This is according to a new first-time buyer study from property website Rightmove which shows that the average first-time buyer mortgage payment has risen by 61% since the last election year of 2019.

The increase in average mortgage payments for first-time buyers has significantly outpaced wage growth. Over the same five-year period, average wages are up by 27%.

The mortgage payment calculations assume first-time buyers are taking out a five-year fixed mortgage, spread over 25 years, at 80% Loan-To-Value (LTV). An 80% LTV mortgage is the average for first-time buyers according to UK Finance data.

The average five-year fixed, 80% Loan-To-Value mortgage rate is now 5.09%, compared to 2.24% in 2019.

Meanwhile, the average first-time buyer home is now £227,757, rising by 19% since 2019, however prices have risen more sharply in different areas.

At a regional level, the North West has seen the biggest jump in first-time buyer prices at 33% above 2019, while London has seen the smallest rise of just 6% in five years.

This is reflected in local trends, with 16 out of the top 20 areas across the UK  that have seen the biggest jump in first-time buyer prices being located in the North West and Wales, though Bolsover in the West Midlands tops the list at a 55% rise in average asking prices.

With the study highlighting how significant the increase in mortgage rates has been for first-time buyer affordability, Rightmove suggests that a Bank of England rate cut will have the most immediate benefit for those trying to get onto the ladder, should it, as expected, lead to lower mortgage rates.

Rightmove’s key ask of the next government is that they prioritise long-term solutions and policies to help more first-time buyers onto the ladder, over short-term policies that only help very small groups of people.

Rightmove’s property expert Tim Bannister commented: “As rates have increased over the last five years, the amount that a typical first-time buyer is paying each month on a mortgage has outstripped the pace of earning growth.

“Some first-time buyers are looking at extending their mortgage terms to 30 or 35 years to lower monthly payments, or looking at cheaper homes for sale so that they need to borrow less. If mortgage rates reduce, this will help first-time buyers in the short term more so than election housing promises.”

He added: “We hope that the next government can support first-time buyers with well-thought- out policies, which address the difficulties of saving up a large enough deposit and being able to borrow enough from a lender.”