Pathways to home ownership in an age of uncertainty

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This research investigates how young households (aged 25–34) in Sydney and Perth are adapting their spending and saving behaviours and living arrangements in order to be able to buy a home.

The Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) study undertaken for AHURI by researchers from University of Sydney and Curtin University, examines how young householders aged 25 to 34 in Sydney and Perth are adapting their spending, saving behaviours and living arrangements in order to be able to buy a home.

The people surveyed in the research are in the age bracket that traditionally would be expected to have bought, or be about to buy, their first home; with about 40 per cent of respondents in Sydney and 47 per cent in Perth having already become home owners.

A key finding is that 40 per cent of the over 850 young adults surveyed for this research stated that they expected some form of financial support from their family towards buying their new home in the future.

Key Findings

  • Home ownership rates among younger people (owned outright or with a mortgage) have been in decline for the past two decades, and can be associated with rising employment precarity and stagnant wages.
  • The aim of this project was to investigate how young households (aged 25–34) in Sydney and Perth are adapting their financial and consumption behaviours and living arrangements towards the goal of home ownership.
  • Over 70 per cent of respondents had multiple jobs over the last five years and over 40 per cent expressed the desire for additional work hours, while income volatility was experienced at a rate of 39 per cent in Sydney and 44 per cent in Perth. The financial diaries confirmed high variability in finances as a key challenge for household planning and savings.

Report

Read the AHURI Pathways to home ownership in an age of uncertainty report here.

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