Why saving can feel so difficult.
We live in a world where instant gratification surrounds us. Films stream instantly, food arrives at the touch of a button, and next-day delivery has become the norm.
But saving for a deposit to buy a home can often feel a long way off. Quite a long way off in fact, as research tells us it takes, on average, 13 years to save for a typical deposit.
Some of the challenges in saving come from staying connected to a goal that feels years away.
84 per cent of private renters want to own a place of their own, and behavioural science suggests we are more likely to stay motivated to save for it when we can see progress we’re making.
The term scientists use for this is “present bias”.
In simple terms, people naturally place more value on rewards they can enjoy today than on those they may receive in the future.
Research shows that even when a future reward is larger and more valuable, we often struggle to stay connected to it because it feels distant.
It’s human nature. And it helps explain why long-term goals can sometimes feel difficult, even when they matter deeply to us.
This isn’t a small problem.
According to research, nearly 3.6 million renters can afford the monthly mortgage payments in their area, but they are locked out of homeownership because they cannot save a deposit.
They want a place they can truly call home, where they can put down roots and begin the next chapter of their lives, such as getting married or having children.
Yet the path to homeownership can often feel frustratingly long.
At Own Homes, we hear many aspiring homeowners tell us their lives feel on hold while they save.
The desire and motivation are there. The challenge is getting from where they are today to where they want to be.
Researchers call this the “goal gradient effect”. The closer you feel you are to achieving a goal, the more effort you are willing to invest in reaching it.
We are far more likely to stay engaged with a goal when we can see progress.
This is why fitness apps track every step. Why loyalty schemes show points building up. Why countdown clocks make waiting for a holiday feel more exciting.
Progress matters. And feeling you’ve made progress matters even more.
What if the journey to saving a deposit could feel more rewarding?
At Own Homes, we believe homeownership should work in the same way.
Traditionally, owning a home means the reward comes at the end of the journey. You’ve saved for years for a home you hope to buy one day.
But what if you could live in the home you’ve chosen today, while building up a deposit to own it later?
That’s why Own Homes was created.
We help future homeowners to RentSaveOwn, move into a brand-new home from one of our partner housebuilders and build towards owning their home within five years while they live there.
Instead of spending years imagining what life in that home might be like, you can be experiencing:
- Settling into the community.
- Getting to know their neighbours.
- Making memories.
- Building a future.
At the same time, you’re building towards owning a home using a structured savings and homeownership journey.
Five years is a commitment, but it’s a very different proposition from spending more than a decade trying to save enough to get started.
When long-term goals feel visible, they also feel achievable and connected to everyday life.
It can make a big difference in saving for the home you come back to every evening versus saving for a home you’ve only seen in pictures.
Life shouldn’t be on hold while you save for a home. Life should be happening in the place you plan to own.
Could living in the home you plan to own change the way you save?
Find out how Own Homes helps future homeowners move into a home, build their deposit, and work towards owning it over time.
Sources:
- https://www.mortgagestrategy.co.uk/news/first-time-buyers-face-13-year-savings-slog-to-buy-get-on-housing-ladder/#:~:text=Mortgages%20RESIDENTIAL%20News-,First%2Dtime%20buyers%20face%2013%2Dyear%20savings%20slog%20to%20get,ladder%20before%20their%2030th%20birthday.
- Online survey 1,000 UK adults who are renting or living at home, conducted by Shared Voice for Own Homes (3–14 April 2026). All respondents were non-homeowners with household incomes between £30,000–£124,000, recruited via online panels and screened to meet these criteria. Quotas were applied by age, gender and region, and data was quality checked. Shared Voice is a member of the British Polling Council.
