How to avoid first time buyer regrets

First time regrets

We've found that first time buyers are suffering from stress, anxiety and depression because of the sacrifices they're making to buy their first home.

The ladder of regret

Of the 750 new homeowners we surveyed:

• 40% had to move away from their family

• 1 in 7 moved to a higher crime area

• Over 25% moved further away from work

• 10% had to move to a higher flood risk area

We spoke to Lorna, a first time buyer from Gloucestershire, about the sacrifices she made to be able to buy her first home:

We really struggled to save up enough deposit, so we moved in with my parents for six months.

This caused us much stress, but I felt it was worth the sacrifice because I really wanted to live close to my family.

If you are struggling to save enough for a house deposit there are lots of ways you could boost your savings.

Here's how to get some help saving for your house deposit

Buying without regret

Here are some things you can do to help buy your first home, without making sacrifices that may make you miserable.

Read all our guides to moving home here

Our home buying tips

Here are some quick and easy ways to save money buying a house:

• Check how much you could borrow before you start looking at properties. This way you'll know how much you can afford and what you need to save as a deposit. Find out how much you could borrow with a mortgage here.

• Research government schemes which are designed to help you afford your first home. The Help to Buy scheme offers an interest free loan for five years towards new build properties.

• The bigger your deposit the better the deal you'll get and the more you'll be able to afford. It might be worth holding on for as long as you can and saving up instead of buying in an area that isn't suitable.

• Look at getting a Lifetime ISA because free cash from the government is too good to turn down. Here's how it works.

• Shop around for your mortgage - don't just take one out with your existing bank, because you might not get the best deal. Here's how to find the right mortgage deal.

Here's more help on getting your first mortgage