Charlie Appleyard, a highly talented tattoo artist based in London, has opened up about the stark choice her generation faces: either pay cheaper rent or live in a safer area where she can walk home alone at night. The 32-year-old, who has rented her entire life despite a meteoric career, is desperate to own a home but finds it increasingly impossible.
The Struggle for Homeownership
Charlie, who is self-employed, dreams of owning a property with a garden and her own belongings. However, she says the cost is prohibitive. 'In the 1990s, a small flat around here would have cost £70,000 to £150,000 — now it is over £500,000. Wages have simply not increased proportionately,' she explained.
She commutes from Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, into central London, adding a significant expense. Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, she said: 'I am feeling distinctly left behind. The only consolation is looking around and realising it definitely isn’t just me. But nor does it feel like a phase or a current crisis. This is the way things are, and if anything, it is going to get more and more difficult. I think we may well be the generation of eternal renters.'
Generation of Eternal Renters
Charlie noted that when she mentions buying a home to her friends, she gets the same response: an eye-roll and a hollow laugh. 'I feel a bit as if I am living like a nomad — flitting from one insecure perch to another,' she added.
With elections this week, housing remains a major issue for young voters. A recent survey of adults aged 28 to 43 revealed that 26% have yet to become homeowners, despite previously assuming they would have by this stage. Of these, 68% are renting and 23% still live with relatives.
Generational Disparity
The Home Builders Federation reports that Gen Z may never own a home. Young people today would have to pay six times more for their first home than their parents did. Charlie’s mother Diana bought her first one-bedroom flat in Bowdon, south Manchester, at age 25 for £29,000. By Charlie’s age, Diana and her husband Ross owned a four-bedroom farm conversion in Alcester, Warwickshire.
Today’s first-time buyer needs a deposit averaging £60,000 — twice their yearly salary. Meanwhile, the average salary has barely doubled since the 1990s, rising from £15,034 to £37,430.
New Builds Not Reaching Market
New research shows that only one in 10 newly built homes reaches the open sales market. Figures from estate agent CRM providers Alto, combined with ONS statistics, reveal that the vast majority of new builds are sold off-plan or through other channels, bypassing the general market for Brits to purchase.
