat systems: integral to keeping energy cost low is the ability to see what you’re spending and control heating from afar. First-timer buyers will almost always expect a smart energy meter in the property but even better is a Nest or Hive-style thermostat system for scheduling and remote heating control.

EV charger: the final piece of the energy – and cost – saving puzzle is an EV charger. In April 2026, Autotrader declared that for the first time ever, new electric vehicles were cheaper to purchase than their petrol counterparts. Couple that with volatile fuel prices at the pumps and the leaning towards electric is understandable.

Planning permission or potential to extend: there’s no getting away from the fact purchasing a property is expensive. For a first-time buyer, their budget will be eaten up by stamp duty, a deposit, legal fees and associated costs. So who can blame them for not wanting to move again? For some, their first home will be their forever home. They’ll be looking for potential to make a home larger or wanting to know if planning permission has already been gained.

No major flaws: while we understand it’s only after a survey that some faults and flaws are revealed, first-time buyers will view your home with a critical eye as soon as they step foot inside. Anything that stands out will serve as a red flag. They’ll walk round totting up what it might cost to put things right. Too much and they’ll move on to a property that needs less work.

We are registering first-time buyers every week. If you’d like to get your home ready to sell and perhaps target property novices, please get in touch.