Thousand of grown-up children are set to be handed Christmas property presents as nearly two-thirds of parents have previously helped them buy a home forking out an average of £32,440 for deposits, according to Zoopla.

The property website said 64% of parents have helped their children buy their first home, with 24% of parents say their children would never have been able to afford to buy a property on their own.

Its survey says some parents went even further with deposits, with 14% giving their children more than £50,000. And a further 10% of parents said that while they did not contribute to their children’s house deposit themselves, other relatives did.

It adds that 3% of parents with adult children plan to give them money this Christmas to help them onto the property ladder.

In total, around three-quarters of all buyers turned to financial support from family.

The average UK house price hit a new record high of £272,992 in November, says the latest index from Halifax.

This adds up to a monthly change of 1% – the fifth month in a row that house prices have increased – and an annual growth rate of 8.2%.

Halifax points out that for first-time buyers, house prices have increased by 9.1% over the year compared to 8.8% for homemovers.

The Zoopla report adds that the bank of mum and dad doesn’t stop at deposits, with 36% of parents also helping with rent or mortgage payments at some stage.

The survey says that 15% of parents provided cash to pay bills, 13% for repairs and 12% for decorating.

Zoopla consumer expert Daniel Copley says: “It is very clear that average house prices in the UK have increased at a greater rate than salaries over recent decades, reinforcing the notion that it is harder for young adults to get on the property ladder today than it was for previous generations.

“Despite the financial hurdle that a first home purchase can present, our data demonstrates that FTBs are prolific in the market and have been for some time.

“Putting more money towards the purchase of a home can help reduce mortgage payments and in turn can unlock lower interest rates, so it’s clear that, when it comes to property, the bank of mum and dad will be in business for a long time to come.”

Coventry Building Society head of product performance Ian Biggs adds: “Affordability is the primary issue facing the next generation of first-time buyers.

“Zoopla’s research reveals that nearly two-thirds of parents say they contributed to the deposit of their adult children’s homes, but not every new home buyer will receive financial support from their parents.

“Encouragingly, this year has seen a surge in first-time buyer mortgages. The increased availability and competitive rates of higher loan-to-value products has been critical to helping people with smaller deposits to take their first step on the property ladder.

“However, as house prices increase the savings pots of aspiring first-time buyers erode. Brokers provide an important role in helping those looking to buy start – and continue – to save for their first deposit as well as helping them to find the right mortgage deal for them.

“It’s essential that brokers stay up to date with the savings options available to first-time buyers to help them take advantage of these products and begin the home buying process with as large a deposit as possible – whether that’s with or without financial help from their parents.”

Zoopla says its survey was conducted among its users, nearly 1,100 of whom are parents to grown-up children.