The cost-of-living crisis dominated criteria searches last month, with brokers looking for energy-efficient homes and interest-only mortgages, data from Legal & General’s SmartrFit platform shows.  

The criteria tool says searches for products that consider a property’s energy performance certificate jumped by 21% in December.  

The firm says: “With many facing high gas and electricity bills, increasing numbers of homeowners are looking for more energy-efficient homes to help cut future costs and protect the environment.”  

It adds that buyers will pay up to a 20% premium for low-carbon homes, according to a previous poll it conducted with YouGov in November.   

It says that “consumers are now rating energy-efficient, sustainable features as more important than the size of the property when it comes to finding a new home”.   

Last month’s criteria data, also shows how “ongoing affordability constraints” are hitting the market, with a 30% jump in searches for interest-only mortgages “as borrowers sought more flexibility in how they would like to repay their mortgage”.  

It adds that joint borrower-sole proprietor mortgages were the second most searched criteria point in December, “indicating that more borrowers are leaning on income from family and friends” to buy a property.  

However, the study also points out that the largest number of criteria searches were carried out on behalf of foreign buyers.  

It says: “For another month in a row, most criteria searches were made on behalf of applicants with a visa, reaffirming that UK housing is a safe bet in uncertain economic times.”  

Legal & General Technology head of mortgage products & transformation Jodie White says: “Affordability has naturally come under pressure in recent months, but our data shows that advisers are stepping up to meet this challenge and helping their customers find alternative solutions.   

“This responsiveness is a positive sign for the health of our mortgage market.”